Gusto vs Square Payroll
Two payroll & HR tools side by side. Prices are the starting plan a small business would pick, in USD.
Short version
Square Payroll costs less for a six-person team.
Gusto fits service business, agency or studio, trades or contractor, online store.
| Compare | GustoGusto | Square PayrollBlock |
|---|---|---|
| In one line | Payroll, benefits, and onboarding for small teams | Payroll that pulls hours and tips from Square POS |
| Starting price | From $49/mo + $7/person | From $35/mo + $6/person |
| Six-person team | $91/mo | $71/mo |
| Plans | Simple $49/mo + $7 per person; Plus $99/mo + $12 per person; Premium $179/mo + $22 per person; no yearly price shown | Full service $35/mo + $6 per person paid (tax filings, multistate); contractors only $6 per person; no contract; paper W-2s $3 each |
| Pricing model | Paid | Paid |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Users | Per person | No minimum |
| Both connect to | QuickBooks Online, Homebase Scheduling, When I Work | |
| Also connects to | Xero, FreshBooks, Jobber, Connecteam, Buddy Punch, ZipBooks, Bench, Kick +1 more | No others on record |
| Team size | Just me · 2–10 people · 11–50 people | Just me · 2–10 people · 11–50 people |
| Available in | US | US |
| Phone support | Not looked up yet | Every plan (US) |
| Live chat | Plans not stated | Plans not stated |
| Support hours | Not published | Phone: M–F 6 a.m.–6 p.m. PT |
| Incidents posted | 0 incidents posted on Gusto's status page, which covers all Gusto products and regions, in the 90 days to Oct 27, 2026. Status page | 14 incidents posted on Block's status page, which covers all Block products and regions, in the 90 days to Oct 27, 2026; 0 marked major or critical by Block. Status page |
| Capterra score | 4.6 / 5 from 4,230 reviews | 4.7 / 5 from 622 reviews |
| Trustpilot score | 1.9 / 5 from 2,550 reviews | Not listed |
| Fit: Retail shop | 90 | 85 |
| Fit: Restaurant or café | 88 | 88 |
| Fit: Service business | 92 | 75 |
| Fit: Agency or studio | 92 | 55 |
| Fit: Trades or contractor | 85 | 70 |
| Fit: Online store | 85 | 55 |
| Why people pick it |
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| Where it falls short |
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| Visit Gusto | Visit Square Payroll | |
Six-person prices are what a team of six would pay on the published plans; "Not listed" means those plans don't cover six. How we calculate prices
Gusto: partner link. We may earn a commission; it never affects rankings.
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