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Software · head to head

Gusto vs Square Appointments

Gusto logo

Gusto

Software

The people platform for small businesses

From
$49/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Square Appointments logo

Square Appointments

Software

Free scheduling for beauty businesses

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Square Appointments has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Gusto customer service can be slow and unresponsive to issues; Square Appointments the free plan is aimed at solo professionals; booking across multiple staff requires the paid Plus plan
  • They diverge on capability: Gusto covers Automated payroll, Square Appointments covers Online booking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Gusto and Square Appointments actually diverge.

Attributes where Gusto and Square Appointments differ
AttributeGustoSquare Appointments
Starting price$49/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20112009

Identical on both: 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 Square Appointments

  • Online booking
  • Client management
  • Point of sale
  • Payment processing
  • Automated reminders
  • Instagram booking
  • Google booking
  • Mobile app

Both cover

  • QuickBooks
  • Google Calendar
  • PCI DSS

What people use each for

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

Gusto

  • Payroll processingnot Square Appointments
  • Benefits administrationnot Square Appointments
  • Tax compliancenot Square Appointments
  • Employee onboardingnot Square Appointments
  • Time trackingnot Square Appointments

Square Appointments

  • Online appointment booking for salons, barbers and personal servicesnot Gusto
  • Taking card payments and deposits at the time of bookingnot Gusto
  • Managing staff calendars, waitlists and no-show policiesnot 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

Square Appointments

  • The free plan is aimed at solo professionals; booking across multiple staff requires the paid Plus plan
  • Cancellation policies, no-show fees and waitlists require the Plus plan
  • Resource management, service cost tracking and the future bookings report require the Premium plan
  • Custom processing rates are reserved for Square Pro, which is aimed at businesses processing over $250,000 a year
  • Card processing fees are charged on top of the plan fee on every tier including the free one

Pricing, plan by plan

Gusto

$49/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Gusto review.

Square Appointments

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited appointments
    • Online booking
    • Client management
  • Plus$29/month
    • Everything in Free
    • Multiple staff calendars
    • No-show protection
  • Premium$69/month
    • Everything in Plus
    • Multi-location
    • Staff management

Which should you pick?

Choose Gusto if

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

Choose Square Appointments if

  • You need online booking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want client management.
Square Appointments review

Questions people ask

Is Gusto or Square Appointments better?
Neither clearly leads. Gusto starts at $49/month and Square Appointments at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Gusto or Square Appointments?
Square Appointments has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $49/month for Gusto and Free for Square Appointments.
Does Gusto or Square Appointments run on more platforms?
Gusto runs on Web. Square Appointments runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Square Appointments for free?
Yes. Square Appointments has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Gusto starts at $49/month.
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 Square Appointments is typically brought in for.
What can Gusto do that Square Appointments cannot?
Gusto covers Automated payroll, Tax filing, Benefits administration, Time tracking. Square Appointments covers Online booking, Client management, Point of sale, Payment processing. Both handle QuickBooks, Google Calendar, PCI DSS.

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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