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Gusto vs Paychex Flex

Gusto logo

Gusto

Software

The people platform for small businesses

From
$49/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Paychex Flex logo

Paychex Flex

Software

Payroll and HR solutions that grow with you

From
$39/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Gusto customer service can be slow and unresponsive to issues; Paychex Flex paychex publishes no rate card for Paychex Flex: the payroll page names the Select, Pro and Enterprise packages but gives no per employee fee, no base monthly fee and no setup fee
  • They diverge on capability: Gusto covers Automated payroll, Paychex Flex covers Payroll Processing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Gusto and Paychex Flex actually diverge.

Attributes where Gusto and Paychex Flex differ
AttributeGustoPaychex Flex
Starting price$49/month$39/month
Pricing modelUnknownquote
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20111971

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
  • Time tracking
  • Employee onboarding
  • HR compliance
  • Workers' comp
  • 401(k) management

Only in Paychex Flex

  • Payroll Processing
  • Tax Administration
  • HR Services
  • Benefits Administration
  • Time and Attendance
  • Retirement Services
  • Sage
  • Microsoft 365

Both cover

  • QuickBooks
  • Xero

What people use each for

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

Gusto

  • Payroll processingnot Paychex Flex
  • Benefits administrationnot Paychex Flex
  • Tax compliancenot Paychex Flex
  • Employee onboardingnot Paychex Flex
  • Time trackingnot Paychex Flex

Paychex Flex

  • Running payroll and filing payroll taxes for small and mid sized US businessesnot Gusto
  • Combining payroll with benefits administration and HR services from one vendornot Gusto
  • Handling multi state payroll compliance and year end tax formsnot 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

Paychex Flex

  • Paychex publishes no rate card for Paychex Flex: the payroll page names the Select, Pro and Enterprise packages but gives no per employee fee, no base monthly fee and no setup fee
  • Pricing is obtained only by requesting a quote or calling sales
  • Product capability is split across three packages, so features are tied to a tier whose price is not disclosed

Pricing, plan by plan

Gusto

$49/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Gusto review.

Paychex Flex

$39/month
  • Essentials$39/month
    • Payroll Processing
    • Tax Services
    • Direct Deposit
  • Select$undefined/month
    • All Essentials features
    • HR Administration
    • Onboarding

Which should you pick?

Choose Gusto if

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

Choose Paychex Flex if

  • You need payroll processing.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want tax administration.
Paychex Flex review

Questions people ask

Is Gusto or Paychex Flex better?
Neither clearly leads. Gusto starts at $49/month and Paychex Flex at $39/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Gusto or Paychex Flex?
Gusto starts at $49/month and Paychex Flex at $39/month.
Does Gusto or Paychex Flex run on more platforms?
Gusto runs on Web. Paychex Flex runs on Web, Ios, Android.
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 Paychex Flex is typically brought in for.
What can Gusto do that Paychex Flex cannot?
Gusto covers Automated payroll, Tax filing, Benefits administration, Time tracking. Paychex Flex covers Payroll Processing, Tax Administration, HR Services, Benefits Administration. Both handle QuickBooks, Xero.

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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