Gusto vs Square Payroll: which costs less?
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Gusto last checked by hand: · Square Payroll prices re-confirmed on its own page:
For 5 employees in one state with taxes filed for you, Square Payroll is cheaper: $65 a month (Full-service payroll) vs $79 (Simple). That holds at every team size up to 100.
Monthly price by team size
| Service | 1 employee | 5 employees | 10 employees | 25 employees | 50 employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square Payroll | $41 | $65 | $95 | $185 | $335 |
| Gusto | $55 | $79 | $109 | $199 | $349 |
Other situations
| Situation | Gusto | Square Payroll |
|---|---|---|
| 10 employees in 2 states, taxes filed for you | $200 (Plus) | $95 (Full-service payroll) |
| 5 contractors, no employees | $79 (Simple) | $30 (Contractor-only payroll) |
Feature differences
Features available on at least one plan (included or as a paid add-on), according to each provider's pricing page:
Only Gusto
- Local (city/county) tax filing
- Paid-time-off tracking
- Health benefits administration
- Pay-as-you-go workers' comp
- HR tools (onboarding, handbook, compliance)
- Phone support
- Built-in time tracking
- Pay contractors outside the US
- Same-day direct deposit
- Access to HR advisers
Only Square Payroll
- Wage garnishments handled
See Gusto pricing See Square Payroll pricing
Want a different team size or must-haves? Use the calculator, which compares all 13 services at once.
Details: Gusto · Square Payroll
Sources we checked: Gusto pricing page (plans, add-ons, plan comparison data, pricing FAQs) (checked 2026-10-22); Gusto pricing page, Wayback snapshot (cross-check: identical plan prices) (checked 2026-10-22); Gusto pricing page, Wayback snapshot that still showed the former Contractor Only plan (checked 2026-10-22); Gusto Help Center: Change your Gusto product plan (contractor-only plan discontinued) (checked 2026-10-22); Square Payroll pricing page (plan cards, comparison table, pricing FAQ) (checked 2026-10-22); Square Payroll product page (checked 2026-10-22); Square Payroll for contractors (checked 2026-10-22)