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Gusto vs Workable

Gusto logo

Gusto

All industries

The people platform for small businesses

From
$49/month
Rated
-
Workable logo

Workable

Recruitment & ATS

Recruitment and employee engagement platform

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Workable 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; Workable the Standard plan is $299 a month and still charges separately for texting at $89, video interviews at $109 and assessments at $59 a month
  • They diverge on capability: Gusto covers Automated payroll, Workable covers Job posting.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Gusto and Workable actually diverge.

Attributes where Gusto and Workable differ
AttributeGustoWorkable
Starting price$49/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownusage-based
Free tierNoYes
CategoryAll industriesRecruitment & ATS
Founded20112012

Identical on both: platforms (Web), 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 Workable

  • Job posting
  • Applicant tracking
  • Candidate management
  • Onboarding
  • Employee engagement
  • Analytics
  • Mobile app
  • Integrations

Both cover

  • Slack

What people use each for

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

Gusto

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

Workable

  • Posting jobs and tracking candidates through an applicant tracking systemnot Gusto
  • Running structured interviews, assessments and offers in one placenot 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

Workable

  • The Standard plan is $299 a month and still charges separately for texting at $89, video interviews at $109 and assessments at $59 a month
  • Reaching a plan where those three are included means Premier at $599 a month
  • Unlimited active jobs is qualified by a fair usage limit rather than being an actual cap
  • AI features run on credits, and credits expire one year from purchase
  • Published plan prices cover 1 to 20 employees, so larger headcounts are quoted separately

Pricing, plan by plan

Gusto

$49/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Gusto review.

Workable

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic recruitment
    • Limited hires
    • Basic tracking
  • Plus$undefined/month
    • Advanced recruitment
    • Engagement tools
    • Analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose Gusto if

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

Choose Workable if

  • You need job posting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want applicant tracking.

Questions people ask

Is Gusto or Workable better?
Neither clearly leads. Gusto starts at $49/month and Workable at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Gusto or Workable?
Workable has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $49/month for Gusto and Free for Workable.
Does Gusto or Workable run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Workable for free?
Yes. Workable 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 Workable is typically brought in for.
What can Gusto do that Workable cannot?
Gusto covers Automated payroll, Tax filing, Benefits administration, Time tracking. Workable covers Job posting, Applicant tracking, Candidate management, Onboarding. 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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