Rippling vs Gusto: Which Is Better for Contractors in 2025?
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Rippling | Gusto | Better Alternative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price (10 contractors) | ~$400/mo | ~$200/mo | $99/mo (Kontrable) |
| Payment flow | Through platform | Through platform | Direct (you control) |
| Best for | Full HR suite + contractors | US payroll + contractors | Contractors only |
Rippling Overview
Rippling is a comprehensive HR platform that combines payroll, benefits, IT management, and contractor payments into one system. It's designed for companies that want to manage employees and contractors in a single platform with deep integrations across HR, IT, and finance systems.
Strengths: Unified platform for employees and contractors, powerful automations, IT provisioning, benefits administration, and extensive integrations.
Pricing: Starts around $8/user/month for core platform, with additional modules for payroll, benefits, and contractor management. Total cost typically runs $35-50/user/month for full features.
Gusto Overview
Gusto is a popular US-focused payroll and HR platform known for its clean interface and strong customer support. It handles employee payroll, benefits, and contractor payments, with a focus on small to mid-sized businesses.
Strengths: User-friendly interface, excellent support, automated tax filing for US employees, benefits administration, and straightforward contractor payments.
Pricing: Starts at $40/month base + $6/person for Simple plan. Contractor-only accounts pay $6/contractor/month after the base fee.
The Problem Both Platforms Share
Both Rippling and Gusto are built primarily for employee payroll and HR management. Contractor features are add-ons to their core employee-focused systems. This makes sense if you need:
- US payroll processing and tax filing
- Benefits administration for employees
- HR compliance and onboarding workflows
- Time tracking and PTO management
But if you're working with independent contractors who handle their own taxes and already have payment accounts (Wise, PayPal, Payoneer)? You're paying for employee-focused infrastructure you don't need.
The per-contractor fees add up quickly, and you're locked into their payment rails when you could pay contractors directly for less.
A Different Approach: Kontrable
We built Kontrable specifically for businesses working with contractors (not employees):
- Direct payments: Pay via your existing Wise, PayPal, or Payoneer accounts (no middleman, no per-contractor fees)
- $99/month flat: Up to 25 contractors (vs $200-400+ on HR platforms)
- Contractor-focused: Contracts, milestones, deliverable tracking, payment confirmations, and audit trails
- No HR overhead: Because you're hiring true independent contractors, not managing employees
Kontrable gives you the structure and audit trail finance needs, without the employee-focused features (and costs) you don't.
Who Should Choose What
Choose Rippling if:
- You need a full HR suite with IT provisioning and benefits
- You're managing both employees and contractors in one system
- You want deep integrations across HR, IT, and finance tools
- Budget allows for $35-50/user/month for comprehensive features
Choose Gusto if:
- You need US payroll with automated tax filing
- You want a user-friendly platform with excellent support
- You're managing employees and a few contractors
- You prefer simplicity over extensive customization
Choose Kontrable if:
- You're working with 5-25 independent contractors
- Contractors handle their own taxes and have payment accounts
- You want to pay directly via Wise/PayPal/Payoneer
- You need clean audit trails without employee HR overhead
- You want flat pricing instead of per-contractor fees