All industries · head to head
Gusto vs Zapier
Zapier
All industries
Automate your work across 7,000+ app integrations
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Zapier 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; Zapier the free plan allows 100 tasks per month and only two-step Zaps, one trigger and one action
- They diverge on capability: Gusto covers Automated payroll, Zapier covers App integrations.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Gusto and Zapier actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (All industries), 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 Zapier
- App integrations
- Workflow automation
- Trigger-based actions
- Multi-step Zaps
- Data formatting
- Conditional logic
- Error handling
- Team collaboration
Both cover
- Slack
- SOC2
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Gusto
- Payroll processingnot Zapier
- Benefits administrationnot Zapier
- Tax compliancenot Zapier
- Employee onboardingnot Zapier
- Time trackingnot Zapier
Zapier
- Lead managementnot Gusto
- Data synchronizationnot Gusto
- Email automationnot Gusto
- Social media postingnot Gusto
- Customer onboardingnot 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
Zapier
- The free plan allows 100 tasks per month and only two-step Zaps, one trigger and one action
- Multi-step Zaps, filters, paths, webhooks and the formatter all require a paid plan
- Premium app connectors are withheld from the free plan
- Free Zaps poll for new data every 15 minutes against 2 minutes on Professional and 1 minute on Team
- Paying monthly rather than annually costs 50 percent more, so the 2,000-task Professional plan is $73.50 a month instead of $49
Pricing, plan by plan
Gusto
$49/monthNo published plan breakdown. See the Gusto review.
Zapier
Free- FreeFree
- 100 tasks/month
- 5 Zaps
- Two-step Zaps
- Starter$19.99/month
- 750 tasks/month
- 20 Zaps
- Multi-step Zaps
- Professional$49/month
- 2,000 tasks/month
- Unlimited Zaps
- Custom logic
Which should you pick?
Choose Zapier if
- You need app integrations.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want workflow automation.
Questions people ask
- Is Gusto or Zapier better?
- Neither clearly leads. Gusto starts at $49/month and Zapier at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Gusto or Zapier?
- Zapier has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $49/month for Gusto and Free for Zapier.
- Does Gusto or Zapier run on more platforms?
- Gusto runs on Web. Zapier runs on Web, Api.
- Can I use Zapier for free?
- Yes. Zapier 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 Zapier is typically brought in for.
- What can Gusto do that Zapier cannot?
- Gusto covers Automated payroll, Tax filing, Benefits administration, Time tracking. Zapier covers App integrations, Workflow automation, Trigger-based actions, Multi-step Zaps. Both handle Slack, SOC2.
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.
SourceGusto: Does Gusto include unlimited payroll runs?
Yes, all Gusto plans include unlimited payroll runs at no extra charge, including off-cycle payrolls.
SourceGusto: 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.
SourceGusto: 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.
SourceRelated pages
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