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Side-by-side record

Gusto vs. Litmos

A side-by-side view of the product records we have today. Use it to narrow the question, then confirm current pricing, limits, and security details with each vendor.

The short version

Gusto starts at $49 per seat, versus Litmos at $2,500. Litmos carries the higher aggregate rating (9.7/5 vs 4.6/5).

Full comparison

Gustofrom $49 per month + per employee
Litmosfrom $2,500 per month
Audyense Score80ASStrong29AS*Low
PositioningFull-service payroll, benefits, and HR for small businessesLitmos is one of the leading corporate learning systems on the market built to accelerate training of both internal and external teams.
Free tierNoYes
DeploymentCloud / SaaSCloud / SaaS
Best fitSMB, Mid-marketStartup, SMB, Mid-market
Pricing plans
  • Simple$49
  • Plus$80
  • Premium$180
  • Contractor Only$35
  • Free or entry planFree
  • Higher tiersCustom pricing
Applicant tracking (ATS)PartialBasic hiring/job-post and offer-letter tools; deeper ATS via integrations like Greenhouse and JazzHR.—
Benefits administrationYesHealth insurance, 401(k) via Guideline, workers' comp, and other benefits managed in-platform.—
Employee directory & org chartYesEmployee profiles and org directory with self-service data management.—
Mobile appYesGusto Wallet employee app for pay, PTO, and personal info; admin features are more limited.—
Employee onboardingYesSelf-onboarding, offer letters, e-signature, and document collection for new hires.—
PayrollYesCore product: full-service payroll with automatic federal, state, and local tax filing.—
Performance reviewsPartialPerformance review tools available on higher tiers; not as deep as dedicated performance platforms.—
Public APIYesPublic developer API and embedded-payroll platform documented at docs.gusto.com.—
Reporting & dashboardsYesStandard payroll and workforce reports; custom reporting is gated to the Premium tier.—
Time-off & PTO managementYesPTO policies and time-off requests; advanced time tracking included from the Plus tier.—
Embedded content creation tools that support multiple formats—YesDocumented in the independently researched profile.
Intuitive user interface—YesDocumented in the independently researched profile.
Multi-language & localization support—YesDocumented in the independently researched profile.
Surveys—YesDocumented in the independently researched profile.
Custom branding / Whitelabel—YesDocumented in the independently researched profile.
Assessment / Quiz—YesDocumented in the independently researched profile.
Sell online courses—YesDocumented in the independently researched profile.
Ecommerce shopping cart—YesDocumented in the independently researched profile.
SCORM & TIN CAN certified—YesDocumented in the independently researched profile.
Schedule live courses – ILT—YesDocumented in the independently researched profile.
Real-time reporting—YesDocumented in the independently researched profile.
Developer API including SalesForce—YesDocumented in the independently researched profile.
Okta—YesDocumented in the independently researched profile.
and Dropbox—YesDocumented in the independently researched profile.
Integrations verified200+—
Aggregate rating4.6 · 12.8k reviews9.7 · No reviews yet
Integrations
QuickBooks OnlineXeroFreshBooksSageHomebaseDeputy+9 more
—
Security & compliance
SOC 1 Type IISOC 2 Type IIHIPAA
—
Pros
  • Clean, intuitive interface that requires minimal training and makes payroll runs fast (often under 10 minutes).
  • Automated full-service payroll with federal, state, and local tax calculation and filing.
  • Integrated benefits, hiring/onboarding, and employee self-service in a single platform.
  • Affordable and transparent entry pricing well-suited to small teams.
  • Independent review documents a concrete business workflow
  • Documented capability: Embedded content creation tools that support multiple formats
  • Documented capability: Intuitive user interface
  • Documented capability: Multi-language & localization support
  • Documented capability: Surveys
Cons
  • Customer support responsiveness is inconsistent, with no after-hours support and mixed experiences resolving complex issues.
  • Reporting and analytics are limited, with custom reports gated to higher tiers.
  • Feature depth becomes insufficient for companies scaling past ~50 employees or with complex HR needs.
  • Advanced capabilities (multi-state payroll, HR support, custom reports) are locked behind higher-priced tiers.
  • Pricing and usage limits should be checked against the exact plan
  • Implementation effort depends on the team's data and process maturity
  • Reported outcomes should be validated with the buyer's own data
Visit Gusto ↗Visit Litmos ↗

Editorial read of this comparison

The table summarizes structured facts; this section explains what the differences mean for a real buying decision.

Where each tool fits, and where it may not

Gusto

Gusto is a cloud-based payroll, benefits, and HR platform aimed primarily at small and growing businesses. It runs full-service payroll with automatic federal, state, and local tax filing, and layers on benefits administration, hiring and onboarding, time tracking, and employee self-service. Originally launched as ZenPayroll in 2012, it rebranded to Gusto in 2015 and now serves several hundred thousand businesses across the US.

A particularly good fit for: Small businesses and startups that want payroll and tax filing automated with minimal setup. Teams that need integrated benefits (health, 401(k) via Guideline, workers' comp) alongside payroll. Multi-state employers needing payroll and compliance handled across jurisdictions (Plus tier and above).

May be a poor fit if: Larger enterprises with complex HR, custom pay structures, or advanced reporting needs that outgrow Gusto's feature depth. Organizations that require 24/7 or after-hours phone support, which reviewers note Gusto does not offer.

Litmos

Litmos is one of the leading corporate learning systems on the market built to accelerate training of both internal and external teams. It won our Expert’s Choice Award for 2019. Despite being able to automate both internal and external learning programs, Litmos is still referred to as the worlds simplest and easiest to use a learning management system that requires neither dedicated training nor expensive installations. The company’s target group entails mostly midmarket companies and established enterprises, while its client base already lists a number of prominent Fortune 1000 members. The system, nevertheless, is not entirely focused on large and corporate teams – Litmos still belongs to the group of affordable eLearning systems with dedicated ‘up to 100 users’ packages a small company could consider. In fact, Litmos is often preferred to seemingly cheaper LMS tools because it doesn’t require a setup fee and doesn’t limit on-point customer support to a particular plan. The price will rather depend on how many users you wish to involve, and the type of learning support you wish to focus on. To make the process of attaining and selling courses even smoother, Litmos established a number of valuable third-party partnerships with platforms such as Shopify (you can distribute your Litmos courses there for free). Needless to say, a vast group of integrations is a guarantee that the system will blend in with your software ecosystem, and won’t require you to make any specific changes in order to run it. Litmos integrates with Salesforce to increase sales reps performance, train licensed users, and leverage training for customers, employees, and compliance, among others. Next to its convenient Salesforce partnership, Litmos works impeccably with Okta, OneLogin, Ping, Box, Centrify, and other similar systems, and it is one of the few SCORM certified learning & security

A particularly good fit for: B2B teams evaluating HR and People software Teams that need documented workflow capabilities and fit guidance Organizations willing to validate implementation and plan limits

May be a poor fit if: Teams seeking a workflow outside the product's documented focus Teams needing unlimited usage without plan limits

Pricing and plan structure

Gusto: Published starting price $49 per month + per employee

  • Simple$49 base per month (+ $6 per employee/mo)
  • Plus$80 base per month (+ $12 per employee/mo)
  • Premium$180 base per month (+ $22 per employee/mo)
  • Contractor Only$35 base per month (+ $6 per contractor/mo)

Litmos: Published starting price $2,500 per month

  • Free or entry planFree
  • Higher tiersCustom pricing

Capabilities worth validating

  • Gusto: Applicant tracking (ATS), Benefits administration, Employee directory & org chart, Mobile app, Employee onboarding Integrations include QuickBooks Online, Xero, FreshBooks, Sage.
  • Litmos: Embedded content creation tools that support multiple formats, Intuitive user interface, Multi-language & localization support, Surveys, Custom branding / Whitelabel

Questions to answer before switching

  • Does Gusto's selected plan include the features and limits we need?
  • Does Litmos's selected plan include the features and limits we need?
  • Does the exact integration path for QuickBooks Online, Xero, FreshBooks support the sync direction, permissions, and volume we need?
  • Is a hosted-only deployment acceptable for the team and customers who will use this system?

How to evaluate this shortlist

A useful comparison turns the differences between HR & People tools into a concrete test. Use these steps to avoid choosing from a feature table or the lowest headline price alone.

  1. Start with a representative HR & People workflow, not a feature checklist. Define who will use it, what data goes in, and what outcome the team needs.
  2. Test the complete path through QuickBooks Online, Xero, FreshBooks: permissions, sync direction, failure handling, and volume limits often matter more than the integration name.
  3. Compare the cost of the real scenario, including users, usage, storage, support, and contract requirements. The entry price alone does not measure adoption cost.
  4. Before switching, list the evidence gaps, request a demo of the critical workflow, and confirm security, data residency, export, and support with each vendor.

Structured signals help narrow the shortlist, but a trial with a real workflow is still the best way to validate the decision.

Research basis

Last checked: 2026-08-18. Pricing, integrations, feature support, and review signals can change, so treat this as a research snapshot and verify the final decision with the vendor.

Sources consulted: Gusto product site, G2, Capterra; Litmos product site, FinancesOnline review, Vendor website