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Payroll & HR

OnPay vs Gusto: Which Payroll and HR Tool Fits Your Business in 2026?

Both charge a flat base fee plus a per-worker add-on — and at their entry tiers, the numbers are identical: $49 base plus $6 a head. The real differences show up in add-ons, HR depth and which industries each is built for.

By Bill Belcamino · Last updated September 23, 2026 · Our methodologyResearched and fact-checked by the HelpCompare team
OnPay logo$49 base + $6/worker/mo

OnPay

VS
Gusto logoFrom $49/mo + $6/person

Gusto

Run the cost calculator Compare pricing tiers
OnPay vs GustoVerified Sep 23, 2026
Bottom line Editorial assessment

OnPay or Gusto, which is better?

OnPay and Gusto's entry plans price identically: $49 a month base plus $6 per worker. Choose OnPay if you want to pay only for the specific HR and time-tracking add-ons you actually use, itemized rather than bundled. Choose Gusto if you want more HR features bundled into a single higher-priced tier (Plus or Premium).

Quick verdict: OnPay and Gusto’s entry plans price identically: $49 a month base plus $6 per worker. For a 10-person team, both come to $109 a month. The choice comes down to add-ons and depth: Gusto has three published tiers (Simple, Plus, Premium) with more HR features unlocked as you go up, while OnPay keeps one core Payroll Essentials plan and prices HR, time tracking and live support as separate, similarly structured add-ons ($15 base + $2/worker for HR; $15 base + $4/worker for Time Tracking; $65 flat for Live HR Support).
Verified data

OnPay vs Gusto: quick facts

At a glanceOnPayGusto
CategoryPayroll & HR
Entry price$49 base + $6/worker/moFrom $49/mo + $6/person
Free planNo — “Get Your First Month Free” trial offer, not a permanent free tierNo — free account setup, no contracts

Is OnPay cheaper than Gusto?

Neither, at the entry tier — both are $49 base + $6/worker, identical for any team size. The difference shows up once you add HR or time-tracking features: compare OnPay’s itemized add-ons against Gusto’s Plus ($80 + $12/person) or Premium ($180 + $22/person) tiers for your specific feature needs.

Verified data

OnPay vs Gusto at a glance

CategoryOnPayGusto
Entry price$49 base + $6/worker/mo$49 base + $6/person/mo (Simple)
Pricing basisFlat base + per-workerFlat base + per-person
HR add-on$15 base + $2/workerBundled from Plus ($80 + $12/person)
Time tracking add-on$15 base + $4/workerBundled from Plus
Live HR support$65 flat add-onBundled on Premium ($180 + $22/person)
Free trialFirst month freeNo free trial; free account setup
Higher tiersAdd-ons, not plan tiersPlus and Premium plans bundle more HR

Verified September 23, 2026Prices recorded from each vendor’s own pricing page. See sources

Prices in USD from onpay.com and gusto.com, both checked September 23, 2026. OnPay uses “worker,” not “employee” or “person,” on its own pricing page; the structure (flat base plus a per-head add-on) matches Gusto’s Simple plan exactly.

Editorial assessment

How they actually differ

Both are full-service payroll with tax filing included, and both price the same way — a base fee plus a per-head charge — which makes them unusually easy to compare directly.

Bundles vs itemized add-ons

Gusto bundles more HR features into higher-priced tiers: Plus adds time tracking and next-day direct deposit, Premium adds a dedicated HR resource and compliance alerts. OnPay keeps one core plan and prices HR, time tracking and live HR support as separate, itemized add-ons at similarly structured rates, so you only pay for what you actually turn on.

Who they’re built for

Both serve general small-business payroll; check each vendor’s industry-specific features (e.g. agricultural, clergy or multi-state complexity) directly, since HelpCompare’s record does not cover every vertical difference.

Moving between them

Payroll history, tax filings and employee records do not transfer automatically between providers — export year-to-date payroll reports and W-2/1099 data before switching, and plan the move around a quarter or year boundary where possible so tax filings stay clean.

Editorial assessment

Pros & cons

OnPay

Pros

  • Identical entry price to Gusto Simple ($49 + $6/head)
  • Itemized add-ons — pay only for what you use
  • First month free to trial
  • Simple, transparent pricing page

Cons

  • No bundled HR tiers like Gusto Plus/Premium
  • Smaller brand recognition than Gusto
  • HR features require separate add-ons
  • No published free permanent tier

Gusto

Pros

  • Bundled tiers simplify buying more HR at once
  • Well-known brand with a large user base
  • Plus and Premium bundle time tracking and HR support
  • Established integration ecosystem

Cons

  • Higher-tier bundles cost more than itemizing the same features on OnPay
  • No free trial, only free account setup
  • Entry tier (Simple) has the least HR depth
  • Per-person cost rises fast on Premium ($22/person)
Verified data

Cost calculator: what does your team actually pay?

OnPay

 
$0/mo

Gusto

 
$0/mo
 

List prices checked September 23, 2026. Both charge a flat monthly base plus a per-worker add-on. Gusto’s Plus and Premium tiers bundle more HR features at a higher per-person rate; OnPay keeps its core plan flat and sells HR and time tracking as separate add-ons. Promotions and taxes are not included.

Choose OnPay if…

You want to pay only for the specific HR and time-tracking add-ons you actually need, itemized rather than bundled into a higher tier.

Choose Gusto if…

You want more HR features bundled into a single higher-priced plan rather than adding them one at a time, or prefer a more established brand.

Total cost over time

Uses your selections above. Estimate excludes add-ons, overages, and negotiated discounts.

Ready to pick your payroll tool?

OnPay offers a first month free; Gusto offers free account setup with no contract. Run a real payroll cycle through each before committing your team’s data.

See OnPay pricing See Gusto pricing

Frequently Asked Questions

Is OnPay cheaper than Gusto?

At the entry tier, they’re identical: $49 base + $6 per worker or person. The price difference shows up once you add HR or time-tracking features, which OnPay itemizes and Gusto bundles into higher tiers. Prices checked September 23, 2026.

Does OnPay charge per worker or per employee?

OnPay uses “worker” on its own pricing page; the structure matches Gusto’s per-person add-on exactly ($6 each).

Which has more HR features included at the entry price?

Neither — both entry tiers (OnPay Payroll Essentials, Gusto Simple) are payroll-focused; deeper HR features are add-ons (OnPay) or higher tiers (Gusto).

Does either have a free trial?

OnPay offers a first month free. Gusto offers free account setup with no contract, but not a free trial period.

Migration Guides

Already decided? Here’s how to actually switch.

Step-by-step migration guides covering what transfers automatically, what doesn’t, and how to handle the gap — in both directions.

Switching from OnPay to Gusto Switching from Gusto to OnPay
Editorial assessment

When to Buy — and When to Walk Away

Every “best payroll and HR tool” listicle tells you why to buy. Here’s the other half: the specific conditions under which OnPay or Gusto is the wrong purchase for your team.

OnPay

Buy OnPay if:

  • You want to itemize HR and time-tracking add-ons rather than bundle them
  • You want a first month free to trial
  • The entry price matching Gusto’s matters more than brand recognition

Do NOT buy OnPay if:

  • You want a single bundled tier with more HR built in
  • You prefer the more established brand
  • You want a broader third-party integration ecosystem

Gusto

Buy Gusto if:

  • You want more HR features bundled into one plan
  • You prefer an established, widely used payroll brand
  • You want a broader integration ecosystem

Do NOT buy Gusto if:

  • You want to pay only for the specific add-ons you use
  • You want a free trial period, not just free setup
  • Per-person cost on higher tiers is a concern

Canonical data for the tools on this page

Every pricing fact, rating, AI billing model and switching guide we hold on each tool, on one page, with the date each figure was last verified.

OnPayPricing, free plan, AI cost & every comparison›GustoPricing, free plan, AI cost & every comparison›
OnPay vs RipplingHead-to-head comparisonGusto vs RipplingHead-to-head comparison

Sources

Prices on this page were recorded from each vendor’s own pricing page on the date shown at the top of the page. Vendors change pricing often — check the live source before you buy.

Every figure is also in our open dataset (JSON and CSV, CC BY 4.0), with its source page and verification date. See how we research pricing.

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Plain-language guides: the steps, what to check before you buy, common mistakes, and every tool it takes with verified prices.

Run payrollHire and onboard employeesTrack time off and leaveGet ready for taxesPay bills and vendors on timeTrack time and billable hoursSchedule staff shiftsAll 50 job guides
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Built for the leader who owns the selection, answers for the spend, drives the rollout, and lives with the results. HelpCompare covers the whole decision, not just the first step.

01 · CompareWhich tool fits your team, side by side.101 comparisons 02 · Price & approveSourced, dated pricing and a one-page brief for sign-off.Decision brief 03 · SwitchWhat moves, what you rebuild, what it costs.202 guides 04 · ShareDownload and cite the data. CC BY 4.0.Open data
Bill Belcamino, founder of HelpCompare
About the author

Bill Belcamino

Founder and author, HelpCompare

Engineer by training, operator by experience, marketer by choice. Bill spent nine years as an engineer at HP, was COO of Auctiva (the number one third-party selling platform on eBay, past 200,000 users) and ran Google’s $70M/year search syndication partnership at Alot.com. Then he spent 13 years building his own web properties with his own money at stake. He has bought, trialled, integrated and cancelled more SaaS tools than he can count, and started HelpCompare because the real cost of switching tools is the part nobody covers.

“I’ve sat on both sides of the table: the agency recommending the tool and the client paying for it.”

Researched and fact-checked by the HelpCompare team. Pricing on this page was last verified on September 23, 2026. No paid sponsorships, no affiliate commissions.

Read Bill’s story How we verify pricingSpot an error? Tell Bill