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Image: Rebecca Olason/TechRepublic
Like a personnel manager, you have a lot on your plate. You are responsible for managing, maintaining employee records and making sure your employees have everything they need to succeed. This makes finding the right payroll software tool an essential part of your job. Taking the time to find a payroll solution that meets your specific needs can save you a lot of frustration.
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There are several payroll software options available, each with its own set of features and benefits. Two popular options are Gusto and Justworks. Both are SaaS-based solutions that offer a wide range of features to make payroll management and other HR functions easier for businesses.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these solutions and compare their features so you can decide which one is best for your business.
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What is Gusto?
enthusiasm is a payroll software solution that makes it easy to manage your payroll and HR processes. It serves over 200,000 customers and is a cloud deployable SaaS tool.
Gusto has a wallet app for employees that allows them to access their payroll data on the go. The app also offers a variety of features such as payroll, benefits, recruiting and management.
What is Justworks?
just works is a payroll software solution that provides businesses with a single platform for payroll automation, compliance support, and various other HR tools. The mobile app is available on the Apple App Store, giving companies easy access to their payroll information.
Justworks includes payment options such as direct deposits, bonuses and refund management. This payroll software also has strong analytics and reporting to help companies make sound payroll decisions.
Gusto vs. Justworks: feature comparison table
| Functions | enthusiasm | just works |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited payroll runs | Yes | no |
| Fully automated payroll | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile functionality | Yes | Yes |
| Time registration | Yes | Yes |
| Payroll self-onboarding | Yes | no |
| Administration of Health Benefits | Yes | Yes |
| ESAC certification | no | Yes |
| Next day direct deposit option | Yes | no |
| Analysis and reporting | Yes | Yes |
Gusto vs. Justworks: cross-function comparison
The payroll is running
Justworks offers payroll runs on a flexible basis, allowing you to choose how often to run payroll based on your needs. This can be useful if you have many employees or if payroll is particularly complex for your business. However, Justworks does not provide unlimited payroll in the basic package, so you will have to pay extra if you want to run payroll more than once a month.
Gusto, on the other hand, has unlimited pay runs in its basic package. This can be useful if you want the peace of mind that payroll is always taken care of. In addition, Gusto offers a next day direct deposit option, which is faster than the usual standard direct deposit term.
Tax filing and compliance capabilities
Both platforms offer tax filing capabilities such as W-2 and 1099 tax filing, so you can make sure your employees’ taxes are always up to date.
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However, Justworks has better compliance support. The tool has several built-in tools to help you comply with state and federal laws, including online compliance training for staff. Justworks is also certified by the Employer Services Assurance Corporation, which stands for strong financial, ethical and operational standards.
Administration of benefits
The Justworks basic plan provides a robust benefits management platform that makes it easy for companies to manage their employee benefits. They offer a wide variety of features, including access to workers’ compensation, life and disability insurance, health and wellness benefits, fitness memberships, and a 401(k).
On the other hand, Gusto’s Premium plan comes with health insurance integration. This can be useful for businesses that want the flexibility to choose their own health plans, as Gusto automatically updates your employee information when you add or remove a plan.
Mobile functionality
Both Gusto and Justworks have mobile functionality that allows employees to access their payroll data from their smartphone.
Gusto has a mobile wallet app – available on Android and iPhone – that allows employees to earn, save, spend and borrow from their Gusto account.
Justworks makes all important employee information available through a simple, easy-to-use iPhone app. Employees can access pay slips, view and request time off, and see all their insurance information from one place.
Self-service options for employees
Both companies offer employee self-service options, but Gusto takes it a step further by offering payroll self-onboarding. This feature allows employees to enter their own payroll information into the system, eliminating the need for employer involvement.
Integrations
When it comes to integrations, Gusto offers a much wider range of options, with integrations for accounting, time tracking, expense management, and more. In total, Gusto integrates with more than 180 business applications. Justworks, on the other hand, only integrates with a few accounting software platforms such as QuickBooks and Xero.
Choose between Gusto and Justworks
The choice between Gusto and Justworks ultimately comes down to your business needs and preferences. Both platforms are powerful payroll solutions that offer a range of features to help businesses execute payroll workflows smoothly and efficiently.
However, Gusto offers a more comprehensive feature set and a wider range of integrations, making it the better option for businesses looking for an all-in-one solution. If compliance is a bigger deal to you and your industry, Justworks offers a more comprehensive compliance support system than Gusto.
Read more: Best payroll software for small businesses (TechRepublic)
