Gusto vs Personio — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)
Gusto starts at $49/mo. Personio uses custom pricing — request a quote to compare.
How pricing works
These two tools don't price the same way, so the headline numbers below aren't directly comparable until you plug in your own volume.
- Gusto (Hybrid) — Gusto is hybrid: a fixed subscription from $49/mo plus metered usage on top (Base fee + per employee). Your real bill moves with volume, not seat count.
- Personio (Per Seat) — Personio bills on a fixed plan, so the listed price is what you pay regardless of volume.
Per-minute, per-credit and per-token rates exclude any downstream model, speech or telephony costs unless the vendor states otherwise.
US payroll + benefits platform positioned as the alternative to ADP and Paychex for SMBs (1-500 employees). Distinctive for its modern UX (unlike ADP's 1990s-era interface) and built-in benefits marketplace. Valued $9.6B private (2022). Priced $40/mo base + $6/employee (Simple) up to $80+$12 (Premium). Popular with US-based startups and SMBs — no international payroll (unlike Deel/Rippling). Direct competitor to Rippling in the US mid-market.
European (Munich-based) HRIS positioned as the alternative to BambooHR and Workday for European mid-market (50-2000 employees). Distinctive for GDPR-native compliance and its focus on European payroll integration (which Workday charges heavily for). Priced opaquely, typically €6-€12/employee/month. Owned by Bregal Milestone + Meritech. Popular with Berlin/Munich startups and European mid-market companies.
All plans compared
| Tier role | Plan | Gusto monthly | Gusto annual | Personio monthly | Personio annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry paid | Simple / — | $49 | $49 | — | — |
| Mid tier | Plus / — | $80 | $80 | — | — |
| Pro / power | Premium / — | $180 | $180 | — | — |
| Enterprise | — / Enterprise | — | — | Custom | Custom |
Tier names differ across vendors. Rows are aligned by tier role, not name. Full tier structures on each tool's page.
What each is best for
Gusto is worth it if… US-based SMBs (1-100 employees) that need payroll + benefits + basic HR in one tool without hiring a bookkeeper — particularly if you're incorporating and running payroll for the first time. Simple covers basic payroll; Plus adds hiring and next-day direct deposit; Premium adds compliance alerts and dedicated support.
Personio is worth it if… European mid-market companies (50-2,000 employees) that need HRIS + payroll + recruiting in one German-native platform — particularly if you value GDPR-first design and EU labor-law compliance. Custom-quoted by employee count and modules enabled.
Bottom line: Choose based on how you want to pay — Gusto is hybrid, Personio is per seat.
Choose Gusto over Personio if…
Choose Gusto if…
- You're fine with a base subscription plus metered usage on top (from $49/mo).
- You match the profile Gusto is built for: US-based SMBs (1-100 employees) that need payroll + benefits + basic HR in one tool without hiring a bookkeeper — particularly if you're incorporating and running payroll for the first time.
- You need a general-purpose hr & people option rather than a vertical-specific one.
Choose Personio if…
- You want fixed-price predictability (per seat, custom pricing).
- You match the profile Personio is built for: European mid-market companies (50-2,000 employees) that need HRIS + payroll + recruiting in one German-native platform — particularly if you value GDPR-first design and EU labor-law compliance.
- You're building for recruiting.
At a glance
| Gusto | Personio | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No | No |
| Entry price | $49/mo | Custom |
| Enterprise available | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | Hybrid | Per Seat |
| Last verified | September 11, 2026 | September 12, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified September 12, 2026. Tracked daily.