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Software · head to head

Amazon Connect vs Gusto

Amazon Connect logo

Amazon Connect

Software

Cloud contact center from AWS

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Gusto logo

Gusto

Software

The people platform for small businesses

From
$49/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Amazon Connect has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Amazon Connect telephony is charged separately from the platform, so the $0.038 per minute voice rate is not the whole cost of a call; Gusto customer service can be slow and unresponsive to issues
  • They diverge on capability: Amazon Connect covers Voice, Gusto covers Automated payroll.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Amazon Connect and Gusto actually diverge.

Attributes where Amazon Connect and Gusto differ
AttributeAmazon ConnectGusto
Starting priceFree$49/month
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
Free tierYesNo
Founded20062011

Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Amazon Connect

  • Voice
  • Chat
  • Tasks
  • ML-powered analytics
  • Contact Lens
  • Outbound campaigns
  • Forecasting
  • Salesforce

Only in Gusto

  • Automated payroll
  • Tax filing
  • Benefits administration
  • Time tracking
  • Employee onboarding
  • HR compliance
  • Workers' comp
  • 401(k) management

Both cover

  • SOC2
  • PCI DSS

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Amazon Connect

  • Cloud contact centre with no per-seat licencenot Gusto
  • Voice, chat, email and SMS in one queuenot Gusto
  • Conversational analytics and agent assistnot Gusto
  • Outbound campaigns and automated contactnot Gusto
  • Workforce scheduling for contact centre agentsnot Gusto

Gusto

  • Payroll processingnot Amazon Connect
  • Benefits administrationnot Amazon Connect
  • Tax compliancenot Amazon Connect
  • Employee onboardingnot Amazon Connect
  • Time trackingnot Amazon Connect

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Amazon Connect

  • Telephony is charged separately from the platform, so the $0.038 per minute voice rate is not the whole cost of a call
  • Every channel is metered individually: $0.010 per chat message, $0.080 per email and $0.014 per SMS
  • Rates vary by region and by third-party provider, so a published figure is indicative rather than final
  • Cost tracks contact volume, which makes forecasting hard for a queue with seasonal peaks

Gusto

  • Customer service can be slow and unresponsive to issues
  • Weak reporting capabilities, cannot export data to spreadsheets for analysis
  • Support staff lacks deep payroll expertise and knowledge
  • Rehired employees do not have settings reset, causing manual cleanup work
  • City tax handling requires additional monitoring and monitoring
  • Onboarding can have issues with bank account verification and tax registration

Pricing, plan by plan

Amazon Connect

Free
  • Pay-as-you-go$0.018/minute
    • Voice minutes
    • Free tier available
    • No upfront costs

Gusto

$49/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Gusto review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Amazon Connect if

  • You need voice.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want chat.
Amazon Connect review

Choose Gusto if

  • You need automated payroll.
  • You also want tax filing.
Gusto review

Questions people ask

Is Amazon Connect or Gusto better?
Neither clearly leads. Amazon Connect starts at Free and Gusto at $49/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Amazon Connect or Gusto?
Amazon Connect has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Amazon Connect and $49/month for Gusto.
Does Amazon Connect or Gusto run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Amazon Connect for free?
Yes. Amazon Connect has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Gusto starts at $49/month.
What is Amazon Connect best used for?
Amazon Connect is most often used for cloud contact centre with no per-seat licence, voice, chat, email and sms in one queue, conversational analytics and agent assist, outbound campaigns and automated contact. Of those, cloud contact centre with no per-seat licence and voice, chat, email and sms in one queue are not what Gusto is typically brought in for.
What can Amazon Connect do that Gusto cannot?
Amazon Connect covers Voice, Chat, Tasks, ML-powered analytics. Gusto covers Automated payroll, Tax filing, Benefits administration, Time tracking. Both handle SOC2, PCI DSS.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Gusto: What is Gusto's starting price?

Gusto starts at $49 per month plus $6 per person. The company also offers a Contractor-only plan for $35 per month plus $6 per contractor.

Source
Gusto: Does Gusto include unlimited payroll runs?

Yes, all Gusto plans include unlimited payroll runs at no extra charge, including off-cycle payrolls.

Source
Gusto: What core features are included in Gusto?

All plans include payroll processing, tax administration, digital onboarding, benefits enrollment, time tracking, performance management, and next-day direct deposit for most plans.

Source
Gusto: Does Gusto support integrations?

Yes, Gusto integrates with accounting software, applicant tracking systems, benefits providers, time-tracking tools, and other business platforms to reduce data entry.

Source
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