A quick and easy comparison guide

Gusto vs PrimePay

Choosing the right payroll and HR platform can have a big impact on your business, your employees, and your bottom line. The right platform can save you time and money, while the wrong platform can cause more headaches than it solves.

To help you make the right choice for your business, check out our side-by-side comparison of Gusto and PrimePay. See how the two platforms stack up when it comes to payroll, HR tools, benefits, customer service, and more.

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Real benefits, real brokers

We don’t just connect with your carrier—we offer over 9,000 plans with licensed benefits brokers.

Native HR & hiring tools

Don’t settle for third-party bootstrapping. Gusto’s seamless, all-in-one platform was built for the way you do business.

Free filing 1099s and W-2s

Filing W-2s and 1099s shouldn’t cost extra. With Gusto, they’re always included.

“Gusto’s platform streamlines payroll, benefits, and compliance, allowing me to focus on other aspects of my business confidently.”

Charlene Kate Ditch

Owner, Charlene Kate Events

Compare pricing and features: Gusto vs PrimePay

Gusto
PrimePay
Payroll

*Competitive data on this page was collected as of April 20, 2026 and is subject to change or update. Gusto does not make any representations as to the completeness or accuracy of the information on this page. All Gusto services listed in the payroll features comparison chart are provided by Gusto or by one of Gusto’s trusted partners.

What to consider when choosing a payroll provider?

What’s included in pricing?

Many platforms offer lots of bells and whistles—but all at additional cost that can quickly add up. Look for a payroll provider that doesn’t charge extra for every feature you want to add.

How user-friendly is the software?

While some payroll and HR solutions offer a lot of features, they can be hidden behind outdated interfaces and bootstrapped modules. Select a payroll and HR company that was designed to make your life easier.

Is it easy to switch?

Migrating your payroll data could be a daunting task, and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Ask about this process, and ask about what kind of onboarding support they offer for new customers.

How can I get help when I need it?

Getting in touch with customer support should be simple and easy, with ample resources at your fingertips to help you get the most of your new payroll software. Ask about online, email, chat, and phone support.

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Comparison details: Gusto vs PrimePay

Pricing

Gusto offers straightforward monthly plans, with options starting at a monthly base fee of $55, plus an additional $6 per employee per month. If you don’t have W-2 employees, you can use Gusto to pay your contractors for just $35/month plus $6/month per contractor (only in the months you pay them). There are no hidden fees, and our base price includes tax filing, multiple payroll runs, reporting, and other essentials.

How does that compare with PrimePay? We wish we could tell you, but they don’t provide any upfront fee information—you’ll have to fill out a form and request a consultation.

Gusto

PrimePay

Monthly Fee

Starting at $49/mo + $6/mo per person

No upfront pricing

Setup fee

Free

Setup fees may apply

Payroll

With Gusto, you can complete payroll in just a few clicks whether you’re at your desk or on the go. It takes our customers 11 minutes on average to process payroll, and you can even set up AutoPilot to process your payroll automatically. You have the power to set up multiple pay rates and schedules, and we offer next-day direct deposit at no extra cost.

We automatically calculate, file, and pay all your federal, state, and local taxes every time you run payroll. We even handle W-2s and 1099s for your employees and contractors come tax time. Got employees in multiple states or contractors across the globe? We’ve got you covered.

PrimePay offers similar capabilities to Gusto including unlimited payroll runs and support for multi-state payroll. But W-2s and 1099s will cost extra on their Core plan, and they don’t offer any international support. And while they do offer two-day direct deposit, they don’t have same-day pay like Gusto.

Benefits

We know you want to give your employees the best. That’s why Gusto provides leading medical, dental, and vision benefits with all of our plans. Our team has licensed health insurance brokers in all 50 states offering more than 9,000 plans from top-tier networks like Humana, BlueCross BlueShield, United Healthcare, and more. With no-cost, low-cost, and premium options, our licensed advisors will work with you to build a custom package that keeps your employees happy and healthy.

While PrimePay offers benefits administration software—it’s just the software and not the benefits. Their software allows you to manage plans and make changes while providing employee self-service features, but you’ll still need to set up benefits with a carrier of your choosing.

HR tools

Both Gusto and PrimePay offer a solid set of HR tools, including applicant tracking, onboarding checklists, offer letters, org charts, and performance management. The two platforms are more similar here than different, though it’s worth noting that the more advanced features like certified HR experts, compliance alerts, and employee handbook tools are reserved for higher-tier plans on both platforms.

Where Gusto stands out is time tracking. Gusto’s Plus and Premium plans include built-in time tracking and scheduling, so employees can clock in and out via web, mobile, or kiosk, and approved hours sync automatically to payroll. PrimePay offers time and attendance tools as well, but they’re gated as an add-on even on mid-tier plans—meaning you’ll pay extra for functionality that comes included with Gusto.

Customer Service

All of Gusto’s products come with full access to our friendly sales and customer support teams via phone, email, and chat Monday through Friday. And our FAQ and Help Center are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Companies with more than 10 employees also benefit from our dedicated onboarding support team.

Like Gusto, PrimePay prides themselves on excellent customer service, and they also offer phone, chat, and email support. But phone support isn’t included even on their cheapest plan—you’ll have to pay extra.

Integrations

Our payroll platform integrates with over 120 leading software tools for time tracking, expense management, point of sale (POS), accounting, and more. And we never charge extra for integrations. Check out our full list of integrations here.

While our list of out-of-the-box integrations is significantly longer than PrimePay’s, PrimePay focuses more on custom integration power. Their API Developer Hub supports over 300 pre-built connections plus open API access for custom builds. It’s a great option if you have the IT resources to take advantage of it.

For most small businesses, Gusto’s simpler, plug-and-play integration library will cover everything you need without the added complexity.

Best Payroll Software 2025 - Ranked #1

#1 Most Innovative Company in HR 2025

#1 Highest Satisfaction Software, G2 Review 2026

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Gusto FAQs

Gusto is the stronger fit for most small businesses—it’s affordable, easy to set up, and brings payroll, benefits, and HR together in one place without requiring any technical know-how. PrimePay is a solid competitor, but lacking brokered benefits with a less intuitive interface.

While Gusto and PrimePay offer a similar set of tools serving small and mid-size businesses, there are a few notable differences. Gusto was built from the ground up as an all-in-one platform, so payroll, benefits, and HR feel cohesive and intuitive. PrimePay has grown through acquisitions, and users often find the interface outdated and harder to navigate. Gusto also publishes its pricing upfront and brokers health benefits directly—two things PrimePay can’t say.

Not exactly. PrimePay offers benefits administration software that helps you manage and enroll employees in health plans, but they don’t broker or provide the coverage themselves. You’d need to source your health insurance separately. Gusto works differently: we act as your broker, helping you find and set up medical, dental, and vision coverage directly through our platform at no extra admin cost. If you have benefits you already love, we can handle that too.

PrimePay is best for tech-forward companies looking for custom integrations. If you have dedicated HR or IT resources and want a highly configurable platform, PrimePay has a lot to offer. For lean teams who want to get up and running quickly, it may be more platform than you need.

Gusto is the more transparent option, with plans starting at a monthly base fee of $55, plus an additional $6 per employee per month and no setup fees. PrimePay doesn’t publish their pricing, you’ll need to request a custom quote, which makes it harder to compare costs upfront.

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