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
QuickBooks Online
Score 8.1 out of 10
N/A
QuickBooks Online is a SaaS version of the QuickBooks product. It contains all of the features found in the local version. Higher-priced plans include greater automation, payment management, inventory and time tracking, and analytics features.
$15
per month
Pricing
GustoQuickBooks Online
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
Self-Employed
$15
per month
Simple Start
$25
per month
Plus
$75
per month
Advanced
$150
per month
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
GustoQuickBooks Online
Free Trial
YesYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
YesNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
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
GustoQuickBooks Online
Considered Both Products
Gusto
Chose Gusto
Personally, I believe that Gusto is the superior product, especially if used by a smaller firm. It has all of the same capabilities as QBO, but has a much simpler design that makes it more user friendly. As I've stated early, the technical support for Gusto is certainly more …
Chose Gusto
QuickBooks often has delays in payment processing, but is usually reliable in present pending payments. It lacks accessibility for employees and makes time tracking more difficult because of the need for another service or application. Employees are not able to edit their own …
Chose Gusto
I like Gusto because the UI is a little better. The editing of shifts is also a little easier I think.
Chose Gusto
In my opinion Gusto does much better on Payroll although Gusto doesn't have the financial tracking piece that Quickbooks has. We still utilize Quickbooks for that portion but Gusto is night and day difference on the payroll portion of what you are able to do and the ease of use.
Chose Gusto
Gusto is much more simple and easy to use than ADP. There are less barriers and easy both as the user and the admin.
Chose Gusto
I have not used other tools like gusto.
Chose Gusto
gusto is more comprehensive.
Chose Gusto
More user friendly and faster to access important info. Much more streamlined and simple.
Chose Gusto
quickbooks was hard to navigate and tbh it was ugly!
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
Quickbooks is a very simple platform with not a lot of features and it is difficult to organize logged hours between billable, non-billable and PTO. I appreciate how Gusto gives a very simple breakdown of hours worked each day/week and PTO. Gusto is a much more effective way to …
Chose Gusto
Gusto was overall more cost effective while providing more services than the competitors we checked.
Chose Gusto
Gusto is far superior. Very, very difficult to get an error from Quickbooks resolved. Takes tremendous amount of time and energy.
Chose Gusto
I have only used Gusto for my payroll needs for both of my businesses from the very beginning but I have heard from colleagues that Quickbooks payroll is much more time intensive and takes longer to input than the amount of time I spend in Gusto running payroll and onboarding …
Chose Gusto
This system allowed us to approve payroll online, which was an improvement from the prior ADP system where we had to call in via phone to dictate hours and pay for employees. But, RUN was clunky, and seemed cobbled together. It was also expensive for what it provided. Also, I …
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
For payroll processing, Gusto has better software/interface, better reporting, and better support.
Chose Gusto
Gusto was affordable and worked the best for what our organization needed. We only have four employees, so we didn't want something expensive or hard to use. Gusto is easy and works for us!
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 cheap and easy if you just want to process payroll. If you want customer service, support, and any help whatsoever from a live person, do not use Gusto. They have no sense of urgency in resolving problems, and reaching a live person who can actually provide …
Chose Gusto
There are three major concerns for me. Ease of use; how easy is it to perform the payroll. Most systems are competitive here. Tax compliance; how well do they handle tax filings and tax payments. Here Gusto needs to improve a little. Payments are timely and so is reporting, …
QuickBooks Online
Chose QuickBooks Online
The only other service I have used that was similar to QuickBooks was Gusto. My experience with it was pretty limited. We did not use it for very long. We tried it because it was made for small businesses and we are a smaller department. QuickBooks was more scalable and worked …
Chose QuickBooks Online
Other software packages such as NetSuite and Intacct I used in the past are more robust in terms of supporting a bigger organization, but at my current company we selected QuickBooks Online as our ERP because it is a perfect fit for the size of the company and our operations as …
Chose QuickBooks Online
I have used larger ERP systems like SAP and Netsuite which do offer a better solution however for the size of business (small) that is best fit for QuickBooks Online, it is a good tool to use. We selected this because its cloud bases, billed easy, low cost, and easy to learn.
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
GustoQuickBooks Online
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
8.6
478 Ratings
5% above category average
QuickBooks Online
3.4
78 Ratings
72% below category average
Pay calculation8.8458 Ratings4.669 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors8.58 Ratings00 Ratings
Benefit plan administration8.3342 Ratings4.532 Ratings
Direct deposit files8.8463 Ratings5.465 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management8.5357 Ratings1.444 Ratings
Reimbursement management9.0104 Ratings1.146 Ratings
Customization
Comparison of Customization features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Online
2.5
68 Ratings
93% below category average
API for custom integration00 Ratings1.254 Ratings
Plug-ins00 Ratings3.857 Ratings
Security
Comparison of Security features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Online
3.6
108 Ratings
74% below category average
Single sign-on capability00 Ratings2.781 Ratings
Role-based user permissions00 Ratings4.6102 Ratings
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Online
4.9
132 Ratings
41% below category average
Dashboards00 Ratings4.3124 Ratings
Standard reports00 Ratings4.8128 Ratings
Custom reports00 Ratings5.6116 Ratings
General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Online
3.7
143 Ratings
65% below category average
Accounts payable00 Ratings5.6122 Ratings
Accounts receivable00 Ratings6.0131 Ratings
Cash management00 Ratings6.8120 Ratings
Bank reconciliation00 Ratings6.6137 Ratings
Expense management00 Ratings6.0123 Ratings
Time tracking00 Ratings1.256 Ratings
Fixed asset management00 Ratings5.153 Ratings
Multi-currency support00 Ratings1.323 Ratings
Multi-division support00 Ratings1.342 Ratings
Regulations compliance00 Ratings1.438 Ratings
Electronic tax filing00 Ratings5.266 Ratings
Self-service portal00 Ratings1.966 Ratings
Global Financial Support00 Ratings1.216 Ratings
Primary and Secondary Ledgers00 Ratings3.435 Ratings
Intercompany Accounting00 Ratings4.829 Ratings
Localizations00 Ratings4.021 Ratings
Journals and Reconciliations00 Ratings5.074 Ratings
Enterprise Accounting00 Ratings1.725 Ratings
Configurable Accounting00 Ratings1.838 Ratings
Centralized Rules Framework00 Ratings3.124 Ratings
Standardized Processes00 Ratings3.448 Ratings
Inventory Management
Comparison of Inventory Management features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Online
1.2
47 Ratings
139% below category average
Inventory tracking00 Ratings1.145 Ratings
Automatic reordering00 Ratings1.122 Ratings
Location management00 Ratings1.221 Ratings
Manufacturing module00 Ratings1.217 Ratings
Order Management
Comparison of Order Management features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Online
3.8
86 Ratings
61% below category average
Pricing00 Ratings5.155 Ratings
Order entry00 Ratings5.153 Ratings
Credit card processing00 Ratings1.963 Ratings
Cost of goods sold00 Ratings3.568 Ratings
Order Orchestration00 Ratings5.021 Ratings
End-to-end order visibility00 Ratings5.020 Ratings
Order exception Resolution00 Ratings1.218 Ratings
Best Alternatives
GustoQuickBooks Online
Small Businesses
Patriot Software
Patriot Software
Score 9.3 out of 10
Dext Prepare (with Receipt Bank)
Dext Prepare (with Receipt Bank)
Score 9.2 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.6 out of 10
Accounting Seed
Accounting Seed
Score 8.3 out of 10
Enterprises
Infor Human Resources
Infor Human Resources
Score 7.1 out of 10
Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP
Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP
Score 7.4 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
GustoQuickBooks Online
Likelihood to Recommend
8.1
(502 ratings)
5.1
(161 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.9
(12 ratings)
2.4
(24 ratings)
Usability
9.2
(326 ratings)
3.7
(76 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
2.0
(5 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
1.0
(4 ratings)
Support Rating
1.3
(25 ratings)
1.7
(68 ratings)
Implementation Rating
8.2
(1 ratings)
3.0
(6 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
1.3
(2 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
1.0
(2 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
1.0
(2 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
1.0
(2 ratings)
User Testimonials
GustoQuickBooks Online
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
Intuit
It seems Intuit is more interested in generating revenue than taking care of their customers. After only 28 (working) days using it, I've had to call for Help 23 times, and, in my experience, only spoken to 2 people who had an understanding of basic accounting practices and the ramifications of some of their suggested fixes on the General Ledger.
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
Intuit
  • It enables me to do a P&L for each specific program as requested by the county for the grant money that they give us.
  • It enables me to do [an] organizational budget as well as a budget for each specific program
  • It enables the accountant and the auditor access at any time for transparency
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
Intuit
  • The budgets feature leaves a lot be desired - difficult and clunky to populate and maintain.
  • Reporting for Budget vs Actual is available but the ability to reforecast based on updated data is not.
  • The rules function to default common types of expenses isn't perfect and will get confused if like amounts or a number of similar items present.
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
Intuit
It like the product 'right out of the box' and I trust Intuit will continually improve it over the years based on my experience with their desktop products. The large providers of Apps makes customizing the entire package relatively easy and seamless for a wide variety of business types.
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
Intuit
While QuickBooks Online is generally easy to navigate, there are some features and functions that often require a Google search in order to find out where they are actually hidden. Additionally, there are some simple customization features that are surprisingly not available for an otherwise advanced program (e.g. only having a pool of 4 fonts to choose from, only having 4 very limited templates for invoicing, not color selection, etc). While I would say that about 75% of users shouldn't have a problem finding their way around with basic functions, there is a learning curve if you want to be able to dive into some of the more useful features, almost to the point that you need to have a dedicated account manager in order to use QuickBooks Online most effectively.
Read full review
Reliability and Availability
Gusto
No answers on this topic
Intuit
We have rarely had outages in the last 10 years. I can only recall 2 times in the last 10 years where we were not able to access our client files.
Read full review
Performance
Gusto
No answers on this topic
Intuit
There are tab issues. When I tab the field doesn't highlight and I have to backspace or delete what is in the field. Happens on the memo field and sometimes other fields. Very time consuming.
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
Intuit
Support is great, all incidents been resolved. Quickbooks Online forum is very well organized and helpful. I like the fact that they let the community contribute in resolving issues. Most or many of your answers can be found online. You can also get help on YouTube, but the easiest way to get assistance is through their chat system.
Read full review
Implementation Rating
Gusto
Super easy to implement and use!
Read full review
Intuit
The person in charge of QB needs to be very accurate with record keeping and is recommended to stay on top of tasks. The biggest issue we have is reconciliation, and those issues occur only when too much time has occurred between reconciliations
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
Intuit
I have used Wave Accounting for another business. I selected QuickBooks Online over Wave because of the features available from QuickBooks. Wave is great since it is free, but I feel that paying for QuickBooks Online is worth it for the features. In addition there is such a robust support network and training available for QuickBooks.
Read full review
Scalability
Gusto
No answers on this topic
Intuit
As we have grown along our professional path, we have also expanded our use of QB. The scalability is easy and features seem to be waiting for you until you need them. We have increased profits by over 10x from our first year in business to the current and have yet to find a reason to look elsewhere
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
Intuit
  • It has created a lot of cost and in-efficiency whenever we need to talk to support.
  • I spent a lot of time setting up their automatic reminders for past due invoices and it worked for a couple of months and then it stopped. It's currently being worked on by their tech team but it has been months and it is still not working. It would have saved me a lot of time.
  • Their multi-currency saves time in sending invoices abroad but it's limiting when a customer wants an invoice in USD instead of a foreign currency so I have to set up different customer accounts for different currencies.
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ScreenShots

Gusto Screenshots

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