DeelvsGusto

Saas

Score Comparison

Overall

Pricing

Usability

Performance

Support

Reliability

Onboarding

Mobile

Security

Integrations

DeelGusto

Signals Comparison

Pricing

Deel

Hidden withdrawal fees eat into contractor earnings(8/10)
EOR pricing starts at $599/month per employee(7/10)
Cannot hold money in account - only in Deel card(5/10)

Gusto

Constant price increases - Simple plan jumped from $40 to $49(7/10)
Charged full month fee even when canceling without running payroll(6/10)
Expensive for growing teams - costs escalate quickly(6/10)

Support

Deel

Customer support takes months to resolve issues(9/10)
Discriminatory treatment in support for some regions(7/10)

Gusto

Customer support extremely slow - takes days to weeks for replies(9/10)
Support staff cannot answer questions or transfer to someone who can(8/10)
Support tickets disappear and online tickets not taken(8/10)

Reliability

Deel

Payroll errors and payment delays(9/10)
Tax filing errors and compliance issues(9/10)
Platform performance issues cause expired approvals(6/10)

Gusto

Payroll errors and missing payments to employees(10/10)
Tax filing errors and incorrect EIN handling(9/10)
Unexpected withdrawals and billing errors(8/10)

Usability

Deel

Interface is cluttered and unintuitive(6/10)
Mobile app notifications persistently broken(5/10)
Contract updates require support intervention(5/10)

Gusto

Making corrections is nearly impossible(8/10)
Off-cycle payroll breaks overtime calculations(7/10)
Employee UI is clunky and software becomes sluggish(5/10)

Security

Deel

Corporate espionage lawsuit and regulatory investigations(8/10)
Deel card fraud with slow refund process(8/10)

Gusto

No signals

Integrations

Deel

Global payroll operates in disconnected silos(7/10)

Gusto

Contractor payment limits cause delays(5/10)

Customization

Deel

No signals

Gusto

Difficult to customize employee withholdings(5/10)

Pricing Comparison

Deel

Contractor Management

$49/mo

Users: Per contractor

Storage: N/A

Limits: No EOR benefits, No local employment, Contractor classification risk remains with employer

Withdrawal fees vary by method (0-2.5%), Currency conversion fees (0.6-2% above mid-market), Volume discounts may apply

Employer of Record (EOR)

Popular

$599/mo

Users: Per employee

Storage: N/A

Limits: Expensive for small teams, 30-day termination process, Country availability varies, Long-term contracts often required

Country-specific pricing varies, Benefits costs extra, Visa support has additional fees, Setup fees may apply in some regions

Global Payroll

$29/mo

Users: Per employee

Storage: N/A

Limits: Requires existing legal entity, Setup fee per country, Best for larger headcounts, Integration complexity

$1,000 one-time setup fee per entity, Tiered pricing by headcount, Additional payroll cycles cost extra

Deel HR (HRIS)

Free

Users: Unlimited

Storage: N/A

Limits: Basic HR only, No payroll, No EOR, Limited reporting

Upsells to paid products, Limited features, May require paid plans for full functionality

Enterprise

Free

Users: Custom

Storage: N/A

Limits: Sales process required, Complex procurement, Large minimum commitments likely

Negotiated pricing varies widely, Volume commitments may be required, Long-term contracts expected

Gusto

Simple

$49/mo

Users: Per employee: $6/month

Storage: N/A

Limits: Single state only, No next-day direct deposit, No time tracking, No PTO management, Limited HR tools

Price increased from $40 to $49 in March 2026, Multi-state requires Plus plan, Add-ons can add $10-30/employee

Plus

Popular

$80/mo

Users: Per employee: $12/month

Storage: N/A

Limits: No dedicated CSM, No priority support, No compliance alerts, No HR expert access

Employee costs add up fast - 20 employees = $320/month minimum, Benefits brokerage fees separate

Premium

$180/mo

Users: Per employee: $22/month

Storage: N/A

Limits: Requires larger budget, May be overkill for simple payroll needs

Expensive for small businesses - 20 employees = $620/month ($7,440/year)

Contractor Only

$35/mo

Users: Per contractor: $6/month

Storage: N/A

Limits: No W-2 employee support, Contractor payment frequency limits, No benefits

$35 base fee waived for first 6 months only, Payment limits per contractor per month

Global (EOR)

$599/mo

Users: Per international employee

Storage: N/A

Limits: Only available through Gusto Global, Additional setup requirements

Increases to $699/employee after January 2026 promotional period

Feature Comparison

Feature	Deel	Gusto
Payments
Contractor Payments Core feature, $49/contractor/month
Deel Card Available, fraud concerns noted
Multiple Withdrawal Methods Bank, PayPal, Wise, crypto, etc.
Free Local Transfers Revolut and local bank
Payroll
Full-Service Payroll Core feature, works well for basic runs
Automatic Tax Filing Federal, state, local - but errors reported
Global Payroll From $29/employee + $1000 setup
Direct Deposit Next-day on Plus plan only
Multi-State Payroll Plus plan required
Employment
Employer of Record From $599/employee/month
Compliance
Tax Filing Included, but errors reported
1099 Filing End of year filing included
W-2 Filing Automatic year-end filing
Compliance Alerts Premium plan only
HR
Contract Management Automated generation
Employee Self-Onboarding Strength - very easy for new hires
Benefits Administration EOR only, varies by country
PTO Management Plus plan required
Time Tracking Plus plan required, basic functionality
HRIS Free tier available
Coverage
150+ Country Coverage Broad global reach
Immigration
Visa Support Additional fees apply
Integrations
API Access Available on paid plans
Xero Integration Well supported
Slack Integration Available
QuickBooks Integration Accounting sync
Support
Dedicated CSM Premium plan only
Platforms
Mobile App iOS and Android, notification bugs

Signals Comparison

Pricing

Deel

Hidden withdrawal fees eat into contractor earnings(8/10)
EOR pricing starts at $599/month per employee(7/10)
Cannot hold money in account - only in Deel card(5/10)

Gusto

Constant price increases - Simple plan jumped from $40 to $49(7/10)
Charged full month fee even when canceling without running payroll(6/10)
Expensive for growing teams - costs escalate quickly(6/10)

Support

Deel

Customer support takes months to resolve issues(9/10)
Discriminatory treatment in support for some regions(7/10)

Gusto

Customer support extremely slow - takes days to weeks for replies(9/10)
Support staff cannot answer questions or transfer to someone who can(8/10)
Support tickets disappear and online tickets not taken(8/10)

Reliability

Deel

Payroll errors and payment delays(9/10)
Tax filing errors and compliance issues(9/10)
Platform performance issues cause expired approvals(6/10)

Gusto

Payroll errors and missing payments to employees(10/10)
Tax filing errors and incorrect EIN handling(9/10)
Unexpected withdrawals and billing errors(8/10)

Usability

Deel

Interface is cluttered and unintuitive(6/10)
Mobile app notifications persistently broken(5/10)
Contract updates require support intervention(5/10)

Gusto

Making corrections is nearly impossible(8/10)
Off-cycle payroll breaks overtime calculations(7/10)
Employee UI is clunky and software becomes sluggish(5/10)

Security

Deel

Corporate espionage lawsuit and regulatory investigations(8/10)
Deel card fraud with slow refund process(8/10)

Gusto

No signals

Integrations

Deel

Global payroll operates in disconnected silos(7/10)

Gusto

Contractor payment limits cause delays(5/10)

Customization

Deel

No signals

Gusto

Difficult to customize employee withholdings(5/10)

Pricing Comparison

Deel

Contractor Management

$49/mo

Users: Per contractor

Storage: N/A

Limits: No EOR benefits, No local employment, Contractor classification risk remains with employer

Withdrawal fees vary by method (0-2.5%), Currency conversion fees (0.6-2% above mid-market), Volume discounts may apply

Employer of Record (EOR)

Popular

$599/mo

Users: Per employee

Storage: N/A

Limits: Expensive for small teams, 30-day termination process, Country availability varies, Long-term contracts often required

Country-specific pricing varies, Benefits costs extra, Visa support has additional fees, Setup fees may apply in some regions

Global Payroll

$29/mo

Users: Per employee

Storage: N/A

Limits: Requires existing legal entity, Setup fee per country, Best for larger headcounts, Integration complexity

$1,000 one-time setup fee per entity, Tiered pricing by headcount, Additional payroll cycles cost extra

Deel HR (HRIS)

Free

Users: Unlimited

Storage: N/A

Limits: Basic HR only, No payroll, No EOR, Limited reporting

Upsells to paid products, Limited features, May require paid plans for full functionality

Enterprise

Free

Users: Custom

Storage: N/A

Limits: Sales process required, Complex procurement, Large minimum commitments likely

Negotiated pricing varies widely, Volume commitments may be required, Long-term contracts expected

Gusto

Simple

$49/mo

Users: Per employee: $6/month

Storage: N/A

Limits: Single state only, No next-day direct deposit, No time tracking, No PTO management, Limited HR tools

Price increased from $40 to $49 in March 2026, Multi-state requires Plus plan, Add-ons can add $10-30/employee

Plus

Popular

$80/mo

Users: Per employee: $12/month

Storage: N/A

Limits: No dedicated CSM, No priority support, No compliance alerts, No HR expert access

Employee costs add up fast - 20 employees = $320/month minimum, Benefits brokerage fees separate

Premium

$180/mo

Users: Per employee: $22/month

Storage: N/A

Limits: Requires larger budget, May be overkill for simple payroll needs

Expensive for small businesses - 20 employees = $620/month ($7,440/year)

Contractor Only

$35/mo

Users: Per contractor: $6/month

Storage: N/A

Limits: No W-2 employee support, Contractor payment frequency limits, No benefits

$35 base fee waived for first 6 months only, Payment limits per contractor per month

Global (EOR)

$599/mo

Users: Per international employee

Storage: N/A

Limits: Only available through Gusto Global, Additional setup requirements

Increases to $699/employee after January 2026 promotional period

Feature Comparison

Feature	Deel	Gusto
Payments
Contractor Payments Core feature, $49/contractor/month
Deel Card Available, fraud concerns noted
Multiple Withdrawal Methods Bank, PayPal, Wise, crypto, etc.
Free Local Transfers Revolut and local bank
Payroll
Full-Service Payroll Core feature, works well for basic runs
Automatic Tax Filing Federal, state, local - but errors reported
Global Payroll From $29/employee + $1000 setup
Direct Deposit Next-day on Plus plan only
Multi-State Payroll Plus plan required
Employment
Employer of Record From $599/employee/month
Compliance
Tax Filing Included, but errors reported
1099 Filing End of year filing included
W-2 Filing Automatic year-end filing
Compliance Alerts Premium plan only
HR
Contract Management Automated generation
Employee Self-Onboarding Strength - very easy for new hires
Benefits Administration EOR only, varies by country
PTO Management Plus plan required
Time Tracking Plus plan required, basic functionality
HRIS Free tier available
Coverage
150+ Country Coverage Broad global reach
Immigration
Visa Support Additional fees apply
Integrations
API Access Available on paid plans
Xero Integration Well supported
Slack Integration Available
QuickBooks Integration Accounting sync
Support
Dedicated CSM Premium plan only
Platforms
Mobile App iOS and Android, notification bugs