WalnutsHR vs Gusto for Growing Teams
Gusto is a great payroll platform — but payroll is just one piece of HR. If you need a strong employee directory, time off management, onboarding checklists, and reporting, Gusto's HR features feel thin. WalnutsHR focuses on the HR experience and works alongside Gusto for the payroll piece.
Where WalnutsHR wins
- Purpose-built HR — not a payroll tool with HR bolted on as an afterthought
- Rich employee directory with profiles, org chart, and department views
- Better time off management with approval workflows and team calendar
- Structured onboarding with checklists and document collection
- Advanced reporting and analytics dashboard
- 50% lower cost if you don't need built-in payroll ($6/emp vs $12/emp)
Where Gusto is ahead
- Gusto has built-in US payroll with direct deposit and tax filing
- Gusto offers benefits administration (health, dental, 401k)
- Gusto handles W-2s and 1099s natively
Pricing comparison
Gusto's Simple plan is $40/month base + $6/employee. Their Plus plan (with better HR) is $80/month base + $12/employee. WalnutsHR costs $6/employee with no base fee. For a 25-person team: WalnutsHR is $150/month vs. Gusto Plus at $380/month.
For a team of 25
WalnutsHR
$150 USD/mo
Gusto
$380 USD/mo (Gusto Plus)
You save: $230 USD/mo ($2,760/year)
Cost calculator
See how much you could save with WalnutsHR vs Gusto (Plus plan).
WalnutsHR
$150 USD/mo
25 x $6 USD/employee
Gusto (est.)
$380 USD/mo
$80 base + $12/employee
Estimated annual savings
$2,760 /year
$230 saved each month
Data residency & compliance
Both platforms host data in the United States with SOC 2-compliant infrastructure, encryption at rest and in transit, and role-based access controls.
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