Gusto vs Workday — 2026 comparison
A side-by-side look at how Gusto and Workday compare on score, real user ratings, pricing and features.
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The verdict
Gusto and Workday are both Human Resources Software options worth comparing. Gusto ranks higher in our editorial score (84 vs 82 out of 100). Gusto has the larger review base (18,361 reviews across 3 sources). Gusto is best for small businesses prioritizing payroll and benefits; Workday is best for large enterprises wanting full HCM. Starting price: Gusto From $49/mo + $6/employee, Workday Custom quote. See the full breakdown below, then read each review before you decide.
Pick Gusto if…small businesses prioritizing payroll and benefits
Pick Workday if…large enterprises wanting full HCM
Side by side
| Gusto | Workday | |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 84/100 | 82/100 |
| User consensus | 4.3/5 (18,361) | 4.3/5 (4,894) |
| Starting price | From $49/mo + $6/employee | Custom quote |
| Best for | small businesses prioritizing payroll and benefits | large enterprises wanting full HCM |
| Core HR / HRIS | ||
| Payroll | ||
| Benefits admin | ||
| Onboarding | ||
| Reporting & analytics | ◑ | |
| Public pricing | – |
Gusto
- Easy, well-designed payroll and onboarding for SMBs
- Combines payroll, benefits and basic HR affordably
- – Support is slow on edge cases
- – Payroll/tax errors can take weeks to fix
Workday
- Unified enterprise HR, payroll and talent platform
- Robust analytics for large, complex organizations
- – Complex to configure; reports can be slow
- – Support and authentication can be cumbersome