Gusto vs Justworks: Comparison With Sunrise HCM

Our Gusto vs Justworks comparison will highlight all the most important features, pricing, and other differences between these platforms.

When you're evaluating Gusto vs Justworks for your business, you're comparing two fundamentally different approaches to payroll and HR management. Gusto works best for small businesses wanting straightforward payroll with transparent pricing. Justworks fits companies needing comprehensive PEO services and enterprise benefits. Still deciding? Read our detailed Gusto vs Justworks analysis below, or discover a third option that takes a completely different approach.

Gusto vs Justworks vs Sunrise HCM (Quick Feature Comparison)

Pros and Cons of Gusto

Pros

User-Friendly Interface That Actually Makes Sense Gusto's clean design makes payroll accessible for anyone who's not an HR professional. The platform processes payroll in about 8 minutes with unlimited runs at all pricing tiers.

Pricing That Won't Give You Sticker Shock No hidden fees — you'll know exactly what you're paying based on your plan level and employee count, which makes budgeting manageable.

Benefits Access That Punches Above Your Weight Small businesses get access to over 9,000 health insurance plans at competitive rates. The Gusto Wallet feature lets employees access their earnings early.

Tax Compliance That Actually Works Automatic federal, state, and local tax filing across all 50 states. Multi-state capabilities come with Plus and Premium plans.

Cons

Integration Ecosystem That Feels Limited The API functionality is basic with few third-party connections. If you're using specialized software, you'll likely find yourself doing manual export-import work.

Customization Options That Feel Restrictive There's minimal ability to customize workflows beyond standard payroll processes. Businesses with unique requirements often find themselves working around Gusto rather than with it.

Customer Service That's Hit or Miss Users consistently mention varying response times and support quality, especially noticeable during busy periods.

Feature Costs That Add Up Quickly Time tracking, advanced HR tools, and premium support all require upgrading to more expensive plans.

Winner: Justworks — More comprehensive HR support, superior benefits access, and stronger compliance coverage.

Pros and Cons of Justworks

Pros

PEO Services That Actually Take the Weight Off Your Shoulders The co-employment model provides extensive compliance support and reduces legal liability across all states. When Justworks becomes your co-employer, they're sharing the legal responsibility.

Benefits Access That Levels the Playing Field Their PEO model delivers Fortune 500-level health insurance rates — 20-30% lower than small group rates — plus workers' comp and disability coverage.

Customer Support That's Actually There When You Need It 24/7 assistance through multiple channels with dedicated account managers for PEO customers. Someone actually picks up the phone for payroll emergencies.

Compliance Coverage That Keeps You Out of Trouble Automatic updates for changing labor laws and comprehensive multi-state employment law compliance are built in.

Cons

Pricing That Can Make Small Business Owners Wince Justworks is significantly more expensive than traditional payroll providers, especially for smaller teams. The comprehensive PEO services come at a premium.

Customization That's Limited by Design The PEO structure creates restrictions on HR process customization and makes integrating with specialized business software challenging.

Pricing Structure That Requires a Calculator Multiple plan tiers with various add-ons make total cost calculation difficult compared to Gusto's straightforward pricing.

Workflow Dependencies That Can Slow Things Down Timesheet approval requirements and timing constraints can delay payroll processing for teams used to having complete control.

Winner: Gusto — Significantly lower costs for smaller teams with straightforward, transparent pricing.

Gusto vs Justworks: Side-by-Side Comparison

Payroll Processing

Both platforms cover federal 941/940 filings, state unemployment insurance (SUI), and year-end W-2 and 1099 reporting for U.S.-based employers. Gusto's payroll runs take about 8 minutes with approval workflows that let you review everything before submitting. Multi-state tax handling requires their Plus plan or higher.

Justworks automates payroll as part of their PEO service, handling all tax calculations and filings on your behalf. Since they're your co-employer, they take legal responsibility for payroll tax compliance.

Winner: Justworks — Co-employment model provides stronger compliance protection.

HR and Benefits

Gusto provides essential HR tools including employee onboarding, digital document storage, and basic performance management. Benefits come through broker partnerships with over 9,000 health insurance plans.

Justworks goes deeper through their PEO model with compliance tracking, harassment prevention training, and employment law guidance. They deliver enterprise-level benefits at Fortune 500 group rates.

Winner: Justworks — More comprehensive HR support and superior benefits access.

Integrations

Gusto integrates with QuickBooks, Xero, and basic productivity tools, but API access is limited. If you rely on specialized software, manual exports will likely be part of your workflow.

Justworks connects with major accounting platforms and offers some project management integrations. Their API is more capable than Gusto's, but the overall integration ecosystem is still fairly limited.

Winner: Draw — Both offer basic integrations without excelling.

Global Capabilities

Gusto supports contractor payments in over 120 countries through their global contractor service, charging $5 per payment to US-based bank accounts. EOR services run $599-$699 per employee monthly.

Justworks offers international contractor management for $39 per month per contractor and EOR services for $599 per employee monthly in select countries. Their coverage isn't as broad as Gusto's.

Winner: Gusto — Broader international contractor coverage.

Customer Service

Gusto provides phone, email, and chat support Monday through Friday, with response times varying by plan. Premium customers get priority support and dedicated advisors.

Justworks offers 24/7 support across phone, email, chat, and Slack integration. PEO customers get dedicated account managers and certified HR consultants who know your account.

Winner: Justworks — Superior availability and dedicated support.

Analytics

Gusto covers the basics — payroll reports, tax summaries, and time tracking analytics on higher-tier plans. Advanced analytics require their Premium plan.

Justworks provides more comprehensive people analytics through their Plus plan, including headcount trends, turnover analysis, and compensation insights useful for strategic HR planning.

Winner: Justworks — More comprehensive analytics for strategic HR planning.

Gusto vs Justworks: Pricing and Total Cost of Ownership

Gusto Pricing (verified February 2026):

• Simple: $49/month + $6 per employee
• Plus: $80/month + $12 per employee
• Premium: $180/month + $22 per employee

Justworks Pricing (verified February 2026):

• PEO Basic: $79 per employee monthly
• PEO Plus: $109 per employee monthly

Cost Examples:

• 25 employees: Gusto Plus ($380) vs Justworks Basic ($1,975)
• 50 employees: Gusto Plus ($680) vs Justworks Basic ($3,950)

This Justworks vs Gusto pricing breakdown reveals a significant gap depending on team size. For smaller businesses, Justworks can cost five times more than Gusto for the same headcount.

Winner: Gusto — Significantly lower costs for smaller teams.

What Types of Businesses is Each Best For?

Gusto works best for:

• Small to medium businesses (20-100 employees) wanting straightforward payroll without complexity
• Companies where transparent, predictable pricing matters
• Business owners who want hands-on control over HR decisions

Justworks works best for:

• Growing companies that need comprehensive compliance support across multiple states
• Businesses that want enterprise-level benefits without 500+ employees
• Organizations where 24/7 support is a genuine operational requirement

What Are Users Saying About Justworks and Gusto?

This Justworks vs Gusto comparison wouldn't be complete without honest user feedback. Here's what actual reviewers say across G2, Capterra, and TrustRadius.

Gusto User Feedback (G2: 4.6/5 based on 7,000+ reviews):

Positive: "Simple setup, great for small teams" — Small Business Owner Critical: "Limited reporting compared to enterprise tools" — Finance Manager

Justworks User Feedback (G2: 4.6/5 based on 1,100+ reviews):

Positive: "Comprehensive benefits and compliance support" — HR Manager Critical: "Pricing can be high for smaller companies" — Startup Founder

So what are users saying about Justworks and Gusto when it comes to cost? Small businesses consistently cite Gusto's transparent pricing as a key advantage. Larger companies appreciate Justworks' enterprise-level benefits despite higher costs, especially when they calculate the value of Fortune 500-level insurance rates. What are users saying about Justworks and Gusto on implementation? Both platforms earn positive feedback for setup, though Justworks requires more time due to PEO onboarding complexity.

Ratings and quotes from G2, Capterra, TrustRadius as of February 2026. Quotes shortened for clarity.

What Separates Sunrise HCM From Gusto and Justworks?

After this Justworks vs Gusto comparison, you might be wondering if there's a better approach entirely. Neither platform was built for integrated business operations — and that's where things get interesting.

Built on Salesforce, But You Don't Need Salesforce

Sunrise HCM runs on the Salesforce platform, but you don't need an existing instance or separate license. The platform infrastructure is included in your subscription. Your data lives in one database already proven in banks, hospitals, and government agencies.

Data Integration That Actually Works

Unlike traditional providers, Sunrise HCM combines full-service payroll with integrated project billing in one system. Without it, you'd need separate Salesforce billing software alongside your payroll provider — creating the exact integration headaches we've been discussing. Single time entry flows to payroll and client invoicing automatically, with no manual exports. Sunrise HCM is the only provider that brings Salesforce time and expense and Salesforce payroll into one application with no additional subscriptions required.

Security That Doesn't Compromise

SOC 2 Type II compliance, encryption in transit and at rest, role-based access control, and multi-factor authentication all come standard. You're getting Fortune 500-level security without managing infrastructure yourself.

Technology That Scales With You

Multi-tenant architecture means you're always on the latest version. Three releases per year with new features. Zero downtime. Updates happen while you work.

Support That Doesn't Cost Extra

Every client gets a dedicated U.S.-based relationship manager and designated backup. No extra fees for premium support tiers. No offshore call centers.

Pricing That Makes Sense

• $16 per employee per month
• $48 per functional manager per month
• $58 per HR Manager per month
• $58 base fee per month

Everything's included: payroll processing, tax filing, W-2s, HR management, time tracking, expense management, and project billing. No per-payroll fees. No transaction fees. No surprise charges.

We also offer discounted pricing for nonprofits, government organizations, and educational institutions.

When Sunrise HCM makes sense:

• You need integration capabilities that work with other business systems
• You want enterprise security without enterprise complexity
• You value predictable, transparent pricing
• You need payroll and billing to work together in one system

Implementation timeline: 2-4 weeks with parallel payroll runs to ensure everything matches your expectations before going live.

Contact us to see how payroll, HR, time, and billing work together in one system

Wrapping Up Our Justworks vs Gusto Comparison

This Justworks vs Gusto comparison comes down to two solid platforms serving different needs. Gusto excels at straightforward payroll with transparent pricing — ideal for small businesses that want software that just works. Justworks provides comprehensive PEO services with enterprise-level benefits, better suited for growing companies that need serious compliance support.

Choose Gusto if you're a small business prioritizing ease of use, transparent pricing, and basic payroll functionality.

Choose Justworks if you want comprehensive HR services, enterprise-level benefits, and co-employment protection and you're willing to pay for it.

Consider Sunrise HCM if you need payroll, time tracking, and billing integrated in one system with enterprise security and transparent pricing.

If you're exploring beyond this Gusto vs Justworks comparison, check out ADP vs Gusto or Gusto vs Rippling to see how different platforms handle your specific needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are PEOs?

Professional Employer Organizations become your co-employer, sharing responsibilities like payroll, benefits, and compliance support. This gives small businesses access to enterprise-level benefits and reduces legal liability.

Are Justworks and Gusto considered PEOs?

Justworks is a certified PEO — they become your legal co-employer. Gusto is a payroll software provider that offers HR services but doesn't operate as a PEO. It's a fundamentally different business model.

What did Gusto used to be called?

Gusto was originally called ZenPayroll when it launched in 2012 and rebranded in 2015 to reflect expanded HR and benefits offerings.

Is Justworks worth it?

Justworks provides genuine value for businesses needing comprehensive compliance support and large-group insurance rates. Smaller companies with simpler needs may find the cost hard to justify.

Can you process payroll for both employees and contractors?

Both platforms handle W-2 employees and 1099 contractors. Gusto offers a Contractor-Only plan for businesses without traditional employees. Justworks manages contractors through their standard plans.

Is there an app for Gusto or Justworks?

Both offer mobile apps for paystubs, time-off requests, and self-service. Gusto's app includes early pay access, while Justworks focuses on benefits management.

Which platform handles multiple states better?

Justworks handles multi-state compliance through their PEO model. Gusto requires their Plus plan for multi-state payroll. This Gusto vs Justworks difference often drives the final decision for multi-state employers.

How do customer service options compare?

Gusto provides Monday-Friday support with response times varying by plan. Justworks offers 24/7 support with dedicated account managers for PEO customers. If after-hours help matters, Justworks wins.

Are there discounts available for nonprofits or government organizations?

Yes. Sunrise HCM offers discounted pricing for nonprofits, government organizations, and educational institutions. Contact us to learn about pricing specific to your organization type.

Does Sunrise HCM run on Salesforce?

Yes — Sunrise HCM runs on Salesforce, but you don't need an existing instance. The platform license is included in your subscription. Existing Salesforce customers receive discounted pricing based on licenses already held.

Does Sunrise HCM charge extra for customer support?

No. Every client gets a dedicated U.S.-based relationship manager and backup at no extra cost. There are no extra fees for premium support tiers.

Pricing verified February 2026, subject to change. Visit vendor websites for current rates. This comparison is based on publicly available information and user reviews.

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