Paychex Flex vs Gusto
Verified ratings, feature by feature comparison and real pricing. Everything a North American business needs to pick between these two.
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Ratings
Every score, at a glance
Verified user ratings across every dimension. Paychex Flex against Gusto, nothing weighted.
Dimensions won
14Paychex Flex 1, Gusto 4
Paychex Flex vs Gusto, across 5 rating dimensions
Widest rating gap
+1.6
Gusto leads on value for money
Verified reviews
299
87 for Paychex Flex, 212 for Gusto
Paychex Flex87 verified reviews
Gusto212 verified reviews
Ratings by dimension
- Paychex Flex
- Gusto
Share of verified reviews
Which product reviewers actually write about.
- Paychex Flex87
- Gusto212
Cost to get started
Cheapest paid plan, shown per month.
Paychex Flex 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.
| Paychex Flex | Gusto | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 3.8 | 4.5 |
| Reviews | 87 | 212 |
| Ease of use | 3.4 | 4.8 |
| Value for money | 3.0 | 4.6 |
| Customer service | 4.1 | 4.0 |
| Functionality | 4.0 | 4.6 |
| Starting price | $39/mo | $49/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 | Paychex Flex | Gusto |
|---|---|---|
| Full service US payroll | ||
| Dedicated payroll specialist | ||
| Automatic federal, state and local filing | ||
| Garnishment payment service | ||
| New hire reporting | ||
| Benefits administration | ||
| HR support and handbook builder | ||
| Time and attendance | ||
| Workers compensation | ||
| Employee self service | ||
| General ledger integration | ||
| Automatic Form 941 and 940 filing | ||
| Automatic W-2 and 1099-NEC filing | ||
| Multi state payroll | ||
| Contractor payments | ||
| Health insurance administration | ||
| 401(k) administration | ||
| Time tracking and PTO | ||
| Hiring and onboarding | ||
| Employee self service portal |
Pricing
Both price lists, side by side
Every plan from both vendors, side by side, priced in US dollars.
Paychex Flex plans
Essentials
$39 base plus $5 per person. Self service payroll and filings.
$39/mo
per month
- Full service payroll
- Automatic federal and state filing
- New hire reporting
- Employee self service
- 24/7 support
Select
Quoted. Adds a dedicated specialist and more HR tooling.
Custom
quoted by the vendor
- Everything in Essentials
- Dedicated payroll specialist
- Learning management
- Garnishment payment service
- General ledger integration
Pro
Quoted. Full HR support and analytics.
Custom
quoted by the vendor
- Everything in Select
- HR professional access
- Employee handbook builder
- Workers compensation administration
- Advanced analytics
Get current pricing
These are list prices and vendors adjust them from time to time. Check with Paychex for the figure you will actually pay.
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.