Gusto vs Workday
Side-by-side from the Top 11 rankings of The 11 Best Payroll Software for SMBs and The 11 Best Employee Onboarding Software Tools. Last verified May 31, 2026.
The short answer
Gusto ranks higher on Top 11 (#1 vs #6) for Small business owners running payroll without in-house HR / HR teams automating new hire onboarding, paperwork, and 30-60-90 day plans. The easiest-to-use platform for all-in-one payroll, benefits, and HR, perfect for business owners without HR staff.
At a glance
| Gusto | Workday | |
|---|---|---|
| Top 11 rank | #1 / The 11 Best Payroll Software for SMBs | #6 / The 11 Best Employee Onboarding Software Tools |
| Score (out of 9.4) | 9.3 | 8.2 |
| Best for | Overall ease of use | Enterprise-grade unified HCM |
| Pricing | $$ ($46 to $150+/mo) | $$$$ (Quote-based) |
| HQ | San Francisco, USA | Pleasanton, USA |
| Founded | 2011 | 2005 |
Gusto
The easiest-to-use platform for all-in-one payroll, benefits, and HR, perfect for business owners without HR staff.
gusto.comWorkday
The enterprise standard for integrated HR, finance, and onboarding at scale.
www.workday.comSee full entry in The 11 Best Employee Onboarding Software Tools
Methodology and scoring weights live at /methodology. No vendor pays for placement — see about.