Softwr

Payroll · head to head

Gusto vs RemoFirst

Gusto logo

Gusto

Payroll

The people platform for small businesses

From
$49/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
RemoFirst logo

RemoFirst

Payroll

Low-cost employer of record and contractor payments across a very wide country list built largely on partner entities

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Gusto customer service can be slow and unresponsive to issues; RemoFirst coverage in most countries runs through partner entities rather than entities RemoFirst owns, which lengthens the liability chain and means a disputed termination is handled by a company you have no direct contract with.
  • They diverge on capability: Gusto covers Automated payroll, RemoFirst covers Employer of record.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Gusto and RemoFirst actually diverge.

Attributes where Gusto and RemoFirst differ
AttributeGustoRemoFirst
Starting price$49/monthOn request
Pricing modelUnknownquote
Founded2011Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Payroll).

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 RemoFirst

  • Employer of record
  • Contractor management
  • Global benefits
  • Visa and work permit support
  • Equipment provisioning
  • Multi-currency payments
  • Expense management
  • Time off tracking

What people use each for

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

Gusto

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

RemoFirst

  • A startup hiring two or three people each in several countries where opening entities makes no sensenot Gusto
  • A company paying an established vendor a high per-contractor fee for administration it could buy far cheapernot Gusto
  • An employer that needs a country outside the coverage of the major EOR providersnot Gusto
  • A team that wants equipment procured and shipped to remote hires without setting up local logisticsnot 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

RemoFirst

  • Coverage in most countries runs through partner entities rather than entities RemoFirst owns, which lengthens the liability chain and means a disputed termination is handled by a company you have no direct contract with.
  • Statutory deposits, typically one or more months of salary and employer contributions held in advance, are quoted separately from the per employee fee and materially change the cash cost of the first year.
  • Currency conversion on payroll runs carries a spread that is not in the headline price, and on a large multi-country payroll that spread can exceed the platform fee itself.
  • Benefits quality varies sharply by country because it is sourced through local partners, so two employees on the same contract in different countries can receive very different cover.
  • The company is young and holds client payroll funds in transit, which is a counterparty risk that larger competitors with longer trading histories and audited entity networks present less of.

Pricing, plan by plan

Gusto

$49/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Gusto review.

RemoFirst

On request
  • Employer of Record$undefined/year
    • Priced per employee per month
    • Statutory deposit held separately from the platform fee
    • Currency conversion spread applied on each payroll run
  • Contractor Management$undefined/year
    • Priced per contractor per month
    • Compliant contract templates by country
    • Multi-currency payments

Which should you pick?

Choose Gusto if

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

Choose RemoFirst if

  • You need employer of record.
  • You also want contractor management.
RemoFirst review

Questions people ask

Is Gusto or RemoFirst better?
Neither clearly leads. Gusto starts at $49/month and RemoFirst at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Gusto or RemoFirst?
Gusto starts at $49/month and RemoFirst at On request.
Does Gusto or RemoFirst run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
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 RemoFirst is typically brought in for.
What can Gusto do that RemoFirst cannot?
Gusto covers Automated payroll, Tax filing, Benefits administration, Time tracking. RemoFirst covers Employer of record, Contractor management, Global benefits, Visa and work permit support.

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
RemoFirst: Does RemoFirst own entities in every country it lists?

No. It owns entities in a minority of its coverage and uses in-country partners elsewhere. Ask per country, because the answer determines who the legal employer is.

Gusto: Does Gusto include unlimited payroll runs?

Yes, all Gusto plans include unlimited payroll runs at no extra charge, including off-cycle payrolls.

Source
RemoFirst: What does the headline per employee price exclude?

Statutory deposits, currency conversion spread on payroll runs, and country-specific charges such as mandatory insurance or entity fees.

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
RemoFirst: Is it cheaper than Deel or Remote?

On the headline rate, substantially. Once deposits and FX are included the gap narrows, but it usually remains cheaper.

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
RemoFirst: Can it convert a contractor into an employee?

Yes, in countries it supports for EOR. This is a common reason buyers start with the contractor product and move up.

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