GustovsWorkday

Saas

Score Comparison

Overall

Pricing

Usability

Performance

Support

Reliability

Onboarding

Mobile

Security

Integrations

GustoWorkday

Signals Comparison

Support

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)

Workday

No direct support channel and slow ticket response(8/10)

Reliability

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)

Workday

Payroll errors including missed payments and 401K failures(10/10)
Regular maintenance downtime every weekend(6/10)

Usability

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)

Workday

Confusing navigation and unintuitive interface(8/10)
Job application process is universally hated(7/10)
Password and authentication frustrations(6/10)
ATS module lacks modern recruiting features(7/10)

Pricing

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)

Workday

Enterprise pricing starts at $150K-$500K annually(9/10)
Rigid 3-7 year subscription agreements with no flexibility(8/10)

Customization

Gusto

Difficult to customize employee withholdings(5/10)

Workday

Limited report customization frustrates data-driven teams(7/10)

Integrations

Gusto

Contractor payment limits cause delays(5/10)

Workday

Data migration is the biggest implementation challenge(8/10)

Onboarding

Gusto

No signals

Workday

Implementation takes 6-24 months with frequent delays(9/10)

Performance

Gusto

No signals

Workday

Slow system response and frequent load delays(7/10)

Mobile

Gusto

No signals

Workday

Mobile app crashes and freezes during basic operations(7/10)

Security

Gusto

No signals

Workday

August 2025 data breach exposed 70 million records(9/10)

Pricing Comparison

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

Workday

Small Enterprise (<500 employees)

$150000/yr

Users: Up to 500 employees

Storage: Based on contract

Limits: Limited customization, Basic reporting only, Standard support SLA, Some features require upgrades

Implementation fees (100-200% of annual), Partner consulting fees, Custom integrations, Training costs, Additional modules (Recruiting, Learning, Analytics)

Mid-Market (500-2,500 employees)

Popular

$400000/yr

Users: 500-2,500 employees

Storage: Based on contract

Limits: 3-5 year contract commitment, Complex implementation timeline, May need dedicated admin resources

Implementation typically $400K-$800K, Ongoing consulting for optimization, Add-on modules for Planning and Analytics, Premium support upgrade

Enterprise (2,500+ employees)

$750000/yr

Users: 2,500+ employees

Storage: Based on contract

Limits: 5-7 year contracts common, 12-24 month implementation typical, Requires significant internal resources

Implementation can exceed $1M+, Multi-year project teams, Extensive change management, Ongoing optimization consulting, Data migration specialists

Feature Comparison

Feature	Gusto	Workday
Payroll
Full-Service Payroll Core feature, works well for basic runs
Automatic Tax Filing Federal, state, local - but errors reported
Payroll Global payroll included, but complex setup
Direct Deposit Next-day on Plus plan only
Multi-State Payroll Plus plan required
Contractor Payments Separate plan or add-on
HR Management
Core HCM Employee records, org charts, positions
Talent Acquisition
Recruiting/ATS Basic - lacks sourcing automation
Compliance
1099 Filing End of year filing included
W-2 Filing Automatic year-end filing
Compliance Alerts Premium plan only
Talent Management
Performance Management Goals, reviews, feedback
Learning
Learning Management Add-on module, additional cost
HR
Employee Self-Onboarding Strength - very easy for new hires
Benefits Administration Health, dental, vision, 401k options
PTO Management Plus plan required
Time Tracking Plus plan required, basic functionality
Compensation
Compensation Planning Enterprise tier feature
Planning
Workforce Planning Adaptive Planning add-on
Finance
Financial Management Enterprise tier, separate module
Analytics
Analytics & Reporting Custom reports require consultants
Integrations
QuickBooks Integration Well supported
Xero Integration Well supported
Security
SSO Integration SAML, OAuth supported
Support
Dedicated CSM Premium plan only
Usability
Offline Mode Limited offline capabilities
Platforms
Mobile App iOS and Android
Developer
API Access Available for integrations

Signals Comparison

Support

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)

Workday

No direct support channel and slow ticket response(8/10)

Reliability

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)

Workday

Payroll errors including missed payments and 401K failures(10/10)
Regular maintenance downtime every weekend(6/10)

Usability

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)

Workday

Confusing navigation and unintuitive interface(8/10)
Job application process is universally hated(7/10)
Password and authentication frustrations(6/10)
ATS module lacks modern recruiting features(7/10)

Pricing

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)

Workday

Enterprise pricing starts at $150K-$500K annually(9/10)
Rigid 3-7 year subscription agreements with no flexibility(8/10)

Customization

Gusto

Difficult to customize employee withholdings(5/10)

Workday

Limited report customization frustrates data-driven teams(7/10)

Integrations

Gusto

Contractor payment limits cause delays(5/10)

Workday

Data migration is the biggest implementation challenge(8/10)

Onboarding

Gusto

No signals

Workday

Implementation takes 6-24 months with frequent delays(9/10)

Performance

Gusto

No signals

Workday

Slow system response and frequent load delays(7/10)

Mobile

Gusto

No signals

Workday

Mobile app crashes and freezes during basic operations(7/10)

Security

Gusto

No signals

Workday

August 2025 data breach exposed 70 million records(9/10)

Pricing Comparison

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

Workday

Small Enterprise (<500 employees)

$150000/yr

Users: Up to 500 employees

Storage: Based on contract

Limits: Limited customization, Basic reporting only, Standard support SLA, Some features require upgrades

Implementation fees (100-200% of annual), Partner consulting fees, Custom integrations, Training costs, Additional modules (Recruiting, Learning, Analytics)

Mid-Market (500-2,500 employees)

Popular

$400000/yr

Users: 500-2,500 employees

Storage: Based on contract

Limits: 3-5 year contract commitment, Complex implementation timeline, May need dedicated admin resources

Implementation typically $400K-$800K, Ongoing consulting for optimization, Add-on modules for Planning and Analytics, Premium support upgrade

Enterprise (2,500+ employees)

$750000/yr

Users: 2,500+ employees

Storage: Based on contract

Limits: 5-7 year contracts common, 12-24 month implementation typical, Requires significant internal resources

Implementation can exceed $1M+, Multi-year project teams, Extensive change management, Ongoing optimization consulting, Data migration specialists

Feature Comparison

Feature	Gusto	Workday
Payroll
Full-Service Payroll Core feature, works well for basic runs
Automatic Tax Filing Federal, state, local - but errors reported
Payroll Global payroll included, but complex setup
Direct Deposit Next-day on Plus plan only
Multi-State Payroll Plus plan required
Contractor Payments Separate plan or add-on
HR Management
Core HCM Employee records, org charts, positions
Talent Acquisition
Recruiting/ATS Basic - lacks sourcing automation
Compliance
1099 Filing End of year filing included
W-2 Filing Automatic year-end filing
Compliance Alerts Premium plan only
Talent Management
Performance Management Goals, reviews, feedback
Learning
Learning Management Add-on module, additional cost
HR
Employee Self-Onboarding Strength - very easy for new hires
Benefits Administration Health, dental, vision, 401k options
PTO Management Plus plan required
Time Tracking Plus plan required, basic functionality
Compensation
Compensation Planning Enterprise tier feature
Planning
Workforce Planning Adaptive Planning add-on
Finance
Financial Management Enterprise tier, separate module
Analytics
Analytics & Reporting Custom reports require consultants
Integrations
QuickBooks Integration Well supported
Xero Integration Well supported
Security
SSO Integration SAML, OAuth supported
Support
Dedicated CSM Premium plan only
Usability
Offline Mode Limited offline capabilities
Platforms
Mobile App iOS and Android
Developer
API Access Available for integrations