Gusto vs OnPay
For 5 employees in one state, both cost $948 a year. For a single-state team, they cost the same at every team size from 1 to 50 employees. Enter your own team below for your exact numbers.
What each would cost you per year
Annual totals from each provider’s published prices, for a team paid every other week that wants its federal and state payroll taxes filed for it.
| Your team | Gusto | OnPay | Lower cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Published price | $49/month + $6 per employee/month | $49/month + $6 per employee/month | |
| 1 employee | $660 1Simple | $660 | Same price |
| 5 employees | $948 1Simple | $948 | Same price |
| 10 employees | $1,308 1Simple | $1,308 | Same price |
| 25 employees | $2,388 1Simple | $2,388 | Same price |
| 5 employees in 2 states | $1,680 1Plus | $948 | OnPay, $732 less |
| 5 employees + 3 contractors | $1,164 2Simple | $1,164 | Same price |
- Medium confidence: Gusto doesn’t say what it charges for W-2 forms, so this total doesn’t include it. Your actual cost may be higher.
- Medium confidence: Gusto doesn’t say what it charges for W-2 forms or 1099 forms, so this total doesn’t include them. Your actual cost may be higher.
Which one fits your business
- Paying people in a second state? That adds $732 a year with Gusto (you’d move up to Plus) and nothing with OnPay.
- Next-day direct deposit? Gusto includes it; OnPay’s site doesn’t say.
- Time tracking? Gusto includes it; OnPay’s site doesn’t say.
- Local tax filing? OnPay includes it; Gusto’s site doesn’t say.
Feature comparison
| Gusto | OnPay | |
|---|---|---|
| Files federal and state payroll taxes for you | Included | Included |
| Employees in more than one state | Included | Included |
| 1099 contractor payments | Included | Included |
| Time tracking | Included | Not stated on OnPay's pricing page |
Run your own numbers
Filled in with the 5-person, 2-state team from the table above. Change anything, then see both totals.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper, Gusto or OnPay?
For 5 employees in one state, both cost $948 a year. For a single-state team, they cost the same at every team size from 1 to 50 employees. The table on this page also shows 1, 10 and 25 employees, a second state and contractors.
Do Gusto and OnPay both handle multi-state payroll?
Gusto: yes, on Plus and Premium. OnPay: yes, on OnPay Payroll.