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Payroll · head to head

Gusto vs Wagestream

Gusto logo

Gusto

Payroll

The people platform for small businesses

From
$49/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Wagestream logo

Wagestream

Payroll

Financial wellbeing platform with flexible pay, savings and coaching for UK and US employers

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Gusto customer service can be slow and unresponsive to issues; Wagestream employees pay a flat fee of around 1.95 pounds per transfer, so frequent users pay a meaningful annual sum to access wages they have already earned.
  • They diverge on capability: Gusto covers Automated payroll, Wagestream covers Stream pay.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Gusto and Wagestream actually diverge.

Attributes where Gusto and Wagestream differ
AttributeGustoWagestream
Starting price$49/monthOn request
Pricing modelUnknownquote
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android
Founded2011Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Wagestream

  • Stream pay
  • Build savings
  • Track
  • Coaching
  • Employer subsidy
  • Rostering integration

What people use each for

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

Gusto

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

Wagestream

  • A care provider with thousands of shift workers using flexible pay to fill unpopular shiftsnot Gusto
  • A retailer under ESG scrutiny that wants to subsidise the transfer fee and evidence a genuine benefitnot Gusto
  • An employer whose staff use payday lending and who wants a cheaper alternative inside payrollnot Gusto
  • A logistics operator wanting savings-from-pay alongside early access rather than advances alonenot 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

Wagestream

  • Employees pay a flat fee of around 1.95 pounds per transfer, so frequent users pay a meaningful annual sum to access wages they have already earned.
  • Employers who do not subsidise the fee are, in effect, offering a benefit funded by their lowest-paid staff, which is an awkward position when unions or ESG reporting examine it.
  • Transfers are capped at a share of earned wages, commonly around half a month, so it does not resolve a genuine income shortfall and can delay someone seeking real debt help.
  • It needs accurate payroll and rostering feeds; employers with legacy or multiple payroll systems face long integrations before launch.
  • Uptake concentrates in a minority of staff who use it repeatedly, so headline adoption figures overstate how broadly the benefit is felt across a workforce.

Pricing, plan by plan

Gusto

$49/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Gusto review.

Wagestream

On request
  • Wagestream$undefined/year
    • Employer platform fee quoted, commonly per employee per month
    • Employee pays roughly 1.95 per wage transfer unless subsidised
    • Employer can part-subsidise or fully fund the transfer fee

Which should you pick?

Choose Gusto if

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

Choose Wagestream if

  • You need stream pay.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want build savings.
Wagestream review

Questions people ask

Is Gusto or Wagestream better?
Neither clearly leads. Gusto starts at $49/month and Wagestream at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Gusto or Wagestream?
Gusto starts at $49/month and Wagestream at On request.
Does Gusto or Wagestream run on more platforms?
Gusto runs on Web. Wagestream 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 Wagestream is typically brought in for.
What can Gusto do that Wagestream cannot?
Gusto covers Automated payroll, Tax filing, Benefits administration, Time tracking. Wagestream covers Stream pay, Build savings, Track, Coaching.

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
Wagestream: What does an employee pay?

A flat fee of roughly 1.95 pounds per transfer, unless the employer subsidises part or all of it.

Gusto: Does Gusto include unlimited payroll runs?

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

Source
Wagestream: Is it a loan?

No. It is access to wages already earned, netted off at payroll, so there is no interest and no credit agreement.

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
Wagestream: Can employers cover the fee?

Yes. Employer subsidy is a standard option and is the difference between a genuine benefit and a cost passed to staff.

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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