1. Paybooks
Paybooks · Bengaluru · HRMS software · 4.7/5
Payroll and HR software with compliance services.
₹1,800/mo
Free trial
Compared with Gusto
- Starts ₹1,200/mo cheaper (₹1,800/mo vs ₹3,000/mo)
- Built in India (Bengaluru)
HRMS software · Alternatives
Best Gusto alternatives in India (2026)
Gusto is a hrms software product from Gusto, San Francisco, priced at ₹3,000/mo. We compared 20 alternatives on published price, free plan, platforms and made-in-India support: 0 have a free plan, 7 are built in India, and 12 start cheaper or free.
Quick answer
The closest alternatives to Gusto are Paybooks (₹1,800/mo), Remote (₹2,400/mo), OnPay (₹3,000/mo), Deel (₹4,000/mo) and Marg Payroll (₹5,400/mo). Published prices in this list start at ₹100/month.
Why businesses look for a Gusto alternative
Cost
Gusto starts at ₹3,000/mo. 12 alternatives start lower or have a free plan.
Indian support and GST
Gusto is built in United States. 7 alternatives are made in India, where GST, TDS and UPI are usually handled natively and support runs on IST.
Reported limitation
Payroll is US-only. Gusto cannot run Indian statutory payroll under any plan.
Reported limitation
EOR is Remote's product, and Gusto's help centre signals a shift to referring international-employee customers directly to Remote from 1 May 2026 — so the 'hire in India inside Gusto' story may no longer hold.
Reported limitation
Per-person pricing on Premium ($22/person/month on top of a $180 base) gets expensive as headcount grows.
Gusto alternatives compared
Ranked by how closely each product matches Gusto's category, pricing model, platforms and business size, then by rating. Prices exclude GST.
| # | Software | Starting price | Free plan | Platforms | Made in India | Rating | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Gusto (current) | ₹3,000/mo | No | Web | No | 4.4/5 | — |
| 1 | Paybooks | ₹1,800/mo | No | Web | Yes | 4.7/5 | |
| 2 |  Remote | ₹2,400/mo | No | Web | No | 4.4/5 | |
| 3 |  OnPay | ₹3,000/mo | No | Web | No | 4.4/5 | |
| 4 |  Deel | ₹4,000/mo | No | Web | No | 4.4/5 | |
| 5 |  Marg Payroll | ₹5,400/mo | No | Web | Yes | 4.6/5 | |
| 6 |  Paybooks Payroll | ₹1,800/mo | No | Web | Yes | 4.5/5 | |
| 7 |  Saral PayPack | ₹6,000/mo | No | Web | Yes | 4.6/5 | |
| 8 |  QuickBooks Payroll | ₹3,500/mo | No | Web | No | 4.4/5 | |
| 9 |  Square Payroll | ₹2,800/mo | No | Web | No | 4.3/5 | |
| 10 |  Multiplier | ₹3,000/mo | No | Web | No | 4.2/5 | |
| 11 |  Panther | ₹3,000/mo | No | Web | No | 4.2/5 | |
| 12 |  Keka Payroll | ₹6,999/mo | No | Web | Yes | 4.5/5 | |
| 13 |  Plane (Pilot) | ₹2,400/mo | No | Web | No | 4.3/5 | |
| 14 |  Patriot Payroll | ₹1,500/mo | No | Web | No | 4.4/5 | |
| 15 |  Wagepoint | ₹1,500/mo | No | Web | No | 4.3/5 | |
| 16 |  Payroll by Deskera | ₹1,500/mo | No | Web | No | 4.3/5 | |
| 17 |  Xero Payroll | ₹1,000/mo | No | Web | No | 4.4/5 | |
| 18 |  Rippling | ₹700/mo | No | Web | No | 4.4/5 | |
| 19 |  Zoho People Plus | ₹300/mo | No | Web | Yes | 4.7/5 | |
| 20 |  uKnowva HRMS | ₹100/mo | No | Web | Yes | 4.6/5 |
Top 10 Gusto alternatives in detail
Compared with Gusto
- Starts ₹600/mo cheaper (₹2,400/mo vs ₹3,000/mo)
₹4,000/mo
Free trial
Compared with Gusto
- Starts ₹1,000/mo higher (₹4,000/mo vs ₹3,000/mo)
Key features
- Employer of Record hiring through Deel-owned entities
- Contractor of Record with classification liability taken on by Deel
- US PEO (co-employment) for American staff
- Immigration / mobility support (Deel Mobility)
- Deel Global Payroll for companies with their own local entities (150+ countries, vendor-stated)
₹5,400/mo
Free trial
Compared with Gusto
- Starts ₹2,400/mo higher (₹5,400/mo vs ₹3,000/mo)
- Built in India (New Delhi)
6. Paybooks Payroll
Paybooks · Bengaluru · HRMS software · 4.5/5
Payroll software plus managed payroll services.
₹1,800/mo
Free trial
Compared with Gusto
- Starts ₹1,200/mo cheaper (₹1,800/mo vs ₹3,000/mo)
- Built in India (Bengaluru)
7. Saral PayPack
Relyon Softech · Bengaluru · HRMS software · 4.6/5
Payroll software with statutory compliance.
₹6,000/mo
Free trial
Compared with Gusto
- Starts ₹3,000/mo higher (₹6,000/mo vs ₹3,000/mo)
- Built in India (Bengaluru)
₹3,500/mo
Free trial
Compared with Gusto
- Starts ₹500/mo higher (₹3,500/mo vs ₹3,000/mo)
₹2,800/mo
Free trial
Compared with Gusto
- Starts ₹200/mo cheaper (₹2,800/mo vs ₹3,000/mo)
10. Multiplier
Multiplier · Singapore · HRMS software · 4.2/5
Global EOR and payroll with Indian founders.
₹3,000/mo
Free trial
Key features
- Multiplier acts as legal employer in-market so you hire without an entity
- Country-specific employment contracts generated and signed digitally
- Statutory and supplementary benefits administration
- Global immigration and visa support
- Global equity administration
Gusto alternatives by what you need
Cheaper than Gusto
How to choose a Gusto alternative
- Start with payroll. If the statutory side is wrong, nothing else matters — ask the vendor to run a live payroll for a sample employee in your state and show you the PF, ESI and PT calculations.
- Next, check how attendance actually reaches the system. Biometric device integration, geo-tagged mobile check-in and shift rostering are three very different problems, and most vendors are strong at one and weak at the others.
- Finally, look at what happens at scale. Many Indian HRMS products are priced per employee per month with a floor of fifty or a hundred employees, which makes them expensive for a twenty-person team and cheap for a five-hundred-person one.
Gusto alternatives — FAQs
What is the best alternative to Gusto in 2026?+
The closest matches to Gusto on App Advisor are Paybooks (₹1,800/mo), Remote (₹2,400/mo), OnPay (₹3,000/mo). They are ranked by how closely their category, pricing model, platforms and target business size match Gusto, then by rating. The best choice depends on your team size and budget.
Is there a free alternative to Gusto?+
None of the 20 closest alternatives to Gusto has a free plan. Most offer a free trial instead, so ask for one before you commit.
What is the cheapest alternative to Gusto?+
Among alternatives that publish a price, uKnowva HRMS starts lowest at ₹100/mo, compared with ₹3,000/mo for Gusto. Prices are read from each vendor's website and exclude GST.
Is there an Indian alternative to Gusto?+
Yes. 7 alternatives are built in India, including Paybooks (₹1,800/mo), Marg Payroll (₹5,400/mo), Paybooks Payroll (₹1,800/mo). Indian products usually handle GST, TDS and UPI natively and bill in rupees.
Gusto vs Paybooks: which is better?+
Paybooks is the closest match to Gusto in our catalogue. Key differences: Starts ₹1,200/mo cheaper (₹1,800/mo vs ₹3,000/mo); Built in India (Bengaluru). Compare them side by side before you book a demo.
How were these Gusto alternatives chosen?+
Every product listed sits in hrms software or a category Gusto also covers, and Gusto's own products are excluded. Prices, free plans and platforms come from each vendor's official website. App Advisor does not sell any of this software.
Free shortlist
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Related alternatives
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