Factorial vs Gusto
Factorial and Gusto are both HR & recruiting tools. Factorial is aimed at small businesses and enterprise, while Gusto is aimed at small businesses. Factorial costs less, from $8/mo versus $35/mo for Gusto.
All-in-one HR, time tracking and payroll prep for growing SMBs
Payroll, benefits and HR for US small businesses
| Pricing | Paid · $8 | Paid · $35 |
| Starting price | $8/mo | $35/mo |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Built for | Small businesses, Enterprise | Small businesses |
| Platforms | web, ios, android | web, ios, android |
| Country | ES · 2016 | US · 2011 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Factorial if
European SMBs with 20 to 1,000 employees that want HR admin, time tracking and expenses in a single modern tool.
- Covers HR, time, expenses and IT in one product
- Clean, modern interface that employees adopt easily
- Strong time tracking and shift planning for hourly staff
Look elsewhere if: Companies needing native multi-country payroll or global hiring (Rippling, Deel) or a very simple US-only HRIS (BambooHR).
Choose Gusto if
US small businesses up to about 100 employees.
- Very easy payroll for small teams
- Benefits administration included
- Friendly UX and good support
Look elsewhere if: Non-US employers or companies needing deep HRIS/IT (Rippling).
Factorial vs Gusto pricing
Factorial
- Core + modulesFrom $8/user/moTailored quote; Core HR plus chosen add-on modules
- Add-on modulesCustomTime, payroll, performance, recruiting, expenses, IT
Gusto
- Simple$49/mo+ $6/person; single-state payroll
- Plus$80/mo+ $12/person; multi-state payroll, time and PTO
- Premium$180/mo+ $22/person; HR experts, compliance, priority support
- Contractor Only$35/mo+ $6/contractor; base fee sometimes waived as promo
Factorial · Key features
- Employee directory, org chart and document storage with e-signature
- Time off requests and clock-in time tracking from web and mobile
- Shift management for retail, hospitality and frontline teams
- Payroll preparation and payslip distribution
- Performance reviews, goals and OKR tracking
- Applicant tracking with job posting and candidate pipeline
Cons
- No public price list; every deal is a custom quote
- Module costs add up for mid-sized companies
- Full in-house payroll processing is not available in every country
Gusto · Key features
- Full-service US payroll with tax filings
- Health benefits, 401(k) and workers' comp
- Onboarding with offer letters and e-signature
- Time tracking, PTO and scheduling
- Contractor payments in 120+ countries
- Compliance alerts and HR resources
Cons
- US employees only
- Costs rise with headcount
- Limited HR depth for larger companies
Factorial vs Gusto: FAQ
Which is cheaper, Factorial or Gusto?
Factorial starts at $8/mo and Gusto at $35/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do Factorial and Gusto have a free plan?
Factorial has no free plan. Gusto has no free plan.