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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Gusto

    Score8.9 out of 10
    N/AGusto offers payroll, benefits and compliance capabilities. Gusto is scaled for small to mid-sized businesses, and emphasizes an easy to use interface.

    $49

    per month

    HRdirect Smart Apps

    Score7 out of 10
    Small Businesses (1-50 employees)
    HRdirect Smart Apps is an HR Management software solution from HRdirect, a a division of ComplyRight, Inc., dedicated to developing and delivering “Solutions for Smart Employers” since 1985. The vendor says HRdirect supports business managers at more than 500,000 locations with essential employee management and compliance tasks. HRdirect Smart Apps aims to help users work efficiently and affordably. The vendor's goal is to simplify complex processes and free employers from compliance…N/A
    Pricing
    GustoHRdirect Smart Apps
    Editions & Modules
    Simple: A streamlined set of automatic payroll features and benefits integrations
    $49/month + $6/mo per person
    per month
    Plus: Comprehensive payroll, benefits, and HR tools for employers building a great place to work
    $80/month + $12/mo per person
    per month
    Premium: Scalable payroll and benefits, expert HR, and dedicated support for the complex needs of growing teams
    $180/month + $22/mo per person
    per month
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    GustoHRdirect Smart Apps
    Free Trial
    YesNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoYes
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    YesNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional DetailsGusto offers three pricing plans for payroll, benefits, and HR.NO PER EMPLOYEE PRICING, NO BUNDLED FEATURES. JUST $60 A YEAR PER APP. Simple Pricing, No Matter How You Slice It Only use the Smart Apps that best fit your unique needs and pay the same, low price for each one: just $60 a year. It's easy to add more at any time, too - either as your needs change or as our solutions expand.
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    GustoHRdirect Smart Apps
    Considered Both Products
    Gusto
    No answer on this topic
    ComplyRight
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    92%
    Would buy again
    563 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Delivers good value for the price
    93%
    Delivers good value for the price
    464 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Happy with the feature set
    95%
    Happy with the feature set
    576 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    91%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    316 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation went as expected
    94%
    Implementation went as expected
    376 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Features
    GustoHRdirect Smart Apps
    Payroll Management
    Comparison of Payroll Management features of Gusto and HRdirect Smart Apps
    Feature
    Gusto
    9.1
    611 Ratings
    9% above category average
    HRdirect Smart Apps
    -
    Ratings
    Pay calculation9.5587 Ratings00 Ratings
    Support for external payroll vendors8.58 Ratings00 Ratings
    Benefit plan administration8.7417 Ratings00 Ratings
    Direct deposit files9.7592 Ratings00 Ratings
    Salary revision and increment management9.0462 Ratings00 Ratings
    Reimbursement management9.0196 Ratings00 Ratings
    Human Resource Management
    Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Gusto and HRdirect Smart Apps
    Feature
    Gusto
    -
    Ratings
    HRdirect Smart Apps
    10.0
    1 Ratings
    20% above category average
    Employee demographic data00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Job profiles and administration00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Leave and Attendance Management
    Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Gusto and HRdirect Smart Apps
    Feature
    Gusto
    -
    Ratings
    HRdirect Smart Apps
    1.0
    1 Ratings
    157% below category average
    Approval workflow00 Ratings1.01 Ratings
    Employee Self Service
    Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Gusto and HRdirect Smart Apps
    Feature
    Gusto
    -
    Ratings
    HRdirect Smart Apps
    10.0
    1 Ratings
    19% above category average
    View and generate pay and benefit information00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Update personal information00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    View company policy documentation00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    HR Reporting
    Comparison of HR Reporting features of Gusto and HRdirect Smart Apps
    Feature
    Gusto
    -
    Ratings
    HRdirect Smart Apps
    1.0
    1 Ratings
    153% below category average
    Report builder00 Ratings1.01 Ratings
    Pre-built reports00 Ratings1.01 Ratings
    Onboarding
    Comparison of Onboarding features of Gusto and HRdirect Smart Apps
    Feature
    Gusto
    -
    Ratings
    HRdirect Smart Apps
    1.0
    1 Ratings
    156% below category average
    New hire portal00 Ratings1.01 Ratings
    Manager tracking tools00 Ratings1.01 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    GustoHRdirect Smart Apps
    Small Businesses
    Patriot Payroll
    Score8.6 out of 10
    UZIO
    Score9.4 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    APS
    Score5.7 out of 10
    Zoho People
    Score8.6 out of 10
    Enterprises
    ADP Streamline Payroll
    Score6.1 out of 10
    PeopleStrong
    Score10 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    GustoHRdirect Smart Apps
    Likelihood to Recommend
    9.1
    (633 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    10.0
    (14 ratings)
    1.0
    (1 ratings)
    Usability
    9.4
    (457 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    4.2
    (27 ratings)
    1.0
    (1 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    9.1
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    GustoHRdirect Smart Apps
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Gusto
    I think Gusto is well-suited for any business, big or small, to use for accounting purposes. It makes it easy to keep track of many things, such as pay stubs, benefits, paid time off, and much more. Where I could see it being less useful is maybe for enterprise businesses with way more employees.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ComplyRight
    UPDATE 3/20/2020: I initially gave HRDirect a "0" recommendation due to all the issues we had with the PTO Module. However, since purchasing the Harassment Training Module ($90), this product is the best value for the money and puts us in compliance with mandated requirements. It is easy to use and well-presented. At this point in time, with the issues and frustration level of all our employees, managers, and payroll department, it would be difficult for me to recommend this app as suitable in any scenario. However, should HRdirect fix the issues and get the app to perform as it was originally designed, it would be a great product for a small to medium company that has limited resources yet wants a good product for the money. In our experience, the new hire portal did not appear to be functioning properly; our new hires were not able to access the blank documents. They could see them but not open them (PDFs).
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    Gusto
    • New employee/contractor onboarding - all the documents are stored and easily accessible (the same goes for off-boarding).
    • A one-click option for syncing hours worked with payroll.
    • The option to run payroll on auto-pilot.
    • Ensuring I'm tax compliant with the states we have employees in.
    • Always having digital records of payroll runs.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ComplyRight
    • Initially, you were able to see all activity and drill down for details.
    • It was easy-access for all our employees in the 7 states we operate in.
    • It provided tracking for the managers.
    • Payroll had access to all PTO requests.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    Gusto
    • Digital compliance tools for remote teams
    • Gusto upsold us labor law posters, but I later found them available for free online. Since we’re a fully remote team, I had to manually download and distribute them digitally. It would be much more efficient if Gusto offered free, auto-distributed digital posters tailored to remote compliance.
    • Benefits setup is unintuitive for startups
    • While our rep was helpful, navigating the benefits system felt complex and not tailored to early-stage companies. More guided flows or simplified options for small, remote startups would be a big help.
    • Limited dashboard customization for remote workflows
    • As a fully online company, we’d benefit from dashboard options that highlight relevant tools for remote operations—like compliance tracking, digital communications, or onboarding checklists.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ComplyRight
    • HRdirect performed an upgrade in 2019 and that's where things went awry.
    • You could no longer drill down through the calendar to see the details - i.e. Doctor's appointment, illness, childcare issues, vacation, etc.
    • Previous year PTO requests were not archived and you now had to scroll through hundreds of PTO requests to see the most current.
    • Previous PTO requests were listed oldest to most current, resulting in much frustration trying to locate specific ones.
    • The print option was not longer functional.
    • The online help request form was no longer accessible.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Gusto
    Unless they break it, I'm never leaving. It's just too easy. Gusto is also really affordable, and for what I pay, it's worth having the historical record within the system. I like that I can go back and pull up W2's for year's past. This sort of easy access reporting, has been helpful especially when getting reports for PPP loans.
    Read full review
    ComplyRight
    As previously described, there are too many unresolved issues.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    Gusto
    Gusto is pretty user-friendly, and the website is easy to navigate overall. They also offer good, responsive customer support and have helpful articles available when needed. So far, I have not had any major issues with the platform and am overall very happy with it.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ComplyRight
    No answers on this topic
    Support Rating
    Gusto
    Gusto's customer service has really deteriorated lately and they seem to have really changed their focus. It used to be when you called you were routed to an individual who knew about payroll, benefits, reporting, etc. but now you get someone who seems to have not received the correct training. My last call about a dismissal payroll took me over an hour of my time and the person still could not help me and finally transferred me to someone else.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ComplyRight
    Due to the fact that we were patient for more than 6 months with no resolution in sight, we decided to end our relationship with HRdirect for PTO tracking. 3/20/2020: We have purchased the Harassment Training Module. Excellent product with great value for the money.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    Gusto
    Reach out to support immediately if you are having trouble setting up Gusto. Rather than being confused and trying to figure it out yourself, it's much better to talk to someone who knows what they are doing. Save yourself time and frustration and reach out to support
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ComplyRight
    No answers on this topic
    Alternatives Considered
    Gusto
    While I never actually got to the point of trying out ADP, I had several conversations with an ADP representative, and it seemed that they would be able to provide the same (if not less) level of service for a significantly higher price
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ComplyRight
    No answers on this topic
    Return on Investment
    Gusto
    • Time tracking + payroll calculations me 30-60 minutes every time I run payroll.
    • Integrated workers' comp, so I didn't have to find an outside carrier and get quotes—it's all taken care of in the same platform.
    • Improved employee experience with onboarding.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ComplyRight
    • Initially, HRdirect was proving to be an excellent tool, and we were getting a quick turnaround on small issues. However, the upgrade messed things up on our accessibility, with no resolution in sight.
    • Harassment training module is excellent.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    Gusto Screenshots

    Screenshot of Gusto's automated payrollScreenshot of the time-off tracking interfaceScreenshot of the source of truth for HR data

    HRdirect Smart Apps Screenshots

    Screenshot of EMPLOYEE RECORDS
Smarter, Centralized Employee Management

 - Directory & Records
 - Employee Self-Service
 - Document StorageScreenshot of ATTENDANCE CALENDAR
Take Control of Employee Attendance

 - 12-Month Calendars
 - Absence Code Management
 - Absence NotesScreenshot of I-9 & W-4
Ease the Burden of Completing I-9 and W-4 Forms

 - Onboarding Workflow
 - Guided I-9 & W-4 Forms
 - History & Audit TrackingScreenshot of JOB APPLICATION
Smart Hiring Begins Before the Interview

 - Compliant Questions Library
 - Customizable Application
 - Online Application LinkScreenshot of PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE
Your Guide to an Effective Disciplinary Program

 - Employee Warning Notices
 - Discipline History
 - Action Plan DocumentationScreenshot of TIME OFF REQUEST
Let Employees Handle Time Off Requests for You

 - Employee Time Off Requests
 - Supervisor Approval Workflow
 - Attendance Calendar Sync