Gusto vs. Deel: U.S. Payroll Offers

Gusto is a payroll, benefits and HR platform for small businesses. It runs payroll in all 50 US states and files payroll taxes automatically. Every plan includes unlimited payroll runs, and there is no annual contract.

FoundLyft links to a co-branded sign-up page that Gusto hosts. New customers who sign up through it get 3 months free: the monthly base fee and the per-person fee both show as $0 for the first three months.

• Simple: single-state payroll, full-service tax filing, basic PTO policies and holiday pay, and integrations with accounting, time-tracking and expense tools
• Plus: multi-state payroll, next-day direct deposit, advanced hiring and onboarding tools, and time and project tracking
• Premium: a dedicated customer success manager, an HR resource center with compliance alerts, access to certified HR experts, and priority support

After the free months, Gusto's regular pricing applies. On Gusto's offer page the regular prices were $49 + $6 per person per month (Simple), $80 + $12 (Plus) and $180 + $22 (Premium) on 2026-10-06. Check Gusto's pricing page for current rates.

Gusto and all related marks are trademarks of Gusto.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

New Gusto customers only. Gusto's promotion terms disqualify an offer if its records show your name, email, phone number or payment details were used on a prior Gusto account, or if it suspects fraud. Offers have no cash value, can't be transferred, and can't be combined with other offers unless Gusto says so. Gusto can change or cancel an offer at any time. Gusto payroll covers all 50 US states.

1. Use the button on this page to open Gusto's co-branded FoundLyft page.
2. Select "Sign up now" and create your Gusto account. Gusto says you don't pay anything until you're ready to run payroll.
3. Choose the Simple, Plus or Premium plan. Gusto applies the offer to your invoices as long as its terms are met.

Deel is a global people platform for hiring, managing and paying teams worldwide: payroll, HR, contractors and employer-of-record services.

This listing is Deel's own startup offer, taken from its startup page. It is not a FoundLyft-only deal, and FoundLyft adds no terms of its own.

Under "Startup pricing bundle", Deel lists:

• Free U.S. payroll for founders, for life
• The first 5 seats free for life for venture-backed startups

Deel's stated criteria: the startup must have raised at least $500k in funding, verifiable on Crunchbase.

Deel's startup page asks you to book a demo to get the offer, and the booking form asks for a work email. Deel decides who qualifies and can change its offers, so check its startup page for the current terms.

Deel's stated criteria: the company must have raised at least $500k in funding, verifiable on Crunchbase. Deel lists this criterion with the five free seats for venture-backed startups. Deel decides eligibility and can change the offer.

1. Use the button on this page to open Deel's page for booking a demo with its team. The form asks for a work email.
2. Book the demo. Deel's startup page asks you to book a demo to get its Startup pricing bundle.
3. Tell Deel you are asking about the free U.S. payroll for founders and the five free seats, and confirm with them that your startup meets their criteria (at least $500k raised, verifiable on Crunchbase).