VETTED SAAS
Head to head · HR and Payroll

Gusto vs Deel

Gusto is built to pay and support a US based team simply and affordably. Deel is built to hire and pay people in 150 plus countries. The right pick depends mostly on where your people sit.

Reviewed by M. HALLORAN·Updated MARCH 2026·How we vet
★ Our pick
Gusto
90 /100
vs
Challenger
Deel
87 /100
◂ Gusto Advantage Deel ▸
Gusto leads for US payroll, benefits, and value · Deel pulls ahead the moment you hire contractors or employees abroad.

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 Deel Winner
US payroll and tax
88
78
Gusto
Global hiring and EOR
70
96
Deel
Contractor management
80
95
Deel
US benefits administration
88
74
Gusto
Value for small US teams
90
80
Gusto
Ease of use
92
84
Gusto

Scores are our editorial assessment against the VettedSaaS rubric · not vendor supplied.

Choose Gusto if…
+Your team is US based and you want simple full service payroll
+Predictable flat pricing matters more than global reach
+You want built in health benefits without a separate broker
+You are a small or midsize company keeping admin light
Choose Deel if…
+You hire contractors or employees in other countries
+You need compliant employer of record coverage worldwide
+You pay people in many currencies each month
+You are building a global first or remote first team

Feature by feature

✓ full  ·  ∼ partial  ·  — none
Capability Gusto Deel
Full service US payroll ✓ ∼newer
Contractor only plan ✓ ✓
Global employer of record — ✓
International contractor payments ∼ ✓
Built in US health benefits ✓ ∼
Flat transparent pricing ✓ ∼
Equipment for remote hires — ✓

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
Contractor only $35 + $6/contractor
Deel Challenger
Contractor management from $49/contractor
Global payroll from $29/employee
Employer of record from $599/employee

Pricing as of June 2026. Vendors change plans often · check the vendor for current pricing. Gusto lists flat base plus per employee fees. Deel prices each product separately and EOR fees exclude salary, employer taxes, and statutory benefits, so request a quote for your mix.

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