Gusto vs Rippling
Gusto
US small and medium-sized businesses, from sole proprietors and contractor-only businesses to multi-state W-2 employers, and the accounting firms that serve them
Launched in 2012 as ZenPayroll; offices in San Francisco and Denver
Rippling
Businesses that onboard, pay and manage employees and contractors in one or more countries
2016; San Francisco, US
Gusto and Rippling both run payroll and HR for US employers, and both cover contractors abroad.
Gusto, launched in 2012 as ZenPayroll, serves more than 500,000 US small businesses and 18,000+ accounting firms; Rippling, founded in San Francisco in 2016, puts HR, IT, finance and payroll on one platform for 25,000+ businesses, with global payroll and employer of record.
Gusto vs Rippling: side by side
“Not published” means the vendor does not state it.
| Gusto | Rippling | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Payroll, benefits and HR for small businesses: full-service payroll with federal, state and local tax filings, health insurance, 401(k) and other benefits, HR tools, time tracking, hiring and onboarding, and contractor payments | HR, IT, finance and payroll on one platform built on a single source of employee data, with AI across the products |
| Best for | US small and medium-sized businesses, from sole proprietors and contractor-only businesses to multi-state W-2 employers, and the accounting firms that serve them | Businesses that onboard, pay and manage employees and contractors in one or more countries |
| Founded and HQ | Launched in 2012 as ZenPayroll; offices in San Francisco and Denver | 2016; San Francisco, US |
| Ownership and funding | Privately held and venture-backed; investors include T. Rowe Price, General Catalyst, Franklin Templeton, Sands Capital, Dragoneer, CapitalG, Ribbit Capital and Y Combinator; cash flow positive | Raised US$1.8bn from investors including Kleiner Perkins, Founders Fund, Sequoia and Bedrock |
| Customers or users | More than 500,000 small businesses, roughly one in twelve US employers; more than 18,000 accounting firms | 25,000+ businesses |
| Pricing | Simple US$49/month + US$6 per person; Plus US$80/month + US$12 per person; Premium US$180/month + US$22 per person; Contractor Only US$35/month + US$6 per contractor; month-to-month | Not published; custom quote based on the products chosen |
| Deployment and markets | Cloud software for US employers: payroll and tax filings in all 50 states, health benefits in all 50 states and D.C.; contractors paid in 120+ countries in local currency; international employees through employer of record partner Remote | Global payroll, employer of record and US PEO; contractor payments in 185+ countries and 50+ currencies; offices on four continents |
Main differences
Gusto covers payroll, benefits, HR tools, time tracking, hiring and contractor payments; Rippling adds IT (identity, access, devices) and finance (cards, expenses, procurement, bill pay, travel) to HR and payroll.
Gusto runs payroll and tax filings in all 50 US states and pays contractors in 120+ countries; Rippling offers global payroll, employer of record and a US PEO, with contractor payments in 185+ countries.
Gusto publishes its plans, from US$49 a month plus US$6 per person for Simple to US$180 plus US$22 for Premium, month to month; Rippling gives a custom quote based on the products chosen.
Gusto has a partner programme with a free Plus plan for qualifying firms and the Gusto Pro dashboard to manage all clients; more than 18,000 accounting firms use it.
Which to choose
Choose Gusto if
- You are a US small business that wants published prices and month-to-month plans, or an accounting firm running payroll for many clients
Choose Rippling if
- You want HR, IT, finance and payroll on one employee record, or employ people in several countries
Compare further
Common questions
What is the difference between Gusto and Rippling?+
Gusto provides payroll, benefits and HR for small businesses: full-service payroll with federal, state and local tax filings, health insurance, 401(k), HR tools, time tracking, hiring and contractor payments. Rippling puts HR, IT, finance and payroll on one platform built on a single source of employee data, with AI across the products.
How much do Gusto and Rippling cost?+
Gusto publishes its prices: Simple at US$49 a month plus US$6 per person, Plus at US$80 plus US$12, Premium at US$180 plus US$22 and Contractor Only at US$35 plus US$6 per contractor, all month to month. Rippling does not publish prices and gives a custom quote based on the products chosen.
Do Gusto and Rippling pay people outside the US?+
Gusto runs payroll in all 50 US states, pays contractors in more than 120 countries in local currency, and hires international employees through its employer of record partner Remote. Rippling offers global payroll, employer of record and a US PEO, and pays contractors in more than 185 countries and 50 currencies.
Part of Accountio’s accounting technology coverage.
