Gusto vs ADP RUN
Verified ratings, feature by feature comparison and real pricing. Everything a North American business needs to pick between these two.
Some links here are affiliate links, so we may earn a commission at no cost to you. It never affects a rating or a ranking. How this works.
Ratings
Every score, at a glance
Verified user ratings across every dimension. Gusto against ADP RUN, nothing weighted.
Dimensions won
50Gusto 5, ADP RUN 0
Gusto vs ADP RUN, across 5 rating dimensions
Widest rating gap
+2.2
Gusto leads on ease of use
Verified reviews
380
212 for Gusto, 168 for ADP RUN
Gusto212 verified reviews
ADP RUN168 verified reviews
Ratings by dimension
- Gusto
- ADP RUN
Share of verified reviews
Which product reviewers actually write about.
- Gusto212
- ADP RUN168
Cost to get started
Cheapest paid plan, shown per month.
At least one of these is quoted rather than published, so compare the ratings above and get a real number from each vendor.
Head to head
Where each one wins
Row by row, with the stronger score highlighted. Straight from verified reviews.
| Gusto | ADP RUN | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4.5 | 3.5 |
| Reviews | 212 | 168 |
| Ease of use | 4.8 | 2.6 |
| Value for money | 4.6 | 2.6 |
| Customer service | 4.0 | 3.3 |
| Functionality | 4.6 | 3.9 |
| Starting price | $49/mo | Custom pricing |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Free version | No | No |
Features
Feature by feature, checked off
Everything each product ships, side by side. No marketing gloss.
| Feature | Gusto | ADP RUN |
|---|---|---|
| Full service US payroll | ||
| Automatic Form 941 and 940 filing | ||
| Automatic W-2 and 1099-NEC filing | ||
| Multi state payroll | ||
| Contractor payments | ||
| Health insurance administration | ||
| 401(k) administration | ||
| Workers compensation | ||
| Time tracking and PTO | ||
| Hiring and onboarding | ||
| Employee self service portal | ||
| Automatic federal, state and local filing | ||
| Tax notice resolution service | ||
| Garnishment administration | ||
| Certified payroll reporting | ||
| New hire reporting | ||
| Benefits administration | ||
| HR support and toolkits | ||
| Employee self service | ||
| General ledger export |
Pricing
Both price lists, side by side
Every plan from both vendors, side by side, priced in US dollars.
Gusto plans
Simple
$49 base plus $6 per person. Single state payroll.
$49/mo
per month
- Full service single state payroll
- Automatic federal and state filings
- Employee self service
- Basic hiring and onboarding
- Health insurance administration
Plus
$80 base plus $12 per person. Multi state and time tracking.
$80/mo
per month
- Everything in Simple
- Multi state payroll
- Time tracking and PTO
- Team management tools
- Next day direct deposit
Premium
$180 base plus $22 per person. Adds HR support and compliance help.
$180/mo
per month
- Everything in Plus
- Access to certified HR experts
- Compliance alerts
- Dedicated support
- Full service payroll migration
Get current pricing
These are list prices and vendors adjust them from time to time. Check with Gusto for the figure you will actually pay.
ADP RUN plans
Pricing is quoted
ADP does not publish a list price, so the only real number is the one they quote you. Ask for the implementation cost in writing at the same time.
Verdict
Our verdict
Gusto is the better product and ADP is the better insurance policy. If your payroll is straightforward and US only, Gusto will be faster, cheaper and more pleasant every single pay period. If you have been burned by an agency penalty, run certified payroll or garnishments, or need Canadian payroll under the same roof, ADP earns its price on the day something goes wrong. Note the asymmetry: Gusto does not run Canadian payroll at all.
Written from the reviews on both products. No vendor saw this before publication.