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Software · head to head

Gusto vs Hive

Gusto logo

Gusto

Software

The people platform for small businesses

From
$49/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Hive logo

Hive

Software

Project management built for speed

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Gusto customer service can be slow and unresponsive to issues; Hive the free plan is capped at 200 MB of storage
  • They diverge on capability: Gusto covers Automated payroll, Hive covers Tasks.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Gusto and Hive actually diverge.

Attributes where Gusto and Hive differ
AttributeGustoHive
Starting price$49/monthOn request
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android, Desktop
Founded20112015

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 Gusto

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

Only in Hive

  • Tasks
  • Gantt view
  • Kanban
  • Forms
  • Zoom
  • Google Drive
  • Dropbox
  • SOC 2

Both cover

  • Time tracking
  • Slack

What people use each for

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

Gusto

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

Hive

  • Project and task management with multiple project viewsnot Gusto
  • Coordinating work, proofing and resourcing for teamsnot Gusto

Where each one falls short

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

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

Hive

  • The free plan is capped at 200 MB of storage
  • The Starter plan at $5 per user per month is limited to 10 projects
  • Eight capabilities are sold as $5 per user add ons on the Teams plan, including CRM, timesheets, proofing, resourcing, advanced dashboards, external users and SSO
  • Buying SSO plus a few of those add ons therefore costs more than the $12 base seat itself
  • AI credits are metered monthly at 1,000, 3,000 and 5,000 by plan

Pricing, plan by plan

Gusto

$49/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Gusto review.

Hive

On request
  • FreeFree
    • Basic features
    • 10 users
  • Teams$12/month
    • Unlimited users
    • Time tracking
    • Automations

Which should you pick?

Choose Gusto if

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

Choose Hive if

  • You need tasks.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
  • You also want gantt view.
Hive review

Questions people ask

Is Gusto or Hive better?
Neither clearly leads. Gusto starts at $49/month and Hive at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Gusto or Hive?
Gusto starts at $49/month and Hive at On request.
Does Gusto or Hive run on more platforms?
Gusto runs on Web. Hive runs on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
What is Gusto best used for?
Gusto is most often used for payroll processing, benefits administration, tax compliance, employee onboarding. Of those, payroll processing and benefits administration are not what Hive is typically brought in for.
What can Gusto do that Hive cannot?
Gusto covers Automated payroll, Tax filing, Benefits administration, Employee onboarding. Hive covers Tasks, Gantt view, Kanban, Forms. Both handle Time tracking, Slack.

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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