Softwr

Recruitment · head to head

Factorial vs Gusto

Factorial logo

Factorial

Recruitment

HR software that employees love

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Gusto logo

Gusto

Payroll

The people platform for small businesses

From
$49/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Factorial has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Factorial no published tier names or feature-based pricing breakdown; Gusto customer service can be slow and unresponsive to issues
  • They diverge on capability: Factorial covers HR Management, Gusto covers Automated payroll.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Factorial and Gusto actually diverge.

Attributes where Factorial and Gusto differ
AttributeFactorialGusto
Starting priceFree$49/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb
CategoryRecruitmentPayroll
Founded20162011

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 Factorial

  • HR Management
  • Time Off
  • Time Tracking
  • Documents
  • Payroll
  • Performance
  • Recruiting
  • Shift Management

Only in Gusto

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

Both cover

  • Slack
  • QuickBooks

What people use each for

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

Factorial

  • Managing employee records, onboarding and offboardingnot Gusto
  • Tracking time off, attendance and shiftsnot Gusto
  • Running recruitment and performance reviews alongside HR datanot Gusto

Gusto

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

Where each one falls short

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

Factorial

  • No published tier names or feature-based pricing breakdown
  • Pricing customization requires sales consultation

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

Factorial

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic HR
    • Time Off
    • Documents
  • Business$5/month
    • All Free features
    • Payroll
    • Performance

Gusto

$49/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Gusto review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Factorial if

  • You need hr management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want time off.
Factorial review

Choose Gusto if

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

Questions people ask

Is Factorial or Gusto better?
Neither clearly leads. Factorial 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, Factorial or Gusto?
Factorial has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Factorial and $49/month for Gusto.
Does Factorial or Gusto run on more platforms?
Factorial runs on Web, Ios, Android. Gusto runs on Web.
Can I use Factorial for free?
Yes. Factorial has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Gusto starts at $49/month.
What is Factorial best used for?
Factorial is most often used for managing employee records, onboarding and offboarding, tracking time off, attendance and shifts, running recruitment and performance reviews alongside hr data. Of those, managing employee records, onboarding and offboarding and tracking time off, attendance and shifts are not what Gusto is typically brought in for.
What can Factorial do that Gusto cannot?
Factorial covers HR Management, Time Off, Time Tracking, Documents. Gusto covers Automated payroll, Tax filing, Benefits administration, Time tracking. Both handle Slack, QuickBooks.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Factorial: What is Factorial's starting price?

Factorial starts at $8 per month per user. The company offers modular pricing where customers select features across categories including time management, talent management, finance management, and IT management.

Source
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
Factorial: Can I customize my Factorial plan?

Yes. Factorial offers customizable plans for all businesses and budgets. A specialist will design a plan based on specific business needs. All plans include the Factorial Core platform with employee directory, onboarding/offboarding, payslip distribution, legal e-signature, and custom notifications.

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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