Gusto
Gusto
7.2
Overall Score / 10
Rippling
Rippling
5.9
Overall Score / 10
Our Verdict
Choose Gusto if:
- —US small businesses running payroll for the first time
- —Companies wanting payroll + benefits + HR in one simple tool
- —Businesses that value a clean, modern interface
Choose Rippling if:
- —Growing companies (50-1000 employees) wanting HR + IT + Finance unified
- —Teams needing powerful workflow automation across departments
- —Companies managing devices and app access alongside HR
The biggest difference: Gusto wins for small businesses wanting simple, affordable payroll. Rippling wins for growing companies needing unified HR + IT + Finance.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Criteria | Gusto | Rippling |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest Paid Plan | $49/mo (Simple)Source: Gusto pricing page → | $8/mo (Platform)Source: Rippling pricing page → |
| Free Tier | No No free tier. Contractor-only plan available at $35/mo + $6/person/mo. | No No free tier. Pricing requires a demo and custom quote. |
| Value for Money | 7 | 6 |
| Ease of Use | 9 | 7 |
| Feature Power | 7 | 9 |
| Setup Ease | 8 | 5 |
| Migration Ease | 5 | 4 |
| Transparency | 7 | 3 |
| Deployment | cloud | cloud |
| API Available | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android |
| Compliance | SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA (for benefits data) | SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, HIPAA |
Feature Comparison
Feature Comparison Matrix
22 features compared · 21 differences
| Feature | Gusto | Rippling |
|---|---|---|
| Core | ||
| Automatic tax filing (federal, state, local) | Full | None |
| Benefits administration | None | Full |
| Benefits administration (health, dental, vision, 401k) | Full | None |
| Contractor payments | Full | None |
| Core HR & org chart | None | Full |
| Device management | None | Full |
| Employee onboarding | Full | None |
| Employee self-service portal | Full | None |
| Expense management | None | Full |
| Full-service payroll | Full | None |
| Headcount planning | None | Full |
| Hiring and offer letters (Plus+) | Full | None |
| Learning management | None | Full |
| Payroll (US & global) | None | Full |
| PTO management | Full | None |
| Time & attendance | None | Full |
| Time tracking (Plus+) | Full | None |
| Workers comp | Full | None |
| Advanced | ||
| Custom reports & analytics | None | Full |
| Workflow automation | None | Full |
| Integrations | ||
| API Access | Full | Full |
| Security | ||
| App provisioning & SSO | None | Full |
Pricing Comparison
Gusto Pricing
$49/mo base + $6/person/mo. Single-state payroll, benefits admin, basic HR
$80/mo base + $12/person/mo. Multi-state payroll, next-day deposits, time tracking, hiring tools
$180/mo base + $22/person/mo. Dedicated support, HR experts, compliance alerts, migration help
Rippling Pricing
$35/mo base + $8/employee/mo. Core HR platform (required). Headcount, org chart, workflow automations
Add payroll, benefits, IT, expenses, etc. as modular add-ons. Typical total: $20-30/employee/mo
$599/employee/mo for international Employer of Record services
Who Should Choose Which?
Who should choose Gusto
Best for
- US small businesses running payroll for the first time
- Companies wanting payroll + benefits + HR in one simple tool
- Businesses that value a clean, modern interface
Avoid if
- You have employees outside the US (Gusto's global support is limited)
- You need advanced HR features like performance management (add-on)
- You're a large company (50+ employees) needing enterprise HR
Who should choose Rippling
Best for
- Growing companies (50-1000 employees) wanting HR + IT + Finance unified
- Teams needing powerful workflow automation across departments
- Companies managing devices and app access alongside HR
Avoid if
- You're a very small business wanting simple payroll (Gusto is simpler)
- You want transparent, published pricing
- You need a solution you can set up without a sales call
Switching Guidance
Switching from Gusto
Common triggers to leave:
- •Price increases (Simple went from $40 to $49 in 2025)
- •Need international payroll
- •Need advanced HR features
Potential blockers:
- •Payroll tax history
- •Benefits enrollment data
- •Employee onboarding workflows
Switching from Rippling
Common triggers to leave:
- •Opaque pricing (must get a quote)
- •Implementation complexity
- •Module costs add up quickly
Potential blockers:
- •IT device management integration
- •Unified HR + IT + Finance data
- •Complex workflow automations
Try Gusto
Plans from $49/mo
Try Rippling
Plans from $8/mo