What actually needs to change?
Before replacing your HR and payroll systems, separate a broken process from a missing connection or a missing capability. Those are three different problems. This short diagnostic helps you choose what to investigate next, then take a clearer brief into a software demo.
Three routes. Different work.
Keep
Keep what you have when the problem is the process or the ownership. Late timesheets, a manager who approves nothing until Friday, no clear rule for who fixes a bad entry: new software inherits all of that. Write down the current handoffs first and see what breaks.
Connect
Consider a connection when each system works reliably, but your team enters the same information twice. Confirm that a supported integration covers the exact fields and direction you need. Check ownership, permissions, failure handling and the ongoing cost before comparing it with replacement.
Replace
Consider replacement when an essential gap remains and the migration is justified. Compare coverage, support, implementation, export options and ongoing cost against a specific brief.
Software is only part of the purchase.
Gusto’s case study describes Forge Fire, a 35-person US company, moving from another payroll provider. The story emphasizes support and configuration alongside software, and reports a 40% reduction in platform costs.
Gusto also says ChatGPT was consulted during the company’s evaluation. That illustrates a possible research aid; it does not establish that AI caused the savings or verified the final choice.
Gusto explicitly discloses compensation or a discount for this testimonial. We have not independently verified the reported results. A small company’s buying story is useful context, not a forecast for your business.
Different needs lead to different shortlists.
Gusto
Explore for a US HR and payroll briefGusto documents payroll, onboarding and HR tools for small businesses. Use your demo to establish whether the relevant plan covers your workforce and the workflow you want to improve.
Read our Gusto review: plans, pricing and fit
Deel
Explore when an international workforce is part of the briefDeel offers HR and international hiring and payroll products. Separate the HR system, payroll and employment-service requirements in your brief, then confirm the product and country coverage for each.
Read our Deel review & fee calculatorThese are examples to investigate, not a market-wide ranking or a claim that they are interchangeable.
Two names on your shortlist?
Compare Gusto and Deel by team setup, service scope and US payroll budget.
Read Gusto vs DeelLeave the demo with answers.
Bring one real workflow, with sensitive details removed, and ask the vendor to demonstrate it in the plan you are considering. Record what works, what needs configuration and what remains unconfirmed.
- Which tasks are included in the quoted plan?
- What data moves between systems, in which direction, and who fixes a failed sync?
- What will configuration, migration and support cost?
- Who owns the rollout and how will you test it before changing the live process?
- How can you export the information if you decide to leave?
Your software demo scorecardA practical brief, evaluation table and cost checklist. No email required.
DownloadReady to explore providers? Compare US payroll software or explore employer of record services.
Sources and editorial scope
Product pages reviewed September 19, 2026. The Forge Fire case was published by Gusto on January 12, 2026. The diagnostic is an editorial decision tree, not legal or payroll advice.
- Gusto: HR product overview
- Deel: HR product overview
- Gusto: Forge Fire case study and testimonial disclosure