Gusto vs. UKG Ready

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Gusto
Score 8.9 out of 10
N/A
Gusto offers payroll, benefits and compliance capabilities. Gusto is scaled for small to mid-sized businesses, and emphasizes an easy to use interface.
$49
per month
UKG Ready
Score 8.8 out of 10
N/A
The UKG Ready® software suite is a centralized HCM solution designed for small to mid-sized businesses. It automates and streamlines HR, payroll, benefits, time, talent, and scheduling processes. UKG Ready's suite of tools offer actionable insights while helping to ensure compliance. Using AI, it draws on work, people, and culture data to boost efficiency and productivity. For example, UKG Ready streamlines core HR…N/A
Pricing
GustoUKG Ready
Editions & Modules
Simple: A streamlined set of automatic payroll features and benefits integrations
$49/month + $6/mo per person
per month
Plus: Comprehensive payroll, benefits, and HR tools for employers building a great place to work
$80/month + $12/mo per person
per month
Premium: Scalable payroll and benefits, expert HR, and dedicated support for the complex needs of growing teams
$180/month + $22/mo per person
per month
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
GustoUKG Ready
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
YesYes
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeRequired
Additional DetailsGusto offers three pricing plans for payroll, benefits, and HR.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
GustoUKG Ready
Features
GustoUKG Ready
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
9.1
514 Ratings
10% above category average
UKG Ready
9.5
194 Ratings
17% above category average
Pay calculation9.5493 Ratings9.6182 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors8.58 Ratings9.2112 Ratings
Benefit plan administration8.8358 Ratings9.6141 Ratings
Direct deposit files9.4497 Ratings9.8145 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management9.2383 Ratings9.6133 Ratings
Reimbursement management9.5127 Ratings00 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment00 Ratings9.282 Ratings
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
UKG Ready
9.3
196 Ratings
17% above category average
Employee demographic data00 Ratings9.7172 Ratings
Employment history00 Ratings9.4167 Ratings
Job profiles and administration00 Ratings9.5168 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.00 Ratings9.4157 Ratings
Organizational charting00 Ratings8.1127 Ratings
Organization and location management00 Ratings9.4149 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)00 Ratings9.6125 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
UKG Ready
9.5
175 Ratings
17% above category average
Approval workflow00 Ratings9.5159 Ratings
Balance details00 Ratings9.3167 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment00 Ratings9.6142 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
UKG Ready
8.7
183 Ratings
7% above category average
View and generate pay and benefit information00 Ratings9.6163 Ratings
Update personal information00 Ratings9.6170 Ratings
View company policy documentation00 Ratings6.0143 Ratings
View job history00 Ratings9.6146 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
UKG Ready
9.8
67 Ratings
19% above category average
Tracking of all physical assets00 Ratings9.867 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
UKG Ready
8.7
191 Ratings
15% above category average
Report builder00 Ratings8.2184 Ratings
Pre-built reports00 Ratings9.1185 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
UKG Ready
7.8
129 Ratings
1% below category average
New hire portal00 Ratings7.2127 Ratings
Manager tracking tools00 Ratings8.3102 Ratings
Performance and Goals
Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
UKG Ready
8.3
74 Ratings
5% above category average
Individual goal setting00 Ratings8.466 Ratings
Performance tracking00 Ratings8.373 Ratings
Performance Management
Comparison of Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
UKG Ready
7.3
93 Ratings
7% below category average
Performance plans00 Ratings6.383 Ratings
Performance improvement plans00 Ratings6.376 Ratings
Review status tracking00 Ratings8.284 Ratings
Review reminders00 Ratings8.787 Ratings
Multiple review frequency00 Ratings6.873 Ratings
Succession Planning
Comparison of Succession Planning features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
UKG Ready
7.0
27 Ratings
11% below category average
Create succession plans/pools00 Ratings5.826 Ratings
Candidate ranking00 Ratings7.56 Ratings
Candidate search00 Ratings7.47 Ratings
Candidate development00 Ratings7.45 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
UKG Ready
7.2
100 Ratings
7% below category average
Job Requisition Management00 Ratings7.186 Ratings
Company Website Posting00 Ratings9.283 Ratings
Publish to Social Media00 Ratings6.162 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting00 Ratings7.265 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention00 Ratings5.764 Ratings
Applicant Tracking00 Ratings8.088 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts00 Ratings6.893 Ratings
Best Alternatives
GustoUKG Ready
Small Businesses
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.5 out of 10
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.5 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.7 out of 10
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.7 out of 10
Enterprises
Infor Human Resources
Infor Human Resources
Score 7.1 out of 10
PeopleStrong
PeopleStrong
Score 9.9 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
GustoUKG Ready
Likelihood to Recommend
9.1
(538 ratings)
8.8
(221 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
10.0
(12 ratings)
7.1
(18 ratings)
Usability
9.5
(362 ratings)
8.9
(103 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(3 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
9.3
(7 ratings)
Support Rating
1.2
(25 ratings)
6.8
(74 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
7.8
(2 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
6.0
(4 ratings)
Implementation Rating
8.2
(1 ratings)
6.0
(10 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(4 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
5.2
(75 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(3 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(3 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(3 ratings)
User Testimonials
GustoUKG Ready
Likelihood to Recommend
Gusto
Gusto is a great fit for small teams and startups that want a simple, reliable way to run payroll, manage tax filings, and give CPAs access without constant micromanagement. It’s especially useful for founders who need something that “just works.” The human support has been excellent—especially when forwarding confusing IRS mail.
That said, it’s a bit less intuitive when it comes to benefits and compliance for fully remote companies. For example, labor law poster distribution isn’t streamlined for digital teams, and setting up benefits felt more complex than it needed to be. Still, I’d recommend Gusto to any startup looking to get payroll right from day one.
Read full review
UKG
There’s not much for me to share here other than multiple mobile apps for employees to download for different functions. We have the learning function activated and employees had to download a second mobile app (HCMToGo Learning) to be able to access the Learning portal on the go. Concerned that if we continue to add more functionality, there will be more apps to download.
Read full review
Pros
Gusto
  • Gusto really kills it on the simplicity. The app and website are very clear and straightforward.
  • Gusto also does a great job at being easy to navigate, visually pleasing, and logically posed.
  • Gusto communicates very clearly and provides just the right amount of communication.
  • Gusto makes the onboarding process very easy. I recently started at a new company and the process of filling out the necessary documents, filling out forms, and getting my benefit information input was soooooo easy!
Read full review
UKG
  • Support—UKG support, from the Account Managers to CSMs to Ready Support, is amazing. They are always willing to help!
  • Documentation—UKG has built-in online documentation, which is a live, easy-to-use version of a very lengthy manual.
  • Ease of use- the system is intuitive, easy to train others to use.
Read full review
Cons
Gusto
  • Adding in previous time manually could be more accessible.
  • Notifications for when employees manually change hours.
  • We should allow 1099 users to use the mobile app instead of restricting them to the website, especially since they can just log into the full website on their mobile device.
Read full review
UKG
  • We have had ongoing issues with our accruals.
  • Auto generate timesheets in the "Team Timesheets" view.
  • Granting manager access is cumbersome - access needs to be given in multiple places.
  • The sync between Pro and Ready in my opinion is terrible and needs much improvement.
  • Auto assign Employee Time Zones based on work location.
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
Gusto
Unless they break it, I'm never leaving. It's just too easy. Gusto is also really affordable, and for what I pay, it's worth having the historical record within the system. I like that I can go back and pull up W2's for year's past. This sort of easy access reporting, has been helpful especially when getting reports for PPP loans.
Read full review
UKG
We plan to renew our support and use of UKG Ready each year unless it becomes unavailable or the district seeks another vendor. As of now, there are no plans to changes vendors. The district staff is now familiar with using UKG. Another vendor will need to meet the same expectations we have come to enjoy with using UKG
Read full review
Usability
Gusto
The overall platform and its speed of response are amazing. I would recommend this to any other business owner for ease of use and reliability. Email reminders are great if I’m super busy and have forgotten a few tasks. The price point compared to local payroll service is hands down a huge win.
Read full review
UKG
The few challenges we have encountered have been with creating reports for the organization, managing performance goals and creating service tickets for urgent matters. Overall we have found UKG Ready to be super helpful and it has streamlined many of our HR processes for us but there could be some improvements on the items listed
Read full review
Reliability and Availability
Gusto
No answers on this topic
UKG
The system seems very stable. Being hosted in the cloud, we are vulnerable to internet speeds and busy times. The system has been down a couple times over the 3 months we have been live, but Kronos resolved the issues very quickly. To have access from a desktop, tablet, time clock, or phone app is one of the best features....users have almost NO REASON they can't clock in.
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Performance
Gusto
No answers on this topic
UKG
We were always told that Kronos was the best, but there are reports that we got out of ADP and other payroll providers that we cannot get out of Kronos. One example is a report of Productive/Non-productive hours by department. We also need the dollar amount associated with the hours. This is information that is required on our cost report and we were told that that report is unavailable. It is very frustrating when I can't get what I need.
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Support Rating
Gusto
Gusto's customer service has really deteriorated lately and they seem to have really changed their focus. It used to be when you called you were routed to an individual who knew about payroll, benefits, reporting, etc. but now you get someone who seems to have not received the correct training. My last call about a dismissal payroll took me over an hour of my time and the person still could not help me and finally transferred me to someone else.
Read full review
UKG
If I was only rating support itself that would be a 10. Every support case I have entered has been addressed efficiently and with the desired result. On the implementation and transition to support there were multiple issues that those doing the implementation or transition could not answer or workflows and various settings left undone only to be discovered later. We implemented 3 different modules and the expertise we got for each one varied widely.
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In-Person Training
Gusto
No answers on this topic
UKG
Our in-person training was a hybrid. Live online training with an instructor. They were very knowledgeable of the product & the area they were training on. I asked several specific questions and if they didn't know the answer immediately they followed up after class.
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Online Training
Gusto
No answers on this topic
UKG
Pretty good online training, you have many how to options and can watch them several times. It can be hard at times to dig through the amount of data online but can usually find what you are looking for. Also you can download documentation for setting up the profiles and policies.
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Implementation Rating
Gusto
Reach out to support immediately if you are having trouble setting up Gusto. Rather than being confused and trying to figure it out yourself, it's much better to talk to someone who knows what they are doing. Save yourself time and frustration and reach out to support
Read full review
UKG
Make sure the people who are doing the build have extensive knowledge on employment law and asking the right questions. I would bet that the people who helped with our builds did not read any of our employment contracts or ordinances; and when I asked questions about how other companies handled certain basic dictates from federal employment laws, they didn't have any idea what FMLA, FLSA, etc were.
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Alternatives Considered
Gusto
It's been a while since I used QuickBooks for payroll, but it doesn't even come close to it. Gusto is infinitely easier, allowing for employee time tracking, handling calculations and payments of payroll and payroll taxes, managing regulatory compliance in the background, and more. I had a lot of moments using QuickBooks Payroll where I thought, "Am I even doing this right?" — it felt like you had to have additional knowledge of HR regulations in your state to do everything correctly. Gusto has it ALL handled so you can focus your time on higher-impact tasks in your business.
Read full review
UKG
We currently use Paycom and are extremely dissatisfied with the lack of functionality and poor customer service. Rippling and ADP were other vendors we evaluated who performed well and offer a lot of functionality but we decided UKG was the best fit for our needs now and to scale with our strategic growth plans.
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Scalability
Gusto
No answers on this topic
UKG
Thus far we are able to add as many users as necessary, implement 3 different bargaining units, 5 different types of user groups. Very flexible.
Read full review
Return on Investment
Gusto
  • For me, it is hard to quantify payroll software as having an ROI. It does save quite a bit of time per pay period, so perhaps we could assign a theoretical number to an employee taking that time. I'd say, at the least, it saves 30-60 minutes a pay period compared to a more difficult-to-use payroll software.
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UKG
  • This is basic, but we finally know how many employees we have! It sounds ridiculous, but prior to UKG Ready we were on a payroll system that's reports were only as accurate as the last payroll cycle, so they were always 2 weeks behind and static. UKG Ready allows for realtime, daily reporting of information.
  • We are able to get salary data for our various locations to be able to compare them to each other, as well as across our "competitors" and external competition.
  • The data provided allows us to be able to understand the trends at individual locations including attrition, advancement, raise information, and other data points that we haven't historically done comparisons on
  • We can see the demographic and geographical information for our employees and the benefits that they elect
Read full review
ScreenShots

Gusto Screenshots

Screenshot of Gusto's automated payrollScreenshot of the time-off tracking interfaceScreenshot of the source of truth for HR data

UKG Ready Screenshots

Screenshot of the employee mobile interface.Screenshot of trust index survey results.Screenshot of the manager dashboard.Screenshot of payroll analytics.