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Switch from Paychex

Switching from Paychex Flex to Gusto

By Payroll Dad · Last verified Oct 2026We earn a referral reward if you sign up through our link. How we make money · How we evaluate

$100 Visa gift card from Gusto when you switch or sign up through our link (by Jan 31, 2027)

The fine print, in plain words: sign up for Gusto payroll through our link by Jan 31, 2027 and run at least one paid payroll. Gusto sends the card within 30 days of your first paid payroll invoice, and your account has to be open when it goes out. The gift card comes from Gusto, not from us, and we don’t add a bonus of our own. Read Gusto’s terms.

Get the $100 gift card on Gusto’s website →

Paychex can grow with you all the way to a PEO. If you're a small team that wants simple, published pricing, here's how to move.

Dad’s short answer

If the one-year agreement on Paychex’s current promo bugs you, Gusto is month-to-month with its price on the page. If you love your payroll specialist, stay.

  • Paychex Flex is quote-only, and its current promo comes with a one-year agreement. Gusto is month-to-month.51
  • Paychex wins on hand-holding: a dedicated payroll specialist option and room to grow into HR or a PEO.5
  • The move is mostly uploads. Gusto's importer takes Paychex reports during onboarding.4
ProviderBest forStarting price
GustoMost small teams that want payroll taxes filed for them, in one state (Simple) or several (Plus)Simple $49/mo + $6/person; Plus $80/mo + $12/person1
Patriot SoftwareThe lowest full-service price for teams of 2 or moreFull Service $37/mo + $5/worker; Basic $17 + $4 if you file taxes yourself8
QuickBooks PayrollPeople already doing their books in QuickBooksFrom $88/mo + $6.50/employee, bundled with Simple Start accounting9
Square PayrollShops and restaurants already on Square POS$35/mo + $6/person; contractor-only $6/person10
OnPayTeams in several states that want one flat rate$49/mo + $6/person, multi-state included11
Paychex Flex youOwners who want a dedicated payroll specialistQuote only5

Starting list prices from each company’s pricing page, verified Oct 31, 2026. Add-ons and promos not included. Confirm on their site.

Start on Gusto’s website →

Goes through our referral page first. We earn a reward if you sign up; your price doesn’t change.

Who this is for

You run payroll on Paychex today. Gusto fits you if:

  • You want to see the price before you talk to anyone.1
  • Month-to-month, cancel anytime.1 Paychex's current promo comes with a one-year service agreement and an early-termination clause.5
  • Off-cycle payrolls never cost extra.1
  • Paychex is on Gusto's transfer-automation list, so the move is mostly uploading files.4

Why Gusto, compared with Paychex

Dad story

Picture a family-run bakery. Six people on payroll.

Every December, someone asks the same question.

“What are we actually paying for payroll?”

With Paychex, the answer lives in a quote.5

With Gusto Simple it's $49 + 6 × $6. $85.1

Neither number is scary.

The scary part is not knowing the number.

(Made-up business. Real prices, checked Oct 31, 2026.)

List prices from each company's own site, read on Oct 31, 2026. Promos and quotes vary.

Paychex FlexGusto
Published pricingNot published. Packages (Basic, Foundations, Advanced, Complete) are quoted.5 See current pricing.Simple $49/mo + $6/mo per person. Plus $80/mo + $12/mo per person. Premium $180/mo + $22/mo per person.1 Month-to-month, cancel anytime.1
What's includedUnlimited payroll processing, W-2 and 1099 year-end processing, Taxpay automatic tax administration, garnishment payments.5Unlimited payroll runs, including off-cycle. Automatic federal, state and local payroll tax filings, including W-2s, 1099s, Form 940 and Form 941.2
Contractor paymentsW-2s and 1099s are part of year-end processing.5US contractors cost your plan's per-person rate, and only in months you pay them.1 The contractor-only plan closed to new customers on Oct 1, 2026.3
State tax filingsPaychex calculates, withholds and files federal, state and local taxes.6Simple covers one state. Plus and Premium cover multiple states.2 Registering in a new state is an add-on; price varies by state.1
Switching into GustoYou export two reports from Paychex (employee data and payroll history) and upload them to Gusto during onboarding.Gusto's payroll transfer automation accepts reports from QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, ADP Run and Paychex during onboarding.4

What it costs for your team

Change the numbers, or type in your last Paychex bill. Dad does the multiplication.

Your numbers

✓ Prices checked Oct 31, 2026

List prices from each company’s own pricing page. Promos, add-ons and taxes not included. Quote-only providers show “quote only.” How we calculate

Start on Gusto’s website →

Goes through our referral page first. We earn a reward if you sign up; your price doesn’t change.

Where Paychex is genuinely better

  • Hands-on onboarding. You can set up on your own or with an implementation specialist.6
  • A dedicated payroll specialist is an option.5
  • Room to grow. Paychex says each bundle is built to grow with you, with HR, time and attendance, and a PEO option on the same company's menu.5
  • A big promo right now. Paychex's “Do Not Pay Until April 2027” offer gives up to six free months of payroll service for new clients who sign a one-year agreement on a qualifying bundle between Oct 12 and Nov 24, 2026. Other fees still apply.5
  • HR business partners who answer compliance questions.6

Your Paychex-to-Gusto checklist

Do these in order. Grab a coffee. It's mostly downloading PDFs. Want to tick them off? Use the interactive switching checklist; it remembers your progress.

  1. Company tax IDs. Your EIN, legal name exactly as the IRS has it, and whether you file Form 941 (quarterly) or 944. Pull your federal deposit schedule while you're in there.
  2. State account numbers. State withholding account number, state unemployment (SUI) account number and current rate, and any local tax IDs. Paychex has these on file. Copy them before you cancel.
  3. Year-to-date payroll. A YTD payroll register for every employee paid this year, including people who quit. Gross pay, taxable wages, withholding, deductions, check dates.
  4. Prior quarter 941s and tax payments. Copies of every Form 941 and state quarterly return filed this year, plus proof of tax deposits. Gusto asks for YTD reports and documentation of this year's tax payments.7
  5. Employee W-4s and direct deposit. Each person's federal W-4 (and state form), pay rate, pay schedule, deductions, garnishments, PTO balances, and bank details.
  6. Contractors. Names, W-9s, and what you've paid each one this year, so 1099s come out right.
  7. Ask for the two reports Gusto's importer wants. One for employee data, one for payroll history. If you're uploading several quarters, it needs a separate report for each. The upload only works during onboarding.4
  8. Agree who files what. Only one provider can file a quarterly return for a given quarter. If both file, the second one gets rejected.7 Get Paychex to confirm in writing which quarters it will file.
  9. Run one payroll in Gusto, then cancel. Download every report and tax form from Paychex first. Once you lose access, those PDFs get hard to find.

Why the end of the year is the easiest time to switch

Gusto handles quarterly returns starting with the quarter of your first Gusto check date.7 So the cleanest plan is a first Gusto payday in January 2027.

  • Paychex finishes 2026: the Q4 Form 941 and your 2026 W-2s. W-2s are due to employees and the SSA by February 1, 2027.23 Get Paychex to confirm in writing that it's filing them.
  • Gusto starts 2027 with a clean slate. With a first check date in Q1, Gusto's list is just the pay stubs from the current quarter.24 Start in January and that's close to nothing.
  • Any other quarter works too. You'll just be entering more history.

If you sign up through our link by Jan 31, 2027 and run a paid payroll, Gusto's referral terms say you get a $100 Visa gift card. We get a referral reward too.25

FAQ: Paychex to Gusto

Can I upload my Paychex payroll history to Gusto?

Yes. Paychex is one of four providers Gusto's transfer automation supports, during onboarding only.4

How much does Paychex Flex cost?

Paychex quotes Flex packages instead of publishing a price. Get your quote in writing, including per-payroll and year-end fees, and compare it with Gusto's published plans.

Who files my Q4 941 if I leave Paychex on January 1?

The provider that paid those wages. Only one provider can file a given quarter.7 Get Paychex to confirm in writing that it's filing Q4 2026 and your 2026 W-2s.

Do I need to cancel Paychex before signing up for Gusto?

No. Set up Gusto first, run your first Gusto payroll, then cancel Paychex after you've downloaded everything.

Sources, checked Oct 31, 2026

Every number on this page comes from one of these pages. Prices change; if a vendor updates its page, theirs wins.

  1. Gusto: Pricing
  2. Gusto Help Center: Understanding Gusto plans
  3. Gusto Help Center: Add and pay US contractors
  4. Gusto Help Center: Payroll transfer automation
  5. Paychex: Compare payroll packages
  6. Paychex: Small business payroll
  7. Gusto Help Center: Payroll tax responsibilities when switching to Gusto
  8. Patriot Software: Pricing
  9. QuickBooks: Payroll pricing
  10. Square: Payroll pricing
  11. OnPay: Costs and pricing
  12. ADP: RUN Powered by ADP
  13. Rippling: Pricing
  14. Wave: Payroll
  15. Paycor: Plans & pricing for businesses under 50 employees
  16. Paylocity: Pricing
  17. Paycom: Pricing
  18. Justworks: Pricing
  19. SurePayroll by Paychex: Pricing
  20. Auris (formerly Heartland Payroll): Payroll
  21. Toast: Pricing
  22. Gusto Help Center: Contact Gusto Support
  23. IRS: General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3 (2026)
  24. Gusto Help Center: Enter previous payrolls during account setup
  25. Gusto: Referral Rewards Terms