GustoPayroll
vs
OnPayPowerful people tech, backed by real experts
Comparison · Payroll · weekly run Nov 3
Gusto vs OnPay
Which one do AI engines recommend, and how do they differ on price, fit and features?
The short answer
Gusto is the stronger AI pick in Payroll: it has a visibility score of 49.2 versus 22.2 for OnPay, and ranks ahead in 78% of the answers that name both.
Choose Gusto if…
- You want the brand AI engines rank higher (49.2 vs 22.2)
- AI answers describe it more positively (62% vs 54% positive)
- You need SOC 1 Type II or SOC 2 Type II or HIPAA coverage
- Intuitive, clean user interface
Choose OnPay if…
- Transparent flat-fee pricing
- Free trial with full access
- Unlimited pay runs
- Simple, easy starting point for small businesses
AI visibility side by side
Latest weekly run · Nov 3
| Metric | Gusto | OnPay |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility score | 49.2% | 22.2% |
| Change vs last week | New | New |
| Rank in Payroll | #1 | #5 |
| Share of voice | 11.4% | 5.9% |
| Mentions this run | 50 | 27 |
| Positive in AI answers | 62% | 54% |
The stronger value in each row is marked with a ✓.
Visibility score trend
Weekly runs over the last 60 days
Gusto 0pp · OnPay 0pp over 0 weekly runs.
Engine by engine
Gusto leads on 3 of 3 engines
ChatGPT
AI Mode
Perplexity
GustoOnPay
Head to head in AI answers
23 engine answers name both brands
18Gusto ranked higher
5OnPay ranked higher
| Prompt | Engine | Gusto | OnPay |
|---|---|---|---|
| What are the best payroll tools in 2026? | ChatGPT | #1 | #6 |
| What are the best payroll tools in 2026? | Perplexity | #1 | #5 |
| Best payroll platform for startups | ChatGPT | #1 | #5 |
| Best payroll platform for startups | AI Mode | #1 | #6 |
| Compare the leading payroll platforms | Perplexity | #1 | #2 |
| Alternatives to the most popular payroll platform | ChatGPT | #2 | #5 |
| Alternatives to the most popular payroll platform | AI Mode | #1 | #5 |
| Alternatives to the most popular payroll platform | Perplexity | #1 | #4 |
| Most affordable payroll platform that is still reliable | ChatGPT | #3 | #4 |
| Most affordable payroll platform that is still reliable | AI Mode | #3 | #2 |
| Which payroll vendors do analysts recommend? | Perplexity | #1 | #2 |
| How much does a payroll platform cost per month? | ChatGPT | #1 | #2 |
Features, pricing & fit
| Dimension | Gusto | OnPay |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | — | Per seat |
| Entry price | — | $15 per seat / mo |
| Free plan | — | No |
| Onboarding fee | — | Included |
| Deployment | Cloud-based SaaS | Cloud-based |
| Compliance | SOC 1 Type II, SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA | — |
| Support | — | Phone, Chat, Email, Live HR support |
| Founded | 2011 | — |
| Headquarters | 525 20th Street, San Francisco, CA 94107 | Atlanta, GA, USA |
| Employees | — | 51–200 |
| Funding | Seed | Series B |
| Best for | U.S. small and midsize businesses | Small businesses, and accounting firms that run payroll for their clients |
Plans side by side
Gusto
Pricing not available.
OnPay
Payroll Essentials$49per month plus $6 per worker
HR$15per month plus $2 per worker
HR + Time Tracking$21per month plus $4 per worker
Bundled HR$71per month plus $1 per worker
Bundled HR + Time Tracking$81per month plus $4 per worker
Time Tracking$15per month plus $4 per worker
Pros and cons
Themes from the AI answers that mention each brand
Gusto
- Intuitive, clean user interface
- Transparent, straightforward pricing
- Automated tax filing
- Robust built-in benefits administration
- Free setup and onboarding until running payroll
- Generally more expensive than alternatives
OnPay
- Transparent flat-fee pricing
- Free trial with full access
- Unlimited pay runs
- Simple, easy starting point for small businesses
- Good value and budget-friendly
Data collected ·ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Mode·coverage 100%·next run
Cite as: SlateIndex, “Gusto vs OnPay”, https://slateindex.ai/compare/gusto-vs-onpay, data of Nov 3, 2026. Licence: CC BY 4.0.