HR AI Index
Index Vendors Gusto › Alternatives · September 2026 Edition
Six categories · what the models named instead

Alternatives to Gusto, as AI models named them

In the September 2026 Edition, 920 of the 1,296 answers collected in the six categories where Gusto holds a standing named it neither as a first choice nor as an alternative. These are the products those answers put first, category by category and buyer by buyer. The output is the models' output.

Named instead, most often
First choices in the 920 answers that did not name Gusto, every category and segment above added together; a product can be counted in several. Each category below keeps its own denominator.

Benefits administration

Core HR and payroll. Six framings, twelve models, one answer each per buyer segment; an answer counts here when Gusto is not its first choice or an alternative in it.
Small businessGusto is #1 of 13 here at 68% of first choices, 59 labels.

Nineteen of the seventy-two answers did not name Gusto; it was the first choice in forty-five. The first choices in those nineteen answers, two products in all:

The full small business standing →
Mid-marketGusto is #4 of 14 here at 18% of first choices, 37 labels.

Forty-seven of the seventy-two answers did not name Gusto; it was the first choice in ten. The first choices in those forty-seven answers, seven products in all:

The full mid-market standing →
EnterpriseGusto is #15 of 15 here at 0% of first choices, 13 labels.

Seventy-one of the seventy-two answers did not name Gusto; it was the first choice in zero. The first choices in those seventy-one answers, fourteen products in all, the eight most named:

6 more in the record.The full enterprise standing →

HR compliance and policy management

Core HR and payroll. Six framings, twelve models, one answer each per buyer segment; an answer counts here when Gusto is not its first choice or an alternative in it.
Small businessGusto is #1 of 7 here at 25% of first choices, 47 labels.

Thirty of the seventy-two answers did not name Gusto; it was the first choice in twenty-five. The first choices in those thirty answers, nine products in all, the eight most named:

1 more in the record.The full small business standing →
Mid-marketGusto is #2 of 11 here at 12% of first choices, 26 labels.

Fifty-five of the seventy-two answers did not name Gusto; it was the first choice in six. The first choices in those fifty-five answers, fifteen products in all, the eight most named:

7 more in the record.The full mid-market standing →
EnterpriseGusto holds 6 labels here, under the 10-label cutoff, so it is unranked.

Seventy of the seventy-two answers did not name Gusto; it was the first choice in zero. The first choices in those seventy answers, twenty-two products in all, the eight most named:

14 more in the record.The full enterprise standing →

Employee onboarding

Onboarding and employee experience. Six framings, twelve models, one answer each per buyer segment; an answer counts here when Gusto is not its first choice or an alternative in it.
Small businessGusto is #2 of 8 here at 21% of first choices, 55 labels.

Twenty-two of the seventy-two answers did not name Gusto; it was the first choice in twenty-one. The first choices in those twenty-two answers, four products in all:

Dock2 of 22
Arrows1 of 22
GoCo1 of 22
The full small business standing →
Mid-marketGusto is #5 of 9 here at 7% of first choices, 25 labels.

Fifty-five of the seventy-two answers did not name Gusto; it was the first choice in three. The first choices in those fifty-five answers, six products in all:

The full mid-market standing →
EnterpriseGusto is #12 of 12 here at 0% of first choices, 10 labels.

Seventy-two of the seventy-two answers did not name Gusto; it was the first choice in zero. The first choices in those seventy-two answers, fourteen products in all, the eight most named:

6 more in the record.The full enterprise standing →

Payroll software

Core HR and payroll. Six framings, twelve models, one answer each per buyer segment; an answer counts here when Gusto is not its first choice or an alternative in it.
Small businessGusto is #1 of 10 here at 57% of first choices, 59 labels.

Twenty-seven of the seventy-two answers did not name Gusto; it was the first choice in thirty-eight. The first choices in those twenty-seven answers, four products in all:

The full small business standing →
Mid-marketGusto is #6 of 13 here at 4% of first choices, 45 labels.

Forty of the seventy-two answers did not name Gusto; it was the first choice in fourteen. The first choices in those forty answers, six products in all:

The full mid-market standing →
EnterpriseGusto holds 9 labels here, under the 10-label cutoff, so it is unranked.

Seventy-two of the seventy-two answers did not name Gusto; it was the first choice in zero. The first choices in those seventy-two answers, fourteen products in all, the eight most named:

6 more in the record.The full enterprise standing →

HRIS and HCM platforms

Core HR and payroll. Six framings, twelve models, one answer each per buyer segment; an answer counts here when Gusto is not its first choice or an alternative in it.
Small businessGusto is #1 of 10 here at 42% of first choices, 62 labels.

Twenty of the seventy-two answers did not name Gusto; it was the first choice in thirty-three. The first choices in those twenty answers, one product in all:

TalentHR1 of 20
The full small business standing →
Mid-marketGusto is #8 of 12 here at 2% of first choices, 32 labels.

Fifty-three of the seventy-two answers did not name Gusto; it was the first choice in three. The first choices in those fifty-three answers, nine products in all, the eight most named:

1 more in the record.The full mid-market standing →
EnterpriseGusto holds 9 labels here, under the 10-label cutoff, so it is unranked.

Seventy-two of the seventy-two answers did not name Gusto; it was the first choice in zero. The first choices in those seventy-two answers, nine products in all, the eight most named:

1 more in the record.The full enterprise standing →

Leave and absence management

Core HR and payroll. Six framings, twelve models, one answer each per buyer segment; an answer counts here when Gusto is not its first choice or an alternative in it.
Small businessGusto is #5 of 11 here at 6% of first choices, 18 labels.

Fifty-seven of the seventy-two answers did not name Gusto; it was the first choice in four. The first choices in those fifty-seven answers, sixteen products in all, the eight most named:

Timetastic15 of 57
LeaveBoard8 of 57
Day Off5 of 57
PurelyHR2 of 57
Absenca1 of 57
BambooHR1 of 57
8 more in the record.The full small business standing →
Mid-marketGusto is #12 of 13 here at 0% of first choices, 11 labels.

Sixty-six of the seventy-two answers did not name Gusto; it was the first choice in zero. The first choices in those sixty-six answers, eighteen products in all, the eight most named:

BambooHR11 of 66
LeaveBoard6 of 66
Rippling6 of 66
Timetastic6 of 66
Connecteam3 of 66
Day Off1 of 66
10 more in the record.The full mid-market standing →
EnterpriseGusto holds 4 labels here, under the 10-label cutoff, so it is unranked.

Seventy-two of the seventy-two answers did not name Gusto; it was the first choice in zero. The first choices in those seventy-two answers, twenty-three products in all, the eight most named:

Workday25 of 72
UKG Pro9 of 72
Rippling6 of 72
Dayforce4 of 72
Stiira3 of 72
15 more in the record.The full enterprise standing →

How to read this

A category is asked six ways of each of twelve models on behalf of each buyer segment, so a segment is seventy-two answers. An answer belongs on this page when the judge labeled Gusto neither its first choice nor an alternative in it; the products listed are the first choices those answers made, counted once per answer. An answer that named nothing first, or named Gusto only in passing, is in the denominator and adds to no product. The counts are not the category standing, which is on the category page with its share and rank; they are the same record read from Gusto's side.

Every answer and every label is in the free record. The output is the models' output; nothing here is a recommendation by the index, and a product named instead of Gusto was named by a model, not endorsed by anyone.