← Back to payroll Overview
The Showdown

Gustovspayroll

Why pay monthly fees for Gusto when you can self-host payroll for free? Let's look at the facts.

Gusto

The Expensive Option

  • Closed Source (Black box)
  • Expensive monthly fees per user
  • Data stored on their servers
WINNER

payroll

The Freedom Choice

  • 100% Open Source Code
  • Free forever (Self-hosted)
  • You own your data completely
Get payroll Now
Interactive Calculator

Calculate Your "SaaS Tax"

SaaS pricing is designed to scale with your success. See how much wealth transfers from your bank account to Gusto's shareholders.

10 people
150100200+
$

*Estimated standard pricing for Gusto. Adjust if needed.

Estimated Annual Waste
$1,440
Monthly Burn Rate$120
5-Year Projection$7,200
Cost with Self-Hosted$0
Start Saving Today

Calculations based on 10 users at $12/mo.

Detailed Breakdown

0
Fixed UI options
Python-based logic
1
Third-party cloud
Self-hosted database
2
API-based sync
Native Odoo ERP