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  1. Home
  2. Compare
  3. Gusto vs Zenefits

GustovsZenefits

Saas
vs
Saas
ScoresSignalsPricingFeatures

Score Comparison

58
Overall
43
55
Pricing
55
65
Usability
50
60
Performance
45
35
Support
25
55
Reliability
40
80
Onboarding
40
65
Mobile
55
70
Security
50
75
Integrations
35
GustoZenefits

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)

Zenefits

  • Customer support wait times of 45 minutes to 3+ hours(9/10)
  • No phone support - everything through email tickets(8/10)
  • Only 30 days access to data after cancellation(7/10)
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)

Zenefits

  • Payroll processing errors causing employees to miss paychecks(10/10)
  • Tax filing errors and delayed submissions(9/10)
  • Benefits enrollment glitches auto-enrolling wrong plans(9/10)
  • HSA contribution mishandling through required bank(9/10)
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)

Zenefits

  • Significant learning curve and 40+ hour setup time(6/10)
  • Repeated login requirements despite remember device(4/10)
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)

Zenefits

  • Add-on fees for payroll, benefits admin, and HR advisory(7/10)
  • TriNet acquisition forcing expensive PEO/ASO plans(8/10)
  • Charged for more employees than actually employed(7/10)
Customization

Gusto

  • Difficult to customize employee withholdings(5/10)

Zenefits

No signals

Integrations

Gusto

  • Contractor payment limits cause delays(5/10)

Zenefits

  • QuickBooks Desktop integration claims are false(7/10)
Performance

Gusto

No signals

Zenefits

  • Glitchy software with recurring bugs and slow resolution(6/10)
Security

Gusto

No signals

Zenefits

  • State compliance issues with incorrect implementation(8/10)

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

Zenefits

Essentials
$8/yr

Users: Per employee

Limits: No performance management, No compensation management, No employee engagement tools

Payroll is an add-on ($6/employee/month), Benefits administration requires broker fee, Implementation fee ~5-10% of annual cost
Essentials (Monthly)
$10/mo

Users: Per employee

Limits: No performance management, No compensation management, No employee engagement tools

25% more expensive than annual, Payroll add-on extra, Benefits admin broker fee required
Growth
Popular
$14/yr

Users: Per employee

Limits: No employee engagement surveys, No well-being features, No People Hub

Payroll still an add-on, HR advisory services extra, Benefits broker fees apply
Growth (Monthly)
$18/mo

Users: Per employee

Limits: No employee engagement surveys, No well-being features, No People Hub

28% premium over annual billing, Additional add-ons required for full functionality
Zen
$21/yr

Users: Per employee

Limits: Advanced reporting limited, Custom integrations may require additional setup fees

HR advisory services still extra, Benefits administration broker fees, Recruiting tools (JazzHR) additional cost
Zen (Monthly)
$27/mo

Users: Per employee

Limits: Advanced reporting limited, Custom integrations may require setup fees

29% premium over annual, Advisory services extra, Data access after cancellation costs $500/year

Feature Comparison

FeatureGustoZenefits
Payroll
Full-Service Payroll

Core feature, works well for basic runs

Automatic Tax Filing

Federal, state, local - but errors reported

Payroll processing

Add-on on lower tiers

Direct Deposit

Next-day on Plus plan only

Multi-State Payroll

Plus plan required

Contractor Payments

Separate plan or add-on

Global payroll

US only

Core HR
Employee onboarding

Automated workflows

Employee self-service
Benefits
Benefits administration

Broker fees apply

Time Tracking
Time & attendance

Can be clunky

PTO management
Scheduling

Built-in functionality

Compliance
1099 Filing

End of year filing included

W-2 Filing

Automatic year-end filing

Compliance tools

State-specific issues reported

Compliance Alerts

Premium plan only

Talent
Performance management

Growth plan and above

Usability
Mobile app

Some device crashes reported

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

Support
Phone support

Email tickets only

Dedicated CSM

Premium plan only

Integrations
QuickBooks Integration

Well supported

QuickBooks Desktop integration

Users report claim is false

Xero Integration

Well supported

API access

Limited partner integrations

Reporting
Custom reporting

Limited pre-built reports only

Platforms
Mobile App

iOS and Android

Developer
API Access

Available for integrations