Payroll & PEO / Product assessment
Payroll software fit, costs and alternatives
- Best fit
- Multi-state payroll with time tracking and scheduling
- Cost scope · USD
- Plus: $80/month + $12/person/month
Researched software assessment, adapted from our existing 20-employee, two-state payroll shortlist. No hands-on test or EOR Atlas rating is claimed.
When we would shortlist Gusto
Gusto Simple is single-state; Plus adds multi-state payroll, time tracking and scheduling. For our two-state employer, compare Plus.
Compare Plus if it can replace your separate time and scheduling subscription or the manual transfer of hours into payroll. The full payroll comparison shows the cost for 20 employees.
Choose another provider if: you already have a satisfactory time system and need mainly payroll. Ask the finalist to correct an approved timesheet after payroll has been prepared; inspect what must be recalculated and approved.
What belongs in the quote
Plus: $80/month + $12/person/month
Rates describe the named configuration in USD, before promotions, optional modules and applicable taxes. Wages, employer payroll taxes, insurance and benefit funding are separate. Where a complete price is unavailable, request a written quote rather than treating the missing amount as zero.
Gusto lists Priority Support separately at $30 plus $3 per person monthly for Plus. At 20 people, that adds $90 to the $320 Plus subscription. Queue priority is not an assigned account partner. Price the support scope you need before comparing totals.
What to settle in the demo
Run an amended timesheet through scheduling, approval and payroll. Confirm whether Basic Support is sufficient or another support package is required.
Have the person who will run the process repeat the task. Record the remaining manual steps and any extra charges in the proposal.
Questions buyers ask
Is this an EOR service?
This assessment covers payroll for your own US employment operation. It does not apply the supplier’s EOR rating or establish international employment coverage.
Did we test the service?
No. This is an editorial assessment of attributed supplier documentation and the existing buying research. Reliability, usability and service quality were not measured in a live customer test.
Which alternatives belong on your shortlist?
Payroll and tax filing for 20 employees in two states
Trade-off: at four filing states, OnPay has the lower subscription
Payroll across four or more states at 20 workers
Trade-off: direct telephone handling of payroll corrections is not established
QuickBooks Workforce
Payroll connected to the QuickBooks accounts your bookkeeper already uses
Trade-off: your local-tax support or time tracking requires a higher edition
Sources and research scope
Checked 1 October 2026. Supplier descriptions establish advertised scope, not tested performance. Calculations use named standard monthly rates and stated assumptions. QuickBooks complete pricing and OnPay support-channel interpretation remain explicit buying checks; neither has been guessed. These editorial preferences are separate from EOR Atlas scores. Patriot state charge rechecked. Gusto Plus and optional Priority Support pricing rechecked against the official pricing page on 5 October 2026.
- Gusto pricingSimple single-state boundary; Plus rate and listed inclusions.