Where accountants quietly leave Gusto: client #20
Gusto raised Simple from $40 to $49 in March 2026, and Plus/Premium climbed in step. For one company, Gusto is still the easiest payroll product on the market — that's real and not in dispute. For an accounting firm running it across 50 clients, every client carries its own $49 (or $80, or $180) base, and the math becomes hostile fast.
$12/client/mo flat ($10 with annual billing). 5 employees included, $2/mo each beyond that.
Simple $49 + $6/employee · Plus $80 + $12/employee · Premium $180 + $22/employee — per company.
50 clients × 6 employees on Gusto Simple: $49×50 + $6×6×50 = $4,250/mo. Payrollix: ~$700/mo. Annual delta: ~$42,600. Move clients to Plus (most multi-state firms do) and the delta widens to ~$72,000/yr.
Side by side — honestly, including where Gusto comes out ahead.
| Feature | Payrollix | Gusto |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | $12 per client, flat | Per-company base × N clients |
| Multi-client dashboard | Native | Gusto Pro (one client at a time) |
| IRS e-filing | Yes — e-filed directly with the IRS | Via Gusto |
| W-2 / 1099 generation | Yes — bulk generation, archived 4 years | Included |
| Next-day pay | Higher-tier plans | Plus tier (or $15+$3/emp add-on on Simple) |
| Same-day pay | Higher-tier plans | $90/payroll add-on |
| Geofencing time tracking | Built-in | $6/mo per person add-on (Time & Attendance Plus) |
| Mobile app (iOS + Android) | Employee + dedicated client app | Employee app + employer app |
| Dedicated client portal | Yes | No |
| Health insurance | Premium deductions (pre-tax, S-corp aware) | Premium deductions + plan marketplace |
| 401(k) handling | Deductions, employer match & limits | Deductions + full plan administration |
| R&D payroll tax credit | Credit applied to your filing | Done-for-you study (15% fee) |
| Workers' comp | Class-code tracking + audit-ready report | Tracking + pay-as-you-go insurance ($14/mo+) |
| HSA / FSA payroll deductions | Yes — pre-tax, on the paycheck | Yes + administers the spending accounts |
| HR tools | Built-in: onboarding, PTO, scheduling, I-9, documents | Paid add-on ($50/mo + $5/emp) |
| Priority support | Included on higher-tier plans | $30/mo + $3/emp add-on |
| Customer count / brand recognition | New (2025) | 500,000+ businesses; #1 SMB brand |
| Integration directory breadth | 6 native integrations | 100+ integrations |
| QuickBooks / Xero | Bidirectional | Yes |
| Odoo / FreshBooks / Wave / Sage | Native | No |
| Onboarding packet (8655 + state POAs in one e-sign) | Yes | No |
| Custom branding | Higher-tier plans | No |
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