Head to head

Arcoro vs Gusto

Same facts, side by side: starting price, free tier, MCP, API and what each one is actually built for.

Arcoro

Sales-quoted

Construction-specialized HR suite (ATS, HRIS, payroll, LMS, field time). The full platform is sales-quoted. Arcoro Time Essential starts at $9/employee/mo billed annually.

Where Arcoro fits

  • Construction and field-service employers that need GPS time plus HR in one vendor
  • Contractors who will buy Time Essential at $9/employee/mo and quote the rest
  • High-compliance industries that want OSHA, ACA, and E-Verify in the HR modules
  • Crews already on ExakTime that are moving into the Arcoro suite

Gusto

$49/mo

US small-business payroll, benefits and onboarding in one stack, from around $49/mo plus a per-seat charge.

Where Gusto fits

  • US small companies running payroll in-house
  • HR teams that want benefits next to pay
  • Desks that want MCP on payroll data
  • A first HRIS after spreadsheets

At a glance

DetailArcoroGusto
Starting priceSales-quoted$49/mo
Free tier–No–No
MCP server–No✓Yes
Public API–No✓Yes
Listed underATS, HRIS, Learning, Payroll, Time & attendanceBenefits administration, HR compliance, HRIS, Onboarding, Payroll, Time & attendance
Capterra4.1 from 280 reviews4.6 from 4,225 reviews

Where they pull apart

Arcoro

Stands out: Arcoro Time (formerly ExakTime) prints Essential $9, Professional $12, and Time + Payroll $20 per employee per month on an annual contract.

Watch out: Those Time figures are the field timekeeping SKU, not the full ATS/HRIS/LMS bundle. Core HR, hiring, and workforce suites stay on a quote.

Not the right fit for

  • Office-only SMBs that want Gusto-style DIY payroll with a public full-suite rate
  • Global EOR hiring outside US field operations

Gusto

Stands out: Payroll sitting next to HR for US small companies, with a first-party MCP.

Watch out: It is US-only, so it is not a route to hiring people in other countries.

Not the right fit for

  • Global employer-of-record buyers
  • Enterprise HRIS selection processes

Pros and cons

Arcoro

  • Printed Time Essential rate at $9/employee/mo billed annually
  • Construction-specific ATS, certifications, and OSHA/ACA tooling
  • ExakTime heritage for GPS field time that actually gets used on site
  • Full HR suite is still sales-quoted
  • Time prices are annual-contract PEPM, not a self-serve HR bundle
  • Office-first companies will overpay for field features they will not use

Gusto

  • Payroll, benefits and onboarding in one US stack
  • MCP and API available
  • Fits small-business HR and finance buyers
  • US-only
  • Per-seat charges on top of the base
  • Not built for hiring pipelines

What each one costs

Arcoro

Sales-quoted

The full Arcoro HR, ATS, payroll, and LMS suite is quoted. Arcoro Time (formerly ExakTime) prints Time Essential at $9 per employee per month, Time Professional at $12, and Time + Payroll at $20, billed annually. Volume pricing is available at 200+ employees. Monthly and quarterly payment terms are offered on Time. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 19 Sep 2026

Gusto

$49/mo

From ~$49/mo +/seat. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 7 Sep 2026

Common questions

Can you try Arcoro or Gusto for free?
Neither carries a free tier on our listing.
Does Arcoro or Gusto have an MCP server?
Gusto ships a first party MCP server, so an AI assistant can work the product directly.

Not the pair you wanted?

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Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 19 Sep 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?