Affiliate disclosure: This comparison contains affiliate links to both Gusto and QuickBooks. If you sign up through them, JD HR Solutions may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Both are linked the same way, and prices come from each company's public pricing page as of October 2026. Verify before you buy. General information only, not tax or legal advice.

Comparison · Checked October 2026 · General information, not legal or tax advice

Gusto vs QuickBooks Payroll (2026): Which Costs Less?

QuickBooks Payroll is now sold as QuickBooks Workforce. Both Gusto and QuickBooks Workforce offer three full-service tiers with a monthly base fee plus a per-person fee. The cheaper one depends on which tier you need and how many people you pay.

The short answer

• Payroll only, one state: Gusto Simple is slightly cheaper ($49 + $6 vs $50 + $7).
• Payroll plus time tracking: Gusto Plus costs less ($200 vs $218/month at 10 employees). QuickBooks Workforce Premium bundles more HR tools (onboarding, automated I-9, handbook creator).
• Top tier: QuickBooks Workforce Elite ($134 + $17) costs less than Gusto Premium ($180 + $22) at every size shown.
• Your books are in QuickBooks Online: QuickBooks Workforce keeps payroll and accounting in one place.
• You want payroll, benefits and HR in one system, separate from your accounting software: Gusto.

Plan-by-plan pricing (as of Oct 2026, verify)

Tier	Gusto	QuickBooks Workforce
Entry	Simple: $49/mo + $6/person	Payroll: $50/mo + $7/employee
Middle	Plus: $80/mo + $12/person	Premium: $88/mo + $13/employee
Top	Premium: $180/mo + $22/person	Elite: $134/mo + $17/employee
Intro offer	Gusto says you pay nothing until your first payroll	50% off base fee for 3 months

Sources: gusto.com/product/pricing and quickbooks.intuit.com/payroll/pricing, checked October 2026.

Monthly cost at 5, 10 and 25 employees

Base plus per-person fees, before promotions or add-ons:

Employees	Gusto Simple	QB Payroll	Gusto Plus	QB Premium	Gusto Premium	QB Elite
5	$79	$85	$140	$153	$290	$219
10	$109	$120	$200	$218	$400	$304
25	$199	$225	$380	$413	$730	$559

What the numbers say: - At the entry and middle tiers, Gusto is cheaper at every size shown. - At the top tier, QuickBooks Elite is cheaper than Gusto Premium by about $96/month at 10 employees. - The middle tiers include different features (see below), so compare what you'd otherwise buy separately.

Feature differences that change the math

Entry tier: Gusto Simple vs QuickBooks Workforce Payroll

Both are full-service: they calculate, file and pay payroll taxes and handle year-end forms. - Gusto Simple: unlimited payroll runs, automatic tax filings, and basic PTO and holiday pay. It is for businesses paying people in one state only. - QuickBooks Workforce Payroll: auto payroll for salaried staff, unlimited 1099 e-filing, next-day direct deposit, an employee portal, and phone and chat support. Background checks via Checkr are available starting at $29.99 per report.

Middle tier: Gusto Plus vs QuickBooks Workforce Premium

• Gusto Plus adds multi-state payroll, time tracking and scheduling, unlimited next-day pay, and contractor invoice management.
• QuickBooks Workforce Premium adds same-day direct deposit, an expert review of your payroll setup, time tracking with a mobile app or kiosk, scheduling, and time-off management. It also adds hiring and onboarding with an automated I-9 process, recruiting tools, an HR resource center and handbook creator, and up to five automated HR workflows.
• Takeaway: Gusto Plus costs less, while QuickBooks Premium bundles more HR tools. If you'd otherwise pay for a separate handbook or onboarding tool, Premium can come out ahead.

Top tier: Gusto Premium vs QuickBooks Workforce Elite

• Gusto Premium adds premium account support, HR guidance and tools, Gusto Business Compliance, unlimited same-day and instant pay, and project-based costing.
• QuickBooks Workforce Elite adds expert payroll setup (including data migration from another provider), tax penalty protection, unlimited HR workflows, performance management, a personal HR advisor, geofencing, mileage tracking and project tracking. The penalty protection covers IRS penalties and interest up to $25,000/year, terms apply.
• Takeaway: Elite is cheaper and has a long feature list. Gusto Premium suits teams that want Gusto's compliance tools and named support.

Accounting fit

• QuickBooks Workforce is sold alongside QuickBooks, so payroll entries flow straight into your QuickBooks books. Check what QuickBooks subscription your setup requires before comparing totals.
• Gusto works on its own and connects to accounting software, including QuickBooks Online, so you can use it even if your bookkeeper uses QuickBooks.

Which should you pick?

If you…	Lean toward
Pay everyone in one state and want the lowest payroll-only bill	Gusto Simple
Need time tracking and want the lowest price for it	Gusto Plus
Want time tracking plus onboarding, I-9 automation and handbook tools in one plan	QuickBooks Workforce Premium
Want expert setup and tax penalty protection	QuickBooks Workforce Elite
Keep your books in QuickBooks Online and want payroll in the same place	QuickBooks Workforce
Want payroll and benefits separate from your accounting software	Gusto

Compare Gusto plans · See QuickBooks Workforce pricing

Florida employers

Florida has no state income tax withholding, but new employers owe reemployment tax of 2.7% on the first $7,000 of each employee's wages, filed quarterly. Both providers' full-service plans file state payroll taxes. Make sure your Florida reemployment tax account number is entered during setup. See Best payroll software for small businesses in Florida.

Other options to compare

• Lowest published full-service price: Patriot Software. See Cheapest full-service payroll.
• Multi-state payroll included at $49 + $6: OnPay. See Gusto vs OnPay.

Last checked October 2026 against gusto.com/product/pricing and quickbooks.intuit.com/payroll/pricing. Verify current pricing before purchasing.