Gusto vs. Homebase: Which payroll software should you choose?
Gusto is payroll-first: published pricing, full-service tax filings, and built-in benefits. Homebase starts as scheduling and time tracking for hourly teams — including a free tier — and adds payroll on top of that.
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- Payroll, tax filings, and benefits are the core need
- You want published pricing and a mature payroll product
- You have salaried staff, contractors, or an S-corp owner payroll
- You want health benefits and 401(k) options built in
- Your first problem is scheduling and hourly time tracking
- You run shifts across one or a few locations
- You want to start free and add payroll later
- Team communication and shift swaps matter day to day
If payroll is the problem, start with Gusto. If scheduling shifts and tracking hours is the daily grind, Homebase solves that first and can handle payroll from the same timesheets. Plenty of restaurants and shops legitimately run Homebase for scheduling and a dedicated payroll provider for pay runs.
Gusto vs. Homebase at a glance
A scannable summary. Always confirm current pricing and features directly with each provider before buying.
GustoModern small businesses wanting simple payroll
HomebaseHourly teams that need scheduling
GustoPayroll
HomebaseScheduling and time tracking
GustoNo free payroll tier
HomebaseYes — $0 plan with scheduling, time tracking, and messaging
GustoSimple: $49/mo + $6/person
HomebasePayroll $39/mo + $6/active employee
GustoIncluded
HomebaseIncluded with payroll
GustoNot a focus
HomebaseCore product
GustoIncluded on the Plus plan
HomebaseCore product, including on the free tier
GustoBuilt in, supported states
HomebaseNot comparable to Gusto
GustoIncluded on Plus
HomebaseNot published at plan level — verify before hiring out of state
GustoYes, with a low-cost contractor-only plan ($35/mo + $6 per contractor)
HomebaseSupported
Gusto vs. Homebase: Quick winners
Different businesses weigh trade-offs differently. Here's where each platform tends to come out ahead.
Pricing
Gusto publishes rates: $49/month plus $6 per person per month on Simple, and $80/month plus $12 per person on Plus, which adds multi-state payroll, time tracking, and next-day direct deposit.
Homebase has a genuinely free tier — $0 for scheduling, time tracking, and team messaging on a single location — with paid tiers above it, and payroll as a paid add-on at $39/month plus $6 per active employee. Model the plan cost and the payroll add-on together before comparing to Gusto. Pricing verified August 2026.
The free scheduling tier is the interesting part of this comparison. If you're a small shop that mostly needs to stop building schedules in a spreadsheet, you can solve that at no cost and decide about payroll separately.
Homebase starts free; Gusto delivers more payroll and benefits per dollar.
Pricing verified August 2026
Payroll
Gusto is a mature payroll product: unlimited runs, federal, state, and local tax filings, W-2s and 1099s, employee self-onboarding, and a low-cost contractor-only plan ($35/mo + $6 per contractor)
Homebase's payroll grows out of its timesheets, which is a real advantage for hourly teams — approved hours flow straight into the pay run without a manual export. But payroll is the newer, narrower part of Homebase's product, not the foundation.
Payroll is Gusto's core product; for Homebase it's an extension of time tracking.
Scheduling and time tracking
Homebase owns this section. Shift scheduling, availability, swaps, clock-in with rules, and team messaging are what the product is for. For a restaurant, salon, or retail shop, that's the daily operational tool — payroll is only every two weeks, but the schedule changes constantly.
Gusto includes time tracking on its Plus plan, which covers straightforward hourly needs, but it isn't trying to be a scheduling platform.
Scheduling and shift management are Homebase's core competency.
If you've narrowed your choice, check current pricing and details directly with each provider.
Benefits and HR
Gusto brokers health benefits in supported states, integrates 401(k) providers, and covers HR basics like offer letters, onboarding, and documents. If you want to offer real benefits, that's a meaningful difference.
Homebase focuses on hourly workforce operations rather than benefits administration.
Benefits administration is a Gusto strength and not Homebase's focus.
Scalability
Homebase scales along locations and hourly headcount. Gusto scales along payroll complexity — salaried staff, multiple states, benefits, and contractors alongside employees.
Running both is a legitimate answer, and a common one: Homebase for scheduling and hours, Gusto for payroll, with hours exported into the pay run. Just be honest that it's two subscriptions and one more integration to babysit.
Different growth axes; many businesses run both deliberately.
Gusto pros and cons
- Published pricing
- Full-service payroll tax filings included
- Built-in benefits and 401(k) integrations
- Low-cost contractor-only plan ($35/mo + $6 per contractor)
- Strong fit for S-corp owner payroll
- No real scheduling functionality
- Time tracking requires the Plus plan
- No free tier
Homebase pros and cons
- Free tier with scheduling, time tracking, and messaging
- Built for hourly shift-based teams
- Hours flow directly into payroll
- Strong day-to-day operational tool for restaurants and retail
- Payroll is an add-on rather than the core product
- Benefits administration isn't comparable to Gusto
- Less suited to salaried, multi-state, or S-corp-owner payroll
Which businesses should choose Gusto?
- Businesses whose main need is accurate payroll and tax filings
- Employers offering health benefits or a 401(k)
- One-person S-corps and salaried teams
- Companies paying contractors alongside employees
Which businesses should choose Homebase?
- Restaurants, cafés, salons, and retail shops
- Managers building weekly shift schedules
- Teams that need clock-in rules and hour tracking
- Businesses that want to start at $0
Gusto vs. Homebase by business type
Final verdict: Gusto vs. Homebase
Gusto wins if you're picking one platform and payroll is the reason you're shopping. It's the more complete payroll and benefits product, with pricing you can see up front.
Homebase wins if scheduling and hourly time tracking are the daily pain, and the free tier makes it easy to prove that before you spend anything.
If you run an hourly team and also want serious payroll and benefits, running Homebase for scheduling and Gusto for payroll is a perfectly reasonable setup — just budget for both.
Gusto for payroll and benefits; Homebase for hourly scheduling
Pick your provider and check current pricing
Visit each provider directly to confirm current pricing, packages, and features for your business.
Frequently asked questions
Is Homebase free?+
Homebase has a free tier that covers scheduling, time tracking, and team messaging for a single location, with paid tiers above it and payroll as a paid add-on.
Can Homebase run payroll?+
Yes. Homebase offers payroll that pulls directly from its timesheets, though payroll is an extension of its scheduling and time tracking rather than the core product.
How much does Gusto cost?+
Gusto's Simple plan is $49/month plus $6 per person per month, and Plus is $80/month plus $12 per person and adds multi-state payroll, time tracking, and next-day direct deposit.
Which is better for a restaurant?+
Homebase for the daily scheduling and hours workload. If you also need strong benefits administration or multi-state payroll, pairing it with Gusto for payroll is common.
Does Gusto do scheduling?+
No. Gusto includes time tracking on its Plus plan but does not offer shift scheduling comparable to Homebase.
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