Deel vs Gusto: US payroll, global hiring and contractor fees (2026)

Two products built for different teams

Gusto's core is US payroll, benefits and HR for small businesses, with unlimited payroll runs on every plan. International work is an add-on: Gusto pays contractors in more than 120 countries and sends full-time employees abroad to its partner Remote for employer of record.

Deel's core is the opposite. Its pricing page leads with hiring and paying people across borders through employer of record, contractor management and global payroll, and adds US payroll at $29 per employee per month and a US PEO for American staff.

If almost everyone is in the US and you pay a handful of freelancers abroad, Gusto is usually the lighter fit. If you have employees in several countries without entities, Deel, or another employer of record, is the closer match.

What a contractor costs on each

Deel charges from $49 per contractor per month, and the contractor may pay a withdrawal fee depending on the method: nothing for a local bank, Wise or Revolut, 2.5% for PayPal, 1% for Payoneer. Gusto charges no monthly per-contractor fee but takes a fee on every payment, from $5 to a US bank account to 2% to a local bank in local currency.

For one $3,000 monthly payment in local currency, Gusto's fee is $45 to $60, compared with Deel's $49 subscription plus conversion. Deel's monthly fee does not grow with the payment, while Gusto's percentage does, so larger invoices tend to favor Deel and smaller ones Gusto. Toku's contractor management is $19 per contractor per month, with conversion and network fees itemized.

Employees outside the US

Deel lists employer of record from $599 per employee per month, month to month, in 130+ countries, and normally asks for a deposit of one to one and a half months of costs per hire. Gusto publishes no employer of record price because Remote provides the service. Remote's own pricing page starts at $599 per employee per month on annual contracts.

Toku is an employer of record and global payroll provider in 100+ countries at $599 per employee per month, with salary valued and withheld in local currency and an opt-in for employees to receive net pay in USDC where local rules allow.

USDC and other payout options

Gusto pays eligible international contractors in USDC to a crypto wallet, for a 1.5% fee, and also to an eligible Wise account. Deel offers a USDC or USDT transfer to the contractor's own wallet for 2% plus a $1 network fee, not for US or UK accounts, along with Coinbase withdrawals and a range of wallets and cards.

Both treat stablecoins as one way for a contractor to receive money. Toku can also fund payroll from a stablecoin treasury and pays contractors in USDC or USDT, and keeps Gusto in place if you want it: the Gusto integration connects stablecoin payouts to Gusto payroll.

Which one fits

This is Toku's reading of each provider's public pages as of November 2026. Check current terms with each vendor.

• Gusto fits a US-first small business with a few contractors abroad and no employees outside the US yet.
• Deel fits a company that already employs people in several countries and wants EOR, contractors and payroll from one vendor with published prices.
• Toku fits global teams that pay employees and contractors in local currency or stablecoins and want per-worker prices published up front.