# Gusto vs. Justworks — 2026 Payroll Comparison

> Source: https://gustodiscountcode.com/gusto-vs/justworks
> Independent Gusto referral site. Pricing as of 2026 from each provider's public pricing pages — confirm current rates before purchasing.

Justworks is a PEO — it pools your team into a larger group to unlock big-company benefits and takes on HR compliance liability. That's valuable for funded startups, but per-employee pricing runs well above Gusto's, and small teams rarely need the PEO overhead. Gusto delivers payroll and solid benefits at a fraction of the per-head cost.

## Feature comparison

| Feature | Gusto | Justworks |
|---|---|---|
| Base price | $40/mo | From $59/employee/mo |
| Per employee | $6/employee/mo | $59 (Basic) / $99 (Plus) |
| Contractor payroll | $35/mo + $6/contractor | $0 base for contractors on some plans |
| Payroll tax filing | Automatic, all 50 states — included | Included (PEO model) |
| Benefits administration | Health, dental, vision, 401(k), HRA | Large-group PEO benefits |
| Time tracking | Built in (Plus & Premium) | Add-on |
| Intro offer | First month free + $300 offer | Demo-based |
| Support | Phone, email, chat | 24/7 support |
| Best for | Small businesses that want payroll + HR + benefits in one place | Startups wanting PEO-level benefits and compliance |

## Where Gusto wins

- Dramatically lower per-employee cost for small teams
- No PEO co-employment complexity
- Flat platform fee instead of per-head pricing

## Where Justworks wins

- Access to large-group (PEO) benefit rates
- Offloads HR compliance liability

## The bottom line

For most small and mid-sized businesses, Gusto offers the best balance of transparent pricing, built-in benefits, and automatic tax filing — and new customers can earn a $300 Visa card for running payroll: https://dub.sh/yDuTchj. Choose Justworks if startups wanting peo-level benefits and compliance.

## Compare Gusto to other providers

- [Gusto vs. ADP](https://gustodiscountcode.com/gusto-vs/adp)
- [Gusto vs. QuickBooks Payroll](https://gustodiscountcode.com/gusto-vs/quickbooks)
- [Gusto vs. Rippling](https://gustodiscountcode.com/gusto-vs/rippling)
- [Gusto vs. Paychex](https://gustodiscountcode.com/gusto-vs/paychex)
- [Gusto vs. OnPay](https://gustodiscountcode.com/gusto-vs/onpay)
- [Gusto vs. BambooHR](https://gustodiscountcode.com/gusto-vs/bamboohr)
- [Full payroll comparison chart](https://gustodiscountcode.com/gusto-vs)

**Get $300 for trying Gusto:** https://dub.sh/yDuTchj