Payroll & HR Comparison
Gusto vs ADP
Gusto is the better choice for small businesses wanting simple, affordable payroll; ADP is more suitable for mid-size to enterprise companies needing advanced HR features.
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Gusto
VS
ADP
Ratings are editorial scores based on publicly available user reviews from G2, Capterra, and similar platforms. They are not collected from BizStackHub users.
Gusto
Payroll, benefits, and HR for small businesses
✗ No free plan · From $46/mo + $6/person
🎯 Small businesses and startups with 1–100 employees
Pros
- Very easy to set up and run payroll
- Handles all tax filings automatically
- Built-in benefits administration
- Great for remote teams
- Employee self-service portal
Cons
- No dedicated HR advisory
- Limited international payroll
- Support quality inconsistent
- Payroll errors can be slow to fix
- Less robust for large companies
ADP
Enterprise HR and payroll for every business size
✗ No free plan · From Custom (typically $59/mo+)
🎯 Mid-size to large companies needing full HCM suite
Pros
- Handles companies of any size
- Comprehensive HR suite
- Strong compliance tools
- International payroll available
- Huge integration ecosystem
Cons
- Pricing is opaque — requires sales call
- Steep learning curve
- Customer support can be poor
- Outdated UI in some products
- Long-term contracts required
Ratings Comparison
Pricing Comparison
Gusto Plans
ADP Plans
Simple
$46/mo + $6/person
Basic payroll + single-state
RUN Essential
Custom
Basic payroll for small business
Plus
$80/mo + $12/person
Multi-state + HR tools
RUN Enhanced
Custom
+ HR tools + background checks
Premium
Custom
Dedicated HR + compliance
RUN Complete
Custom
+ HR helpdesk + ZipRecruiter
—
Workforce Now
Custom
Mid-market full HCM suite
Feature Comparison
Feature
Gusto
ADP
Payroll
Automated payroll runs
✓
✓
Multi-state payroll
Plus+
✓
Contractor payments (1099)
✓
✓
International payroll
Limited
✓
Same-day direct deposit
Plus+
✓
Automatic tax filing
✓
✓
HR & Benefits
Health insurance admin
✓
✓
401(k) integration
✓
✓
PTO tracking
✓
✓
Onboarding tools
✓
✓
HR advisory
Premium only
Enhanced+
Performance management
Add-on
✓
Compliance & Reporting
W-2 / 1099 filing
✓
✓
ACA compliance
✓
✓
Background checks
Add-on
Enhanced+
Custom reports
✓
✓
The Verdict
Bottom Line
Gusto wins on simplicity and price for small businesses; ADP wins on scale and HR depth.
Choose Gusto
Choose Gusto if you're a small business or startup wanting easy, affordable payroll with benefits administration.
Choose ADP
Choose ADP if you're a growing company that needs a full HR platform with compliance, international payroll, and dedicated support.