Scheduling & Booking · head to head
Cal.com vs Gusto
The short version
- Only Cal.com has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Cal.com free plan limited to single user only; Gusto customer service can be slow and unresponsive to issues
- They diverge on capability: Cal.com covers Custom booking pages, Gusto covers Automated payroll.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Cal.com and Gusto actually diverge.
Identical on both: 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 Cal.com
- Custom booking pages
- Team scheduling
- Collective scheduling
- Routing forms
- Webhooks
- Outlook
- Zoom
- Google Meet
Only in Gusto
- Automated payroll
- Tax filing
- Benefits administration
- Time tracking
- Employee onboarding
- HR compliance
- Workers' comp
- 401(k) management
Both cover
- Google Calendar
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Cal.com
- Schedule meetings and manage availabilitynot Gusto
- Accept payments via Stripe and PayPalnot Gusto
- Integrate with Salesforce and HubSpotnot Gusto
Gusto
- Payroll processingnot Cal.com
- Benefits administrationnot Cal.com
- Tax compliancenot Cal.com
- Employee onboardingnot Cal.com
- Time trackingnot Cal.com
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Cal.com
- Free plan limited to single user only
- Free plan restricted to 1 user account
- Teams plan requires yearly billing at $12/user/month
- Organizations plan requires yearly billing at $28/user/month
- Free plan lacks team collaboration features
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
Cal.com
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Cal.com review.
Gusto
$49/monthNo published plan breakdown. See the Gusto review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Cal.com if
- You need custom booking pages.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Mobile app, Browser extension.
- You also want team scheduling.
Questions people ask
- Is Cal.com or Gusto better?
- Neither clearly leads. Cal.com 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, Cal.com or Gusto?
- Cal.com has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Cal.com and $49/month for Gusto.
- Does Cal.com or Gusto run on more platforms?
- Cal.com runs on Web, Mobile app, Browser extension. Gusto runs on Web.
- Can I use Cal.com for free?
- Yes. Cal.com has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Gusto starts at $49/month.
- What is Cal.com best used for?
- Cal.com is most often used for schedule meetings and manage availability, accept payments via stripe and paypal, integrate with salesforce and hubspot. Of those, schedule meetings and manage availability and accept payments via stripe and paypal are not what Gusto is typically brought in for.
- What can Cal.com do that Gusto cannot?
- Cal.com covers Custom booking pages, Team scheduling, Collective scheduling, Routing forms. Gusto covers Automated payroll, Tax filing, Benefits administration, Time tracking. Both handle Google Calendar.
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.
SourceGusto: Does Gusto include unlimited payroll runs?
Yes, all Gusto plans include unlimited payroll runs at no extra charge, including off-cycle payrolls.
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.
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.
SourceRelated pages
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