The verdict
Rounds split 3–3; OnPay edges it on total score.
There's no universal winner — OnPay wins on price and trust, Gusto wins on HR depth, so decide how much HR tooling you actually need before you pick the bigger name.
Choose Gusto if…
- • You want native, tiered-in HR depth like performance reviews and 401(k)
- • You lean heavily on a strong employer-side mobile app
Choose OnPay if…
- • You want the lowest, most predictable published price with no per-state upcharges
- • You're a clergy, agricultural, or nonprofit employer with niche payroll needs
Round by round
- Round 1Pricing & TransparencyOnPay winsGusto6/10
$49/mo + $6/employee
Simple tier; multi-state requires stepping up to Plus
- Fully published pricing, no sales call
- Multi-state payroll requires upgrading to a pricier tier
Source: Gusto pricing data
OnPay9/10$49/mo + $6/employee
One plan, multi-state included, first month free
- One published plan with no tier ladder
- Multi-state filing included at no extra charge
- First month free plus free setup/data migration
- HR features (PTO, onboarding, org charts) require a paid add-on
Source: OnPay pricing data
Both publish clean pricing, but OnPay's single plan already includes what Gusto charges extra tiers for.
- Round 2Core Payroll & Tax FilingOnPay winsGusto7/10
Automated filing, multi-state costs extra
- Automatic federal/state/local filing praised for accuracy
- Multi-state filing requires a pricier tier
OnPay9/1050 states, no upcharge
Multi-state and year-end forms included at base price
- No extra charge for multi-state payroll or year-end filing
- Purpose-built for clergy and agricultural payroll niches
Source: OnPay product data
OnPay includes what Gusto charges extra tiers for, and covers niche filings Gusto doesn't touch at all.
- Round 3HR Features & BenefitsGusto winsGusto8/10
Tiered-in HR depth
401(k), HR pros, and compensation tools bundled into Premium
- 401(k) built in natively via Guideline
- Certified HR pros and compensation tools bundled into Premium
Source: Gusto product data
OnPay5/10+$15/mo + $2/employee
HR add-on required for PTO, onboarding, org charts
- Basic hiring/offer tools included in base plan
- PTO, onboarding, and org charts all require a paid HR add-on
- No in-house PEO option
Source: OnPay product data
Gusto's HR depth is baked into its tiers; OnPay's requires stacking paid add-ons.
- Round 4Ease of Use & SetupGusto winsGusto9/10
Rated easiest to learn
- No sales call required at any tier
- 4.8/5 mobile app rating on the App Store
- Advanced tools locked behind pricier Premium tier
OnPay6/10Painless onboarding, weak mobile app
- Free, white-glove data migration and setup
- Mobile app is the weakest part of the platform, missing desktop features
Both onboard smoothly on desktop; Gusto's mobile experience is the more complete one.
- Round 5IntegrationsGusto winsGusto7/10
~10 integrations
QuickBooks, Xero, Shopify, Clover, Homebase, Slack
- Covers POS integrations (Shopify, Clover) OnPay doesn't offer
- Includes TSheets/QuickBooks Time natively
Source: Gusto integrations list
OnPay6/10~6 integrations
QuickBooks, Xero, Deputy, When I Work, accountant portal
- Dedicated accountant/bookkeeper portal for multi-client management
- Smaller overall integration ecosystem than Gusto
Source: OnPay integrations list
Gusto's integration list is broader and better-known; OnPay's is smaller but covers the accounting basics.
- Round 6Customer Support & TrustOnPay winsGusto6/10
4.6 / 4.6 / ~2.3
G2 / Capterra / Trustpilot
- 4.6/5 on both G2 and Capterra
- Trustpilot ~2.3/5, driven by support-response complaints
Source: Gusto sentiment data
OnPay9/104.8 G2/Capterra, 4.2 Trustpilot — no collapse
- 4.8/5 on both G2 and Capterra
- Trustpilot holds at 4.2/5 — no steep collapse
OnPay is the rare payroll platform whose consumer review score doesn't collapse — its support reputation is simply stronger across the board.
Which one is for you?
Small business wanting the lowest, most predictable published price
→ OnPay · OnPay's one plan includes multi-state filing at no extra charge
Clergy, agricultural, or nonprofit employer with niche payroll needs
→ OnPay · Purpose-built support for parsonage exclusions, Form 943, and H-2A workers
Growing team wanting native performance and compensation tools
→ Gusto · Gusto Premium bundles performance reviews and compensation planning
Owner who relies heavily on a strong employer-side mobile app
→ Gusto · 4.8/5 App Store rating versus OnPay's weaker mobile experience
Side by side
- Fully published pricing, no sales call
- Automatic federal/state/local filing praised for accuracy
- 401(k) built in natively via Guideline
- Certified HR pros and compensation tools bundled into Premium
- One published plan with no tier ladder
- Multi-state filing included at no extra charge
- First month free plus free setup/data migration
- No extra charge for multi-state payroll or year-end filing
- Multi-state payroll requires upgrading to a pricier tier
- Multi-state filing requires a pricier tier
- Advanced tools locked behind pricier Premium tier
- Trustpilot ~2.3/5, driven by support-response complaints
- HR features (PTO, onboarding, org charts) require a paid add-on
- PTO, onboarding, and org charts all require a paid HR add-on
- No in-house PEO option
- Mobile app is the weakest part of the platform, missing desktop features