Gusto vs QuickBooks Payroll: $109 or $153 for a 10-Person Team?

For a US team of 10 employees, Gusto Simple’s $109 monthly total follows its $49 base fee plus $6 per person; QuickBooks Workforce Payroll with Simple Start’s $153 monthly total follows its $88 base fee plus $6.50 per employee. These are US list prices before introductory discounts or add-ons. Gusto Simple is the lower-cost choice for a single-state team seeking payroll; the QuickBooks bundle makes sense when the business also needs Simple Start accounting.

A payroll-only comparison narrows the gap: QuickBooks Workforce Payroll’s $50 base fee and $7 employee charge produce a $120 monthly bill for 10 employees. That is $11 above Gusto Simple, rather than the bundle’s $44 difference. An employer that already pays for accounting software should include that subscription when weighing the full cost of either route.

Monthly list prices at three team sizes

Each option combines a monthly base fee with a charge for every employee. Assuming the stated number of employees is billed for the month, the published rates produce these totals before promotions and optional services:

• 5 employees: Gusto Simple $79; QuickBooks Workforce Payroll alone $85; Workforce Payroll with Simple Start $120.50.
• 10 employees: Gusto Simple $109; QuickBooks Workforce Payroll alone $120; Workforce Payroll with Simple Start $153.
• 25 employees: Gusto Simple $199; QuickBooks Workforce Payroll alone $225; Workforce Payroll with Simple Start $250.50.

The bundle’s added bill over standalone QuickBooks payroll is $35.50 at five employees, $33 at 10 and $25.50 at 25. Its higher base fee is partly offset by a lower employee charge, so that difference shrinks as headcount grows. These figures isolate the cost of the listed bundle relative to the listed payroll-only plan; they do not establish what a separate Simple Start subscription would cost an existing customer.

For payroll alone, Gusto remains the least expensive of these listed options at all three team sizes. Its advantage over standalone QuickBooks grows from $6 a month at five employees to $26 at 25 because QuickBooks charges a higher base fee and a higher amount per employee. Whether that savings survives a real purchase depends on the employer’s accounting subscription and the payroll tier its workforce requires.

What the accounting bundle adds

Simple Start supplies the bookkeeping work behind the higher QuickBooks bundle price. Its listed tools include tracking income and expenses, capturing receipts, sending estimates and running basic financial reports. A business starting payroll and bookkeeping together may value having those functions in the same product family as its pay runs.

Gusto Simple’s payroll price does not include Simple Start. Gusto supports accounting connections, including QuickBooks and Xero, so an employer can keep a separate ledger while using Gusto for payroll. That arrangement still has a bookkeeping cost, and a connection between products is a different workflow from buying payroll and accounting in one bundle.

The useful price question is therefore specific to the business’s books. If Simple Start is the accounting product it wants, compare the bundle with the total cost of Gusto and that accounting subscription. If its current ledger already meets its needs, the lower payroll-only prices give a clearer starting point than the $153 bundle figure.

Tax filing and state coverage

Both entry payroll plans handle federal and state payroll work, but their tax coverage is not identical. Gusto Simple lists tax filings and payments for its single-state payroll plan, and Gusto describes federal, state and local payroll forms among the filings it handles. QuickBooks Workforce Payroll calculates, files and pays payroll taxes and offers employee access to pay stubs and W-2s.

For employers with local payroll taxes, the QuickBooks tier matters: Intuit’s tax coverage table lists federal and most state filings for Workforce Payroll, but places local tax payments and forms in Workforce Premium and Elite. An employer subject to local withholding should therefore check the higher-tier price before treating Workforce Payroll’s entry bill as its complete comparison.

Geography changes the Gusto bill. Simple is designated for payroll in one state; Plus lists multi-state payroll at $80 a month plus $12 per person. For 10 employees, that is $200 a month before extras, so the $109 Simple price does not describe a team paid across states. Gusto also lists state tax registration as a separately priced service when an employer needs new-state paperwork handled.

HR tools and support at the entry price

Gusto Simple includes basic paid-time-off policies and holiday pay. Plus adds time tracking and scheduling, while Premium lists more extensive HR guidance and account support. Simple includes phone and chat help during business hours, with priority support sold separately. A team needing multi-state payroll or built-in scheduling should budget for the appropriate tier rather than judging Gusto by its entry price.

QuickBooks Workforce Payroll includes employee profiles, document storage and a portal where workers can enter their details and retrieve pay information. Workforce Premium adds time tracking and broader HR functions. The Simple Start bundle pairs accounting with the entry Workforce Payroll tier; its $153 total does not include every workforce feature available higher up the plan range. Payroll product support is available by phone and chat.

These differences affect routine administration as much as the feature lists suggest. A team managing shifts and time entries may need a higher tier on either platform, while a salaried team with straightforward payroll may use the entry tools comfortably. The employer’s required tax coverage, state footprint and time workflow determine which published price is the relevant one.

Which workflow fits the business?

Gusto suits an employer that wants payroll and employee administration at the center of the workflow and is comfortable keeping bookkeeping in another subscription. Its lower entry bill is most relevant for a single-state team whose payroll needs fit Simple. QuickBooks becomes more attractive when Simple Start is itself a useful purchase, or when the business already works within QuickBooks.

TechRadar’s QuickBooks Payroll review describes the combined accounting and payroll workflow as easy to use, particularly for businesses familiar with Intuit products, while cautioning that added features can bring extra fees. The practical choice is to compare the plans that cover the team’s states and daily work, then add the accounting cost the business will actually pay. On the stated entry plans, Gusto wins on payroll price; the QuickBooks bundle earns its higher bill only if its included bookkeeping is useful.

Also read:

• Gusto vs Rippling: Transparent Payroll Pricing or a Broader HR Stack?
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• Workday Autopilot Starts in Recruiting—Payroll Waits Until 2027