Imagine hiring someone from across the globe is as easy as hiring a local intern. That’s exactly the kind of magic Gusto and Deel try to bring to your team.
👉 Gusto handles your payroll, benefits, and HR needs mostly for U.S.-based teams.
👉 Deel, on the other hand, helps you hire and pay remote workers across 150+ countries, all legally and compliantly.
For small businesses, startups, or growing remote teams, picking the right one can make or break your HR setup especially when time, budget, and compliance are at stake.
🚀 Let’s get started!
Gusto vs Deel Overview (2025)
Gusto handles everything from payroll to benefits for U.S.-based teams, while Deel lets you hire and pay talent across 150+ countries.
Gusto acts like a digital HR department for U.S. businesses. It takes care of everything from hiring paperwork and payroll to benefits, time-off tracking, and tax filings. It’s best for companies that hire U.S.-based employees or contractors and want a clean, easy-to-use system.
Deel focuses on global hiring. It helps companies legally employ remote workers in 150+ countries, either as independent contractors or through their “Employer of Record” (EOR) services. Deel handles all the local laws, tax filings, contract generation, and currency payments.
Who Is Gusto or Deel Best For?
Choose Gusto if…
- You are a small or medium business based in the U.S.
- You need a reliable system to manage payroll, taxes, and benefits.
- You don’t plan to hire outside the U.S.
- Your team prefers simple tools without much setup.
Choose Deel if…
- You’re building a remote or hybrid team with people in different countries.
- You want to avoid setting up legal entities in every new country.
- You work with a mix of employees and freelancers internationally.
- You need to ensure legal compliance in multiple regions.
🔍 Features Comparison
Core Functionality
Gusto offers payroll processing, direct deposits, automatic tax filings, benefits management, onboarding, and compliance for U.S.-based employees.
Deel allows you to draft compliant contracts, onboard international contractors or employees, and pay them in their local currency all within a few clicks.
Customization / Workflow Flexibility
Gusto offers basic workflows like custom time-off policies and approval chains but it’s more of a “set and go” tool.
Deel gives more control over how you pay contractors (fixed, hourly, milestones), how often (monthly/weekly), and what clauses to include in contracts (IP, NDAs, etc.).
Reporting & Analytics
Gusto provides standard reports like pay stubs, payroll summaries, benefits breakdowns, and tax filings.
Deel offers downloadable reports on contractor payments, employee benefits, invoices, local taxes, and compliance status by country.
Automation & Efficiency
Gusto automatically calculates tax withholdings, sends payments, files federal/state reports, and updates tax rates.
Deel automates contract generation, local compliance updates, invoice creation, and currency exchange rate adjustments.
Core Functionality
Gusto offers payroll processing, direct deposits, automatic tax filings, benefits management, onboarding, and compliance for U.S.-based employees.
Deel allows you to draft compliant contracts, onboard international contractors or employees, and pay them in their local currency all within a few clicks.
Customization / Workflow Flexibility
Gusto offers basic workflows like custom time-off policies and approval chains but it’s more of a “set and go” tool.
Deel gives more control over how you pay contractors (fixed, hourly, milestones), how often (monthly/weekly), and what clauses to include in contracts (IP, NDAs, etc.).
UI & Ease of Use
Gusto is super beginner-friendly. Its dashboard is clear, colorful, and designed for people with no HR experience.
Deel is also modern but has more sections and settings ideal for operations or HR managers handling global logistics.
Team Collaboration
Gusto allows HR managers to assign roles, approve PTO, and give employees self-service access.
Deel enables teams to collaborate on contractor approvals, expense management, and payment confirmations across departments.
💸 Pricing Plans Breakdown
Compare the monthly costs, plan features, and pricing structure of Gusto and Justworks to find out which fits your budget and business needs.
Gusto Pricing (Monthly)
| Plan | Base Price | Per Employee | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple | $49 | $6 | Payroll, tax filing, employee portal |
| Plus | $80 | $12 | Time tracking, multi-state payroll, hiring tools |
| Premium | $180 | $22 | Dedicated support, analytics, HR experts |
Note: No free plan, but includes add-ons like 401(k), HSA, and health insurance.
Deel Pricing Payroll
Here is the Deel Pricing (2025) presented in a clean comparison table format for your blog:
| Plan Name | Price | Purpose | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deel EOR (Employer of Record) | $599 per employee/month | Hire & manage employees globally without local entities | Legal employment in 150+ countries, local compliance, payroll, benefits, onboarding, contract generation, ongoing HR and legal support |
| Deel Contractor Management | $49 per contractor/month | Manage global contractors | Localized contract generation, multi-currency payments, tax document handling, onboarding, compliance checks, expense tracking |
| Deel Contractor of Record | Starting at $325 per contractor/month | Manage contractor payroll for your own entities | Contractor classification compliance, worker status verification, tax/labor law adherence, misclassification protection, smooth FTE transitions |
| Deel PEO | $95 per employee/month | Get HR, payroll, and benefits support | Handles admin, payroll, and benefits setup for U.S.-based companies or those needing HR outsourcing |
| Deel US Payroll | Custom (Speak to Sales) | In-country payroll for U.S. employees | 50-state registration, federal/state tax filing, W-2/W-4/1099 filings |
| Deel Global Payroll | $29 per employee/month | Global payroll for distributed teams | Consolidated payroll operations, multi-country support, automation and compliance for international employees |
📊 Performance Insights
Both Gusto and Deel are built to be fast, reliable, and easy to access from anywhere. Gusto focuses on U.S.-based performance, while Deel is optimized for international operations, even in low-bandwidth areas.
Key Highlights:
- Gusto: Fast load times, smooth payroll runs, mobile-friendly dashboard for admins and employees.
- Deel: Strong uptime, handles high-volume global transactions, performs well even with international logins.
🔐 Security & Compliance
Gusto:
- SOC 2 Type II compliance
- Two-factor authentication (2FA)
- GDPR-aligned (U.S. perspective)
- HIPAA-ready (for health info)
Deel:
- SOC 2 Type II
- GDPR-compliant
- PCI DSS Level 1 (for secure payments)
- Built-in compliance checks for 150+ countries
🔌 Integrations
Both platforms integrate with major tools, but Deel offers broader global and hiring-focused integrations, while Gusto is strong with U.S.-based accounting and business tools.
Key Highlights:
- Gusto: Connects with QuickBooks, Xero, Asana, Slack, Google Workspace.
- Deel: Integrates with Greenhouse, BambooHR, QuickBooks, Workday, Zapier.
Pros and Cons Breakdown
Gusto – Pros
- User-friendly interface, great for beginners
- Streamlined payroll setup for U.S. businesses
- Affordable pricing for small-sized teams
- Easy tax filing and benefits management
- Integration with popular accounting tools
Gusto – Cons
- Not built for global teams or hiring
- Limited contractor support outside the U.S.
- Fewer advanced HR features for scaling
- Doesn’t offer global compliance support
Deel – Pros
- Supports hiring in 150+ countries legally
- Built-in compliance tools and protections
- Pays contractors in local currencies easily
- Powerful features for remote team onboarding
- Excellent scalability for global operations
Deel – Cons
- Can be costly for small companies
- No free trial available for testing
- Requires some onboarding for new users
- More complex UI for basic HR tasks
🏁 Final Verdict: Gusto Comes Out on Top
After comparing pricing, features, compliance, performance, and customer support it’s clear that both Gusto and Deel are powerful platforms. But the right choice depends on what kind of business you’re running.
Deel is perfect if you’re managing a global team and want help with international compliance, payments, and EOR services. It’s built for companies that operate across borders and need to hire quickly without setting up legal entities. However, its global power comes at a higher cost and added complexity.
Gusto, on the other hand, stands out as the best choice for small to mid-sized U.S.-based businesses that want simplicity, affordability, and reliability.
✅ No HR background needed it’s beginner-friendly
✅ Covers payroll, benefits, onboarding, and compliance in one clean dashboard
✅ More cost-effective for small teams that want to grow
✅ Lets you stay in control while automating the boring stuff
✅ Smooth integrations with accounting and business tools
If you’re a startup, solopreneur, or growing team focused on building locally before expanding globally Gusto is the smarter, simpler choice.
🏆 For most U.S.-based small businesses, Gusto wins on value, ease, and flexibility.
FAQs
Is Gusto suitable for international hiring?
No, Gusto mainly supports U.S.-based teams and doesn’t offer global compliance tools.
Does Deel offer a free plan?
Yes, Deel offers a $0 base plan for contractors, but charges per payment or action.
Can I integrate Gusto with my accounting software?
Yes, Gusto integrates with QuickBooks, Xero, and other accounting platforms.
Is Deel a legal employer?
Yes, when using Deel’s EOR services, Deel becomes the legal employer on your behalf.
How long does it take to onboard a contractor on Deel?
You can onboard and pay contractors within 5–10 minutes, with contract generation and compliance checks built-in.