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Try It FreeGusto has built a reputation as a polished, well-designed payroll and HR platform. For many small businesses, though, "polished" doesn't always mean "the right fit," especially once pricing, support, and what happens after cancellation come into play.
Public reviews point to several concerns worth considering, including recent price increases, reports of slow or difficult-to-reach support, and billing disputes some customers say continued after cancellation. None of that means Gusto is a bad product, but those experiences are worth weighing alongside its features and user experience.
Here, we'll compare the best Gusto alternatives for 2026, including what each platform does well, where it falls short, how much it costs, and which types of businesses it suits best.
Quick Picks: The Best Gusto Alternatives
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OnTheClock: Best for Connected Time Tracking and Payroll
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OnPay: Best for Flat, No-Tier Pricing
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Paychex: Best for Businesses that Want a Large Platform to Grow Into
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Rippling: Best for Businesses that Want a Broader HR/IT Platform
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Paycom: Best for Businesses Comfortable with Employee-Run Payroll Review
How We Evaluated These Gusto Alternatives
Gusto's core appeal is an established payroll and HR experience with features that can grow alongside a business. But businesses comparing alternatives may prioritize different things, including built-in time tracking, simpler pricing, support access, or fewer HR features.
With that in mind, we evaluated each Gusto alternative based on:
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Pricing structure and recent pricing changes
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Whether time tracking is built in or requires a separate product or tier
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Support access and how easily reviewers report reaching a real person
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Overall fit for a small business with hourly employees
The Best Gusto Alternatives for 2026
OnTheClock: Best for Connected Time Tracking and Payroll
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Gusto's Simple plan base price rose from $40 to $49 per month in early 2026, on top of a $6 per-employee fee, and features like faster direct deposit are reserved for the pricier Plus and Premium tiers.
One difference is how employee access is structured. Gusto employees create individual accounts that can remain available to them after they leave an employer, allowing continued access to certain personal payroll information. OnTheClock manages employee access within the employer's account, keeping time tracking and payroll administration centered on the business's system.
OnTheClock takes a different approach. Time tracking is the foundation, and payroll connects directly to the timecards your team already uses, all inside the same platform your business logs into.
What Makes OnTheClock Different From Gusto?
OnTheClock keeps time tracking and payroll inside one connected system that your business controls.
Another important difference is support. Some Gusto reviewers report slow response times or difficulty reaching a live support representative, making access to support an important factor to consider when comparing providers.
OnTheClock Key Features
OnTheClock Integrations
OnTheClock Pros
OnTheClock Cons
OnTheClock Pricing
- Time tracking: $5 per month base fee + $4 per hourly employee/month
- Payroll: $40 per month base + $6 per employee/month
- Salaried employees: Time tracking fees are waived for salaried employees enrolled in OnTheClock Payroll
- Implementation: One-time $250 payroll implementation fee
A business with 10 hourly employees would pay $145 per month for OnTheClock time tracking and payroll, plus the one-time implementation fee.
OnPay: Best for Flat, No-Tier Pricing
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OnPay takes the opposite approach to Gusto's multitier structure: one plan, published pricing, and core payroll features included without requiring a move to a higher-priced payroll tier.
Who Is OnPay Best For?
OnPay is a good fit for a business that wants simple, predictable payroll pricing without navigating multiple tiers or paying for HR functionality it doesn't need. The tradeoff is that OnPay doesn't offer a native employee time clock, so businesses that desire time tracking will need a separate system.
OnPay Key Features
OnPay Integrations
OnPay Pros
OnPay Cons
OnPay Pricing
- Flat plan: $49/month base + $6 per employee/month
- No Separate Tiers: All core features included
Paychex: Best for Businesses that Want a Large Platform to Grow Into
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Paychex offers a tiered structure that lets a business start small and add HR functionality as it grows, an alternative path to Gusto's own tiered model with its own tradeoffs.
Only the entry-level Essentials tier is publicly priced, at $39/month plus $5 per employee. Its higher tiers, Select and Pro, are quote-based, and a dedicated support representative is generally reserved for those higher tiers rather than the entry plan most small businesses start on. Customer feedback also frequently mentions invoices exceeding the original quoted price, a different kind of billing surprise than Gusto's published price increase, but one worth factoring in either way.
Who Is Paychex Best For?
Paychex can make sense for a business that wants a large, established platform to grow into over time and is comfortable moving up through tiers and negotiating custom pricing as HR needs expand.
Paychex Key Features
Paychex Integrations
Paychex Pros
Paychex Cons
Paychex Pricing
- Base (Essentials): $39/month
- Per Employee: + $5/month
- Select and Pro Tiers: quote-based
Rippling: Best for Businesses that Want a Broader HR/IT Platform
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Rippling is a well-regarded, modular HCM suite that goes well beyond payroll, covering HR, IT device management, and a wide range of add-on modules. Like Gusto, it's genuinely well-liked by many of the businesses that use it, but its pricing structure is different: Payroll is an additional module rather than part of a single standard payroll plan.
Because Rippling uses quote-based pricing and businesses can add different modules, the total cost depends heavily on the specific setup and services selected.
Who Is Rippling Best For?
Rippling makes the most sense for a business that wants a single platform spanning HR, IT, and payroll together and expects to use that broader functionality. For a small business that mainly needs reliable payroll connected to time tracking, that's often more system than necessary.
Rippling Key Features
Rippling Integrations
Rippling Pros
Rippling Cons
Rippling Pricing
Rippling uses a modular, quote-based pricing structure. Businesses pay for the core platform and then add payroll and other HR or IT modules as needed.
Because Rippling does not publish standard pricing for every configuration, total costs can vary significantly depending on company size and the modules selected. Businesses considering Rippling should request a detailed quote that includes the core platform, payroll, implementation, and any additional modules they plan to use.
Paycom: Best for Businesses Comfortable with Employee-Run Payroll Review
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Paycom's signature feature, Beti, has employees review and approve their own paychecks before payday. It's a distinctive approach with strong general reviews, but it also means shifting a meaningful part of payroll accuracy onto your team rather than keeping it centralized, and rather than relying on the connected timecard-to-payroll flow Gusto and OnTheClock both use instead.
Paycom uses quote-based pricing, so businesses need to contact the company for a customized rate. Reported estimates suggest businesses may also incur costs beyond the base per-employee rate, including setup, implementation, and per-paycheck processing fees, which are worth asking about directly when requesting a detailed quote.
Who Is Paycom Best For?
Paycom can fit a business that likes the idea of employees directly reviewing and approving their own pay each cycle and is comfortable with quote-based pricing and a heavier implementation process to get there.
Paycom Key Features
Paycom Integrations
Paycom Pros
Paycom Cons
Paycom Pricing
- Payroll Only: approximately $12-$18 per employee per month
- Implementation: reported at 15%-35% of the year-one cost
- Per Paycheck: approximately $4-$6 per employee
Pricing is quote-only; these are reported figures, not published rates available to every business
Gusto Alternatives: Side-by-Side Comparison
Why Choose OnTheClock?
See how OnTheClock stacks up against other Gusto alternatives.
| Tool | Best For | Pricing | Time Tracking | Employee Account Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OnTheClock | Connected time tracking + payroll | Flat, published | Native | Managed within your business account |
| Gusto | HR depth, structured onboarding | Tiered, base price increased in 2026 | Plus tier and above | An individual employee's account can persist after departure |
| OnPay | Flat, no-tier pricing | Single flat plan | Not included | Managed within your business account |
| Paychex | Businesses wanting a large platform to grow into | Entry tier published, upper tiers are quote-based | Available, varies by package | Managed within your business account |
| Rippling | Broader HR/IT platform | Quote-based, modular (platform fee + separate payroll module) | Available as an add-on/module | Managed within your business account |
| Paycom | Employee-run payroll review, businesses are OK with quote-based pricing | Quote-based | Available | Employee-owned account for paycheck review |
Pricing shown reflects publicly available vendor pricing as of 2026 and is subject to change. Confirm current pricing directly with each provider before making a purchasing decision.
Which Gusto Alternative Is Best for Your Business?
If you're evaluating alternatives to Gusto, it's worth looking beyond the feature list: Is time tracking included? How predictable is the pricing? And what does it actually take to reach a real person when something goes wrong?
If you're manually moving employee hours between a time clock and payroll, OnTheClock is the strongest fit in this comparison, with time tracking and payroll built into one platform that your business controls. If you want the simplest possible pricing and don't need built-in time tracking, OnPay is a strong, predictable option.
If you'd rather start smaller and grow into a larger platform over time, Paychex offers that path, with the caveat that its most useful support tiers come at a higher price point. If you want a broader HR and IT platform alongside payroll and expect to use that added functionality, Rippling is worth a look, with the platform fee and payroll module priced separately.
If the idea of employees reviewing and approving their own paychecks appeals to you, and you're comfortable with quote-based pricing, Paycom is worth considering too, just request a detailed quote that accounts for implementation and any additional fees.
Frequently Asked Questions About Gusto Alternatives
What is the best Gusto alternative?
For businesses that want time tracking and payroll connected in one platform, OnTheClock is a strong alternative. OnPay is a good fit for businesses that want the simplest possible flat pricing and don't need built-in time tracking.
Why do businesses look for Gusto alternatives?
Common reasons include a base price increase in early 2026, support that reviewers frequently describe as slow or difficult to escalate to a real person, and billing disputes some customers report after cancellation.
Has Gusto's pricing increased recently?
According to Gusto's own published pricing, its Simple plan base price rose from $40 to $49 per month in early 2026, in addition to its per-employee fee.
Do employees keep their own Gusto accounts after leaving a company?
Yes. Employees create individual Gusto accounts to access their payroll information, and they can retain access to those accounts after leaving an employer.
Do Gusto alternatives handle payroll taxes?
OnTheClock and OnPay handle federal, state, and applicable local payroll tax filings as part of their payroll services.
Is switching payroll providers difficult?
The difficulty depends on your workforce size, how much payroll history needs to be migrated, and the implementation support your new provider offers. Switching at the start of a calendar year, rather than mid-year, generally simplifies the process.
Is Paychex a good Gusto alternative?
It depends on what you're looking for. Paychex offers a tiered structure similar to Gusto's, but only its entry-level Essentials tier is publicly priced, with higher tiers requiring a custom quote. Some Paychex reviewers report invoices that exceeded their original quote, making it worth asking for a detailed breakdown of included services and potential additional fees before signing.
Does Paychex include time tracking?
Paychex offers time and attendance capabilities, but availability may depend on the package and services selected. Worth confirming what's included at your tier before assuming it matches a dedicated time-tracking platform.
Is Rippling more expensive than Gusto?
It can be, depending on the configuration. Rippling uses modular, quote-based pricing, so the total cost depends on the core platform and any additional modules a business selects. Gusto uses a more traditional tiered pricing structure with a base fee and per-employee cost.
What is Paycom's Beti feature?
Beti is Paycom's employee-driven payroll review process, where employees check and approve their own paycheck details before payday. It's a distinctive approach that shifts part of the payroll accuracy responsibility from the employer to individual employees, a different model than Gusto's employer-managed payroll review.
Does Paycom charge fees beyond its quoted price?
Potentially. Paycom uses quote-based pricing, and reported estimates include setup, implementation, and per-paycheck processing costs. Request a detailed quote that identifies all applicable fees before signing.
