Prices checked 2026-10-17
Gusto vs QuickBooks Payroll: what each costs by crew size
Both charge a monthly base fee plus a fee per person. Here is what that adds up to for a crew of 1 to 15, plan level by plan level, at the regular price, with QuickBooks' intro offer shown separately.
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The short answer
- Entry: Gusto Simple ($49/mo + $6/person) vs QuickBooks Workforce Payroll ($50/mo + $7/employee). Gusto costs less at every crew size from 1 to 100.
- Middle: Gusto Plus ($80/mo + $12/person) vs QuickBooks Workforce Premium ($88/mo + $13/employee). Gusto costs less at every crew size from 1 to 100.
- Top: Gusto Premium ($180/mo + $22/person) vs QuickBooks Workforce Elite ($134/mo + $17/employee). QuickBooks costs less at every crew size from 1 to 100.
Price only, at regular monthly list prices. The plans at each level don't include the same features; check the plan notes.
Entry plans: Gusto Simple vs QuickBooks Workforce Payroll
Simple: no plan note on the pricing page. Workforce Payroll: No time tracking.
| Crew | Gusto Simple | QuickBooks Workforce Payroll | Difference per month | QuickBooks year one with intro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $55/mo$660/yr | $57/mo$684/yr | Gusto $2 less | $609 |
| 2 people | $61/mo$732/yr | $64/mo$768/yr | Gusto $3 less | $693 |
| 3 people | $67/mo$804/yr | $71/mo$852/yr | Gusto $4 less | $777 |
| 5 people | $79/mo$948/yr | $85/mo$1,020/yr | Gusto $6 less | $945 |
| 8 people | $97/mo$1,164/yr | $106/mo$1,272/yr | Gusto $9 less | $1,197 |
| 10 people | $109/mo$1,308/yr | $120/mo$1,440/yr | Gusto $11 less | $1,365 |
| 15 people | $139/mo$1,668/yr | $155/mo$1,860/yr | Gusto $16 less | $1,785 |
Middle plans: Gusto Plus vs QuickBooks Workforce Premium
Plus: Next-Day pay included. Workforce Premium: Includes time tracking.
| Crew | Gusto Plus | QuickBooks Workforce Premium | Difference per month | QuickBooks year one with intro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $92/mo$1,104/yr | $101/mo$1,212/yr | Gusto $9 less | $1,080 |
| 2 people | $104/mo$1,248/yr | $114/mo$1,368/yr | Gusto $10 less | $1,236 |
| 3 people | $116/mo$1,392/yr | $127/mo$1,524/yr | Gusto $11 less | $1,392 |
| 5 people | $140/mo$1,680/yr | $153/mo$1,836/yr | Gusto $13 less | $1,704 |
| 8 people | $176/mo$2,112/yr | $192/mo$2,304/yr | Gusto $16 less | $2,172 |
| 10 people | $200/mo$2,400/yr | $218/mo$2,616/yr | Gusto $18 less | $2,484 |
| 15 people | $260/mo$3,120/yr | $283/mo$3,396/yr | Gusto $23 less | $3,264 |
Top plans: Gusto Premium vs QuickBooks Workforce Elite
Premium: Next-Day pay and Business Compliance included. Workforce Elite: Includes time tracking; tax penalty protection up to $25,000.
| Crew | Gusto Premium | QuickBooks Workforce Elite | Difference per month | QuickBooks year one with intro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $202/mo$2,424/yr | $151/mo$1,812/yr | QuickBooks $51 less | $1,611 |
| 2 people | $224/mo$2,688/yr | $168/mo$2,016/yr | QuickBooks $56 less | $1,815 |
| 3 people | $246/mo$2,952/yr | $185/mo$2,220/yr | QuickBooks $61 less | $2,019 |
| 5 people | $290/mo$3,480/yr | $219/mo$2,628/yr | QuickBooks $71 less | $2,427 |
| 8 people | $356/mo$4,272/yr | $270/mo$3,240/yr | QuickBooks $86 less | $3,039 |
| 10 people | $400/mo$4,800/yr | $304/mo$3,648/yr | QuickBooks $96 less | $3,447 |
| 15 people | $510/mo$6,120/yr | $389/mo$4,668/yr | QuickBooks $121 less | $4,467 |
If you also run QuickBooks Online
QuickBooks sells payroll bundled with QuickBooks Online at a lower per-employee rate ($6.50 vs $7 standalone). Gusto integrates with QuickBooks, so the like-for-like choice is Gusto Simple plus QuickBooks Online Simple Start ($38/mo) against the bundle ($88/mo + $6.50/employee).
| Crew | Gusto Simple + QBO Simple Start | QuickBooks Payroll + Simple Start bundle | Difference per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $93/mo | $94.50/mo | Gusto + QuickBooks Online $1.50 less |
| 5 people | $117/mo | $120.50/mo | Gusto + QuickBooks Online $3.50 less |
| 10 people | $147/mo | $153/mo | Gusto + QuickBooks Online $6 less |
Regular monthly prices. QuickBooks' intro offer cuts the bundle's base price for 3 months; see QuickBooks Online pricing.
Who gets counted
- Gusto: Per active person per month on top of base; US contractors billed at the per-person rate only in months they are paid
- QuickBooks Payroll: Per ACTIVE employee per month (counted even at $0 earnings); intro discount does not apply to per-employee fees
Trials and intro offers
- Gusto: Not stated on pricing page.
- QuickBooks Payroll: 30-day free trial on base price OR 50% off base for 3 months (not both); neither applies to per-employee fees.
The 'year one with intro' column = the intro base price for the intro months, then the regular base, plus the full per-employee fee all year.
Prices for every plan: Gusto pricing · QuickBooks Payroll pricing · any crew size in the payroll calculator.
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