Gusto vs Personio
Gusto and Personio are both HR & recruiting tools. Gusto is aimed at small businesses, while Personio is aimed at small businesses and enterprise.
| Pricing | Paid · $35 | Paid |
| Starting price | $35/mo | Not published |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Free trial | — | 14 days |
| Built for | Small businesses | Small businesses, Enterprise |
| Platforms | web, ios, android | web, ios, android |
| Country | US · 2011 | DE · 2015 |
| 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 Personio if
European SMBs and mid-market companies.
- Built for European compliance
- All-in-one HR
- Strong in Germany
Look elsewhere if: Turkey-based companies (Kolay) or US-only (Gusto, Rippling).
Gusto vs Personio 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
Personio
- CoreCustomCore HR; 1 legal entity, capped e-signatures; book a demo
- Core ProCustomUnlimited entities and e-signatures, Public API, SSO integrations
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
Personio · Key features
- Employee records and document management
- Absence and time tracking
- Recruiting and onboarding
- Performance and compensation
- Payroll preparation and native payroll (DE/UK)
- Workflow automation
Cons
- Quote-based pricing
- Less suited outside Europe
- Complexity for very small teams
Gusto vs Personio: FAQ
Do Gusto and Personio have a free plan?
Gusto has no free plan. Personio has no free plan, a 14-day free trial.