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Payroll · head to head

Gusto vs Zoho People

Gusto logo

Gusto

Payroll

The people platform for small businesses

From
$49/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zoho People logo

Zoho People

HR

Cloud HR software for growing businesses

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Zoho People 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; Zoho People slow response times and slow loading on the platform affecting user efficiency
  • They diverge on capability: Gusto covers Automated payroll, Zoho People covers Employee Database.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Gusto and Zoho People actually diverge.

Attributes where Gusto and Zoho People differ
AttributeGustoZoho People
Starting price$49/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
CategoryPayrollHR
Founded20111996

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), 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 Zoho People

  • Employee Database
  • Time Off
  • Time Tracking
  • Attendance
  • Performance
  • Onboarding
  • Self-Service
  • Zoho CRM

Both cover

  • Slack

What people use each for

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

Gusto

  • Payroll processingnot Zoho People
  • Benefits administrationnot Zoho People
  • Tax compliancenot Zoho People
  • Employee onboardingnot Zoho People
  • Time trackingnot Zoho People

Zoho People

  • Automating recruitment workflows from application through onboardingnot Gusto
  • Managing performance evaluations and compensation decisions centrallynot Gusto
  • Tracking employee time, attendance, and leave in real-timenot Gusto
  • Generating HR analytics to measure employee satisfaction and retentionnot 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

Zoho People

  • Slow response times and slow loading on the platform affecting user efficiency
  • Limited customization options for leave and performance management workflows
  • Mobile app is missing key features available in desktop version, like timesheets and reporting
  • Customer support is ticket-based only with no live chat unless on premium plan

Pricing, plan by plan

Gusto

$49/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Gusto review.

Zoho People

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Zoho People review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Gusto if

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

Choose Zoho People if

  • You need employee database.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want time off.
Zoho People review

Questions people ask

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

Yes, the Free plan supports up to 5-10 users with essential HR tools, email support, and 30-day free trial available on all paid plans with no credit card required.

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
Zoho People: What is the pricing for Zoho People?

Pricing starts at $1.25 per user per month when billed annually. The Essential HR plan costs $1.50 monthly per user, dropping to $1.25 annually with five tiers available: Free, Essential HR, Professional, Premium, and Enterprise.

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
Zoho People: Does Zoho People work with other Zoho applications?

Yes, Zoho People integrates with the Zoho ecosystem including Zoho CRM, Zoho Books, and other Zoho applications for unified business management.

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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