Head to head

Gusto vs Paylocity

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

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

Paylocity

Sales-quoted

US HR, payroll and workforce platform that also covers finance and IT tools. Pricing is sales-quoted.

Where Paylocity fits

Midsize US employers that want HR and payroll together
Hourly-hiring teams that want Grayscale automation
Companies replacing several HR point tools
Teams that will build on documented APIs

At a glance

Detail	Gusto	Paylocity
Starting price	$49/mo	Sales-quoted
Free tier	–No	–No
MCP server	✓Yes	–No
Public API	✓Yes	✓Yes
Listed under	Benefits administration, HR compliance, HRIS, Onboarding, Payroll, Time & attendance	ATS, Benefits administration, HRIS, Payroll, Time & attendance
Capterra	4.6 from 4,225 reviews	Not enough reviews

Where they pull apart

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

Paylocity

Stands out: One platform covers HR, payroll, recruiting, finance and IT, and Paylocity added Grayscale's AI recruiting automation in 2026.

Watch out: There is no public per-employee price. You need a sales conversation, and implementation and module choice shape the total.

Not the right fit for

Buyers who need a published price
Companies that mainly need global EOR hiring

Pros and cons

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

Paylocity

HR, payroll, finance and IT in one
Grayscale recruiting automation added
Documented APIs for integrations

No public price
Sales process before any number
Aimed at US employers

What each one costs

Gusto

$49/mo

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

Checked 7 Sep 2026

Paylocity

Sales-quoted

Sales-quoted. No public rate card on the vendor site. The quote depends on headcount and the modules you choose. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 19 Sep 2026

Common questions

Can you try Gusto or Paylocity for free?

Neither carries a free tier on our listing.

Does Gusto or Paylocity 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?

All Gusto alternatives All Paylocity alternatives Every Benefits administration tool

Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 7 Sep 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?