Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Gusto
Score 8.5 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.
$46
per month
Paychex Flex
Score 6.5 out of 10
N/A
Paychex Flex, of Paychex' Online Payroll Services, is a cloud-based human resource management and payroll platform. Paychex offers core and specialized services, and scales to meet the needs of small businesses, SMBs, and large enterprises.
$59
per month/+$4 per employee
Pricing
GustoPaychex Flex
Editions & Modules
Simple: A streamlined set of automatic payroll features and benefits integrations
$40/month + $6/mo per person
$12 per employee/contractor
Plus: Comprehensive payroll, benefits, and HR tools for employers building a great place to work
$80/month + $12/mo per person
Premium: Scalable payroll and benefits, expert HR, and dedicated support for the complex needs of growing teams
Exclusive pricing, contact Gusto
Paychex Go
$59
per month/+$4 per employee
Paychex Flex Service
Contact sales team
Paychex Flex Enterprise
Contact sales team
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
GustoPaychex Flex
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
YesNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeRequired
Additional DetailsGusto offers three pricing plans for payroll, benefits, and HR, so you can choose the plan that meets your business needs.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
GustoPaychex Flex
Considered Both Products
Gusto
Chose Gusto
Gusto blows PayChex out of the water when it comes to small businesses. For a much larger business model, Paychex Flex might have the advantage though.

I have used/seen Paychex Flex being used for a nationwide company with 100s of employees. For the accounting team in that …
Chose Gusto
A lot easier to use and to set up. Employees have an easier time locating paystubs and keeping track of hours worked and PTO or days off.
Chose Gusto
Paychex was horrible. We were having problems with them on a monthly basis. We had a new account manager almost quarterly who never seemed to have note on the practice.
Chose Gusto
Gusto is more accurate and allows for more efficiency when tracking employee hours. While I am not the admin on our account, I notice that this product has impacted our team better.
Chose Gusto
Paychex didn’t have an app or easy access when I was using it
Chose Gusto
We switched from Paychex to Gusto due to challenges in employee management and onboarding. Gusto has significantly improved our experience with its efficient and error-free processes, making payroll and HR tasks smoother and more reliable for our team. One personal incident was …
Chose Gusto
In my former job, we used this system to clock in and clock out for work. It was pretty hard to manage your hours because there was no mobile app that went with it. We also didn't get any sort of pay info because the only thing we would get on pay day was a direct deposit.
Chose Gusto
Gusto is far superior to other payroll software I have used! I can clock in and out using the app, so there is no longer a need for a workplace time clock. Gusto is the first software I've used that reminds employees to check their hours at the end of a pay period, …
Chose Gusto
Much better, easier to find things.
Chose Gusto
Gusto is young. They are nowhere close to the level of paychex or ADP, But as a payroll provider in time they can get there.
Chose Gusto
Gusto has a glitch-free on-boarding process that surpasses all of the other systems that I have ever tried and used. Rippling is the only other platform that comes close to the Gusto online experience, but Rippling has its PEO/behind-the-scenes legacy system glitches, and it's …
Chose Gusto
I thought that Gusto's solution was more modern and flexible. All of that would be fantastic if they gave any care to onboarding correctly, customer service, and honest sales tactics... but in my opinion, they do not so I feel it's worthless.
Chose Gusto
Gusto has been my favorite option both as an end-user (ie. employee) and admin (ie. employer). It's easy to use, has all the features we need, integrates with Guideline (our preferred 401k provider), and priced well for great value.
Chose Gusto
Comparable prices are overall with other payroll service companies. I can't do all the complicated payrolls like a few others, but overall good to work with 90% of our clients.
Chose Gusto
Gusto is better than Paychex and ADP but worse than Rippling and PEOs, although it's much cheaper than PEOs.
Chose Gusto
Gusto seems to be more flexible from the start. It makes adjustments to payroll easy.
Chose Gusto
I have used many other alternatives available of Gusto for my business and it is safe to say that this tool has been the best among all. It was so much easier to implement Gusto than all other competitors. Some of the software had awful customer service. Some of them had bad …
Chose Gusto
There's no comparison here. Any other payroll tool we've ever looked at just can't measure up, at least for our small business use. I'm sure there are some niche applications we're missing, but it just isn't an issue for us. Gusto has a better UI, better support, employees …
Chose Gusto
Gusto provides many of the same functions as Paychex, but is less money per month and more user-friendly.
Chose Gusto
Gusto is very affordable and offers a solid foundation for payroll and HR. They have also recently released a new tier which offers a few additional bells and whistles for those companies looking for higher-touch service or additional features. It is great to have this …
Paychex Flex
Chose Paychex Flex
Gusto is a much easier platform to use and integrate with. It may lack a few features of Paychex, but it has most features, is easier to work with, costs less money and does most things better.
Chose Paychex Flex
Most of the reporting is a little easier to find and create in Paychex Flex. Most of the web interfaces for submitting payroll are fairly easy just like Paychex Flex.
Chose Paychex Flex
The system automates the whole process of managing HR tasks helping businesses be more productive, save time and stay compliant.
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
GustoPaychex Flex
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
8.6
487 Ratings
5% above category average
Paychex Flex
8.4
289 Ratings
5% above category average
Pay calculation8.8466 Ratings8.9272 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors8.58 Ratings00 Ratings
Benefit plan administration8.3347 Ratings7.1157 Ratings
Direct deposit files8.7471 Ratings9.1271 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management8.4362 Ratings8.4193 Ratings
Reimbursement management9.0110 Ratings8.1106 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment00 Ratings9.2136 Ratings
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
Paychex Flex
6.6
248 Ratings
18% below category average
Employee demographic data00 Ratings7.8198 Ratings
Employment history00 Ratings8.0221 Ratings
Job profiles and administration00 Ratings6.8156 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.00 Ratings7.1154 Ratings
Organizational charting00 Ratings1.01 Ratings
Organization and location management00 Ratings7.7139 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)00 Ratings7.5132 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
Paychex Flex
6.8
145 Ratings
18% below category average
Approval workflow00 Ratings6.1103 Ratings
Balance details00 Ratings7.3137 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment00 Ratings7.1111 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
Paychex Flex
8.4
250 Ratings
3% above category average
View and generate pay and benefit information00 Ratings8.4229 Ratings
Update personal information00 Ratings8.9240 Ratings
View company policy documentation00 Ratings7.7111 Ratings
View job history00 Ratings8.6169 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
Paychex Flex
7.6
40 Ratings
4% below category average
Tracking of all physical assets00 Ratings7.640 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
Paychex Flex
5.5
165 Ratings
32% below category average
Report builder00 Ratings5.3135 Ratings
Pre-built reports00 Ratings6.4155 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data00 Ratings4.983 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
Paychex Flex
7.7
159 Ratings
4% below category average
New hire portal00 Ratings7.8152 Ratings
Manager tracking tools00 Ratings7.6100 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
Paychex Flex
8.3
59 Ratings
6% above category average
Job Requisition Management00 Ratings9.732 Ratings
Company Website Posting00 Ratings9.830 Ratings
Publish to Social Media00 Ratings6.423 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting00 Ratings6.330 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention00 Ratings6.628 Ratings
Applicant Tracking00 Ratings9.733 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts00 Ratings9.953 Ratings
Best Alternatives
GustoPaychex Flex
Small Businesses
Patriot Software
Patriot Software
Score 9.3 out of 10
Zoho People
Zoho People
Score 9.1 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.6 out of 10
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.6 out of 10
Enterprises
Infor Human Resources
Infor Human Resources
Score 7.1 out of 10
Infor Human Resources
Infor Human Resources
Score 7.1 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
GustoPaychex Flex
Likelihood to Recommend
8.1
(511 ratings)
7.5
(299 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.9
(12 ratings)
9.0
(42 ratings)
Usability
9.2
(335 ratings)
7.8
(241 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
8.8
(11 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
8.5
(11 ratings)
Support Rating
1.3
(25 ratings)
7.4
(246 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
4.5
(1 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
7.3
(4 ratings)
Implementation Rating
8.2
(1 ratings)
8.4
(12 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
7.5
(8 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(3 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
9.3
(11 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
8.9
(31 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
9.2
(32 ratings)
User Testimonials
GustoPaychex Flex
Likelihood to Recommend
Gusto
It's very easy to use, especially for smaller companies. The site is user-friendly and eye-catching. Everything you need is easily accessible. I have never had to use the customer service side of Gusto, but there is not much that you would need help with or have issues with. I also really enjoy the little pig when logging in.
Read full review
Paychex, Inc.
In my experience, Paychex Flex is well suited for small to medium sized businesses. It has been helpful in streamlining the onboarding process and it is easy to update and maintain employee profiles and records. It has worked will in a non-profit environment where there is clergy pay and housing, which can get quite complicated. I cannot think of a scenario where it would be less appropriate.
Read full review
Pros
Gusto
  • Gusto really kills it on the simplicity. The app and website are very clear and straightforward.
  • Gusto also does a great job at being easy to navigate, visually pleasing, and logically posed.
  • Gusto communicates very clearly and provides just the right amount of communication.
  • Gusto makes the onboarding process very easy. I recently started at a new company and the process of filling out the necessary documents, filling out forms, and getting my benefit information input was soooooo easy!
Read full review
Paychex, Inc.
  • I like I can enter payroll and if I need to leave the program, I can resume at a later time and my information is saved.
  • I like the analytics & reports features.
  • I like how all my employees have easy access to their portal.
Read full review
Cons
Gusto
  • Adding in previous time manually could be more accessible.
  • Notifications for when employees manually change hours.
  • We should allow 1099 users to use the mobile app instead of restricting them to the website, especially since they can just log into the full website on their mobile device.
Read full review
Paychex, Inc.
  • Reporting writing is difficult to figure out
  • Employee turnover inside Paychex was a problem, until we were assigned to Neil Williams - since that time it has settled down
  • Pressure to convert personal connection with payroll advisor to using automated service
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
Paychex, Inc.
Overall I like the features that Paychex Flex offers. I am sure that there are other features that I am unaware of, so I am excited to see if there is more that Flex is capable of to make my job easier. The basic features are really user friendly and easy to access. If there ever is an issue customer service is great
Read full review
Usability
Gusto
It is a great piece of software, something that I have used since its ZenPayroll days. Its weakest feature at this point is its timekeeping and lack of scheduling. If it adds that, it gets a 10/10 and cannot be replaced by any other payroll software. Like I said, I recommend it to all of my clients and associates.
Read full review
Paychex, Inc.
Some things could be streamlined. For example, we could do custom options for the "add items" tab which has so many options that we never use. "Medical Pay" could be something that the system remembers for the applicable employees. Salaried employees' salaries should definitely be auto-filled. Overall the system works well but I think it could be improved to be easier to use and read.
Read full review
Reliability and Availability
Gusto
No answers on this topic
Paychex, Inc.
We have not experienced any difficulties with unplanned outages. Notifications are always made for outages, and they do not effect normal business operations.
Read full review
Performance
Gusto
No answers on this topic
Paychex, Inc.
Unless there is lag time within the internet, the Paychex Flex website loads exceptional fast, pages load quickly and reports that I need to print or download load quickly. If I need to create a specialized report, once I complete it I receive an e-mail telling me my report is ready to be downloaded. Changing between web pages is fast as well.
Read full review
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.
Read full review
Paychex, Inc.
Our dedicated representative is one of the main reasons we are sticking with Paychex Flex. If it were not for this person, other platforms could provide the same/similar functionality. It is the ability to speak with someone that understands our business and is willing to get questions answered in a timely fashion that keeps us with Paychex Flex.
Read full review
In-Person Training
Gusto
No answers on this topic
Paychex, Inc.
We did online training only
Read full review
Online Training
Gusto
No answers on this topic
Paychex, Inc.
It was easy to understand and follow along. I do like the informational videos that we can utilize before we opt to call in for customer service support. It has made a difference since sometimes that resolves the issue I may have had and saved myself a phone call to Paychex support.
Read full review
Implementation Rating
Gusto
Super easy to implement and use!
Read full review
Paychex, Inc.
Implementation was very smooth. The most cumbersome task was entering the current employees into the system during initial set up, but Paychex staff handled most of that and verified against prior system reports as well as internal reports provided to ensure 100% accuracy.
Read full review
Alternatives Considered
Gusto
I've used both Workday and Paylocity for years and they don't even compare. Between the mobile app and the website, everything feels seamless, well thought out, and easy to navigate. I'm so used to the frustration of navigating these apps, even after years of working with them. I never considered there was an option like Gusto out there. It's made everything so easy for me. If I ever get a say I'll be a diehard Gusto evangelist from here on out.
Read full review
Paychex, Inc.
We still use QB Desktop Pro to maintain a Check Register / Overall Balance for the company, but once having tried QB Payroll Online for about 3 months prior to finding Paychex Flex I can tell you that there's just no comparison. QB online is VERY EXPENSIVE and not so user-friendly. I hated every minute of those 6 payrolls we ran through QB online.
Read full review
Scalability
Gusto
No answers on this topic
Paychex, Inc.
I generally do payroll at the office, however I have had to go remote due to internet issues and also had to take payroll on vacation with me. Very easy to log in wherever you are and manage your TAA and payroll
Read full review
Return on Investment
Gusto
  • It is definitely an easy, intuitive platform to utilize with lots of helpful features!
  • The Benefits package is very poor and is not useful to me at all.
  • I enjoy how it breaks up the spending insights into several categories such as Food, Transportation, Shopping, Housing Medical, etc.
Read full review
Paychex, Inc.
  • I do not believe we have saved anything additionally. The time we've had to spend to get things to hopefully work is sad. This is the reason we've had to turn off all extra "products" of Paychex Flex. Time and Attendance is horrible. Benefits management is horrible. The user experience is horrible.
  • One thing I do not understand is why are updates for states, cities, counties, school districts, etc. not automatically updated? Should we not get a big red flag if we have an employee living/working, being paid in CA, but they aren't set up for CA sick time? If it is required to be on the paycheck stub to show the balance of the sick time, why would we not be notified that we are out of compliance?
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

Paychex Flex Screenshots

Screenshot of Screenshot of Screenshot of