Cheaper alternatives to Gusto
What the payroll services that publish prices charge for 1, 5, 10 and 25 employees with every must-have of Gusto's Simple plan, in one state and in two, worked out by our calculator from the list prices on their own websites.
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Prices re-confirmed on each provider's own page for 3 services: · last checked by hand for 1 service:
Each price is for a service's cheapest published plan with all the must-haves listed below, at standard monthly list prices. We call a service cheaper only when it costs at least $5 and 5% less; closer than that is a near tie.
- For 1, 5, 10 and 25 employees in one state, Gusto costs $55, $79, $109 and $199 a month respectively on its Simple plan, and Patriot costs $13, $17, $22 and $37 a month less with the same must-haves; OnPay costs the same at each of these sizes (among the 4 of the 13 US payroll services we track that publish prices and have a plan that fits; list prices only; checked between October 22, 2026 and October 25, 2026).
- With employees in two states, Gusto costs $200 a month for 10 employees on its Plus plan ($109 in one state), and 3 services cost less with the same must-haves: Patriot ($101 less), OnPay ($91 less) and Homebase ($61 less) (among the 4 of the 13 US payroll services we track that publish prices and have a plan that fits; list prices only; checked between October 22, 2026 and October 25, 2026; Homebase's prices are for one location, its plan fees are charged per location, and it doesn't say whether remote staff in another state need a location of their own).
With tax filing done for you as the only must-have, 5 services that publish prices are cheaper than Gusto for 5 employees in one state (among the 13 US payroll services we track that publish prices; list prices only; checked between October 22, 2026 and October 25, 2026). See them on Gusto's pricing page.
Only the services that publish prices are counted: ADP RUN and Rippling don't publish list prices; SurePayroll is left out because its own pages showed different prices.
The must-haves we matched
Gusto's cheapest plan that files payroll taxes for you is its Simple plan, at $49 a month plus $6 per employee, for employees in one state only, as of October 22, 2026. Of the must-haves you can pick in our calculator, it includes the ones below, so every service on this page is priced on its cheapest plan that has all of them, included or as a paid add-on (whose price we count).
- Files and pays payroll taxes for you
- Health benefits administration (insurance premiums extra, not in our prices)
- Pay-as-you-go workers' comp (premiums extra, not in our prices)
- Local (city/county) tax filing
- Employee self-service portal or app
- Syncs with accounting software
- Phone support
Compare prices for your team with these must-haves
Monthly price with the same must-haves, one state
Each service's cheapest published plan with every must-have above, for 1, 5, 10 and 25 employees in one state. Gusto is in bold.
| Service | 1 employee | 5 employees | 10 employees | 25 employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patriot | $42 | $62 | $87 | $162 |
| Gusto | $55 | $79 | $109 | $199 |
| OnPay | $55 | $79 | $109 | $199 |
| Homebase | $85 | $109 | $139 | $229 |
Caveats our data records about some of these prices (each service's page gives them in full):
- Homebase: Homebase's prices are for one location, its plan fees are charged per location, and it doesn't say whether remote staff in another state need a location of their own.
On each provider's own website: Patriot · Gusto · OnPay · Homebase
Employees in two states
Some services need a higher plan or charge a fee for each extra state. Gusto's Simple plan is for employees in one state only, so with employees in two states Gusto is priced on its Plus plan. Each service's cheapest published plan with every must-have above, for 1, 5, 10 and 25 employees in two states; Gusto is in bold:
| Service | 1 employee | 5 employees | 10 employees | 25 employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patriot | $54 +$12 | $74 +$12 | $99 +$12 | $174 +$12 |
| OnPay | $55 no extra | $79 no extra | $109 no extra | $199 no extra |
| Homebase | $85 no extra listed | $109 no extra listed | $139 no extra listed | $229 no extra listed |
| Gusto | $92 +$37 | $140 +$61 | $200 +$91 | $380 +$181 |
Caveats our data records about some of these prices (in full where they're about states or locations):
- Homebase: Each price includes the Homebase scheduling plan it requires. Homebase plan fees are charged per location, so add one plan fee for each extra location. Homebase defines a location as "a physical address that is your place of business", but it doesn't say whether an employee who works in another state, away from your business addresses, needs a location of their own. If your team works in more than one state, ask Homebase before you rely on this price.
Not in these prices, because the provider doesn't publish the amount: On Gusto's Plus plan, state tax registration in a new state is an add-on whose price Gusto doesn't publish: it says pricing varies by state.
Every service that publishes prices, in one, two or three states, with tax filing as the only must-have, and what each charges for more states: what multi-state payroll costs.
Plans Gusto no longer offers new customers
- October 1, 2026: Gusto's Contractor Only plan is no longer available to new customers (source: support.gusto.com; change log). What a business with only contractors pays now.
More on Gusto: Gusto pricing · Gusto vs QuickBooks · Gusto vs OnPay · Gusto vs Square Payroll · Gusto vs Patriot · Gusto vs Justworks · Wave vs Gusto · Roll by ADP vs Gusto. Only contractors, no employees? What each service charges to pay 1099 contractors. Tax filing as the only must-have: payroll prices by team size.
Prices on this page checked October 22, 2026 – October 25, 2026. How we check prices · Price change log