Rippling and Gusto are cloud-based human resources (HR) and payroll software solutions built to help streamline your business finances and assist in employee management. While Gusto can be an attractive option for businesses due to its lower price point, Rippling is full-service, more user-friendly and offers many more useful integrations. Find out which is right for you with our Rippling vs Gusto comparison.
Rippling vs. Gusto: At a Glance
Rippling is a software solution business, with features like payroll and time tracking. The HR software synchronizes all of your company’s HR data with payroll, eliminating the need to utilize a calculator or manually enter data such as hours and deductions. It offers a wide range of features that includes recruitment, hiring and onboarding, talent management and acquisition.
Gusto is another tool that can help with payroll, benefits management, and human resources (HR). It’s a great option for businesses having a small number of employees looking forward to streamlining their payroll as the setup is easy and intuitive, with options for direct deposit or check payments.
Both are great tools for businesses looking to optimize their HR and payroll processes, but companies should figure out which tool best fits their needs based on their respective features.
Rippling
Starting Price
$35 plus $8 per month
per user
Free trial
No
Key Features
Direct deposit, automatic compliance, automatic tax filing
$35 plus $8 per month
per user
No
Direct deposit, automatic compliance, automatic tax filing
Rippling guarantees automatic compliance and tax filing, which means that the software can handle all of your compliance work for you, from I-9s to W-2s, and help file your payroll taxes with the IRS and other federal, state and local agencies on schedule.
- User-friendly intuitive interface and dashboard
- Easy-to-use payroll management
- Fast onboarding
- 400-plus third-party integrations
- Pricing isn’t straightforward—requires a custom quote
- No free trial
- Lacks free phone support
Gusto
Starting Price
$40 plus $6
Per month
Free Trial
Yes
30 days
Key Features
Unlimited payrolls, mobile time tracking with geolocation, time-off requests and approvals
$40 plus $6
Per month
Yes
30 days
Unlimited payrolls, mobile time tracking with geolocation, time-off requests and approvals
Gusto allows you to easily pay part-time workers without going through the trouble of switching between multiple platforms or accounting software packages.
Gusto offers a tiered pricing plan that ranges from $39 per month to $149 per month, which makes it an excellent option for small businesses.
- The Gusto Core plan costs $39 per month plus $6 per month per user. It offers unlimited payroll runs, time tracking and scheduling tools, along with access to health care benefits including dental and vision insurance coverage.
- The Gusto Complete plan costs $39 per month plus $12 per month per user. It includes all the benefits of the Core plan with added time-off and team management tools, automated payroll syncing and more additional hiring and onboarding tools.
- The Gusto Concierge plan costs $149 per month plus $12 per month per user. It includes everything in both tiers but also offers compliance alerts, a dedicated support team and unlimited access to certified HR experts.
There is also room for quote-based pricing with the Gusto Select Plan.
- Great mobile interface
- Transparent pricing on the website
- Access to HR experts and a dedicated support team on higher tiers.
- Free demo
- Limited third-party integrations (unlike Rippling)
- Per-person pricing gets costly at scale
- No invoicing or accounts receivable features
How Rippling and Gusto Stack Up
| Rippling | Gusto | |
|---|---|---|
|
Forbes Advisor Rating
|
 |
|
|
Starting Price
|
Pricing starts at $35 plus $8 per month, per user
|
Pricing starts at $40 per month plus $6 per month per user
|
|
Free Trial
|
No
|
30 days
|
|
Unlimited Payrolls
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Automated Tax Filing and Payments
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
E-sign I-9 and W-4
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Customer Live Support
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Employee onboarding
|
Very easy
|
Easy
|
|
Certified HR pros
|
For an additional fee
|
Available with the Gusto Concierge plan
|
|
Integrations
|
Integrates with 400-plus apps
|
Integrates with 156 apps
|
Both platforms support automated tax filing and unlimited payrolls. For those interested in checking out the Gusto software, they offer a 30-day free trial for that. Rippling does not offer such but is willing to take customers through a free demo to have an idea of what their software is capable of.
As noted earlier, Rippling is more user-friendly and interactive and this makes employee onboarding a great experience. You can get in touch with the Gusto customer support team via email, phone or live chat at any plan level. Rippling offers similar features. Support can be contacted via in-app video call, email and live chats during weekdays.
Bottom Line
If you’re looking for a new HR software, Rippling and Gusto are both quality solutions.
Gusto may be the best option for small businesses looking for reasonably cost payroll tools. While it provides the tools you’ll need to streamline your HR, payroll and benefits administration needs, it’s very flexible in terms of how it can be used, which makes it easy to change the way you process payroll and HR without having to start from scratch.
Rippling is ideal for tech-heavy organizations looking for assistance in managing their expanding employee data, payroll, HR, and IT requirements. It’s a suitable choice for businesses who wish to control their processes and operations from a single integrated platform.
Payroll Solutions Tailored To Your Business Goals
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better: Gusto or QuickBooks?
Gusto and QuickBooks are both great software. Gusto can scale a little bit higher than QuickBooks’ 150 employee limit, making it more flexible for expanding companies. However, it can come with high costs putting strain on businesses with tight payroll service budgets.
Is Rippling a PEO?
Yes, Rippling can function similarly to a PEO to connect users with other businesses to provide cost-effective options for perks, such as insurance benefits. If you don’t want PEO features, you don’t need to include this module.
What features should a payroll service for small businesses have?
The features you want in a payroll service for your small business include one that is simple to set up, provides payroll processing and management, makes it possible to do tax filing, creates detailed payroll reports, offers direct deposit to your employees, allows employees to make certain changes as needed, and offers quality customer support.
What’s the best payroll software for businesses on a budget?
This depends on the requirements and size of your organization. Top payroll providers to consider include OnPay, Gusto and ADP RUN.
What’s the best accounting software for small businesses?
The best accounting software for small businesses varies based on your requirements. For freelancers and micro-businesses, Intuit QuickBooks and Sage Business Cloud Accounting are respectively recommended. FreshBooks is known for its ease of use while Xero has its advanced features. Kashoo works well for start-ups while Neat, for the self-employed.
