GUSTO VS QUICKBOOKS · REVIEWED OCTOBER 22, 2026 · USD
Compare the bill.
Keep the arithmetic.
A five-person Gusto Simple scenario, including external-broker integration and four benefit-account charges. Annual cost: $2,378.
49 + (6 × 5) + (6 × 5) + (2.50 × 5) + 20 + 20 + 20 + (200 ÷ 12)
= 198.1666… → $198.17/monthHSA: $2.50 × 5 = $12.50. Three $20 monthly minimums: $60. Together: $72.50/month.
Change the counts and download your comparison ↓This is an explicit billing scenario, not a universal invoice or a claim that every employer needs these options. It assumes five billable employees, five broker-eligible employees and five participants in each selected account type. Counts describe billing inputs; confirm employee eligibility and which account combinations can coexist. Wages, taxes, insurance premiums, employee contributions, retirement costs and transition work are excluded.
One table, every line accounted for
| Line / scope | Gusto scenario | QuickBooks public reference |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Simple: $49 + $6/person/month [1] | Workforce Payroll + Simple Start accounting: normal $88 + $6.50/employee/month [3] |
| Five-person starting total | $49 + $6 × 5 = $79/month | $88 + $6.50 × 5 = $120.50/month |
| External health-broker integration | $6 × 5 eligible employees = $30/month [1] | Not priced in this comparison; obtain a scope-matched quote. |
| HSA | $2.50 × 5 = $12.50/month; no minimum [1] | Not priced here; do not treat as included or free. |
| Health FSA | max($4 × 5, $20) = $20/month [1] | Quote required for equivalent administration. |
| Dependent care FSA | max($4 × 5, $20) = $20/month [1] | Quote required for equivalent administration. |
| Commuter account | max($4 × 5, $20) = $20/month [1] | Quote required for equivalent administration. |
| Shared annual account service fee | $200/year once, not once per account type [1, 2] | Equivalent fees remain unconfirmed. |
| Annualized result | ($79 + $30 + $12.50 + $60) × 12 + $200 = $2,378/year; ÷ 12 = $198.17/month | $120.50 × 12 = $1,446/year for the displayed bundle only; not an equivalent-benefits total. |
Billing note: Gusto's pricing page lists the three $20 minimums separately. Its billing help groups FSA and dependent care FSA wording together. The displayed model uses the separate published price lines; confirm the combined-account invoice treatment with Gusto before relying on all three minimums. Actual enrollment, plan inclusions and negotiated terms can change the bill. The $200 ÷ 12 amount is budget allocation, not a promise of monthly collection.
Keep promotions and accounting separate
The QuickBooks page currently shows the Payroll + Simple Start bundle at $44 base/month for three months, plus $6.50 per employee, then an $88 base. With five employees: ($44 + $32.50) × 3 + ($88 + $32.50) × 9 = $1,314 for year one, assuming unchanged rates and the stated offer applies. Do not buy accounting twice if you already have it. These bundle totals do not price the Gusto scenario's benefits. [3]
Your headcount. Your enrollment. A reusable table.
Published rates are fixed to the review date. The defaults reproduce the example. Set an unselected account's count to zero; zero removes its monthly minimum. Recheck rates before buying.
The calculator and CSV run in your browser. Inputs are not submitted. Do not infer benefit eligibility from the calculator accepting a number. The download contains the calculation rows, assumptions and source URLs.
Use this comparison in three steps
- Choose the required payroll scope, state coverage and whether you need accounting.
- Enter billable people and actual enrollments. Obtain written prices for every unpriced service on the other side.
- Download the table, replace assumptions with the quote, and compare equal coverage over the same 12 months. Neither displayed total is a vendor recommendation.
Official sources and review trail
[1] Gusto plan and add-on pricing · [2] Gusto billing details · [3] QuickBooks payroll pricing and offer terms. Checked October 22, 2026. Arithmetic is this site's calculation using the stated assumptions, not an invoice supplied by either vendor.