REVIEWED OCTOBER 22, 2026 · US PAYROLL · USD
ADP vs Gusto: compare the quote, keep the math.
Simple's published subscription is $49 + $6 × 5 = $79/month, or $79 × 12 = $948/year, before selected extras. ADP RUN's public package page asks you to get pricing; it does not provide a universal rate to plug into this table. [1][2]
There is no cost winner until you enter a matched ADP quote. Use the worksheet below to turn monthly, per-run and annual charges into one annual total. A blank quote is unknown, not free.
Enter your quote and download the comparison ↓Scope: US employee payroll, stable headcount for a full year, standard Gusto list prices and an actual RUN quote. Simple is the single-state reference. This is a subscription-fee comparison, excluding wages, employer taxes, benefit premiums, employee contributions and the cost of your own migration work. It is not a PEO proposal comparison. Dollar outputs are rounded only for display.
Public price on one side. Your quote on the other.
| Cost or requirement | Gusto public reference [1] | ADP RUN quote worksheet [2] |
|---|---|---|
| Basic subscription | Simple: $49 + $6/person/month | Request the package name and every billing unit in writing. |
| Multi-state reference | Plus: $80 + $12/person/month | Confirm your states and services are covered by the quoted total. |
| Higher-tier reference | Premium: $180 + $22/person/month | Match the specific HR and service scope before comparing totals. |
| Payroll-run frequency | Unlimited payroll runs in the listed plans | Ask whether charges are monthly, per run, or both. This worksheet does not assume per-run pricing. |
| Year-end forms | Confirm the applicable scope for your workforce. | The package table's W-2/1099 description mentions an additional fee. Request the amount and billing basis. |
| Time, benefits and other extras | Add the cost of options you actually need. | Ask for itemized inclusions, exclusions, minimums and renewal pricing. |
Normalize your ADP quote
Use the same headcount and service scope for both vendors. Enter 0 explicitly for each ADP fee the quote confirms does not apply. Do not enter zero for an unanswered question. Enter a fee in one field only; a monthly total already covering payroll must not also be entered as a per-run charge.
The formulas behind the result
Let B and C be the Gusto plan's published monthly base and per-person rates, and GM, GY and GS be your entered monthly, annual and one-time Gusto extras.
Gusto first year G = 12 × (B + C × N + GM) + GY + GS
ADP first year A = 12 × M + R × (P + E × N) + Y + S
Monthly equivalent = annual total ÷ 12
First-year difference = A − G (positive means ADP costs more)
Repeat-year model = first-year total − one-time fees, only if all other rates stay unchanged
The repeat-year model is not a renewal-price prediction. Re-enter renewal rates when available. If the quote contains tiered minimums, waived periods or multiple employee groups, resolve those into totals first; a single constant rate cannot represent them accurately.
A per-run ceiling you can use when asking for a quote
For a per-run quote, the combined run charge is Q = P + E × N. Its first-year break-even ceiling is Q = (G − 12 × M − Y − S) ÷ R. A negative ceiling means fixed and annual fees already exceed the Gusto reference before any run charge. This is a price boundary for matched scope, not an ADP advertised rate.
For the five-person Simple reference only, G = $948. With explicitly assumed zero monthly, annual and setup ADP overhead, the ceilings are:
| Illustrative actual runs/year | Reproducible ceiling | Monthly equivalent at exact ceiling |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | 948 ÷ 12 = $79.00/run | 948 ÷ 12 = $79.00 |
| 24 | 948 ÷ 24 = $39.50/run | $79.00 |
| 26 | 948 ÷ 26 = $36.461538… → $36.46/run | $79.00 |
| 27 | 948 ÷ 27 = $35.111111… → $35.11/run | $79.00 |
| 52 | 948 ÷ 52 = $18.230769… → $18.23/run | $79.00 |
| 53 | 948 ÷ 53 = $17.886792… → $17.89/run | $79.00 |
Run counts are example inputs, not guaranteed calendar schedules. Use the unrounded ceiling for equality: multiplying a rounded cents-per-run figure may not return exactly $948. Any confirmed fixed overhead lowers this ceiling.
Get a quote this table can actually use
- Send one scope. Specify headcount, states, actual annual run count, off-cycle needs, time tracking, benefits and requested support. Ask for RUN and the named package rather than a different product's proposal.
- Ask for billing units. Request all monthly, per-run, per-person, annual and one-time charges; minimums; year-end forms; promotion end dates; and renewal terms. Ask the representative to mark included items explicitly.
- Reconcile before choosing. Sum every line into M, P, E, Y or S exactly once. Match Gusto options to the same needs, enter confirmed zeros, and export the inputs and formulas. A cheaper total with missing services is not a matched comparison.
When this comparison is useful
If you need a known single-state starting subscription, the Simple calculation gives you an auditable baseline. If you already have an ADP RUN proposal, the calculator shows what its billing units mean over your own year. If you need multiple states, select Plus or Premium before comparing. If the quote is incomplete, use the CSV as a question list; the calculator deliberately withholds a cost verdict.
Sources and calculation date
[1] Gusto official pricing. [2] ADP RUN official payroll packages. Public pages checked October 22, 2026. Rates and package terms can change. The annual normalization, ceiling table, quote-entry model and CSV are calculations built here from the displayed inputs; they are not vendor quotes.
The calculator runs in your browser. Its CSV records unconfirmed fields as unknown and does not turn them into zero.