Gusto is a payroll tool, and that is the whole point
If you are a US company that started on Gusto, you started there for a good reason. Gusto runs W-2 payroll, files US taxes, administers benefits, and pays your domestic contractors, all in one place. For a US-based team that is exactly the tool you want.
The strain shows up when your contractor roster crosses a border. Gusto’s published contractor plan is built around domestic US contractor payments and Form 1099 creation and filing, on gusto.com/product/pricing as of May 2026. It does offer international contractor payments, but its country coverage and its compliance workflow for foreign contractors are narrower than a platform built for global payments. That is not a knock on Gusto. It is a payroll platform doing payroll well; global contractor payments are a different job.
So the real question is not “what replaces Gusto.” For US W-2 payroll, usually nothing should. The question is “what do I add or switch to when I start paying contractors in other countries.” This guide walks the main Gusto alternatives for a US payer in 2026, with every competitor figure read from that vendor’s own live page and dated. Pricing changes, so check the live page before you sign.
What Gusto charges, for reference
Before the alternatives, here is Gusto’s own published model so you have a baseline.
Pricing model, as published: Gusto lists a contractor-only plan at a $35 per month base fee plus $6 per month per contractor, with the base fee promoted at $0 for the first six months, on gusto.com/product/pricing as of May 2026. Its full-service payroll plans are listed separately as Simple at $49 per month plus $6 per person, Plus at $80 per month plus $12 per person, and Premium at $180 per month plus $22 per person, on the same page as of May 2026.
Gusto’s contractor plan combines a base monthly fee with a per-contractor fee, a different shape from a flat per-seat figure. The published contractor features center on domestic payments and Form 1099 filing. International contractor payments are available, and Gusto’s page notes that foreign exchange rates may vary, so for cross-border work treat FX as a separate cost layer.
Where Gusto fits: US-centric companies that run, or expect to run, W-2 payroll and benefits, and pay domestic contractors inside the same platform.
The four alternatives, and who each one fits:
- Deel, for the broadest country coverage in one platform.
- Remote, for IP-sensitive work where you want a platform that owns its own legal entities.
- Wise, a payment rail, for teams that handle their own contracts and only need to move money.
- Omnivoo Contract Management, $49 per contractor per month with competitive FX and a simple 1% contractor withdrawal fee, for teams that want a published per-seat price and the exchange rate passed through at cost.
Deel, for the broadest country coverage
Pricing model, as published: Deel lists standard contractor management at $49 per contractor per month, Contractor of Record at $325 per contractor per month, and EOR at $599 per employee per month, on deel.com/pricing as of May 2026.
Deel is the category leader for global contractor payments, and country coverage is its reason to exist. Where Gusto’s contractor plan centers on US payments, Deel builds the foreign-contractor compliance workflow in across many countries. This is a per-seat recurring model: the fee runs every month a contractor seat is active. The FX margin is not stated on the headline figure, so treat it as a separate layer to ask about in writing before you sign.
Where Deel fits: Rosters spread across many countries that want one platform for global contractors and, if needed, global EOR.
Remote, for IP-sensitive work
Pricing model, as published: Remote lists contractor management at $29 per contractor per month on the Standard tier and $99 per contractor per month on the Plus tier, and EOR at $599 per employee per month on annual billing to $699 per employee per month, on remote.com/pricing as of May 2026.
Remote is also a per-seat recurring model, so the cost shape is similar to Deel’s: you pay every month the seat exists. The distinction is structural. Remote owns its legal entities directly in most countries rather than relying on a chain of local partners, which is the basis of its pitch for IP-sensitive work. If your contractor work involves source code, product design, or other sensitive IP, the directly-owned-entity model can matter more than the per-head price. As with Deel, any FX margin is a separate layer that is not on the headline.
Where Remote fits: Steady contractor retainers, and creative or product work where sensitive IP makes the directly-owned-entity model worth the per-seat fee.
Wise, a rail, for teams that handle their own contracts
Pricing model, as published: Wise Business lists FX conversion from 0.57 percent and a one-time account setup fee of 31 USD, with transfer fees that vary by currency, on wise.com/us/pricing/business as of May 2026. Wise states it does not inflate the mid-market exchange rate.
Wise is the odd one out, on purpose. It is a payment rail, not a contractor platform. It moves money cheaply and shows its FX margin openly, which most platforms do not. But it does not generate a country-aware contract, collect a Form W-8BEN, classify the worker, or produce year-end 1099-NEC data.
So Wise is an alternative only if you already do the compliance work yourself. If you draft your own contracts, collect your own tax forms, and assemble your own year-end data, a rail is the cheapest way to move the money and the open FX margin is a real advantage. If you want that compliance workflow handled, a rail alone is not a substitute for a platform. See global contractor payment methods compared for the full rails-versus-platforms split.
Where Wise fits: Teams that already handle contracts and tax compliance and just need the cheapest, most transparent way to send the money.
Omnivoo, the no-FX-markup alternative
Pricing model: $49 per contractor per month. Transaction fees passed through at cost, competitive FX and a 1% contractor withdrawal fee, cancel anytime. This is stated as our own pricing on /solutions/contract-management.
Omnivoo Contract Management is the alternative that changes the FX layer rather than just the brand. The seat is $49 per contractor per month, in line with the per-seat structure the rest of the category uses, but the exchange rate is passed through at cost with no margin added. The contract, the tax form, and the payout sit in one flow, built for contractor payments across 177 countries.
The difference shows up on every cross-border payout. On per-seat platforms an FX margin is layered on the exchange rate at payout time, often invisible on the headline price. On Omnivoo, the seat fee and the 1% contractor service fee are both published, so the cost is known before the payout rather than discovered in the rate. Across a year of international payouts, that FX layer is usually the larger number on the bill. See the FX margin guide for how that compounds.
Where Omnivoo fits: Teams paying contractors across borders that want a published per-seat price and a published payout fee, with the contract and tax form handled in the same flow.
Where Omnivoo does not fit: US W-2 payroll and benefits, which is Gusto’s core, and global EOR. Omnivoo’s EOR is India-only, so to employ people across many countries you need a different platform.
Pricing models compared
| Alternative | Platform fee model | Headline figure (as published) | FX margin on headline? | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gusto (the baseline) | Base + per-contractor | $35/mo base + $6 per contractor (as of May 2026) | Not stated, FX may vary | US-based contractors + W-2 payroll |
| Deel | Per-seat monthly | From $49 per contractor per month (as of May 2026) | Not stated on headline | Broadest global coverage + EOR |
| Remote | Per-seat monthly | $29 standard / $99 Plus per contractor per month (as of May 2026) | Not stated on headline | IP-sensitive retainers, own-entity model |
| Wise | Pay-per-transfer rail | FX from 0.57% + setup fee 31 USD (as of May 2026) | Stated openly | Money movement only, you handle contracts |
| Omnivoo Contract Management | Per-seat monthly | $49/contractor/month (as of May 2026) | No margin, passed through at cost | Teams who want a stated no-markup FX rate |
Every competitor figure above is read from that vendor’s own public page on the date shown. Pricing changes, so confirm the live page before deciding. The figures describe the pricing model, not a guarantee of your final quote.
Compliance is the same problem regardless of the brand
Moving off Gusto for international contractors does not move the compliance work. Whichever alternative you pick, the contract, the right IRS tax form, and the year-end data are part of the real cost of paying contractors compliantly.
- A US contractor files a Form W-9. A foreign individual files a W-8BEN. A foreign entity files a W-8BEN-E, per the IRS Form W-8BEN instructions.
- Per IRS guidance, most US-source income paid to a foreign person is subject to a default 30 percent withholding tax unless a tax treaty or the Internal Revenue Code reduces it (IRS). A valid W-8 on file is what lets a payer apply a lower treaty rate.
- US contractors paid over the annual reporting threshold need 1099-NEC data. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act raised that threshold from $600 to $2,000 starting in 2026, as summarized by tax advisories such as RSM US. Confirm the current threshold on the IRS page before you file.
- Treating a contractor like an employee creates misclassification exposure regardless of which platform moves the money.
Gusto’s published contractor plan includes Form 1099 creation and filing, which fits its US-centric purpose. Deel, Remote, and Omnivoo build the foreign-contractor compliance workflow in for cross-border rosters. Wise, as a rail, does not. For country-specific detail, see paying Indian contractors from a US company and paying Philippine contractors from a US company.
How to pick the right alternative
- Map your roster by country first. If your contractors are US-based, Gusto’s domestic focus and Form 1099 filing fit, and you avoid paying for global breadth you do not use. If they are spread across countries, that is the trigger to add or switch to a platform built for it.
- Decide how much compliance you want handled. If you handle contracts and tax forms yourself, a rail like Wise is the cheapest mover. If you want them done for you, you need a platform.
- Weigh the IP question. If sensitive IP is involved, a directly-owned-entity model like Remote’s may matter more than the per-head price.
- Read the live pricing page and the FX margin. Note the date you read it and ask for the FX margin in writing, because on a cross-border roster it is often the biggest cost and it is rarely on the headline.
The bottom line
Gusto earned its place as a US payroll and benefits platform, and for a US-based team paying domestic contractors it is a fair default, listed at a $35 base plus $6 per contractor as of May 2026. The reason to look at an alternative is going international. Deel fits the broadest coverage. Remote fits IP-sensitive work with its own-entity model. Wise fits teams that move money and handle their own contracts. And Omnivoo Contract Management fits teams that want a published per-seat price with no FX margin layered on top, at $49 per contractor per month with transaction fees passed through at cost.
If your contractors are all US-based and you mainly need domestic payroll, stay on a payroll tool. Gusto, or another US payroll platform, is built for exactly that, and a global contractor platform would be paying for breadth you do not use. Match the tool to where your people actually sit.
Compare on /pricing, see the full three-layer breakdown in contractor payment platform fees compared, or read Deel vs Gusto for contractor payments for the head-to-head.
This article is for general information and is not legal, tax, or financial advice. Verify current pricing on each vendor’s live page and consult a qualified professional for your situation.