Accounting & Finance · head to head
Bench vs Gusto
Bench
Accounting & Finance
America's largest bookkeeping service for small businesses
- From
- $299/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Bench recent bankruptcy and acquisition by Employer.com creates uncertainty about product roadmap and support continuity; Gusto customer service can be slow and unresponsive to issues
- They diverge on capability: Bench covers Dedicated bookkeeper, Gusto covers Automated payroll.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Bench and Gusto actually diverge.
Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).
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 Bench
- Dedicated bookkeeper
- Monthly financial statements
- Bank reconciliation
- Tax preparation
- Expense categorization
- Stripe
- PayPal
- SOC 2
Only in Gusto
- Automated payroll
- Tax filing
- Benefits administration
- Time tracking
- Employee onboarding
- HR compliance
- Workers' comp
- 401(k) management
Both cover
- Square
- Bank-level encryption
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Bench
- Bookkeeping outsourcingnot Gusto
- Tax preparationnot Gusto
- Financial reportingnot Gusto
Gusto
- Payroll processingnot Bench
- Benefits administrationnot Bench
- Tax compliancenot Bench
- Employee onboardingnot Bench
- Time trackingnot Bench
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Bench
- Recent bankruptcy and acquisition by Employer.com creates uncertainty about product roadmap and support continuity
- Higher starting cost at $299/month compared to self-service accounting software like Wave or QuickBooks Online
- Requires manual connection of financial accounts and ongoing coordination with bookkeeping team, less automated than software-first solutions
- Tax services limited to US income tax returns; no support for complex entity structures or multi-state taxation
- History of burning through capital rapidly, raising concerns about long-term business sustainability
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
Bench
$299/monthNo published plan breakdown. See the Bench review.
Gusto
$49/monthNo published plan breakdown. See the Gusto review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Bench if
- You need dedicated bookkeeper.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want monthly financial statements.
Questions people ask
- Is Bench or Gusto better?
- Neither clearly leads. Bench starts at $299/month and Gusto at $49/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Bench or Gusto?
- Bench starts at $299/month and Gusto at $49/month.
- Does Bench or Gusto run on more platforms?
- Bench runs on Web, Ios, Android. Gusto runs on Web.
- What is Bench best used for?
- Bench is most often used for bookkeeping outsourcing, tax preparation, financial reporting. Of those, bookkeeping outsourcing and tax preparation are not what Gusto is typically brought in for.
- What can Bench do that Gusto cannot?
- Bench covers Dedicated bookkeeper, Monthly financial statements, Bank reconciliation, Tax preparation. Gusto covers Automated payroll, Tax filing, Benefits administration, Time tracking. Both handle Square, Bank-level encryption.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Bench: What happened to Bench Accounting?
Bench shut down abruptly on December 27, 2024, filing for bankruptcy in Canada with $65 million in debt. The company was acquired by Employer.com on December 30, 2024, and resumed operations in January 2025 under new ownership.
SourceGusto: 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.
SourceBench: What are Bench's current pricing plans?
Bench offers Bookkeeping at $299/month (billed annually) and Bookkeeping + Tax at $599/month (billed annually). Both include automated bookkeeping, real-time financial statements, and a dedicated team of bookkeepers.
SourceGusto: Does Gusto include unlimited payroll runs?
Yes, all Gusto plans include unlimited payroll runs at no extra charge, including off-cycle payrolls.
SourceBench: Does Bench include tax preparation services?
The Bookkeeping plan includes monthly bookkeeping and year-end tax-ready financial statements. The Bookkeeping + Tax plan adds one-on-one income tax consulting and annual income tax return filing.
SourceGusto: 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.
SourceBench: How does Bench's bookkeeping work?
Bench combines proprietary software with human bookkeepers. You connect your financial accounts to automate data entry, and Bench's team handles bookkeeping and provides year-end tax-ready statements. Customers can reach their dedicated team within 24 hours.
SourceGusto: 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.
SourceBench: Can I access real-time financial data with Bench?
Yes, Bench provides real-time reporting, allowing you to access or download updated income statements and balance sheets at any time.
Source