Gusto Benefits vs Zenefits Pricing (2026)

Gusto Benefits vs Zenefits

Benefits Administration pricing comparison · 2026

Gusto Benefits pricing ranges from $0–$180/base fee + per employee/month, while Zenefits ranges from $8–$27/per employee/month. Zenefits is typically 83% more affordable, though your actual cost depends on tier and team size.

Benefits Administration

Gusto Benefits

$0–$180
/base fee + per employee/month
4 plans · Free tier
Full pricing breakdown →
VS
Benefits Administration

Zenefits

$8–$27
/per employee/month
3 plans
Full pricing breakdown →

Gusto Benefits and Zenefits both operate in the benefits administration category. This page compares their list pricing.

Plan-by-Plan Pricing

Plan Gusto Benefits Zenefits
Simple $49 /user/month $10 /
Plus $80 /user/month $18 /
Premium $180 /user/month $27 /
Contractor Only Free /user/month

Market Intelligence

Gusto Benefits

Median annual cost
$500
Based on
42 deals

Zenefits

Median annual cost
$27,487
0
Based on
12 deals

What Users Say

Gusto Benefits

Trustpilot
2.6/5 (25)
Top complaints
  • Poor customer support with long wait times
  • Tax compliance errors and unexpected bills
  • Complicated interface and difficult to make changes

Zenefits

Trustpilot
1.5/5 (20)
Top complaints
  • Extremely poor customer service with multi-week or multi-month response times
  • Payroll tax filing errors leading to compliance issues
  • Continuing charges after cancellation

Hidden Costs

Beyond the sticker price — what catches buyers off guard.

Gusto Benefits 4 hidden costs

critical
Tax Compliance Errors and Penalties $5,000-$50,000
high
Customer Support Wait Time and Inefficiency 10-20% of license costs
high
Benefits Administration Errors 5-15% of license costs
medium
Payroll Timing Delays Around Holidays 5-10% of license costs
See all Gusto Benefits hidden costs →

Zenefits 7 hidden costs

high
Customer Support Delays and Resolution Failures 10-20% of HR staff time
medium
Overbilling for Inactive Employees $10-$27/month per phantom employee
critical
Payroll Tax Filing Errors and Compliance Issues $1,000-$10,000 in penalties and correction costs
high
PEO Upsell Pressure After TriNet Acquisition 100-200% cost increase vs original platform
medium
Implementation and Setup Errors $2,000-$5,000 in lost productivity during onboarding
See all Zenefits hidden costs →

Contract Terms

Term Gusto Benefits Zenefits
Auto-renewal Yes
Cancellation Must request before renewal date
Minimum commitment 1 year
Price escalation 10-20% of license costs Pricing subject to change based on various factors; no published price protection guarantees