Gusto vs Sage HR
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 Sage HR, nothing weighted.
Dimensions won
50Gusto 5, Sage HR 0
Gusto vs Sage HR, across 5 rating dimensions
Widest rating gap
+1.1
Gusto leads on functionality
Verified reviews
453
212 for Gusto, 241 for Sage HR
Gusto212 verified reviews
Sage HR241 verified reviews
Ratings by dimension
- Gusto
- Sage HR
Share of verified reviews
Which product reviewers actually write about.
- Gusto212
- Sage HR241
Cost to get started
Cheapest paid plan, shown per month.
Sage HR is the cheaper way in. Lower is not automatically better, so weigh it against the ratings above.
Head to head
Where each one wins
Row by row, with the stronger score highlighted. Straight from verified reviews.
| Gusto | Sage HR | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4.5 | 3.9 |
| Reviews | 212 | 241 |
| Ease of use | 4.8 | 4.3 |
| Value for money | 4.6 | 4.2 |
| Customer service | 4.0 | 3.7 |
| Functionality | 4.6 | 3.5 |
| Starting price | $49/mo | $6.50/mo |
| 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 | Sage HR |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||
| Employee records and self service | ||
| Leave and absence management | ||
| Accrual and carryover rules | ||
| Shared team calendar | ||
| Performance reviews as a module | ||
| Shift scheduling as a module | ||
| Timesheets as a module | ||
| Expense claims as a module | ||
| Recruitment as a module | ||
| Org chart |
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.
Sage HR plans
Core HR and Leave Management
Per employee per month. The base everyone starts on.
$6.50/mo
per month
- Employee records
- Leave and absence management
- Approval workflows
- Shared team calendar
- Employee self service
- 30 day free trial
Performance
Per employee per month. Added to Core HR.
$3.25/mo
per month
- Goal setting
- Review cycles
- 360 feedback
- One to one tracking
Timesheets
Per employee per month. Added to Core HR.
$3.25/mo
per month
- Time capture
- Project time
- Approval workflow
- Timesheet reporting
Expenses
Per employee per month. Added to Core HR.
$1.75/mo
per month
- Expense claims
- Receipt capture
- Approval chains
- Reimbursement tracking
Get current pricing
These are list prices and vendors adjust them from time to time. Check with Sage for the figure you will actually pay.