Gusto
Gusto is the payroll platform that most small businesses encounter first when they realize they need more than a spreadsheet and a quarterly trip to the accountant.
$49/mo + $6 per personCloudFree trial
Gusto vs ADP (2026): Gusto Plans vs ADP RUN at 10-50 Staff
Gusto suits owners who run payroll themselves: $49 plus $6 per person, $199 a month at 25 staff, no contract. ADP RUN suits businesses that want 24/7 phone help or whose accountant works in ADP, at an estimated $79 plus $4 per employee by quote. Past 50 staff, ADP moves you to Workforce Now.
Gusto vs ADP: the short answer
Under 50 employees and running payroll yourself: Gusto. You see the price before you talk to anyone ($199 a month on Simple at 25 people), you can cancel any month, and multi-state payroll is $80 plus $12 per person on Plus.
Written by RajatRajatEditorRajat leads software evaluation at PeopleOpsClub and does the primary hands-on review work behind its software profiles, pricing breakdowns and head-to-head comparisons. He previously built and ran SpotSaaS (spotsaas.com) and Revoyant (revoyant.com), two software research and review platforms, and has spent that time working through HR and people operations products directly — signing up for trials, configuring admin settings, mapping how pricing actually scales and testing how support behaves — rather than relying on vendor collateral or aggregated review scores.|Fact-checked by ChandrasmitaChandrasmitaFact-checkerVerifies pricing claims, compliance data, and feature accuracy across HR software categories. Brings direct experience in people operations and HR technology procurement at global organisations.
Gusto vs ADP: what each tool does
ADP
ADP is the payroll and HR platform that mid-market companies encounter when they need the reliability of the world's largest payroll processor behind their employee operations.
$39/mo + $5 per employee (Roll) (est.)Cloud
Gusto vs ADP: pricing & features compared
Side-by-side comparison of pricing, deployment, platform support, and trial availability for payroll buyers.
| Pricing | Gusto | ADP |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $49/mo + $6 per person | $39/mo + $5 per employee (Roll)Estimated, quote-based |
| Typical cost | $80/mo + $12 per person on Plus ($680/mo at 50 staff) | RUN est. $79/mo + $4 per employee and upEstimated, quote-based |
| Billing unit | per month + per person | per month + per employee |
| Free trial | No standard free trial; promotional offers vary | RUN: 3 months free payroll promotion; Roll: 3 months free (terms apply) |
| Price transparency | Prices published by vendor | Some prices published, rest by quote |
Prices verified Sep 2026. Sources: Gusto pricing page, Gusto Help Center: Understanding Gusto plans, Gusto: CASRAI Gusto pricing guide (updated Aug 27, 2026), ADP (RUN Powered by ADP): RUN Powered by ADP packages page, ADP (RUN Powered by ADP): Roll by ADP pricing page, ADP (RUN Powered by ADP): Tech.co ADP RUN pricing guide (Jan 2026), ADP (RUN Powered by ADP): Vendr ADP pricing (updated Feb 2026), ADP (RUN Powered by ADP): Outsail ADP Workforce Now review 2026 (July 2026).
Full plan tables: Gusto pricing, ADP pricing.
Starting price$49/mo + $6 per person$39/mo + $5 per employee (Roll) (estimated, quote-based)
Deployment modelCloudCloud
Supported platformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android
Free trialNo standard free trial; promotional offers varyRUN: 3 months free payroll promotion; Roll: 3 months free (terms apply)
Gusto vs ADP: key differences
Which one fits your payroll setup
Both handle standard US payroll and tax filing. The split is how you want to buy, how you get help, and who else touches your payroll.
- 12 employees, one state, the owner runs payroll on a laptop: Gusto Simple ($121 a month). Published price, no contract. See payroll software.
- 30 employees in three states: Gusto Plus ($440 a month) covers multi-state payroll. Get an ADP RUN quote for the same states and compare totals, not entry prices.
- Your CPA runs payroll for you inside ADP: ADP RUN. Moving means your accountant changes tools too.
- Approaching 50 staff with benefits to administer: compare Gusto Plus or Premium with ADP Workforce Now, not RUN.
Gusto vs ADP RUN monthly cost at 10, 25 and 49 employees
| Plan | 10 employees | 25 employees | 49 employees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gusto Simple ($49 + $6) | $109 | $199 | $343 |
| Gusto Plus ($80 + $12) | $200 | $380 | $668 |
| ADP RUN Essential (est. $79 + $4) | $119 | $179 | $275 |
| Roll by ADP ($39 + $5, app-only) | $89 | $164 | $284 |
| ADP RUN, Vendr all-in range | $179-$400 | $359-$775 | $647-$1,375 |
Does ADP's 24/7 support beat Gusto's chat?
If payroll problems happen outside business hours, yes. ADP's round-the-clock line is its clearest advantage for small employers.
| Feature | Gusto | ADP |
|---|---|---|
| Support hours | Chat 5am-5pm PT weekdays, shorter on weekends; phone by callback | 24/7 phone and chat with payroll professionals |
| Dedicated contact | Premium plan | HR HelpDesk on Complete and HR Pro packages |
| Contract | Month-to-month, cancel anytime | No contract; 30 days' written notice to end |
| Price changes | Published plan prices | Fee increases allowed on 30 days' notice after 6 months |
| Year-end forms | Included | W-2s and 1099s carry an additional fee |
| Multi-state | Plus plan and above | Not listed per package; confirm in the quote |
| Accountant access | Gusto Pro: free, firm gets Gusto Plus | Accountant Connect: free, multi-client RUN reports |
| Accounting sync | QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, Xero; NetSuite via GL mapper | GL export to QuickBooks, Xero, Wave; QuickBooks Online two-way sync |
| Contractors abroad | 120+ countries | Not part of RUN packages |
What ADP RUN adds over Gusto Simple
- State unemployment insurance management and garnishment payments come in RUN Enhanced. Gusto handles garnishments as deductions but you manage the agency side.
- HR HelpDesk and an employee handbook wizard come with RUN Complete; HR Pro adds legal services and an applicant tracking system.
- Gusto adds 401(k) in-house: Gusto bought Guideline in 2025 and sells Gusto 401(k) powered by Guideline.
- Gusto is testing its own PEO for existing customers in Texas, California and Florida (early access, 2026).
Moving payroll from ADP to Gusto mid-year
- 1Send ADP written notice at least 30 days before your last ADP payroll, and return any ADP timeclock within 30 days to avoid a retail charge.
- 2Download reports and tax forms from ADP before access ends; ADP keeps them only for a period it chooses.
- 3Pick a quarter start if you can. ADP files the quarters it ran; Gusto files from the quarter of your first Gusto check.
- 4Enter year-to-date payroll in Gusto. Gusto's transfer tool imports employee details from ADP RUN, but past payroll totals are entered by hand.
- 5Gusto issues all W-2s for the year, covering wages paid through ADP. Tell ADP not to file year-end forms.
Leaving Gusto later? You keep view access to past payrolls. If you want Gusto to keep filing after you cancel, it charges $100 for federal forms, $100 per state and $5 per W-2 or 1099.
Where Gusto and ADP customers say things go wrong
Themes from Trustpilot, G2 and Capterra, checked October 2026. ADP's Trustpilot page covers all ADP products and many reviewers are employees, not payroll admins.
- Gusto, slow support: long waits, unreturned callbacks and cases closed before the issue is fixed (Trustpilot, 1.9/5 from 2,530 reviews).
- Gusto, tax filing errors: state or federal notices and penalties, with slow fixes (Trustpilot; G2).
- Gusto, blocked or late payrolls when a run is flagged after the deadline (Trustpilot).
- ADP, fees for services not ordered and charges bundled into admin fees (Trustpilot, 1.2/5 from 3,125 reviews).
- ADP, billing after cancellation and difficulty ending service (Trustpilot; ConsumerAffairs).
- ADP, price increases after a promised freeze, and trouble reaching a human (Trustpilot).
Related: Gusto vs Paychex, OnPay vs Gusto, OnPay vs ADP, and payroll services for small business.
Gusto vs ADP: which is better for Payroll teams?
Under 50 employees and running payroll yourself: Gusto. You see the price before you talk to anyone ($199 a month on Simple at 25 people), you can cancel any month, and multi-state payroll is $80 plus $12 per person on Plus.
Pick ADP RUN if you want a person on the phone at 2am, your CPA already manages clients in ADP Accountant Connect, or you need garnishment and state unemployment services handled for you. Get the quote in writing, including W-2 fees and the price after the promotional months.
Don't pick ADP RUN on the strength of a low first-year quote alone: ADP's terms allow fee increases on 30 days' notice after six months. Don't pick Gusto if you need round-the-clock phone support; its phone line is callback-only on weekdays.
Still deciding between Gusto and ADP?
Get notified when this comparison is updated — pricing changes, new features, and editorial revisions.
Frequently asked questions
Is Gusto cheaper than ADP?
Usually, once ADP's add-ons are counted. Gusto Simple is $49 a month plus $6 per person, so 25 people cost $199. ADP RUN is quote-only; the estimated entry price of $79 plus $4 per employee works out to $179 at 25, but Vendr reports RUN buyers paying $59 to $150 a month plus $12 to $25 per employee all-in, and W-2s cost extra.
Does ADP require a contract?
Not for RUN. ADP's packages page says you do not have to sign a contract and can end service at any time, and its RUN terms require 30 days' written notice to terminate. The same terms let ADP raise processing fees on 30 days' notice after your first six months. Gusto is month-to-month with no cancellation fee.
Which is better if my accountant uses ADP?
ADP RUN, unless your accountant is willing to switch. ADP Accountant Connect is free for firms and gives them multi-client RUN reports, general ledger exports and missed-payroll alerts. Gusto has an equivalent program, Gusto Pro, which is also free and gives firms their own Gusto Plus account. Ask your accountant which dashboard they already use.
Can I switch from ADP to Gusto in the middle of the year?
Yes. ADP files the quarters it processed; Gusto files from the quarter of your first Gusto paycheck and issues year-end W-2s covering wages from both providers. Enter year-to-date payroll during setup. Switching at a quarter start avoids asking ADP to refund a partial quarter's taxes. Give ADP 30 days' written notice.
Does Gusto or ADP have better customer support?
ADP offers more hours: it says every payroll plan includes 24/7 access to live payroll professionals by phone or chat. Gusto runs chat from 5am to 5pm Pacific on weekdays and shorter hours on weekends, with phone by callback. Gusto Premium adds a dedicated point of contact. Both carry low Trustpilot scores driven by billing and tax-notice complaints.
What is the difference between ADP RUN and ADP Workforce Now?
RUN is ADP's payroll product for businesses with 1 to 49 employees, sold in four packages from Essential to HR Pro. Workforce Now is for 50 or more employees and adds deeper HR, benefits administration and time tracking, at an estimated $23 to $30 per employee per month. A 50-person company comparing Gusto with ADP is usually comparing Gusto Plus with Workforce Now.
Go deeper on Gusto and ADP
Full profiles with pricing details, integrations, and editorial reviews.
Gusto
Gusto is the payroll platform that most small businesses encounter first when they realize they need more than a spreadsheet and a quarterly trip to the accountant.
ADP
ADP is the payroll and HR platform that mid-market companies encounter when they need the reliability of the world's largest payroll processor behind their employee operations.
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