Gusto vs QuickBooks: which costs less?

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Gusto last checked by hand: October 22, 2026 · QuickBooks prices re-confirmed on its own page: October 22, 2026

For 5 employees in one state with taxes filed for you, Gusto is cheaper: $79 a month (Simple) vs $85 (Workforce Payroll (formerly Payroll Core)) (QuickBooks lists its extra-state fee and some contractor fees only in its offer terms). That holds at every team size up to 100.

Monthly price by team size

Lowest published monthly price for each service's cheapest plan that files payroll taxes for you, one state. "—" = no published plan fits.
Service	1 employee	5 employees	10 employees	25 employees	50 employees
Gusto	$55	$79	$109	$199	$349
QuickBooks	$57	$85	$120	$225	$400

Other situations

Situation	Gusto	QuickBooks
10 employees in 2 states, taxes filed for you	$200 (Plus)	$132 (Workforce Payroll (formerly Payroll Core))
5 contractors, no employees	$79 (Simple)	$25 (Contractor Payments (contractors only))

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

Pay contractors outside the US

Only QuickBooks

Wage garnishments handled
Tax penalty guarantee

See Gusto pricing See QuickBooks pricing

Want a different team size or must-haves? Use the calculator, which compares all 13 services at once.

Details: Gusto · QuickBooks