Why people look for a Gusto alternative
- Simple covers payroll in one state only, and hiring in a second state forces a move to Plus (third-party reported).
- International coverage is described inconsistently, and since May 1, 2026 one publisher reports that Gusto refers new customers to Remote (third-party reported).
- Gusto is built for small and mid-sized US businesses (vendor-sourced).
The 4 best Gusto alternatives ranked
1. BambooHR: 7.1/10, best for published prices
Compared with Gusto, you gain an HR system of record with published plan prices of $10, $17 and $25 per employee per month and flat monthly rates for teams of 25 or fewer (vendor-sourced), and a Capterra rating of 4.6 from 3,343 reviews (review platform). You give up included payroll, because payroll, benefits administration and time and attendance are add-ons with unpublished prices, and payroll and benefits administration are US only.
2. Workday: 6.8/10, best for large enterprises
Compared with Gusto, you gain HR and financial management on one data model, the highest proof of results sub-score in the category, 8.0 out of 10, and named customers including Cisco, The Ohio State University and HonorHealth. You give up published pricing and a light setup, because pricing is quoted by sales and implementation is reported at 100 to 150% of the first-year subscription (third-party reported).
3. Paylocity: 6.5/10, most G2 reviews cited
Compared with Gusto, you gain payroll, HR, onboarding, benefits and performance reviews on one platform, with 4.4/5 on G2 from 5,302 to 6,080 reviews and 4.3/5 on Capterra from about 1,830 (review platform). You give up published prices, because Paylocity publishes no list prices, and implementation adds roughly 10% to 20% of first-year spend (third-party reported).
4. Rippling: 6.3/10, best for HR, payroll and IT together
Compared with Gusto, you gain HR, payroll, IT and app access on one employee record, with the core platform and US payroll each starting at $8 per employee per month (vendor-sourced). You give up a predictable bill, because the Unity base is required for every module, modules are billed on top, and a reported median contract is $45,360 a year (third-party reported).
Gusto and its alternatives at a glance
How these alternatives compare with Gusto
Gusto scores 6.7/10, so 2 of the 4 alternatives score higher and 2 score lower. The page orders alternatives by overall score, with equal scores ordered by name. The reviews quote prices in different currencies, billing terms and tiers, so compare the tier that carries the features you need, and read the pricing section of each review for the source type behind every figure.
Which Gusto alternative to choose
- You want published plan prices for an HR system of record: BambooHR, for the $10, $17 and $25 per employee per month plans (vendor-sourced).
- You run a large enterprise that needs HR and finance on one data model: Workday, for the shared HR and financial management data model.
- You want payroll and HR on one platform with a large review base: Paylocity, for the G2 base of 5,302 to 6,080 reviews (review platform).
- You want HR, payroll and IT on one employee record: Rippling, for the single record across HR, payroll and IT.
Frequently asked questions
Which Gusto alternatives publish prices?
BambooHR publishes Core, Pro and Elite prices of $10, $17 and $25 per employee per month (vendor-sourced). Workday quotes prices through sales (third-party reported). Paylocity publishes no list prices (review platform and third-party reported). Rippling lists its core platform from $8 per employee per month (vendor-sourced).
Which Gusto alternative scores highest?
BambooHR scores 7.1/10, followed by Workday at 6.8/10. Gusto scores 6.7/10.
Do the Gusto alternatives score higher than Gusto?
2 of the 4 alternatives score higher than Gusto's 6.7/10 and 2 score lower. The scores combine six weighted criteria, so a lower overall score can still lead on one criterion that matters to you, which the reviews show in their score breakdowns.
Read the Gusto review for its full score breakdown, or the best HR software roundup for all 5 tools.