Service model comparison
Justworks vs. Gusto
Both publish per-employee pricing and serve small US teams. The real difference is structural: Justworks PEO is a co-employment relationship with access to sponsored benefits, while Gusto is a payroll and HR platform where you remain the sole employer.
Justworks
- PEO plans use co-employment, with access to sponsored medical, dental, and vision plans
- Published pricing verified October 15, 2026: PEO Basic $79/employee/month, PEO Plus $124/employee/month, no base fee
- Payroll-only option at $8/employee/month plus a $50/month base fee
- Add-ons include dedicated HR consulting at $30/employee/month and time tracking at $8/employee/month
- Also offers global employer of record at $599/employee/month
Gusto
- No co-employment — you remain the employer of record in full
- Published pricing verified October 15, 2026: Simple $49/month + $6/person, Plus $80/month + $12/person, Premium $180/month + $22/person
- Health insurance is brokered separately and priced at premiums only, with no Gusto administration fee
- Broker integration with an existing health plan available at $6/month per eligible employee
- Pay-as-you-go workers' compensation through a partner, starting at $14/month
How should you make the decision?
Start with the work your company needs performed, the decisions that require internal ownership, the amount of day-to-day capacity required, and the risks of changing models. Then ask providers to map their scope against that operating picture.
A model is not a quality guarantee. Service teams, implementation, systems, pricing, and contract terms differ materially within every category.