Gusto vs Sage HR
HR/HRIS pricing comparison · 2026
Gusto costs $49–$180/mo, while Sage HR costs $5.50–$6/user/mo. Sage HR is typically 91% more affordable, though your actual cost depends on tier and team size.
Gusto
Gusto is an all-in-one payroll, benefits, and HR platform designed for small businesses.
verified 17d ago
$150
$1.4K
Sage HR
Sage HR is a cloud-based human resources management system designed for small to medium-si
verified 4mo ago
$150
$1.4K
Recorded annual contract medians
Sage
median is
$1.2K
less than
Gusto
· different customer contracts; not a quote
Cheapest
$150
Spread
89%
Estimated license cost
at 25 seats
List price × seats. Click a tier below to lock it.
Plus
$960/yr
year 1 license · flat plan price
Core HR Package
$1.8K/yr
year 1 license · $6/seat
What buyers actually pay
median, annual
Vendr deal-flow data. The real benchmark, not list price.
Median annual
$1.4K/yr
Vendr · n=62
↓ Lowest median
Median annual
$150/yr
Vendr · n=14
REF · 01
Sources & confidence
Every dollar amount and contract clause below traces back to a sourced fact. We don't manufacture composite scores.
Where this data comes from
Vendr · TrustRadius · Reddit · BBB · official docs
Sources
25 sourced facts
21 hidden-cost · 1 contract · Vendr median · 2 review platforms
Last verified
2w ago
Confidence
High confidence
Sources
8 sourced facts
2 hidden-cost · 3 contract · Vendr median · 2 review platforms
Last verified
3mo ago
Confidence
High confidence
REF · 02
Plans at a glance
Every tier per product. Lock one to drive the cost row above and reveal a tier-specific outbound CTA.
Tier ladder
Click a tier to lock the cost row to it. Locking surfaces a tier-specific Visit CTA.
REF · 04
Contract terms
The fine print, surfaced. Green = buyer-friendly. Each clause backed by a quoted source.
Gusto
Sage
Auto-renewal
Yes
Yes
Cancellation
—
—
Commitment
—
—
Price escalation
—
Users report subscriptions increasing over time; one reviewer notes fees "just keep going up and up"
Can downgrade
—
—
REF · 05
What users say
Aggregated, with sample sizes. We use whichever review platform has data.
User reviews
TrustRadius · Trustpilot · G2
Decide
Get a quote from each vendor
Each link opens the vendor's pricing page in a new tab.
License cost is computed from publicly listed plans (real math, list price × seats).
Median annual cost is from Vendr's deal flow when available — see source badges.
Hidden costs and contract terms each cite their own sources. We do not invent composite scores.
VS
Gusto and Sage HR both operate in the hr/hris category. This page compares their list pricing.
Plan-by-Plan Pricing
| Plan | Gusto | Sage HR |
|---|---|---|
| Simple | $49 /month | $5.50 /employee/month |
| Plus | $80 /month | $6 /employee/month |
| Premium | $180 /month | Custom |
| Solo | $49 /month | Custom |
Cost at Scale
Total cost of ownership — licenses, implementation, and hidden costs included.
Gusto
5 scenarios$79/month ($49 base + $30 for 5 contractors at $6 each)
Paying 5 Contractors on Simple
$80/month
Growing Business
+ $12/employee
$180/month
Enterprise Setup
+ $22/employee
Sage HR
3 scenarios$137.50/month (25 × $5.50/employee for Core HR + Leave)
Small Business HR
$300/month (50 × $6/employee for complete Core HR)
Growing Company Setup
$600
Performance-Focused Organization
+/month (Core HR plus Performance module pricing)
Market Intelligence
Gusto
- Median annual cost
- $1,368
- Based on
- 62 deals
Sage HR
- Median annual cost
- $150
- Based on
- 14 deals
Contract Terms
| Term | Gusto | Sage HR |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-renewal | Yes | Yes |
| Cancellation | — | — |
| Minimum commitment | — | — |
| Price escalation | — | Users report subscriptions increasing over time; one reviewer notes fees "just keep going up and up" |