Gusto vs OnPay starts as a tie: both charge $49 a month plus $6 per person on their entry plan. The bills split as you grow, because Gusto is three tiers with multi-state payroll locked behind its $80 Plus plan, while OnPay puts multi-state payroll, contractors and tax filing into one flat $49 plus $6 plan.
Gusto vs OnPay at a glance
The difference is how they slice the price. Gusto sells three tiers, Simple, Plus and Premium, and each tier adds features and raises the per-person fee. OnPay sells one plan and puts nearly everything in it.
Prices below are the published list prices as checked in early November 2026, from the vendors own pricing pages and reviews that read them that week. Gusto Simple is $49 a month plus $6 per person, Plus is $80 plus $12 per person, and Premium is $180 plus $22 per person. OnPay is $49 a month plus $6 per person, the same rate for a W-2 employee or a 1099 contractor. Check the current plan on gusto.com and onpay.com before you sign up, because both companies have raised prices more than once in 2026.
| Gusto Simple | Gusto Plus | OnPay | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base a month | $49 | $80 | $49 |
| Per person a month | $6 | $12 | $6 |
| Multi-state payroll | No | Yes | Yes |
| Contractors at same rate | Needs Plus or a contractor plan | Yes | Yes |
Gusto vs OnPay: the maths at 10 staff
At 10 people in one state, the two are identical on paper. Gusto Simple costs $49 plus 10 times $6, which is $109 a month, or $1,308 a year. OnPay costs the same: $49 plus 10 times $6, which is $109 a month, or $1,308 a year.
The gap opens the moment you need more. Gusto Plus at 10 people costs $80 plus 10 times $12, which is $200 a month, or $2,400 a year. That is $91 a month more than Simple, and it buys multi-state payroll, time tracking, PTO tracking and next-day direct deposit. OnPay includes multi-state payroll in its $109, so a 10-person team spread across two states pays $109 on OnPay and $200 on Gusto Plus. That $1,092 a year gap is the single biggest number in this comparison, and it is worth working out before you pick.
Gusto vs OnPay: the maths at 20 staff
At 20 people the pattern holds, and the numbers get bigger. Gusto Simple costs $49 plus 20 times $6, which is $169 a month, or $2,028 a year. Gusto Plus costs $80 plus 20 times $12, which is $320 a month, or $3,840 a year. OnPay costs $49 plus 20 times $6, which is $169 a month, or $2,028 a year. So a 20-person team in one state pays the same on either tool, while a 20-person team in several states pays $151 a month more on Gusto Plus, or $1,812 a year.
Gusto Premium sits far above both: $180 plus 20 times $22, which is $620 a month, or $7,440 a year. It adds same-day and instant pay, custom admin roles and a named support contact. For a 20-person business that is a lot for support perks, and most teams this size will never need the top tier.
Multi-state payroll is where the bills split
Multi-state payroll is the feature that decides this comparison for most growing businesses. OnPay includes it in the base plan: pay someone in Texas and someone in New York from the same $49 plus $6 account, with tax filing in all 50 states. Gusto keeps it behind Plus, which doubles the per-person fee from $6 to $12 and raises the base from $49 to $80.
Hiring is rarely tidy. A remote hire in a second state, a contractor who moves, or one employee who relocates can push a single-state business into multi-state payroll without warning. With OnPay the bill does not move when that happens. With Gusto it jumps $91 a month at 10 staff. If you hire remotely at all, price the Plus tier, not the Simple tier. For a wider look, see how to choose software for a small business without overpaying.
Contractors: check the fine print
OnPay charges the same $6 per worker whether that worker is an employee or a 1099 contractor, and contractor payments and 1099 filing sit inside the same plan. It used to sell a Contractor Only plan at $35 a month plus $6 per contractor, and some review pages still list that price. But Gusto own help pages say the Contractor Only plan closed to new signups on 1 October 2026, so a new contractor-only business now pays the full team plan instead.
If you only pay contractors, confirm the current rule on gusto.com before you commit, because the two sources disagree and the help page is the one that counts. On a team plan, Gusto folds contractor payments into the same per-person fee.
What else costs money
Both tools charge extra beyond core payroll, so the headline price is not always the full bill. Gusto add-ons include next-day pay, priority support at $30 a month plus $3 per person, and time tracking on Simple. OnPay sells HR at about $15 a month plus $2 per person, time tracking at about $15 plus $4 per person, and live HR support as a separate tier. Add the ones you need to your yearly total before you decide.
OnPay softens the first bill with a free first month for new accounts, which saves you $109 at 10 staff. Gusto does not list a free month. Both are month to month with no long-term contract, so you can switch after a month if the product does not fit. If you want the wider cost picture, read how much small business software costs in 2026.
Which one fits which business
Pick OnPay if you want one price and no tier decisions, if you pay people in more than one state, or if you mix employees and contractors and want one rate for both. It is the simpler buy, and for multi-state teams it is the cheaper one by a clear margin.
Pick Gusto if your whole team is in one state and you want the hiring, onboarding and benefits tools that come with Plus, or if you already use Gusto for health insurance brokerage. Its payroll and tax filing are solid, and its interface is the friendlier of the two.
Gusto vs OnPay: the bottom line
Gusto vs OnPay is a tie at 10 or 20 staff in a single state, at $109 and $169 a month. It stops being a tie when your team crosses state lines, because OnPay includes multi-state payroll at $49 plus $6 per person while Gusto needs its $80 plus $12 Plus plan. Work out your real headcount, your states and your contractors, run the maths above, and pick the one whose bill stays flat as you grow.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Gusto cost in 2027?
Gusto Simple costs $49 a month plus $6 per person, Plus costs $80 a month plus $12 per person, and Premium costs $180 a month plus $22 per person, based on list prices checked in early November 2026. A 10-person team pays $109 a month on Simple or $200 on Plus, and a contractor-only plan that cost $35 a month closed to new signups on 1 October 2026, so check the current plan before you sign up.
How much does OnPay cost in 2027?
OnPay costs $49 a month plus $6 per person on its single plan, the same rate for employees and contractors. A 10-person team pays $109 a month, or $1,308 a year, and a 20-person team pays $169 a month, or $2,028 a year. Multi-state payroll, tax filing and unlimited pay runs are included, and the first month is free for new accounts.
Is Gusto or OnPay cheaper for a small business?
They cost the same for a single-state team, since both start at $49 a month plus $6 per person. OnPay is cheaper for a multi-state team, because it includes multi-state payroll in the base plan while Gusto needs its Plus plan at $80 plus $12 per person. At 10 staff across two states, OnPay costs $109 a month and Gusto Plus costs $200 a month.
Does Gusto or OnPay handle contractors?
Yes, both handle contractors and file 1099s. OnPay charges the same $6 per worker for employees and contractors inside one plan. Gusto charges contractors at the same per-person rate on its team plans, but its old $35 Contractor Only plan closed to new signups on 1 October 2026, so confirm the current rule on gusto.com if you only pay contractors.
Which is better for multi-state payroll?
OnPay is the better pick for multi-state payroll, because it is included in the $49 plus $6 plan with tax filing in all 50 states. Gusto only includes multi-state payroll on its Plus plan at $80 a month plus $12 per person, which doubles the per-person fee. If any of your staff work in a second state, price the Plus tier when you compare, not the Simple tier.