Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Gusto
Score 8.9 out of 10
N/A
Gusto offers payroll, benefits and compliance capabilities. Gusto is scaled for small to mid-sized businesses, and emphasizes an easy to use interface.
$496
per month
Meta4 PeopleNet
Score 6.0 out of 10
N/A
Meta4 PeopleNet is an all-in-one integrated HR Solution providing Core HR with personnel administration, total talent management, compensation management with payroll, as well as workforce management (time and attendance, analytics). Meta4 is a Cegid company (acquired late 2019).N/A
Pricing
GustoMeta4 PeopleNet
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
GustoMeta4 PeopleNet
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsGusto offers three pricing plans for payroll, benefits, and HR.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
GustoMeta4 PeopleNet
Considered Both Products
Gusto
Chose Gusto
I think Gusto has much better marketing than the rest of their competition, and it has the assets to get in front of more people, like on live TV during a sports game, so I just knew about it before the others. When comparing, I think feature-wise and usability were big for …
Chose Gusto
Quick Books was more than we needed for a simple consulting firm.
Chose Gusto
I like Gusto because it's much more user-friendly than Workforce. I would rate QB a 6/10 and Gusto a 10/10 for user reliability and friendliness.
Chose Gusto
When I first started with this company 5 years ago we used QuickBooks Time. I used it for about a year before we switched over to Gusto. QB Time was accurate and organized, but very chaotic and clunky to use. That software provided way too much info all at once and was not …
Chose Gusto
In my opinion, Rippling had a super bad UX. I felt like it was impossible to find the areas I wanted to go to- their site navigation simply did not make sense. With Gusto it's so much easier to naviagate.
Chose Gusto
I have not tried any other products like Gusto, so I cannot speak to how it compares.
Chose Gusto
I have evaluated Rippling, it is more expensive but does have more of the features for connecting to other systems to make onboarding and off boarding team members easier. It is more complex and will take time to implement, so I do think Gusto has a lot of whats needed for …
Chose 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.
Chose Gusto
It is more user-friendly, but I feel like the company still has some things to figure out before it is seamless.
Chose Gusto
Gusto was at a price point that fit our budget, without all the extra features our small company would not take advantage of. It was truly the right fit for our growing company, and we are happy that we made this switch! Looking forward to seeing more capabilities come out as …
Chose Gusto
Not sure what we used before I came into my role. We started using Gusto when we changed accounting services and it was their recommended platform to use.
Chose Gusto
Paycom was more than we needed for our payroll and human resource needs at this time. While it may offer additional integrations, features, and other bells and whistles it wasn't something we needed in the short team and Gusto meets our current and short term future needs. We …
Chose Gusto
I believe Gusto is the superior tool compared to these two. It's ease of use and 'all in one' HR platform makes it second to none. Gusto offers more features and does not look ancient like these other tools. Ease and functionality and the numerous possibilities make it above …
Chose Gusto
Gusto is cheaper and just much more user friendly than other tools with similar skill sets that I have used previously. I much prefer its user interface, how the mobile app and desktop work seamlessly, and how just how much more affordable it is. While it still is expensive, …
Chose Gusto
Gusto is a cost-effective solution for small businesses who don't require added modules, complex integrations or advanced reporting. Simple and effective!
Chose Gusto
From an employee point of view, Gusto makes it much easier to track your hours and clock in.
Chose Gusto
They are both user friendly and both are easy to start implementing.
Chose Gusto
Gusto is more cost-effective and has been very responsive to inquiries.
Chose Gusto
Rippling has been more than frustrating to work with, to say the least. Gusto doesn't just do what a payroll software should do; they make it so easy that it doesn't feel like a burden. The comparison is unmatched. Gusto doesn't meet expectations; it blows them out of the …
Chose Gusto
Paychex way to big for a small business. Never able to get immediate help when needed.

Toast Payroll outsourced company with lots nice features but needs more time to figure it out.
Meta4 PeopleNet
Chose Meta4 PeopleNet
For us, the main decision-making point was that when you compare these, they have similar capabilities but the cost varies a lot, and that was key for us when making decisions especially since one of the goals was to lower cost down and to make it scalable, so we decided to …
Chose Meta4 PeopleNet
Meta4 PeopleNet Core HR really shines as a flexible product capable of evolving with an organization's changing needs. Its robust features, cloud based architecture, and performance analysis help push the product ahead of some of its competitors. While not perfect, the …
Features
GustoMeta4 PeopleNet
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
9.1
Ratings
9% above category average
Meta4 PeopleNet
6.2
Ratings
27% below category average
Pay calculation9.50 Ratings6.00 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors8.50 Ratings5.00 Ratings
Benefit plan administration8.70 Ratings6.00 Ratings
Direct deposit files9.60 Ratings7.00 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management9.10 Ratings7.00 Ratings
Reimbursement management9.10 Ratings6.00 Ratings
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
Meta4 PeopleNet
7.0
Ratings
15% below category average
Employee demographic data00 Ratings7.00 Ratings
Employment history00 Ratings7.00 Ratings
Job profiles and administration00 Ratings7.00 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.00 Ratings7.00 Ratings
Organizational charting00 Ratings7.00 Ratings
Organization and location management00 Ratings7.00 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)00 Ratings7.00 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
Meta4 PeopleNet
6.3
Ratings
26% below category average
Approval workflow00 Ratings7.00 Ratings
Balance details00 Ratings7.00 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment00 Ratings5.00 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
Meta4 PeopleNet
7.2
Ratings
13% below category average
View and generate pay and benefit information00 Ratings8.00 Ratings
Update personal information00 Ratings8.00 Ratings
View company policy documentation00 Ratings7.00 Ratings
Employee recognition00 Ratings5.00 Ratings
View job history00 Ratings8.00 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
Meta4 PeopleNet
7.0
Ratings
7% below category average
Report builder00 Ratings7.00 Ratings
Pre-built reports00 Ratings7.00 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data00 Ratings7.00 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
Meta4 PeopleNet
9.0
Ratings
12% above category average
New hire portal00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Manager tracking tools00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Performance and Goals
Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
Meta4 PeopleNet
9.0
Ratings
11% above category average
Corporate goal setting00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Individual goal setting00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Line-of sight-visibility00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Performance tracking00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Performance Management
Comparison of Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
Meta4 PeopleNet
9.0
Ratings
13% above category average
Performance plans00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Performance improvement plans00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Review status tracking00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Review reminders00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Multiple review frequency00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Succession Planning
Comparison of Succession Planning features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
Meta4 PeopleNet
9.0
Ratings
14% above category average
Create succession plans/pools00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Candidate ranking00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Candidate search00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Candidate development00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
Meta4 PeopleNet
9.0
Ratings
14% above category average
Job Requisition Management00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Company Website Posting00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Publish to Social Media00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Applicant Tracking00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Best Alternatives
GustoMeta4 PeopleNet
Small Businesses
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.2 out of 10
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.2 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.1 out of 10
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.1 out of 10
Enterprises
Infor Human Resources
Infor Human Resources
Score 7.1 out of 10
PeopleStrong
PeopleStrong
Score 10.0 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
GustoMeta4 PeopleNet
Likelihood to Recommend
9.1
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Usability
9.5
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
3.2
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
9.1
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
GustoMeta4 PeopleNet
Likelihood to Recommend
Gusto is well-suited for small businesses looking for a one-stop platform for payroll, tax-related tasks, and onboarding. It has many automated features that make tasks related to running a business/running an S-Corp simpler. I have not tried any other similar platforms, so I am unsure how it compares, but the pricing Gusto offers feels reasonable compared to other providers.
Read full review
Meta4 PeopleNet Talent Management is an excellent solution for Human Capital Management overall, and if what you are looking for is an integrated end-to-end employee lifecycle management solution then I would highly recommend it, it is more cost-effective when compared to similar tools in the market, the graphical user interface is excellent, and data is presented in a clean and friendly manner.
Read full review
Pros
  • Quarterly tax access for CPA
  • Gusto makes it easy for our CPA to access quarterly tax data directly, which saves us time and ensures tax reporting stays accurate for our LLC.
  • IRS support via human reps
  • Whenever we get confusing IRS mail, I forward it to Gusto. A real human rep either walks me through next steps or handles it directly—huge peace of mind.
  • Payroll automation
  • Once payroll is set up, it runs smoothly and automatically with little effort on my part. It’s reliable, affordable, and a great “set it and forget it” solution for a small business.
Read full review
  • Clean and easy navigation: it is very user-friendly and compared to other solutions I have utilized, there is a clear difference on how information is displayed and also ease of navigation and speed of response of the platform.
  • All modules are really integrated and it is so much power when there is a correlation between say the data displayed in Talent Management and the info seen on the C&B module for example from a performance and compensation perspective, visualizing info and being able to analyze it easier for decision making.
  • Customizable, in our case, we use the solution and enjoy the multiple benefits and efficiencies due to how data is organized and presented and the same time we have the advantage that the user interface is all customized to our own corporate brand/look and feel, color palette and graphical line.
Read full review
Cons
  • I honestly don't have any complaints about Gusto as it stands.
  • Maybe add 2-factor authentication for security purposes. I haven't seen that being part of the login process yet.
  • I think Gusto pushes its easy Gusto card payroll method a bit too much. I'd like to see direct deposit as the main method it suggests and the Gusto card as a secondary one.
Read full review
  • Meta4 PeopleNet Core HR can be a bit overwhelming for light users with limited experience.
  • The performance review features are extensive and require a highly skilled manager that work with data analytics
  • The program is not quite as strong in its recruitment features as other software offerings.
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
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
No answers on this topic
Usability
Wonderful overall usability – especially for the new business owner. The user interface is clean and intuitive, so it's easy to find what you're looking for. They also have great explanation pages ingrained into the process, so if you get stuck knowing what to do next, there's a link right there to walk you through the process!
Read full review
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
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.
Read full review
It is excellent support so far, during implementation and also while live, the only reason why I am giving a 9 is because in some cases we could have had a quicker response or solution, but so far this doesn't look like an issue at all, and the vendor has been making sure we have what we need.
Read full review
Implementation Rating
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
Read full review
No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
I think Gusto has much better marketing than the rest of their competition, and it has the assets to get in front of more people, like on live TV during a sports game, so I just knew about it before the others. When comparing, I think feature-wise and usability were big for Gusto.
Read full review
Meta4 PeopleNet Core HR really shines as a flexible product capable of evolving with an organization's changing needs. Its robust features, cloud based architecture, and performance analysis help push the product ahead of some of its competitors. While not perfect, the software offers in-depth performance review functions and data analysis tools that show performance trends. With its self administrative tools, employees can help manage their own information, reducing workload for HR managers
Read full review
Return on Investment
  • It saves me time and energy - I'm not worried about being compliant or having everything I need for tax season. It's all there!
  • I don't wonder when my team is working- they can easily log in and out of the system.
  • I don't have to handle updating information when an employee or contractor has changes - they have their own portal.
Read full review
  • Meta4 PeopleNet Core HR can require training and experience to fully utility its features
  • The program really helps with provide self administrative tools for employees to perform on their own, lowering management work loads.
  • What really makes the software shine is its flexible department management tools. One can setup extensive organization systems that are flexible enough to meet a wide range of organization needs.
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