Gusto vs ADP Workforce Now Pricing (2026)
Compare / Gusto vs ADP Workforce Now
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Team size
25 seats

Gusto vs ADP Workforce Now

HR/HRIS pricing comparison · 2026

Gusto pricing ranges from $35–$180/month, while ADP Workforce Now ranges from $10–$25/user/month. ADP Workforce Now is typically 79% more affordable, though your actual cost depends on tier and team size.

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See pricing on each vendor's site
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Visit Gusto pricing Affiliate partner — does not affect ranking.
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2 products · HR/HRIS
Side-by-side · live
Gusto
Gusto is an all-in-one payroll, benefits, and HR platform designed for small businesses.
verified 27d ago
$1.4K $5.1K
View pricing →
ADP Workforce Now
ADP Workforce Now is a comprehensive cloud-based HCM platform designed for mid-sized busin
verified 12d ago
$1.4K $5.1K
View pricing →
Verdict · list-price math · year 1
ADP saves $19K vs Gusto · 25 seats
Cheapest $5.1K
Spread 79%
Estimated license cost
at 25 seats
List price × seats. Click a tier below to lock it.
Plus
$24K/yr
year 1 license · $80/seat
Enhanced
$5.1K/yr
year 1 license · $17/seat
What buyers actually pay
median, annual
Vendr deal-flow data. The real benchmark, not list price.
Median annual
$1.4K/yr
Vendr · n=62
No Vendr data
Not in Vendr's deal flow
REF · 01

Sources & confidence

Every dollar amount and contract clause below traces back to a sourced fact. We don't manufacture composite scores.

Where this data comes from
Vendr · TrustRadius · Reddit · BBB · official docs
Sources 16 sourced facts
13 hidden-cost · Vendr median · 2 review platforms
Last verified 3w ago
Confidence High confidence
Sources No structured sources
Last verified 1w ago
Confidence High confidence
REF · 02

Plans at a glance

Every tier per product. Lock one to drive the cost row above and reveal a tier-specific outbound CTA.

Tier ladder
Click a tier to lock the cost row to it. Locking surfaces a tier-specific Visit CTA.
REF · 03

Hidden costs

Each cost is severity-ranked, with the dollar range quoted from its source (Vendr, Reddit, TrustRadius, BBB, official docs) — never our estimate.

Beyond the sticker
Severity-ranked, sourced
5 documented
  • Add-on service costs
    10-20% of license costs
    2 sources
  • Per-Employee Costs Scale Quickly
    $6-$12/user/month
    1 source
  • Additional Software Needed for Full Functionality
    $20-$50/month
    2 sources
  • Complex Contractor Payroll Processing
    2-5 hours/month
    1 source
  • Limited Customer Service Access
    $0/user/month
    3 sources
2 documented
  • Implementation and Setup Fees
    $1,000-$5,000
  • Per-Employee Monthly Fees
    $10-$25/user/month
REF · 05

What users say

Aggregated, with sample sizes. We use whichever review platform has data.

User reviews
TrustRadius · Trustpilot · G2
TrustRadius
10/5 (6)
Trustpilot
3.2/5 (25)
Best for
Small businesses needing single-state payroll with basic HR
Watch out
Customer service difficult to reach, mostly automated bots
No public ratings yet
Best for
Small businesses needing basic payroll and HR
Watch out
Customer service needs enhancement
Decide
Get a quote from each vendor
Each link opens the vendor's pricing page in a new tab.
Visit Gusto pricing Affiliate partner — does not affect ranking.
License cost is computed from publicly listed plans (real math, list price × seats). Median annual cost is from Vendr's deal flow when available — see source badges. Hidden costs and contract terms each cite their own sources. We do not invent composite scores.
HR/HRIS

Gusto

$35–$180
/month
4 plans
Full pricing breakdown →
VS
HR/HRIS

ADP Workforce Now

$10–$25
/user/month
3 plans
Full pricing breakdown →

Gusto and ADP Workforce Now both operate in the hr/hris category. This page compares their list pricing.

Plan-by-Plan Pricing

Plan Gusto ADP Workforce Now
Simple $49 /month $10 /user/month
Plus $80 /month $17 /user/month
Premium $180 /month $25 /user/month
Contractor Only $35 /month

Cost at Scale

Total cost of ownership — licenses, implementation, and hidden costs included.

Gusto

5 scenarios
$65/month ($35 base + $30 for 5 contractors at $6/each)
Contractor-Only Setup (5 contractors)
$80/month
Growing Business
+ $12/employee
$180/month
Enterprise Setup
+ $22/employee
See all 5 scenarios →

ADP Workforce Now

3 scenarios
$10/month
Starter Setup
$17/month
Growing Business
Custom pricing — typically negotiated annually, contact sales for quote
Enterprise (100+ users)

Hidden Costs

Beyond the sticker price — what catches buyers off guard.

Gusto 8 hidden costs

medium
Add-on service costs 10-20% of license costs
medium
Per-Employee Costs Scale Quickly $6-$12/user/month
low
Additional Software Needed for Full Functionality $20-$50/month
low
Complex Contractor Payroll Processing 2-5 hours/month
medium
Limited Customer Service Access $0/user/month
See all Gusto hidden costs →

ADP Workforce Now 2 hidden costs

medium
Implementation and Setup Fees $1,000-$5,000
high
Per-Employee Monthly Fees $10-$25/user/month
See all ADP Workforce Now hidden costs →

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