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Software · head to head

Front vs Gusto

Front logo

Front

Software

Where teams collaborate on customer communication

From
$25/month per seat
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: Front starter tier limited to single-channel support; omnichannel support requires Professional tier; Gusto customer service can be slow and unresponsive to issues
  • They diverge on capability: Front covers Shared inbox, Gusto covers Automated payroll.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Front and Gusto actually diverge.

Attributes where Front and Gusto differ
AttributeFrontGusto
Starting price$25/month per seat$49/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsCloud-based SaaSWeb
Founded20132011

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 Front

  • Shared inbox
  • Email collaboration
  • Omnichannel messaging
  • Analytics
  • Workflows
  • Integrations
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot

Only in Gusto

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

Both cover

  • Slack
  • SOC2

What people use each for

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

Front

  • Multi-team customer support across email, chat, SMS channelsnot Gusto
  • Enterprises using AI to resolve complex multi-step customer requestsnot Gusto

Gusto

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

Where each one falls short

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

Front

  • Starter tier limited to single-channel support; omnichannel support requires Professional tier
  • AI Copilot, Smart QA, and Smart CSAT are included only in Enterprise tier ($105/seat/month); available as add-ons at higher cost in lower tiers
  • Starter tier limited to 10 automation rules; Professional tier allows 20; unlimited rules only in Enterprise
  • Advanced analytics excluded from Starter tier

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

Front

$25/month per seat

No published plan breakdown. See the Front review.

Gusto

$49/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Gusto review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Front if

  • You need shared inbox.
  • You work on Cloud-based SaaS.
  • You also want email collaboration.
Front review

Choose Gusto if

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

Questions people ask

Is Front or Gusto better?
Neither clearly leads. Front starts at $25/month per seat and Gusto at $49/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Front or Gusto?
Front starts at $25/month per seat and Gusto at $49/month.
Does Front or Gusto run on more platforms?
Front runs on Cloud-based SaaS. Gusto runs on Web.
What is Front best used for?
Front is most often used for multi-team customer support across email, chat, sms channels, enterprises using ai to resolve complex multi-step customer requests. Of those, multi-team customer support across email, chat, sms channels and enterprises using ai to resolve complex multi-step customer requests are not what Gusto is typically brought in for.
What can Front do that Gusto cannot?
Front covers Shared inbox, Email collaboration, Omnichannel messaging, Analytics. Gusto covers Automated payroll, Tax filing, Benefits administration, Time tracking. Both handle Slack, SOC2.

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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