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Software · head to head

Brex vs Gusto

Brex logo

Brex

Software

The financial stack for growing businesses

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Gusto logo

Gusto

Software

The people platform for small businesses

From
$49/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Brex the free Essentials tier is limited to two legal entities; Gusto customer service can be slow and unresponsive to issues
  • They diverge on capability: Brex covers Corporate cards, Gusto covers Automated payroll.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Brex and Gusto actually diverge.

Attributes where Brex and Gusto differ
AttributeBrexGusto
Starting price$29/month$49/month
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb
Founded20172011

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Brex

  • Corporate cards
  • Business accounts
  • Expense management
  • Bill pay
  • Travel
  • NetSuite
  • SOC 2
  • FDIC insured

Only in Gusto

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

Both cover

  • QuickBooks
  • Xero
  • PCI DSS

What people use each for

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

Brex

  • Corporate cards with spend controls for startupsnot Gusto
  • Expense management and reimbursementsnot Gusto
  • Travel booking inside the spend platformnot Gusto
  • Bill pay and accounting system syncnot Gusto
  • Multi-entity spend management on the paid tiersnot Gusto

Gusto

  • Payroll processingnot Brex
  • Benefits administrationnot Brex
  • Tax compliancenot Brex
  • Employee onboardingnot Brex
  • Time trackingnot Brex

Where each one falls short

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

Brex

  • The free Essentials tier is limited to two legal entities
  • Premium is $12 per user per month, so cost scales with headcount using the card
  • Enterprise and Smart Card pricing is not published
  • Eligibility criteria are not stated anywhere on the pricing page, which matters for a product that extends credit

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

Brex

$29/month
  • EssentialsFree
    • Corporate cards
    • Expense management
    • Bill pay
  • Premium$12/month
    • Advanced controls
    • Custom approvals
    • Travel booking

Gusto

$49/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Gusto review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Brex if

  • You need corporate cards.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want business accounts.
Brex review

Choose Gusto if

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

Questions people ask

Is Brex or Gusto better?
Neither clearly leads. Brex starts at $29/month and Gusto at $49/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Brex or Gusto?
Brex starts at $29/month and Gusto at $49/month.
Does Brex or Gusto run on more platforms?
Brex runs on Web, Ios, Android. Gusto runs on Web.
What is Brex best used for?
Brex is most often used for corporate cards with spend controls for startups, expense management and reimbursements, travel booking inside the spend platform, bill pay and accounting system sync. Of those, corporate cards with spend controls for startups and expense management and reimbursements are not what Gusto is typically brought in for.
What can Brex do that Gusto cannot?
Brex covers Corporate cards, Business accounts, Expense management, Bill pay. Gusto covers Automated payroll, Tax filing, Benefits administration, Time tracking. Both handle QuickBooks, Xero, 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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