Quick summary
- OfficePortal vs Gusto in one line: OfficePortal is an all-in-one HRMS priced per user; Gusto is payroll-first, with a monthly base fee and HR features spread across higher plans.
- OfficePortal Premium costs $4 per user per month billed yearly, with no base fee, and covers performance reviews, attendance, leave and payroll.
- Gusto costs $49, $80 or $180 a month plus $6, $12 or $22 per person, depending on the plan.
- Time and PTO tracking start on Gusto Plus, and performance management is on Premium only.
- For 10 people with performance reviews, OfficePortal costs $40 a month against $400 on Gusto Premium.
Why OfficePortal is the best Gusto alternative
OfficePortal gives growing teams HR, performance and payroll in one place. Attendance tracking, the leave management system, performance management and payroll software share one employee record, and every price is on our pricing page.
- No monthly base fee. You pay per user, and the Standard plan is free for up to five users.
- Performance reviews without the top tier. Review cycles, assessments and goals come with Premium, not a $180-a-month plan.
- Attendance built in. Web and biometric check-in, with GPS and selfie add-ons, plus shift rosters and automatic overtime.
- Leave that follows your policies. Approvals, carry forward and encashment, with calendars and public holidays set per location.
- Appraisals flow into pay. Increment decisions from reviews reach the payroll run.
- Teams in any location. Run attendance, leave and performance for people wherever they work, on the same plans.
- Hands-on onboarding. The OfficePortal team helps with setup, data migration and training.
- Mobile apps. Android and iOS apps for check-ins, leave, payslips and reviews.
- Secure and reliable. AES-256 encryption, SOC 2 compliant infrastructure and 99.9% uptime.
OfficePortal vs Gusto on HR, attendance and performance
Gusto starts with payroll and adds HR as you move up its plans. Simple covers single-state payroll and basic PTO; Plus adds multi-state payroll and time and PTO tracking; Premium adds performance management, custom reporting and access to HR experts.
OfficePortal starts with the whole employee record. On Premium, HR tracks attendance, schedules shifts, manages leave, runs quarterly, half-yearly or annual review cycles with self and manager assessments, and processes payroll from the same approved data. For more on the basics, read our guides to salary processing and automated payroll.
OfficePortal vs Gusto pricing
OfficePortal charges per user with no base fee. Gusto adds a monthly base fee to a per-person fee. Comparing the plans that include performance reviews, OfficePortal Premium billed yearly against Gusto Premium:
- 10 people: OfficePortal $40 a month; Gusto $400.
- 50 people: OfficePortal $200 a month; Gusto $1,280.
- 200 people: OfficePortal $800 a month; Gusto $4,580.
Even Gusto Plus, without performance management, costs $200, $680 and $2,480 a month for the same teams.
Gusto disadvantages: why companies look for alternatives
- Costs climb with headcount. A base fee plus a per-person fee adds up as you grow, and reviewers cite rising per-employee costs.
- Performance only on Premium. Reviews and performance management need the $180-a-month plan plus $22 per person.
- Time tracking needs Plus. Time and PTO tracking aren't in Simple.
- Single-state payroll on Simple. Paying people in more than one state needs Plus or higher.
- Limited global hiring. Full-time employees abroad are covered in only about 12 countries through a partner, at around $599 to $699 per employee per month.
- Support complaints. Slow support is a common complaint in reviews, and some reviewers say tax questions are hard to escalate.
- Filing problems for some. A few reviewers report missed or late tax filings that they had to chase.
- Other gaps reviewers mention. Limited customisation and a weaker mobile app.
- No free plan for teams. The lowest plan for employees starts at $49 a month plus $6 per person.
What to look for in a Gusto alternative
When you compare Gusto alternatives, check for these, and how OfficePortal covers each one:
- Simple pricing that scales, without a base fee. OfficePortal charges per user, with a free plan for five.
- HR depth beyond payroll: attendance, shifts, leave and performance in the same system.
- Performance reviews on a mid-tier plan, not only on the top one.
- Support for teams in different locations, with location-specific calendars and holidays.
- Responsive support and hands-on onboarding.
- Mobile access for check-ins, leave, payslips and reviews.
Is Gusto ever the better choice?
Yes, if your main need is US payroll. Gusto files federal, state and local payroll taxes automatically and suits small US businesses that mostly want payroll done. If you want HR, attendance, leave and performance in one system at one per-user price, OfficePortal is the better fit.
What to export before you leave Gusto
- Year-to-date pay, taxes withheld and employer contributions for every employee.
- Employee records, pay rates and bank details.
- Deduction, benefit and loan balances.
- Leave balances and accrual rules.
- Copies of past payslips, tax forms and filed returns.
Switch at the start of a pay period or quarter to keep filings simple, and load year-to-date figures before your first live run.
How to switch from Gusto to OfficePortal
- Book a demo. The OfficePortal onboarding team helps with setup, data migration and training, and maps your salary structures.
- Run at least one payroll in parallel and reconcile it before you switch fully.
- Start a pilot team on the free Standard plan, then move to Premium.
Comparing more tools? See how OfficePortal compares with ADP, Rippling and others on our HR software alternatives page.