Finance & payroll / replacement guide
Gusto alternatives: six payroll options and when each one fits
You have
Gusto
Payroll and HR by Gusto. Built for small US businesses running payroll for employees and contractors.
Common reasons to look elsewhere
- Multi-state payroll and built-in time tracking sit on the Plus plan, not Simple (Gusto pricing page).
- Since August 2026 Gusto Business Compliance (state registrations, annual reports) is a paid add-on below Premium (Gusto help centre).
- Teams that want benefits through co-employment, or one system for HR, IT and spend, need a different model.
Consider
- OnPay PayrollLike-for-like, multi-state included
- QuickBooks Workforce (payroll)Keep payroll inside QuickBooks
- Patriot PayrollLowest-cost option for very small employers
- RUN Powered by ADPA larger provider with 24/7 support
- Justworks PEOChange model: hand benefits to a PEO
- Rippling PayrollChange model: one system for HR, IT and spend
Short answer. If you like Gusto’s model but want multi-state filing without moving up a tier, OnPay is the closest switch. QuickBooks users can keep payroll inside QuickBooks Workforce. Very small employers who will file their own taxes can cut costs with Patriot Basic. If the real problem is benefits and compliance, a PEO such as Justworks changes the model; if it is HR, IT and spend sprawl, Rippling does.
The replacements, with the trade-off
Like-for-like, multi-state included
OnPay Payroll
Why switch to it
OnPay uses one price structure rather than tiers, files in all 50 states plus D.C. and pays W-2 employees and 1099 contractors in the same run. It includes onboarding, PTO tracking and benefits brokerage, and says its team enters historical wage data for new clients at no charge.
What you give up
Fewer native integrations and a smaller HR toolset than the larger platforms; check your time-tracking and accounting connections.
Keep payroll inside QuickBooks
QuickBooks Workforce (payroll)
Why switch to it
QuickBooks Workforce syncs payroll, time tracking and accounting inside QuickBooks Online, offers a tax-penalty guarantee and Mineral HR advisers, and the Elite plan includes setup by Intuit.
What you give up
It is tied to the QuickBooks ecosystem, so it makes less sense if your accounting runs elsewhere.
Lowest-cost option for very small employers
Patriot Payroll
Why switch to it
Patriot’s Basic plan runs payroll while you deposit and file the taxes yourself; Full Service files federal, state and local taxes and year-end forms. Both come with free assisted setup.
What you give up
On Basic, tax filing is your job, and each additional state costs extra on Full Service.
A larger provider with 24/7 support
RUN Powered by ADP
Why switch to it
RUN Powered by ADP is built for 1–49 employees, offers four tiers up to HR Pro with third-party HR and legal help, and has a direct upgrade path to ADP Workforce Now.
What you give up
Pricing is by quote rather than published, and the higher tiers you need for HR help cost more.
Change model: hand benefits to a PEO
Justworks PEO
Why switch to it
Justworks becomes your co-employer, which gives access to its benefits and workers’ comp policy and moves much compliance work to the PEO. A payroll-only product exists if you decide against co-employment.
What you give up
Co-employment means new agreements, and PEO clients are enrolled in the Justworks workers’ comp policy.
Change model: one system for HR, IT and spend
Rippling Payroll
Why switch to it
Rippling runs payroll on the same employee record as HR, device and app access, expenses and bill pay, and offers global payroll and EOR.
What you give up
Pricing is by quote and modular, so it is more system than a small team that only needs payroll may want.
Side by side
| Alternative | Category | Company size | Main difference | Pricing model | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OnPay Payroll | Payroll | 1–250 staff | One price structure instead of tiers; filings in all 50 states plus D.C., W-2 and 1099 workers in the same run, onboarding, PTO and benefits brokerage. | Base + per employee | |
| RUN Powered by ADP | Payroll | 1–50 staff | Four tiers from Essential Payroll to HR Pro, with third-party HR and legal assistance on higher tiers and an upgrade path to ADP Workforce Now. | Quote-based | |
| QuickBooks Workforce (payroll) | Payroll | 2–250 staff | Payroll, time tracking and accounting data sync inside QuickBooks; Intuit offers a tax-penalty guarantee and Mineral HR advisers, and Elite includes setup. | Subscription tiers | |
| Patriot Payroll | Payroll | 1–50 staff | Two plans: Basic, where you deposit and file payroll taxes yourself, and Full Service, where Patriot files federal, state and local taxes and year-end forms. | Base + per employee | |
| Justworks PEO | PEO | 2–250 staff | A PEO: Justworks becomes co-employer, giving access to its benefits and workers’ comp policy; a payroll-only product exists for teams that do not want co-employment. | Base + per employee | |
| Rippling Payroll | Payroll + HR suite | 11–1000+ staff | Payroll is one product on a shared employee database that also runs HR, device and app access, expenses and bill pay; global payroll and EOR are available. | Quote-based |
Company size is the range each vendor's own pages target, not a hard limit. Pricing models are for orientation only; check the vendor's pricing page for current prices.
Match the alternative to the problem
| Problem with Gusto | Look first at |
|---|---|
| Need multi-state payroll on a basic plan | OnPay |
| Want payroll inside QuickBooks | QuickBooks Workforce |
| Cost, and happy to file taxes yourself | Patriot Basic |
| Want phone support from a large provider | RUN Powered by ADP |
| Benefits and compliance are the real burden | Justworks (PEO) |
| Too many separate HR, IT and finance tools | Rippling |
Switching payroll mid-year
Payroll providers need year-to-date wages, taxes and deductions for every employee so that W-2s are correct. Switching at the start of a quarter keeps quarterly filings in one system; switching on 1 January avoids year-to-date transfers altogether. Ask each provider who enters historical payroll data and whether they take over filings for the current quarter. Check your state tax account numbers and bank authorisations are ready before the first run.
Sources
| Source | Used for | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Gusto | Gusto plans and features | |
| Gusto | Business Compliance plan change | |
| OnPay | OnPay Payroll — plan structure, multi-state, migration | |
| ADP | RUN Powered by ADP — size band, tiers, features | |
| Intuit | QuickBooks Workforce (payroll) — plans, setup, penalty protection, QBO sync | |
| Patriot Software | Patriot Payroll — Basic vs Full Service | |
| Patriot Software | Patriot Payroll — who files taxes on each plan | |
| Justworks | Justworks PEO — Basic/Plus PEO and payroll-only products | |
| Justworks | Justworks PEO — workers’ comp under the PEO | |
| Rippling | Rippling Payroll — scope, platform, global payroll |
Other replacement guides
- ADP alternatives: payroll and HR options for small and midsize employers
- Bill.com alternatives: AP and bill-pay options by company size
- Expensify alternatives: expense tools by how your team spends
- QuickBooks Online alternatives: what to switch to, by reason for leaving
- Rippling alternatives: when you need less platform, or a different one