Gusto vs Pennylane
Gusto and Pennylane are both accounting & finance tools aimed at small businesses.
Gusto
Payroll, benefits and HR for US small businesses
Pennylane
Finance and accounting platform for French SMBs
| Pricing | Paid · $35 | Paid |
| Starting price | $35/mo | Not published |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Free trial | — | 15 days |
| Built for | Small businesses | Small businesses |
| Platforms | web, ios, android | web |
| Country | US · 2011 | FR · 2020 |
| Rating | — | — |
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).
Choose Pennylane if
French SMEs and accountants.
- Shared workspace with accountants
- Modern UI
- Strong French compliance
Look elsewhere if: Businesses outside France (yet).
Gusto vs Pennylane pricing
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
Pennylane
- Starter€7/moExcl. VAT, 1 user, freelancers; Pro account required
- Basique€14/moExcl. VAT, 1 user (freelancer price)
- Essentiel€24/moExcl. VAT, 1 user (freelancer price)
- Premium€79/moExcl. VAT, 1 user, includes accounting module
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
Pennylane · Key features
- Invoicing and quotes
- Bank and payment sync
- Receipt capture and matching
- Pre-accounting and accounting
- Accountant collaboration
- Cash flow dashboards
Cons
- Primarily France
- Pricing varies by tier
- Limited international features
Gusto vs Pennylane: FAQ
Do Gusto and Pennylane have a free plan?
Gusto has no free plan. Pennylane has no free plan, a 15-day free trial.