OnPay
Worth it
Confidence: High
Strong buy for US small businesses that want payroll, tax filing, HR and benefits in one affordable tool.
New check
Comparison
OnPay vs Gusto
OnPay lands on Worth it, and Gusto lands on Depends.
Gusto
Depends
Confidence: High
Buy if you're a small US team wanting bundled payroll, benefits, and HR with a proven, easy UI.
| Compare | OnPay | Gusto |
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Worth it | Depends |
| Best for | US small businesses | US small businesses running first payroll |
| Who it's not for | Large enterprises needing dedicated payroll admins | Companies needing international/global payroll |
| Privacy | publishes a security page (encryption, MFA); public CVEs found only for an unrelated similarly-named WooCommerce plugin, not the payroll product.⁹ | UpGuard rates Gusto A (87/100); one unverified account-compromise report; no CVEs found in sources reviewed. |
| Support quality | No independent support evidence in sources | Recurring Reddit and Trustpilot complaints |
| Public sentiment | Small-business owners across G2, Capterra and Reddit consistently praise OnPay's price and simplicity, and it ranked #1 in G2's 2026 Summer Payroll Index.² | Gusto is widely rated on G2 but polarizing on Reddit, where recent users report frustrating support and billing experiences. |
| Biggest gotcha | Per-employee pricing climbs with headcount; $49 + $10/person adds up fast⁵ | Per-employee fees stack as headcount grows; paid HR tiers sit above entry plan |
Pick OnPay when
- US small businesses
- Owners running payroll without an HR team
- Teams bundling payroll, benefits and 401(k)
- Accounting firms serving SMB clients
When OnPay is not a fit
- Large enterprises needing dedicated payroll admins
- Companies running multi-country payroll
- Guess: teams needing deep HRIS (performance reviews, applicant tracking)
- Anyone wanting a free payroll tool
Pick Gusto when
- US small businesses running first payroll
- Teams wanting payroll + benefits bundled
- Businesses paying contractors or W-2 staff
- Teams already using QuickBooks
When Gusto is not a fit
- Companies needing international/global payroll
- High-growth startups wanting deeper finance tooling
- Teams that can't tolerate support delays
- Large enterprises with complex HR processes
Sources
review
official
news
review
- OnPay Raises Over $100 Million in Fundingbusinesswire.comnews
- CVE-2025-64638 Detail - NIST NVDnvd.nist.govsecurity
security
review
- OnPay | Payroll + HR Reviews - Trustpilottrustpilot.comreview
- Do not use Gusto : r/smallbusinessreddit.comreview
- Gusto Customer Service Reviews - Trustpilottrustpilot.comreview