Rippling vs Gusto
Rippling vs Gusto is a choice between a quoted platform and a published payroll plan. Gusto is payroll-first HR for small US businesses, with Simple at $49 a month plus $6 per person. Rippling spans HR, IT and finance, sells each product on a required core platform, and prices by quote. Pick Gusto for a small team that wants a known bill; pick Rippling when device and spend control belong in the same system.
What each one costs
| Product | Price | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Gusto Simple | $49 + $6 | base per month, plus per person / month; single state |
| Gusto Plus | $80 + $12 | base per month, plus per person / month |
| Gusto Premium | $180 + $22 | base per month, plus per person / month |
| Rippling products | Quote only | no public price; billed per employee / month |
| Rippling core platform | Quote only | required; some products include a monthly base fee |
| PeopleMuster | $3 | per person / month, every module included, no base fee |
Gusto figures read in a browser on gusto.com on 22 September 2026. Rippling's structure read on rippling.com/pricing in September 2026; it publishes no figure, and none is guessed here.
Why teams choose PeopleMuster
- One flat per-person rate: $3 a month, with no base fee and no core platform to buy first.
- Projects score themselves on health, setup and tasks, using thresholds your admin sets.
- Client records hold several contacts and each client's local time, so your team books calls at a sensible hour.
- Annual billing is $30 per person per year, two months free, and monthly billing cancels any time.
- Punches sync from a ZKTeco terminal on your local network every 30 minutes on weekdays. Fingerprints stay on the device.
Questions people ask
Which is cheaper for a 40-person startup?
Only Gusto can be priced today. Simple for 40 people is $49 a month plus forty times $6, and Plus is $80 plus forty times $12. Rippling's figure for 40 people comes from a quote, built from its core platform and the products you add.
Does Rippling charge a base fee like Gusto?
Gusto does on every plan: $49, $80 or $180 a month before the per-person rate. Rippling's pricing page says some products may be charged at, or include, a monthly base fee, on top of per-employee billing.
What does Rippling add beyond HR?
IT and finance. Rippling positions itself as one platform for HR, IT and finance operations, so devices and spend sit next to the employee record. Gusto's centre is payroll for small US businesses.