Gusto vs Greenhouse
Side-by-side from the Top 11 rankings of The 11 Best Payroll Software for SMBs and 11 Best Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) 2026, Ranked. Last verified May 31, 2026.
The short answer
Greenhouse ranks higher on Top 11 (#1 vs #1) for Small business owners running payroll without in-house HR / Recruiters and HR managing hiring pipelines. The gold standard for scalable, structured, and data-driven enterprise recruiting.
At a glance
| Gusto | Greenhouse | |
|---|---|---|
| Top 11 rank | #1 / The 11 Best Payroll Software for SMBs | #1 / 11 Best Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) 2026, Ranked |
| Score (out of 9.4) | 9.3 | 9.3 |
| Best for | Overall ease of use | Structured, scalable enterprise hiring |
| Pricing | $$ ($46 to $150+/mo) | $$$$ (Custom pricing) |
| HQ | San Francisco, USA | New York, USA |
| Founded | 2011 | 2012 |
Gusto
The easiest-to-use platform for all-in-one payroll, benefits, and HR, perfect for business owners without HR staff.
gusto.comGreenhouse
The gold standard for scalable, structured, and data-driven enterprise recruiting.
www.greenhouse.comSee full entry in 11 Best Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) 2026, Ranked
Methodology and scoring weights live at /methodology. No vendor pays for placement — see about.