Best Gusto Alternatives for 2026

Gusto is genuinely good payroll software, so most people leaving it aren't unhappy with the product. They're leaving over price. In March 2026, Gusto raised its entry Simple plan from $40 to $49/mo, and the per-employee fees stack up: $6/person on Simple, $12 on Plus, $22 on Premium. For a 10-person business on Plus, that's $80 plus $120, or $200/mo, before any add-ons. The other common reasons to switch are wanting payroll bundled into a tool you already use (your POS, your accounting) and wanting a lower base fee when you only run a handful of employees.

Here are the alternatives worth a look in 2026, with honest trade-offs.

Square Payroll

Square Payroll is $35/mo plus $6/employee, and the base fee is waived entirely if you only pay contractors. What it does better than Gusto: if you already run a Square POS (retail, restaurant, salon), payroll plugs into your existing sales and tip data with zero re-entry. What it does worse: the HR features are thinner than Gusto's, and it's less suited to a pure office team with no Square hardware. Pick this if you're already in the Square ecosystem.

OnPay

OnPay is one simple plan at $40/mo plus $6/employee, with full-service payroll and solid HR for the price. Better than Gusto: one flat plan means no feature-gating, so multi-state payroll and integrations aren't locked behind a $80 tier. Worse: the product feels less polished and the integrations list is shorter. Pick this if you want Gusto-level capability without tier games. (Note: OnPay isn't in our tool directory, so there's no profile to link.)

Patriot Payroll

Patriot is the budget leader at $17/mo plus $4/employee for Basic and $37/mo plus $5 for Full Service, often with half off the first three months. Better than Gusto: it's the cheapest credible option for a small team. Worse: HR and benefits tooling are minimal, and it's US-focused with fewer bells and whistles. Pick this if cost is the only thing that matters and you don't need integrated benefits.

QuickBooks Payroll

QuickBooks Payroll runs higher, with the Premium tier around $88/mo plus $10/employee, but it lives inside QuickBooks Online. Better than Gusto: if your books are already in QuickBooks, payroll, accounting and taxes sit in one place with no sync headaches. Worse: it's pricier than Gusto at most team sizes and the standalone payroll experience is weaker than Gusto's. Pick this if QuickBooks is already your accounting home.

Rippling

Rippling bundles payroll with IT and HR in a modular platform, typically starting around $8/user/mo plus a base fee, scaling with the modules you add. Better than Gusto: far deeper HR, device management and automation for growing companies. Worse: more expensive and more complex than a small business needs, with quote-based pricing that's hard to pin down. Pick this if you're scaling past 50 employees and want HR plus IT in one system. (Not in our directory, so no profile link.)

Pricing comparison

Tool	Base fee	Per employee	Best for
Gusto Simple	$49/mo	$6	Small teams wanting good UX
Square Payroll	$35/mo	$6	Existing Square users
OnPay	$40/mo	$6	One-plan simplicity
Patriot Basic	$17/mo	$4	Lowest cost
QuickBooks Payroll Premium	~$88/mo	$10	QuickBooks accounting users

Who should stay on Gusto

If you have a distributed team across multiple states, value a clean self-onboarding experience for new hires, and want benefits administration that actually works, Gusto still earns its price. Its multi-state handling and employee-facing experience are better than Patriot's or Square's, and switching payroll providers mid-year creates real tax-filing headaches. If the only complaint is the $9 base-fee increase, the switching cost probably isn't worth it. Move only if a competitor saves you meaningfully or consolidates a tool you already pay for.

FAQ

What's the cheapest Gusto alternative in 2026? Patriot at $17/mo plus $4/employee for Basic, or $37/mo plus $5 for Full Service.

Is Square Payroll really free for contractors? The $35 base fee is waived if you pay only contractors. You still pay the per-person fee.

Should I switch payroll mid-year? Avoid it if you can. Switching mid-year complicates tax filings. Plan moves for a quarter or year boundary.

Which alternative is best if I use QuickBooks? QuickBooks Payroll, despite the higher price, because everything stays in one system.

For most small teams the honest call is simple: Patriot if you want the lowest bill, Square Payroll if you already run Square, QuickBooks Payroll if your books live there, and stay on Gusto if multi-state and benefits matter more than saving $20/mo.

Pricing checked against each vendor’s public pricing page in June 2026. Plans and rates change, so confirm current numbers before you buy.