Gusto vs Melio Comparison 2026
Both cover creator finance and accounting & tax. Here is what separates them on price, billing, what you can take with you, and coverage.
At a glance
- Melio starts cheaper, at $25.
- Only Melio has a free tier.
Side by side
Gusto | Melio | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (they differ) | From $49 | From $25 |
| Pricing model (they differ) | Paid subscription | Free plan, paid tiers |
| Free tier (they differ) | No | Yes |
| Billing | Monthly or annual | Monthly or annual |
| Free trial | Not stated | 30 days |
| API | Not stated | Not stated |
| Data export | Not stated | Not stated |
| Their cut | Not stated | Not stated |
| Runs on | Web | Web |
| Covers |
Shaded rows are where the two answers disagree and both listings have answered. A row where one side has not stated a fact is left plain, because silence is not a difference.
Gusto
Payroll for the first person you hire
Gusto is what a creator business turns to on the day an editor stops being a contractor and becomes an employee. It runs the payroll, files the taxes in the states you owe them, handles onboarding and offers benefits on top. The per-person fee is the number to watch: the base looks small and the headcount is what actually sets the bill. Contractor-only payments are cheaper than full payroll and sold separately.
Our note
Work the total at your actual headcount rather than comparing base prices, because the per-person charge doubles between Simple and Plus and that is where the real difference sits. If everyone you pay is a contractor, this is the wrong product and you are paying a payroll price for an invoicing problem.
Melio
Pay the people who work for you, free
Melio is bill payment for a business too small to have an accounts payable department and too busy to keep writing bank transfers by hand. You schedule what goes out, pay by bank transfer at no cost or by card for a fee, and the recipient gets it however they want it. The free tier is not a trial and covers one user. Batch payments and approval rules are what the paid plans are actually selling.
Our note
Ratings are the average of reviews readers left. The facts are stated by each tool’s own listing and are not verified by CloutStack. How we make money.