Gusto vs OnPay: which costs less?
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Gusto last checked by hand: · OnPay prices re-confirmed on its own page:
With employees in one state and taxes filed for you, Gusto and OnPay cost exactly the same at every team size we checked (1 to 100 employees): $79 a month for 5 employees. The differences are in features and in the other situations below.
Monthly price by team size
| Service | 1 employee | 5 employees | 10 employees | 25 employees | 50 employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gusto | $55 | $79 | $109 | $199 | $349 |
| OnPay | $55 | $79 | $109 | $199 | $349 |
Other situations
| Situation | Gusto | OnPay |
|---|---|---|
| 10 employees in 2 states, taxes filed for you | $200 (Plus) | $109 (Payroll Essentials) |
| 5 contractors, no employees | $79 (Simple) | $79 (Payroll Essentials) |
Feature differences
Features available on at least one plan (included or as a paid add-on), according to each provider's pricing page:
Only Gusto
- Next-day direct deposit
- Pay contractors outside the US
- Same-day direct deposit
Only OnPay
- Wage garnishments handled
See Gusto pricing See OnPay pricing
Want a different team size or must-haves? Use the calculator, which compares all 13 services at once.
Sources we checked: Gusto pricing page (plans, add-ons, plan comparison data, pricing FAQs) (checked 2026-10-22); Gusto pricing page, Wayback snapshot (cross-check: identical plan prices) (checked 2026-10-22); Gusto pricing page, Wayback snapshot that still showed the former Contractor Only plan (checked 2026-10-22); Gusto Help Center: Change your Gusto product plan (contractor-only plan discontinued) (checked 2026-10-22); OnPay pricing page for businesses (Payroll Essentials, add-ons, bundles, feature list) (checked 2026-10-22); onpay.com/pricing (301-redirects to the accountant partner pricing page /payroll/software/accountants/pricing/) (checked 2026-10-22); OnPay sign-up page (first month free offer) (checked 2026-10-22)