Gusto vs Justworks vs OnPay (2026): Payroll for a 5–50 Person Business

Quick answer: For a 5–50 person business, OnPay and Gusto Simple are the two lowest published prices for full-service payroll — both $49 per month plus $6 per person (listed on OnPay's and Gusto's pricing pages, 2026-09-12) — with OnPay including multi-state payroll at that price and Gusto requiring the $80-plus-$12 Plus plan for it. Justworks is a different category: its PEO Basic ($79 per employee per month) and PEO Plus ($124) bundle payroll with co-employment, compliance and large-group benefits, while its standalone Payroll plan is $50 per month plus $8 per employee. Pick Justworks when benefits and compliance are the problem; pick OnPay or Gusto when payroll is.

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Three products, two categories

Gusto and OnPay are payroll-and-HR software: you remain the employer of record, the software calculates and files taxes, and HR tools and benefits brokerage are layered on top. Justworks is best known as a PEO (professional employer organization): under PEO Basic and PEO Plus, Justworks becomes the co-employer for tax and benefits purposes, which is how a 12-person company gets access to large-group health plans and outsourced compliance. Justworks also sells a non-PEO Payroll plan that competes directly with Gusto and OnPay.

That distinction matters more than any feature checklist. A PEO costs several times more per employee, and in return it takes on work — benefits administration, workers' comp, multi-state compliance — that a small team otherwise handles itself or pays an outside HR consultant for.

Pricing (listed on each vendor's pricing page, 2026-09-12)

Add-ons worth knowing: Gusto sells a Priority Support add-on for Simple and Plus at $30 per month plus $3 per person, and charges $6 per month per eligible employee to integrate an outside benefits broker (free on Premium). OnPay lists an HR add-on at $15 base plus $2 per worker, compliance resources at $10 base and live HR support at $65 base. Justworks lists time tracking at $8 per employee per month, US contractors at $8 per paid contractor, dedicated HR consulting at $30 per employee (Basic and Plus) and health insurance on its Payroll plan at $8 per benefits-eligible employee.

What it costs at 10, 25 and 50 people

Computed from the published per-person prices above, excluding add-ons, promotions and the benefits premiums themselves:

The pattern is plain: software payroll costs a few hundred dollars a month at this size, a PEO costs thousands. The PEO only makes sense if it replaces spending you already have — a benefits broker, an HR consultant, compliance research every time you hire in a new state, or the owner's own weekends.

Where each one is stronger

OnPay. One flat plan with multi-state payroll, unlimited pay runs, all filings, benefits administration and accounting integrations with line-item mapping; OnPay says there are no implementation or integration fees. It is the simplest price to explain to a partner or a bookkeeper.

Gusto. The broadest software ecosystem and the clearest upgrade path: Simple for single-state teams, Plus when you hire across state lines or need time tracking and next-day pay, Premium when you want a dedicated advisor and HR experts. Gusto also bills U.S. contractors at the per-person rate only in months you pay them.

Justworks. The PEO tiers are the reason to look. PEO Plus adds medical, dental and vision administration with HSA/FSA and mental-health and fertility benefits; Basic keeps compliance, HR consulting, 24/7 support and 401(k) without the medical administration. Access to workers' comp is required for PEO, per Justworks' plan grid.

Who should pick what

• Pick OnPay if you want the lowest flat published price with multi-state payroll included and a mostly hands-off setup. Start with OnPay's free first month and connect your accounting file before the first run.
• Pick Gusto if you value the ecosystem — integrations, benefits brokerage inside the product, a path to dedicated support — and you can live with Simple's single-state limit or step up to Gusto Plus when you hire across state lines.
• Pick Justworks if health benefits, compliance and HR are the actual problem. Compare PEO Basic against what you already pay a broker and consultant; if you only need payroll, Justworks Payroll competes on price with the other two.
• Pick none yet if you are under five people with no state complexity; run the numbers again the month you cross into a second state.

FAQ

Is a PEO worth it for a 15-person company? Only if the co-employment services replace real spending. At $79 per employee per month, Justworks PEO Basic is about $1,185 per month for 15 people versus roughly $139 on OnPay or Gusto Simple. If the difference buys better group health rates, outsourced compliance and HR support you would otherwise pay for separately, it can pay off; if you just need clean payroll, it will not.

Which one handles multi-state payroll cheapest? OnPay includes paying workers in as many states as you need at its single $49 plus $6 price. Gusto requires the Plus plan ($80 plus $12 per person) for multi-state payroll. Justworks lists a multi-state payroll row in its plan grid; confirm which tiers it applies to before you buy.

Do the promotions change the answer? Not much. Justworks advertises three months free on its Payroll plan, OnPay offers the first month free and Gusto discounts its Contractor Only base fee for six months. Budget on the regular published price, because that is what you pay in month four and beyond.