Gusto vs Workday
Compare Gusto and Workday on features, pricing, and buyer fit using the same researched criteria.
Gusto
US SMB payroll + benefits + light HR — Simple from $49/mo + $6/person; Plus $80 + $12; Premium $180 + $22.
Best for
- • US small businesses running payroll (and benefits) for the first time
- • Teams that want published month-to-month pricing instead of HCM quotes
- • Single-state companies that can start on Simple and upgrade for multi-state
Starting from $49.00/user/mo
No free plan
VS
Our verdict
There is no universal winner between Gusto and Workday. Choose Gusto when US small businesses running payroll (and benefits) for the first time. Choose Workday when Enterprises (typically 1,000+ employees) that want one HCM system of record. Criterion scores come from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments and first-party research — not hands-on lab testing.
Workday is better for
- ✓ Integrations
Choose Gusto if: US small businesses running payroll (and benefits) for the first time
Choose Workday if: Enterprises (typically 1,000+ employees) that want one HCM system of record
Workday
Enterprise HCM default — custom PEPM quote (no published seat $); implementation-led. Landscape only vs SMB HRIS/payroll.
Best for
- • Enterprises (typically 1,000+ employees) that want one HCM system of record
- • Global HR + payroll programmes comparing Workday as the default shortlist
- • Orgs that will fund a multi-month SI implementation
No free plan
Comparison scorecard
Criterion-by-criterion results for Gusto and Workday. Numeric bars appear only when both products have approved scores.
- Depends
Starting pricing
Published floor price and what that floor actually includes.
Gusto researched starting price from $49/mo; Workday starting price was not verified in current research — confirm on the vendor pricing page. Better value depends on plan rungs, currency, and add-ons.
GustoDependsWorkdayDepends - Depends
Free plan
Whether a usable free plan is published, and what it gates.
Gusto does not research a free plan; Workday does not research a free plan.
GustoDependsWorkdayDepends - Depends
User / licence minimum
Seat floors, per-employee minimums, and small-team pricing traps.
Check employee or licence minimums for Gusto and Workday on current vendor packaging.
GustoDependsWorkdayDepends - Workday
Integrations
Important third-party integrations.
Workday leads on integrations (7/10 vs 9/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Gusto7/10Workday9/10
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