Comparison
Gusto vs ADP Run
How Gusto and ADP Run compare on price, pricing model, features and reviews, with every fact checked on October 24, 2026.
Quick verdict
Choose Gusto if
- Small US businesses of 1 to a few dozen people wanting simple setup.
- Companies that pay a mix of W-2 employees and 1099 contractors.
Choose ADP Run if
- Small businesses wanting a large provider with tax filing and add-on HR/benefits.
- Employers who want guided support and tiered service.
Gusto vs ADP Run side by side
| Gusto | ADP Run | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Small-business payroll platform that bundles tax filing, benefits and basic HR tools, priced as a base fee plus a per-person fee. | ADP's payroll and HR platform for small businesses, sold through quotes in four tiers. |
| Status | Active | Active |
| Starting price | $49/month plus $6 per person (Simple) | Contact sales |
| Pricing model | base fee plus per person | base fee plus per employee |
| Free plan or trial | No | No |
| Per seat per month | $6 per person per month plus $49 base (Simple); $12 plus $80 base (Plus) | About $4 per employee plus $79 base (third-party estimate) |
| Billing | Monthly. | Quote. |
| Annual discount | Not published | Not published |
| Minimum seats | Not published | Not published |
| 20 users per year | Simple: ($49 + 20 x $6) x 12 = $2,028 per year. Plus: ($80 + 20 x $12) x 12 = $3,840 per year. | Estimate: ($79 + 20 x $4) x 12 = $1,908 per year, from third-party estimates only. |
| G2 rating | 4.6 (9,000 reviews) | 4.6 (5,122 reviews) |
| Founded | 2011 | Not verified |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, US (formerly ZenPayroll) | Not verified |
| Employees | 2,400 to 3,000 (estimates) | Not verified |
| Pricing model | Base fee plus per-person fee per plan. | Quote; base plus per employee, higher cost with weekly runs. |
| Target company size | Small businesses (about 84% of G2 reviews) | Small businesses. |
| Tax filing and compliance | Automatic federal, state and local filing on all plans. | Tax filing in all tiers per vendor positioning; details not verified. |
| Multi-state payroll | Plus and Premium; Simple is single-state. | Not verified |
| Time tracking and PTO | Plus adds time tracking and PTO. | Not verified |
| Benefits administration | Not verified | Benefits, retirement, health insurance, workers comp as add-ons. |
| Contractor and 1099 payments | Contractor Only plan $35 + $6 per contractor. | Not verified |
Differences most comparisons miss
Worth knowing about Gusto
- Multi-state payroll only starts on Plus ($80 + $12)
- Simple's price excludes benefits costs and add-ons.
- SAML SSO is not self-service: reportedly enabled via Gusto support, and SCIM is reportedly unavailable (third-party Stitchflow)
- Billing counts only active employees.
Worth knowing about ADP Run
- No public price; estimate $79/month + $4 per employee is third-party.
- Weekly payroll can nearly double annual cost versus biweekly at the same per-run rate.
- Roll by ADP is the only ADP payroll with a published price ($39 + $5 per person)
What reviewers complain about
Gusto
- Support rated slightly behind some competitors.
ADP Run
- Wait times for support in some comparisons.
- Benefits management scores lower.
Sources
Both columns use the same sources: vendor pricing and product pages, documentation, G2 and company records, checked on October 24, 2026. Full source lists are on the Gusto and ADP Run reviews.