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Gusto vs Time Doctor

Gusto logo

Gusto

All industries

The people platform for small businesses

From
$49/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Time Doctor logo

Time Doctor

Productivity

Employee time tracking and productivity monitoring

From
$4/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Gusto customer service can be slow and unresponsive to issues; Time Doctor historical tracking data retention is capped by plan: 3 months on Basic and 6 months on Standard, versus 2 years on Premium and Enterprise
  • They diverge on capability: Gusto covers Automated payroll, Time Doctor covers Time tracking with timer.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Gusto and Time Doctor actually diverge.

Attributes where Gusto and Time Doctor differ
AttributeGustoTime Doctor
Starting price$49/month$4/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsWebWeb, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows
CategoryAll industriesProductivity

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), founded (2011).

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 Time Doctor

  • Time tracking with timer
  • Activity monitoring
  • Screenshots
  • GPS tracking
  • Webcam monitoring
  • Reports and invoicing
  • Mobile apps
  • Team management

What people use each for

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

Gusto

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

Time Doctor

  • Productivitynot Gusto
  • Collaborationnot Gusto
  • Task managementnot Gusto
  • Organizationnot 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

Time Doctor

  • Historical tracking data retention is capped by plan: 3 months on Basic and 6 months on Standard, versus 2 years on Premium and Enterprise
  • HRIS and Payroll native integrations are paid add-ons at $200 per integration per month
  • Software Cost Insights add-on costs $3 per user per month on top of the base plan

Pricing, plan by plan

Gusto

$49/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Gusto review.

Time Doctor

$4/month
  • Basic$4/month
    • Time tracking
    • Reports
    • Mobile apps
  • Standard$6/month
    • Everything in Basic
    • Activity monitoring
    • Screenshots
  • Premium$10/month
    • Everything in Standard
    • GPS tracking
    • Webcam snapshots

Which should you pick?

Choose Gusto if

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

Choose Time Doctor if

  • You need time tracking with timer.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows.
  • You also want activity monitoring.
Time Doctor review

Questions people ask

Is Gusto or Time Doctor better?
Neither clearly leads. Gusto starts at $49/month and Time Doctor at $4/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Gusto or Time Doctor?
Gusto starts at $49/month and Time Doctor at $4/month.
Does Gusto or Time Doctor run on more platforms?
Gusto runs on Web. Time Doctor runs on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows.
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 Time Doctor is typically brought in for.
What can Gusto do that Time Doctor cannot?
Gusto covers Automated payroll, Tax filing, Benefits administration, Time tracking. Time Doctor covers Time tracking with timer, Activity monitoring, Screenshots, GPS tracking.

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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