Gusto vs PayFWDs

Gusto is a small business platform for payroll, benefits, and HR. Employers can pay employees and contractors, run unlimited payrolls, and have payroll taxes filed automatically. Health benefits and 401(k) plans integrate with payroll. Workforce tools cover scheduling, timesheets, PTO requests, and mobile time tracking; hiring features include job postings, offer letters, e-signing, applicant tracking, and new hire onboarding. Gusto’s app directory includes integrations across accounting, collaboration, time tracking, hiring, and expense management, with named examples such as QuickBooks, Xero, FreshBooks, Expensify, Hubstaff, and Homebase. The platform is available on web, Android, iOS, and through an API, and its mobile app works on iPhone and Android phones. Plans are Simple at $49 a month, Plus at $80 a month, and Premium at $180 a month. Their listed per-person monthly charges are respectively $6, $12, and $22. Gusto says plans have no long-term contracts and can be canceled anytime. All plans include access to the online Help Center and business-hours phone or chat support; Premium adds a dedicated account partner.

PayFWDs is payroll and HR software for businesses, available on Android, iOS, and the web. Payroll tools automate calculations, tax filings, direct deposit, and real-time gross-to-net calculations. HR functions include onboarding, employee records, forms, approvals, and applicant tracking. Time and attendance features cover schedules, overtime, time-off requests, accrual policies, and timesheets. Employees can record time through a mobile app, browser clock, or physical clock; mobile punches can include GPS verification and optional geofencing. Users can create and download payroll, tax, and benefits reports, filtering them by date, department, or employee. Listed integrations include UKG Screen, UKG Wallet, Schoox, E-Verify, Employee Navigator, Sage Intacct, QuickBooks Online, Hireology, and Greenhouse. Each client receives a dedicated contact, support-team backing, and access to tax specialists. Onboarding specialists guide implementation with audit checkpoints before the first live pay date. PayFWDs says it serves small businesses, larger organizations, and multi-location teams in all 50 states. Pricing is custom and available on request.