Head to head · HR and Payroll
Gusto vs ADP
Gusto is the modern, value first choice for small US teams. ADP is the incumbent with the deepest payroll, tax, and compliance engine and a clear path to enterprise. Here is the tradeoff.
★ Our pick
Gusto
90
/100
vs
Challenger
ADP
84
/100
◂ Gusto
Advantage
ADP ▸
Gusto wins on ease, value, and onboarding · ADP wins on payroll depth, compliance reach, and room to scale.
These are affiliate links marked rel=“sponsored”. We may earn a commission if you buy · it never affects our scores or who wins. Disclosure.
How they score
Criteria
Gusto
ADP
Winner
Ease of use
92
70
Gusto
Payroll and tax depth
86
92
ADP
Value for small teams
90
66
Gusto
Pricing transparency
90
60
Gusto
Compliance and scale
80
92
ADP
Benefits administration
88
86
Gusto
Scores are our editorial assessment against the VettedSaaS rubric · not vendor supplied.
Choose Gusto if…
+You run a small or midsize US team and want clear flat pricing
+You value a modern interface and self serve onboarding
+You do not need a dedicated rep to run payroll
+You want to be live in days, not weeks
Choose ADP if…
+You have complex payroll and tax across many states
+You need deep compliance and full HR services
+You expect to grow into enterprise HCM (Workforce Now)
+You want a dedicated payroll specialist on call
Feature by feature
✓ full · ∼ partial · — none
Capability
Gusto
ADP
Full service US payroll
✓
✓
Transparent published pricing
✓
—
Contractor only plan
✓
∼
Dedicated payroll specialist
∼
✓
Enterprise HCM path
∼
✓
Built in benefits marketplace
✓
✓
Avoids per payroll run fees
✓
—
Feature support verified as of June 2026 · check the vendor for current details.
Pricing, side by side
Base fee plus per employee, where listed
Gusto
Our pick
Simple
$49 + $6/employee
Plus
$80 + $12/employee
Premium
$180 + $22/employee
ADP
Challenger
RUN Essential
from ~$79/mo + per employee
Enhanced and Complete
custom quote
HR Pro
custom quote
Pricing as of June 2026. Vendors change plans often · check the vendor for current pricing. Gusto lists flat base plus per employee fees. ADP RUN is quote based and varies by headcount, pay frequency, states, and add ons, so confirm a written quote.