Softwr

Payroll · head to head

Gusto vs Rippling

Gusto logo

Gusto

Payroll

The people platform for small businesses

From
$49/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Rippling logo

Rippling

Recruitment

Manage HR, IT, and Finance in one place

From
$8/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Gusto customer service can be slow and unresponsive to issues; Rippling the Internet Archive's capture of Rippling's homepage on 10 January 2021 named distinct product modules, Employee Platform, Payroll, Benefits, Talent Management, App Management, Device Management, and a PEO offering, all sold via 'Request Demo' with no price figure published.
  • They diverge on capability: Gusto covers Automated payroll, Rippling covers Payroll.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Gusto and Rippling actually diverge.

Attributes where Gusto and Rippling differ
AttributeGustoRippling
Starting price$49/month$8/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryPayrollRecruitment
Founded20112016

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Gusto

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

Only in Rippling

  • Payroll
  • Benefits Administration
  • Device Management
  • App Management
  • Time Tracking
  • Learning Management
  • Microsoft 365
  • Google Workspace

Both cover

  • Slack

What people use each for

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

Gusto

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

Rippling

No use cases recorded yet. See the Rippling review.

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

Rippling

  • The Internet Archive's capture of Rippling's homepage on 10 January 2021 named distinct product modules, Employee Platform, Payroll, Benefits, Talent Management, App Management, Device Management, and a PEO offering, all sold via 'Request Demo' with no price figure published.

Pricing, plan by plan

Gusto

$49/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Gusto review.

Rippling

$8/month
  • Core$8/month
    • Employee Management
    • Onboarding
    • Offboarding
  • Pro$12/month
    • All Core features
    • Advanced Analytics
    • Custom Reports

Which should you pick?

Choose Gusto if

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

Choose Rippling if

  • You need payroll.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want benefits administration.
Rippling review

Questions people ask

Is Gusto or Rippling better?
Neither clearly leads. Gusto starts at $49/month and Rippling at $8/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Gusto or Rippling?
Gusto starts at $49/month and Rippling at $8/month.
Does Gusto or Rippling run on more platforms?
Gusto runs on Web. Rippling 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 Rippling is typically brought in for.
What can Gusto do that Rippling cannot?
Gusto covers Automated payroll, Tax filing, Benefits administration, Time tracking. Rippling covers Payroll, Benefits Administration, Device Management, App Management. Both handle 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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