Gusto vs Sage HR
A detailed comparison of Gusto and Sage HR. See how they stack up on features, pricing, and user ratings.
At a Glance
| Gusto | Sage HR | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.5/5 | 4.1/5 |
| Starting Price | $40/mo | $6/mo |
| Free Trial | No | Yes |
| Free Plan | No | No |
| Features | 9 | 9 |
| Best For | SMB | SMB |
Gusto
Cloud-based payroll and HR platform for small businesses handling payroll processing, benefits administration, time tracking, hiring, and compliance in one system.
Sage HR
Cloud HR management solution from Sage offering leave management, shift scheduling, timesheets, performance reviews, and recruitment in a modular, pick-and-choose system.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Gusto | Sage HR |
|---|---|---|
| Workflow Automation | ||
| Reporting Dashboard | ||
| EEO/OFCCP Compliance | ||
| GDPR Compliance | ||
| API Access | ||
| HRIS Integration | ||
| Slack Integration | ||
| Zapier Integration | ||
| Mobile App |
Pricing Comparison
Gusto
Sage HR
Integrations
Both tools integrate with
Only Gusto
Only Sage HR
Pros & Cons
Gusto
Pros
- +Best-in-class payroll for small businesses
- +Very easy to set up and use
- +Transparent, affordable pricing
- +Excellent employee self-service portal
Cons
- -Limited to US-based companies (mostly)
- -HR features less deep than dedicated HRIS tools
- -Reporting not as robust as enterprise solutions
- -Not ideal for companies over 200 employees
Sage HR
Pros
- +Very affordable per-employee pricing
- +Clean interface with core HR essentials
- +Modular — pay only for what you need
- +Good shift scheduling and leave management
Cons
- -Payroll not included — need Sage Payroll separately
- -Less feature-rich than BambooHR or Personio
- -Limited recruitment functionality
- -Part of large Sage ecosystem — not always cohesive
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Gusto if:
- • Your company is SMB size
- • Higher user ratings matter to you (4.5 vs 4.1)
- • Best-in-class payroll for small businesses
Choose Sage HR if:
- • Your company is SMB size
- • You want to try before committing (free trial available)
- • Budget is a priority (starts from $6/mo vs $40/mo)
- • Very affordable per-employee pricing
How we evaluate tools
Our ratings combine verified user reviews from G2 and Capterra with hands-on feature analysis. Pricing is checked against official sources. We may earn a commission through affiliate links, but this never influences our rankings or recommendations. Read our full methodology.