QuickBooks and Gusto are the two payroll products small US businesses most often weigh against each other. Both are full-service: they calculate, pay and file payroll taxes. The real differences for a business with one to five employees are how each is priced and whether you want payroll tied to your accounting software. Figures below come from each company's live pricing pages, read on 4 October 2026. We haven't tested either product, so there are no ratings here.
Prices and plans
| Simple | Plus | Premium | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly base | $49 | $80 | $180 |
| Per person, per month | $6 | $12 | $22 |
| Tax filings and payments | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Unlimited payrolls | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Domestic contractor payments | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Same-day and instant pay | No | No | Yes |
| State tax registration | Add-on | Add-on | Add-on |
Checked October 4, 2026. From gusto.com/product/pricing and each plan's sign-up page. Gusto bills US contractors at the plan's per-person price, only in months you pay them.
| Workforce Payroll + Simple Start | Workforce Payroll + Essentials | Workforce Premium + Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly base | $88 | $135 | $228 |
| Per employee, per month | $7 | $7 | $13 |
| Introductory offer shown | 50% off the base for 3 months | 50% off the base for 3 months | 50% off the base for 3 months |
| Full-service payroll (taxes calculated, filed and paid) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Direct deposit speed | Next day | Same day | Same day |
| 1099 e-filing | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Accounting included | Simple Start | Essentials (3 users) | Plus (5 users) |
Checked October 4, 2026. From quickbooks.intuit.com/payroll/pricing. QuickBooks says payroll is included with all its Workforce plans; the page lists the bundles above. For payroll without QuickBooks accounting, its add-payroll page (quickbooks.intuit.com/payroll/pricing/bundle) lists Workforce Payroll at $50 a month plus $7 per employee, with $25 a month for the first 3 months as a promotion.
Monthly cost for 1, 3 and 5 employees
| Employees paid | Gusto Simple ($49 + $6) | QuickBooks Workforce Payroll, payroll only ($50 + $7) | QuickBooks Workforce Payroll + Simple Start ($88 + $7) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $55 | $57 | $95 |
| 3 | $67 | $71 | $109 |
| 5 | $79 | $85 | $123 |
On payroll alone, Gusto Simple and QuickBooks Workforce Payroll are close: Gusto is $2 a month cheaper for one employee and $6 cheaper for five. The bundle figure includes Simple Start accounting, which Gusto doesn't provide; if you would pay for QuickBooks Online accounting anyway, compare the bundle against Gusto plus your accounting subscription. On list price, Gusto's entry plan costs less at every size in the table.
What you're paying either of them to do
Full-service payroll is mostly about the federal and state filings that come with having employees. IRS Publication 15 lists the federal ones every employer has, whoever does the work:
| Task | How often | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit withheld income tax, Social Security and Medicare | Monthly or semiweekly, depending on your lookback-period total | Employee withholding plus your matching share |
| Form 941 | Quarterly | Wages paid and taxes withheld and owed for the quarter |
| Form 940 | Yearly | Federal unemployment tax (FUTA) |
| Form W-2 and W-3 | Yearly, by January 31 | Each employee's wages and withholding, to the employee and the SSA |
States add their own withholding returns, unemployment insurance reports and new-hire reporting. Gusto and QuickBooks both take these on, which is most of what the monthly fee pays for. The other part is convenience: direct deposit, an employee portal for pay stubs and W-2s, and automatic runs for salaried staff.
How to choose
- Choose QuickBooks if your books are already in QuickBooks Online and you want payroll entries to land there without an integration, or you value same-day direct deposit on the middle bundle.
- Choose Gusto if you want the lowest list price of the two, payroll separate from your accounting, or you pay contractors irregularly (billed only in months you pay them).
- Check add-ons either way: Gusto lists state tax registration as an add-on, and both show higher tiers for HR features you may not need with a handful of staff.
- Watch introductory offers. QuickBooks' 50% discount lasts 3 months; budget for the full price from month four.
When neither is worth it
With one employee, Gusto's entry plan is $660 a year at list price, QuickBooks Workforce Payroll $684 and the QuickBooks bundle with accounting $1,140. That buys tax filing and deposits, which is worth it if you have no time or appetite for forms. But some small employers, especially household employers paying one nanny or caregiver, and companies paying only their owner, handle the filings themselves or through their accountant. What they still need each payday is a pay stub that adds up.
If you go that way, IRS Publication 15 sets out the federal employer side. For 2026, Social Security is 6.2% each for employer and employee on wages up to $184,500, and Medicare is 1.45% each with no wage limit. You deposit and file those yourself.
Where PayDocs fits
PayDocs is not payroll software and is not an alternative to Gusto or QuickBooks for filing. It makes the documents for people who run payroll themselves: a pay stub per pay period, and W-2 and 1099 recipient copies at year end. PayDocs works out federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and supported state taxes for 2026 pay dates (see what we calculate). You preview free and pay per document, so a business paying one person monthly pays for twelve pay stubs a year and nothing in between.
PayDocs doesn't pay employees, deposit or file payroll taxes, or file W-2s with the SSA. Its documents record your figures; they are not proof of income.
Questions
Is Gusto cheaper than QuickBooks Payroll?
On list price, yes, for one to five employees: Gusto Simple is $49 a month plus $6 per person, QuickBooks' payroll-only Workforce Payroll is $50 plus $7 per employee, and the cheapest QuickBooks bundle with accounting is $88 plus $7 (checked 4 October 2026). The gap is small on payroll alone.
Can I buy QuickBooks Payroll without QuickBooks accounting?
Yes. QuickBooks' add-payroll page lists Workforce Payroll on its own at $50 a month plus $7 per employee (checked 4 October 2026), with an introductory price for the first 3 months. Its main payroll pricing page shows the bundles with QuickBooks Online accounting (Simple Start, Essentials, Plus).
Do Gusto and QuickBooks both file payroll taxes?
Yes. Every Gusto plan includes tax filings and payments, and QuickBooks describes its payroll as full service: it calculates, files and pays payroll taxes.
Can I switch payroll provider in the middle of the year?
Yes, but it is simplest at the start of a quarter, so each quarterly Form 941 has one filer. The new provider needs every employee's year-to-date figures, and you should agree in writing who files for the quarter you switch in.
Sources
- Gusto: Pricing (checked 4 October 2026)
- Gusto: Simple plan sign-up page (checked 4 October 2026)
- QuickBooks: Payroll pricing (checked 4 October 2026)
- QuickBooks: Add payroll, pricing (checked 4 October 2026)
- IRS: Publication 15 (2026), Employer's Tax Guide
Sources checked October 4, 2026. This article explains how pay documents work; it is not tax or legal advice.
