Gusto and QuickBooks Workforce (formerly QuickBooks Payroll) are affordable software options for small business owners that both offer full-service payroll with unlimited pay runs and direct deposit payments, as well as payroll tax processing and filing.
Gusto has a wider selection of benefits options and more human resources (HR) tools. QuickBooks Workforce, on the other hand, provides faster direct deposits and connects seamlessly with other Intuit QuickBooks products.
- Gusto: Best for payroll for both employees and contractors with access to HR tools
- QuickBooks Workforce: Best for businesses already using Intuit Quickbooks software
Both Gusto and QuickBooks Workforce are featured in many of our payroll buyer’s guides as top two choices, including our best payroll software for small business users and best payroll software for accountants. For this article, I compared Gusto vs QuickBooks Workforce based on affordability, HR and payroll features, and how easy the software is to use.
Gusto vs QuickBooks Workforce: Compared
 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 4.68 out of 5 | 4.39 out of 5 |
| Best for | Small businesses wanting full service payroll with HR | Current QuickBooks users |
| Starter Monthly Pricing | $49 per month + $6 per person per month | $50 per month + $6.50 per employee monthly |
| Direct Deposit Processing Timelines | Minimum two and four days; next-day process with higher plans | Minimum next-day process; same-day with higher plans |
| Workers' Compensation | Can purchase and manage within all plans | Can purchase and manage within all payroll-only plans |
| Payroll Tax Payments, Filings, and Year-end W2/1099 Reports | Yes to all | Local tax payments and filings available in higher tiers only |
| Other HR Features | Job postings, applicant tracking, performance reviews, employee surveys, HR resource center, and HR advisers | HR support center and HR advisers |
| Software Integration | Robust | Limited to Intuit products; requires QuickBooks Accounting to unlock all integrations |
| Ease of use | Excellent | Excellent |
| Customer support | Phone, email, and chat support from Monday to Friday; premium support available in higher tiers | 24/7 chat; phone support from Monday to Saturday; premium support available with Elite plan |
For a deeper dive of each provider, click on the tabs below.
Deciding Factors
- Best for: Small businesses wanting full service payroll with HR
- Starter Monthly Pricing: $49 per month + $6 per person per month
- Health Benefits Coverage: Available in all 50 states
- Direct Deposit Processing Timelines: Minimum two and four days; Next-day process with higher plans
- Workers’ Compensation: Can purchase and manage within all plans
- HR Features: Job postings, applicant tracking, performance reviews, employee surveys, HR resource center, and HR advisers
- Software Integration: 150+
- Ease of use: Excellent
- Customer Support: Phone, email, and chat support from Monday to Friday; Premium support available in higher tiers
Who Should Use Gusto
- Businesses needing HR tools: Gusto offers more HR features, including org charts, e-signatures, job posting, performance reviews, and employee surveys.
- Companies that need payroll Integration support: If you need full-service payroll with robust HR support, employee benefits options, and third-party software integrations, Gusto is the best payroll solution for you.
- Those who work with international contractors: Gusto can handle paying contractors in 120+ countries, often in local currency; it also onboards contractors for you with the tax form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E.
Deciding Factors
- Best for: Current QuickBooks Online users
- Starter Monthly Pricing: $50 base fee + $6 per employee per month
- Health Benefits Coverage: Available through Allstate Health Solutions
- Direct Deposit Processing Timelines: Minimum next-day process; Same-day with higher plans
- Workers’ Compensation: Can purchase and manage within all payroll-only plans
- HR Features: HR support center and HR advisers
- Software Integration: Limited to Intuit products; Requires QuickBooks Accounting to unlock all integrations
- Ease of use: Good; Help section is for all Intuit products and can get confusing
- Customer support: 24/7 chat, phone support from Monday to Saturday; Premium support available with Premium and Elite plans
Who Should Use QuickBooks Workforce
- Businesses who currently use QuickBooks Online: QuickBooks Workforce is offered as an add-on service to QuickBooks’ existing platform, making it a great option for businesses that are already using QuickBooks.
- Companies that want faster deposit times: QuickBooks pays out the next day even with its lowest plans, while Gusto can take up to 4 days depending on the plan. Plus, QuickBooks’ same-day option will come in handy if you need to process emergency paychecks. (Gusto, however, can pay out immediately if your employee has Gusto Wallet.)
When to Use Something Else
There are instances where neither Gusto nor QuickBooks Workforce is the best option. Consider something else if your business needs any of the following services.
- Professional employer organization (PEO): If you’re looking for a PEO solution with HR payroll software and 24/7 customer support, I recommend Justworks. Neither Gusto nor QuickBooks Workforce offer PEO services. Read our Justworks review to learn more about its offerings, or check out our best PEO companies guide for recommendations.
- International Payroll: QuickBooks does not handle international payroll, and Gusto’s global payroll solutions are extremely limited (currently only supports 12 countries and salary-exempt employees only). If you have a global business, then consider Papaya Global. Read our Papaya Global review to learn more about what it offers, or check out our best international payroll services guide for recommendations.
- Payroll with a complete HRIS: Gusto has a few more HR features than QuickBooks—but if you want a full HRIS that includes payroll, then I recommend Rippling or ADP. Learn about these two in our Rippling review and ADP Run review.
- Free payroll: If you have a very small business and simple payroll needs, then free payroll software might be enough. Check out our list of the best free payroll software. TimeTrex is our #1 recommendation there, though keep in mind that you will be filing taxes yourself. Learn more about it in our TimeTrex review.
If you would like to try other options, check out our best payroll services guide for small businesses.
Gusto and QuickBooks Workforce are highly versatile, easy to use, and well-priced. As such, you’ll find them both (typically in the top 2 spots) in our lists for:
- Best Payroll Software for Small Businesses
- Best Human Resources Payroll Software
- Best Payroll Software for Accountants
- Best ADP Competitors
- Best Payroll Series for Nonprofits
- Best Church Payroll Services
- Best Payroll Services for Trucking Companies
- Best Construction Payroll Software
How do I choose Gusto vs QuickBooks? To help you choose a payroll solution that’s best for your business, start by assessing how many employees you have, along with your budget and need for HR support and software integrations.
Most Affordable: Gusto
Both Gusto and QuickBooks Workforce offer reasonably priced product plans that come with unlimited pay runs. However, Gusto’s lower base fees for its Simple plan make it more affordable than QuickBooks Workforce’s Payroll plan.
Click the tabs below to learn more about pricing for both Gusto and QuickBooks Workforce.
5 / 5
| Simple | Plus | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| $49 per month + $6 per person per month | $80 base fee + $12 per employee per month | $180 base fee + $22 per employee per month |
| Includes everything in the Simple plan, plus:
| Includes everything in the Plus plan, plus:
|
| Contractor-only Plan: $35 base fee + $6 per contractor per month | ||
Add-ons
| ||
4 / 5
| Core | Premium | Elite |
|---|---|---|
$50 per month + $6.50 per employee monthly | $88 per month + $10 per employee monthly | $134 per month + $12 per employee monthly |
| Includes everything in the Core plan, plus
| Includes everything in the Premium plan, plus
|
Contractor-only Plans
| ||
Everything above is offered as standalone price or it can be a payroll add-on. The add-on requires purchase of one of the following Quickbooks Online solutions:
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Gusto vs QuickBooks Workforce Pricing Calculator
If you want to quickly compare starting costs, use our online calculator to compute the estimated monthly and annual fees of the lowest plan for each of these providers.
Best for Payroll Features: QuickBooks Workforce
Gusto vs QuickBooks Workforce is a close call in terms of payroll features, as they have similar feature sets. Both offer automated payroll and tax processing, including year-end tax report preparation and online delivery of Form W-2s and 1099s. However, QuickBooks Workforce comes out slightly ahead because of its penalty-free guarantee, no matter who makes the mistake.
4.75 / 5
Although Gusto did not “win” in this category, it did score well due to its offerings of the following payroll features:
- Full-service payroll with unlimited pay runs
- Automated tax filings and pay runs
- Year-end tax report prep and online delivery (W2s/1099s)
- Multi-state payroll (available with Plus and Premium plans)
- Next-day direct deposit (included in Plus and Premium plans, and as an add-on in the Simple plan)
- Manual paychecks and pay card option (Gusto Wallet)
- Wage garnishment deductions and payments (not available in South Carolina)
- International contractor payroll
Gusto Wallet is a payment app with a paycard that lets you pay employees on demand. QuickBooks Workforce doesn’t have this option. Gusto’s paycard has a higher savings interest rate than most banks and includes budgeting tools to help employees spend their money wisely.
Gusto pays local taxes; QuickBooks will only handle local tax payments and filings for you if you subscribe to either its Premium or Elite plans. In addition, Gusto offers global contractor services (as a paid add-on), something QuickBooks lacks.
4.88 / 5
If you require same-day direct deposits, then you may want to consider QuickBooks Workforce. Gusto provides two-day direct deposits for its Simple package and next-day processing for its higher tiers (the first payroll takes four days, however.)
Also, if your business is located in more than one state, Gusto offers its multistate payroll functionalities only for Plus and Premium plans—this is available in QuickBooks Workforce’s cheapest plan (Core).
Other notable payroll features that helped QuickBooks Workforce earn the top spot in this category include:
- Automated tax filings and payments (local tax payments and filings available in higher tiers)
- Year-end tax report prep and online delivery (W2s/1099s)
- Multi-state payroll (available with any plan)
- Next-day and same-day direct deposit
- Time and project tracking
- Tax penalty protection
Best for HR Tools: Gusto
With Gusto and QuickBooks Workforce, you get a self-service portal that employees can use to view their pay slips and employee benefits online. Both providers also offer access to expert professionals whom you can contact to get HR, payroll, and compliance advice. However, Gusto offers more services to assist with active employees.
4.38 / 5
Some of Gusto’s essential HR features include new hire state reporting, hiring, performance review management, and a wide range of employee benefits options, such as health insurance, commuter benefits, and flexible spending accounts.
Additionally, you get access to job postings, online offer letters, customizable onboarding tools, and employee surveys. Gusto’s Plus and Premium Plans also have a performance evaluation tool to help you share and track feedback with employees. It includes goal-setting and self-evaluation functions.
3.75 / 5
QuickBooks Workforce focuses mainly on providing payroll services. Its HR features are lacking compared to Gusto. It does offer time tracking at a lower price than Gusto and includes it in its Premium Plan. Gusto requires an add-on, and the one it offers is significantly more expensive, although it includes PTO management.
QuickBooks Workforce also offers healthcare, workers comp, and retirement services along with its payroll options. Both providers now offer healthcare benefits in all 50 states, but with QuickBooks Workforce it is through a third-party provider (Allstate Health Solutions).
Best for Reporting: Gusto
Expert Tiebreaker Insight: When it comes to reports, Gusto and QuickBooks Workforce are even in the number of offerings. Plus, you can build new reports and customize existing reports on both platforms. Although they tied in this category, Gusto’s reports are slightly more robust. Plus, reporting on QuickBooks desktop version is more detailed than its Online version—and with the desktop version phasing out, it makes Gusto the clear winner in this category.
3.5 / 5
Gusto creates 19 reports you can access at any time, plus five reports that depend on your situation, like tax deferrals or R&D tax credits. We didn’t find tax credit reports in QuickBooks Workforce’s list. You can also build your own reports using the “break down by” fields and then save the template under custom reports.
Gusto also lets you create employee surveys to get reports on employee happiness and areas of concern. It also has project costing tools to generate reports on expenses. It can also generate custom reports for applying for the Paycheck Protection Program or Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program.
3.5 / 5
Interestingly, QuickBooks Workforce’s pre-made reports vary greatly by whether you have the online or the desktop version. The desktop version has more reports and several are for more details, but the online version has reports like retirement plans. Several have different names but provide the same information. Only Desktop lets you create and then “memorize” a report with its current custom settings to make it easier to run in the future.
Best for Ease of Use: QuickBooks Workforce
When it comes to ease of use, Gusto and QuickBooks Workforce have user-friendly and intuitive platforms. Both offer phone support, including access to HR advisers and how-to guides. QuickBooks Workforce was the clear winner in this category earning top marks for its customer support and access to a community forum and setup help even in its lowest tier. However, Gusto has a better how-to section than QuickBooks, and it’s hands-down the better for integrations.
4.5 / 5
Gusto has full customer support, with premium support included in its Premium plan (available as an add-on in its lower tiers), and includes phone, email, and chat support. Its support hours are available Monday through Friday, from 6 am to 6 pm, Mountain Time. Plus, users have access to licensed benefits advisors and an HR resource center (available as an add-on in the Simple and Plus plans).
Gusto’s how-to sections are not illustrated, but they are complete and easy to follow. It’s also easy to find what you need. When searching for QuickBooks’ Payroll help, on the other hand, it tends to pull up articles for other Intuit products as well.
For third-party software integrations, Gusto has a more robust selection, with over 150 integrations covering accounting, hiring, learning management, legal and compliance, rewards and recognition, and even point-of-sale systems.
5 / 5
The integration with QuickBooks solutions is seamless, making it easy for you to manage data across multiple Intuit products—from employee attendance (via QuickBooks Time) to pay processing (through QuickBooks Workforce) and general ledger updates (with QuickBooks Accounting). QuickBooks Accounting is required for third-party integration, which is limited.
QuickBooks’ customer support is top-notch with availability Monday through Friday, from 6 am to 6 pm, Pacific Time, and Saturday support from 6 am to 3 pm, Pacific time. Additionally, it offers 24/7 chat and email access, as well as premium support available with its Premium and Elite plans.
QuickBooks’ help articles are a little more difficult to get to and are more brief than Gusto’s; however, it offers a community forum for seeking answers and advice, something Gusto does not have. If you need help setting up your account, you can call customer support for a guided setup and tips.
Best for User Reviews: Gusto
Gusto takes the lead here not only for having a higher score from real-world users but also for having more user reviews. However, both products are highly rated by users for features, ease-of-use, and customer support.
5 / 5
Users who left reviews on third-party review sites rated it favorably, highlighting its ease of use, straightforward and intuitive interface, and good customer support. It also helps small businesses to be compliant legally with wage laws. The complaints, meanwhile, include occasional software glitches and a desire for a wider offering of HR tools, reporting features, and software integration options.
- G2: 4.5 out of 5 stars; 2,200+ reviews
- Capterra: 4.6 out of 5 stars; 3,900+ reviews
- TrustRadius: 8.5 out of 10 stars; 1,100+ reviews
Users gave QuickBooks Workforce average scores on third-party review sites. Most of the positive comments it received include “easy to implement” and “user-friendly.” There are mixed reviews about its customer support—some users noted its support team isn’t knowledgeable, while others said they received good service. Some also mentioned that it needs to have more robust reporting features.
- G2: 3.8 out of 5 stars; 65 reviews
- Capterra: 4.4 out of 5 stars; 878 reviews
- TrustRadius: No ranking
Methodology: How Gusto and QuickBooks Workforce Were Evaluated
Gusto vs QuickBooks Workforce FAQs
What’s the difference between Gusto and QuickBooks Workforce?
Gusto is a payroll service that offers HR tools like job posting and performance reviews. It integrates with over 150 applications, including QuickBooks. QuickBooks Workforce is part of the Intuit family of products. While it has fewer HR tools than Gusto, it integrates seamlessly with other Intuit products, including QuickBooks Accounting and QuickBooks Time.
What’s better, Gusto or QuickBooks?
Based on our evaluation, Gusto is a better payroll software than QuickBooks Workforce because it offers more HR tools, integrations, and benefits. However, if you’re already using QuickBooks’ accounting software, then QuickBooks Workforce may be a better option. The learning curve will be much lower than you’d get with other small business software.
Is Gusto or QuickBooks Workforce more expensive?
Gusto’s payroll plans are comparable to other payroll services, and its contractor-only plan is one of the least expensive. However, while QuickBooks Workforce is more expensive at its lowest tier, its Premium plan is more affordable than Gusto’s.
