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Gusto vs OnPay: pricing compared

Plans, list prices and what a team of 5, 10 or 25 pays on each, from Surba's catalog of HR tools. Updated for 2026.

At a glance

Side by side

Gusto starts at $49/user/mo (Simple) and OnPay at $49/mo (Payroll Essentials). For 10 people that's $490 vs $49 a month: OnPay is $441 a month (90%) cheaper than Gusto on list price.

Gusto

HR

From$49/user/mo

10 people: $490 a month · $5,880 a year

  • No free plan
  • No yearly discount listed
  • No startup credits listed
  • 3 plans · priced per user

OnPay

Cheaper for 10 people

From$49/mo

10 people: $49 a month · $588 a year

  • No free plan
  • No yearly discount listed
  • No startup credits listed
  • 2 plans · priced per plan

Plans

Gusto and OnPay plans

Every plan with a public price, in US dollars.

Gusto

  • Simple

    Base fee + $6/mo per person · Single-state payroll

    $49/user/mo

  • Plus

    Base fee + $12/mo per person · Multi-state payroll, time tracking

    $80/user/mo

  • Premium

    Base fee + $22/mo per person · Dedicated advisor, HR experts

    $180/user/mo

Price = monthly base + per active person. Pricing page blocked (403); figures from search snippets of gusto.com.

Prices from Gusto's pricing page, checked 26 Oct 2026.

OnPay

  • Payroll Essentials

    Plus $6 per worker per month · Unlimited pay runs · Federal, state and local tax filings

    $49/mo

  • Bundled HR

    Plus $1 per worker per month · HR tools add-on bundle

    $71/mo

Base fee plus per-worker fee: Payroll Essentials $49 + $6/worker; add-ons HR $15 + $2/worker, Time Tracking $15 + $4/worker, Bundled HR + Time Tracking $81 + $4/worker. Footer also cites 'from $55/month'. Benefits admin free (premiums extra).

Prices from OnPay's pricing page, checked 26 Oct 2026.

Team cost

What each costs your team

Entry paid plans, per month and per year at list price.

Gusto and OnPay cost by team size
TeamGusto (Simple)OnPay (Payroll Essentials)Difference
5 people$245$2,940/yr$49$588/yrOnPay $196 less a month
10 people$490$5,880/yr$49$588/yrOnPay $441 less a month
25 people$1,225$14,700/yr$49$588/yrOnPay $1,176 less a month

Gusto is priced per user. OnPay is priced per plan. Per-user prices are multiplied by the team; per-plan prices aren't. Before tax; yearly discounts not applied.

FAQ

Gusto vs OnPay: questions

Which is cheaper, Gusto or OnPay?

Gusto starts at $49/user/mo (Simple) and OnPay at $49/mo (Payroll Essentials). For 10 people that's $490 vs $49 a month: OnPay is $441 a month (90%) cheaper than Gusto on list price. Compare features too: the cheaper plan isn't always the closer match.

Do Gusto and OnPay have free plans?

Gusto has no free plan in Surba's catalog. OnPay has no free plan in Surba's catalog.

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