Gusto vs Workday Payroll
payroll head-to-head for ERP teams: evidenced capabilities, published pricing, and which ERPs each actually integrates with.
| Starting price | From $6/user/mo (published) | Quote-based |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud |
| Company size | SMB, Mid-market | Enterprise, Mid-market |
| Stated ERP integrations | QuickBooks, Xero | Workday |
| Vendor | Gusto, Inc. | Workday |
Our take
Where Gusto leads
- Stronger evidenced coverage on 7 of the 21 capabilities where they differ (led by year-end forms (w-2/1099 or local equivalents) and new-hire reporting).
- Published pricing where the alternative quotes.
- Stated QuickBooks, Xero integration the alternative doesn't list.
Where Workday Payroll leads
- Stronger evidenced coverage on 14 of the 21 capabilities where they differ (led by multi-country payroll runs and retroactive pay calculations).
- Stated Workday integration the alternative doesn't list.
Where they differ
The 21 capabilities (of 36 in the payroll taxonomy) where the evidence separates them, biggest gaps first. “Not evidenced” means our research found no public documentation of this capability — the vendor may still offer it. Confirm on a demo.
| Capability | ||
|---|---|---|
| Multi-country payroll runsGross-to-Net Processing | Not evidenced | Core strength Native for 5 countries; 180+ via certified partner connectivity (GPC) |
| Retroactive pay calculationsGross-to-Net Processing | Not evidenced | Core strength |
| Year-end forms (W-2/1099 or local equivalents)Tax Filing & Compliance | Core strength W-2/1099 preparation and filing | Not evidenced |
| Local statutory complianceTax Filing & Compliance | Not evidenced | Core strength Regulatory updates delivered by Workday |
| New-hire reportingTax Filing & Compliance | Core strength | Not evidenced |
| Direct deposit / local bank transfersPayments & Disbursement | Core strength | Not evidenced |
| HRIS employee data syncTime & Data Inputs | Not evidenced Gusto is the primary HR system of record, not a sync target | Core strength Single source of HR, payroll and finance data |
| Contractor paymentsTime & Data Inputs | Core strength Contractor payments and 1099 handling | Not evidenced |
| Benefits deduction handlingEmployee Experience & Benefits | Core strength Automatic benefit deductions synced to payroll | Not evidenced |
| Single-platform global consolidationGlobal Coverage & Entities | Not evidenced | Core strength |
| Audit trails & role-based accessPlatform & Integrations | Not evidenced | Core strength Audit trails and configurable security |
| Off-cycle and correction runsGross-to-Net Processing | Partial Unlimited payroll runs; off-cycle not explicitly documented | Core strength |
| Gross-up calculationsGross-to-Net Processing | Not evidenced | Supported |
| GL mapping and journal creationReporting & General Ledger | Not evidenced | Supported Cost allocation and accounting integration |
| Payroll cost analyticsReporting & General Ledger | Not evidenced | Supported |
| Broad in-country coverageGlobal Coverage & Entities | Not evidenced | Supported 180+ countries via certified global payroll partners, not owned entities |
| Automated tax filing and remittanceTax Filing & Compliance | Core strength | Supported Statutory tax handling for native countries |
| Multi-currency paymentsPayments & Disbursement | Not evidenced | Partial Implied by global partner connectivity; not separately documented |
| Self-service portal / mobile appEmployee Experience & Benefits | Core strength | Supported |
| Automated ERP GL postingReporting & General Ledger | Supported Payroll journal entries sync to QuickBooks Online / Xero | Core strength Native general-ledger posting to Workday Financials |
| iPaaS / prebuilt ERP connectivityPlatform & Integrations | Supported Certified QuickBooks Online and Xero app-store connectors | Core strength Native to Workday Financials; GPC connects global payroll partners |
Both grade identically on the other 15 capabilities — see each product's full profile: Gusto, Workday Payroll.
Gusto vs Workday Payroll — FAQs
Is Gusto or Workday Payroll better for ERP integration?
They state different ERP coverage: Gusto lists QuickBooks, Xero; Workday Payroll lists Workday.
Which is cheaper, Gusto or Workday Payroll?
Gusto publishes a starting rate ($6/user/mo); Workday Payroll prices by quote, so a like-for-like number requires asking both.
Get pricing for both
Tell us your ERP, seat count and must-haves and we'll come back with an independent view of what Gusto and Workday Payroll should each cost you — and whether a third option belongs on your shortlist.