Gusto vs OnPay (2026)
Gusto and OnPay both list at $40 a month plus $6 per person, both file federal and state payroll taxes in all 50 states, and both were run through the same 3-person pay cycle plus a quarterly filing in our test. The difference is in what sits around the payroll run: Gusto ships more automation and benefits integrations; OnPay is simpler, faster to set up, and stronger for farms, restaurants and nonprofits.
Higher score on onboarding automation, contractor payments and the benefits marketplace. Its Simple plan covers one state; multi-state needs the Plus tier.
One plan, one price, every feature included — multi-state filings, HR tools and integrations cost nothing extra. Fewer integrations than Gusto.
Pick by your situation
Side by side, from the same test
Our verdict
Gusto wins on the rubric because it does more of the job for you — employee self-onboarding, automatic new-hire reporting and a broader benefits marketplace all reduced hands-on time in our cycle. Pick OnPay if you pay people in more than one state on a small headcount (Gusto's multi-state support starts on Plus, roughly $80 a month plus $12 per person) or if you run a farm, restaurant or nonprofit, where OnPay has specific filings and tip handling built in.