{ "data": { "a": { "slug": "gusto", "name": "Gusto", "vendor": "Gusto, Inc.", "vendorUrl": "https://gusto.com", "kind": "http-api", "category": "payroll", "summary": "Gusto Embedded Payroll is a REST API for running US payroll inside another product, covering company and worker onboarding, payroll calculation and submission, tax filing and contractor payments. Production access needs a partnership with Gusto. A demo environment is self-serve.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/gusto", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/gusto.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/gusto.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/gusto.json", "repo": "https://github.com/Gusto/gusto-typescript-client", "license": "Proprietary service under Gusto's API Policy and Developer Terms of Service. The API clients on GitHub are MIT, and the React SDK and the Gusto CLI are Apache-2.0", "transports": [ "http" ], "packages": [ { "registry": "npm", "name": "@gusto/embedded-api" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "@gusto/embedded-react-sdk" }, { "registry": "pypi", "name": "gusto-embedded" } ], "auth": "oauth", "authNotes": "Graded on the Embedded Payroll API, which needs a partnership. A developer signs up at dev.gusto.com, creates an organisation and an application, and gets a client ID and secret for the demo environment. POST /oauth/token with `grant_type` system_access returns a two-hour system token for partner-level calls, and creating a partner-managed company returns an access and refresh token pair for that company alone. Scopes are assigned by Gusto, and production keys follow commercial, security and implementation reviews. Access to an existing employer's Gusto account is separate. Partner apps use the App Integrations API with the OAuth 2.0 authorisation code grant after Production Pre-Approval and a security review. A customer's own company is reached through the Gusto CLI or the Gusto MCP server, which sign in by OAuth with dynamic client registration and PKCE.", "pricing": "paid", "pricingNotes": "No price could be read. gusto.com and embedded.gusto.com answered our reader with a bot check, and the developer docs carry no figures. The introduction says commercial conversations are required before production, and an invoices endpoint returns the active companies used to calculate a partner's invoice. The demo environment is open to any developer with a Developer Portal account, with generated demo companies and no contract (checked 2026-10-08).", "priceSummary": "Paid", "where": "local", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the developer docs, the API reference or the llms.txt index (checked 2026-10-08).", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": null, "popularity": { "githubStars": 2, "npmWeekly": 24731, "pypiWeekly": null, "asOf": "2026-10-08" }, "docsUrl": "https://docs.gusto.com/embedded-payroll/docs/introduction", "llmsTxt": "https://docs.gusto.com/llms.txt", "capabilities": [ "payroll.run", "payroll.employees", "payroll.embedded", "payroll.tax-filing", "payroll.contractors", "hr.onboarding", "hr.time-off" ], "tags": [ "hosted", "payroll", "oauth", "partner-approval", "sandbox", "llms-txt", "webhooks", "typescript", "python", "java", "csharp", "ruby", "mcp", "cli", "status-page" ], "lastRelease": "2026-10-01", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 63.3, "grade": "B", "agentReady": false, "rank": 362, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 842, "categoryRank": 4, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 82, "maintenance": 76, "payments": 15, "reliability": 58, "schema": 86, "security": 60, "transparency": 61 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-08" }, "negative": 0, "verdict": "This listing covers the Embedded Payroll API. Every reference page carries an OpenAPI 3.1 definition, payroll is calculated as a preview before submission, and each API version gets 12 months of deprecation support. Production needs commercial and security approval, no price was readable, and the status page lists 11 incidents between 14 July and 5 October 2026, five marked major.", "bestFor": "A software platform that wants to run US payroll for its own customers and can pass Gusto's partner reviews.", "strengths": [ "Each of 317 reference pages serves an OpenAPI 3.1 definition as Markdown, and llms.txt indexes both documentation projects", "Payroll runs in steps (prepare, calculate, submit). Calculate returns a preview with `submission_blockers` before any money moves", "Each API version gets 12 months of phased support after deprecation, with dates published and `Deprecation`, `Sunset` and `Link` response headers", "Company access tokens work for one company only, expire after two hours and rotate the refresh token on use", "Rate limit of 200 requests a minute per application and user, with `Retry-After` and `X-RateLimit-*` headers on responses" ], "weaknesses": [ "Production keys need commercial, security and implementation reviews with Gusto's partnerships team, and the docs say not all use cases are supported", "The Embedded API status page lists 11 incidents between 14 July and 5 October 2026, five marked major, one titled a complete outage", "No price was readable. gusto.com and embedded.gusto.com answered our reader with a bot check, and the docs carry no figures", "Idempotency keys were found only on the People Batch endpoint. Other POST calls rely on the caller not repeating them", "The five API clients are labelled beta, and the README warns of breaking changes without notice" ], "agentNotes": [ "Develop against https://api.gusto-demo.com. Production at https://api.gusto.com needs keys Gusto issues after its reviews", "Send `X-Gusto-API-Version: 2026-06-15` on every call. Without it the application's minimum version applies", "Send the resource's current `version` with every PUT, and only the fields to change. A stale version returns 409", "Calculate and submit return 202. Poll GET on the payroll until `calculated_at` is set or the status is processed, and read `submission_blockers` first", "For a company already on Gusto, the Embedded API is the wrong route. Use the Gusto CLI or the MCP server at https://mcp.api.gusto.com, which draft payroll but can't submit it" ], "metrics": { "kind": "remote", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 0, "avgRating": 0, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "B", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 63.3 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 82, "maintenance": 76, "payments": 15, "reliability": 58, "schema": 86, "security": 60, "transparency": 44 }, "provenanceScore": 77 }, "connect": { "install": "npm add @gusto/embedded-api", "http": "curl --location --request POST 'https://api.gusto-demo.com/oauth/token' \\\n--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \\\n--data-raw '{\n \"client_id\": \"{{client_id}}\",\n \"client_secret\": \"{{client_secret}}\",\n \"grant_type\": \"system_access\"\n}'" }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/payroll.run", "tool": "https://letme.dev/gusto" }, "area": "domain-data", "provenance": { "legalEntity": "Gusto, Inc.", "domain": "gusto.com", "domainRegistered": "1995-08-23", "endpointOnVendorDomain": true, "terms": "https://gusto.com/about/terms/developer-terms-of-service", "privacy": "", "statusPage": "https://gustoapi.statuspage.io", "changelog": "https://docs.gusto.com/embedded-payroll/changelog", "securityTxt": "unknown", "checked": "2026-10-08", "notes": [ "The NOTICE file in Gusto/gusto-cli reads Copyright 2026 Gusto, Inc.", "Production calls go to https://api.gusto.com. The demo environment is on a separate domain, api.gusto-demo.com.", "The terms URL is the one named in the OpenAPI definitions on the reference pages. gusto.com answered our reader with a bot check, so the terms, the privacy policy and /.well-known/security.txt weren't read.", "The API Policy published in the docs is dated 11 July 2022 and refers to Gusto's Privacy Policy without a readable link.", "RDAP for gusto.com gives a registration date of 1995-08-23.", "The docs embed https://gustoapi.statuspage.io as the API status page. status.gusto.com covers the Gusto product and also lists an API component." ], "score": 77 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/gusto.json", "live": { "slug": "gusto", "vendorStatus": { "page": "https://gustoapi.statuspage.io", "indicator": "none", "summary": "All Systems Operational", "checkedAt": "2026-10-09T09:25:13.605938322Z" }, "versions": [ { "registry": "github", "name": "Gusto/gusto-typescript-client", "version": "gusto_embedded_v_2025_11_15/v0.3.2", "released": "2026-10-01", "seenAt": "2026-10-08T16:15:29.553541966Z" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "@gusto/embedded-api", "version": "0.16.2", "seenAt": "2026-10-08T16:15:25.588820008Z" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "@gusto/embedded-react-sdk", "version": "0.56.5", "seenAt": "2026-10-08T16:15:29.142122622Z" }, { "registry": "pypi", "name": "gusto-embedded", "version": "0.2.4", "released": "2025-04-16", "seenAt": "2026-10-08T16:15:29.349450484Z" } ], "githubStars": 2, "npmWeekly": 24731, "pypiWeekly": 104, "securityTxt": { "url": "https://gusto.com/.well-known/security.txt", "state": "unknown", "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T15:38:35.992448629Z" }, "pages": [ { "url": "https://docs.gusto.com/embedded-payroll/changelog", "kind": "changelog", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:18:50.184946965Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "fb0136facdba" }, { "url": "https://gusto.com/about/terms/developer-terms-of-service", "kind": "terms", "status": 403, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:20:46.783185211Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z" } ], "updatedAt": "2026-10-09T09:25:13.605938322Z" } }, "answer": "Gusto scores 63.3 (B) on agent readiness against Worklio's 38.6 (E), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Worklio leads on payments \u0026 pricing.", "b": { "slug": "worklio", "name": "Worklio", "vendor": "Worklio, Inc.", "vendorUrl": "https://www.worklio.com", "kind": "http-api", "category": "payroll", "summary": "Embedded US payroll from Worklio, Inc. for software platforms, PEOs and payroll bureaus. A partner's backend creates companies and workers, runs payroll in steps and reads tax forms through a REST API, with white-label screens as an alternative.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/worklio", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/worklio.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/worklio.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/worklio.json", "license": "Proprietary service. The public Terms of Use date from 2014 and the partner agreement isn't public. The front-end library sits in a private repository", "transports": [ "http" ], "remoteUrl": "https://api.worklio.com", "packages": [], "auth": "oauth", "authNotes": "Every call takes a bearer JWT from `POST https://api.worklio.com/connect/token`. In the sandbox a developer registers at apiweb.worklio.com/RegisterDeveloper and uses the password grant with the account's username and password, scope `api`, and a client secret the docs print and describe as shared by all sandbox users. Tokens last 24 hours. Browser apps use an OpenID Connect redirect flow through `@worklio/sdk`, which isn't published and is requested from support. Production credentials, single sign-on and allowed origins are set up by Worklio. A System user has full rights over every company it created. This is embedded-payroll partner access, with no route into an employer's payroll account elsewhere.", "pricing": "paid", "pricingNotes": "A partner's price is set in its agreement and isn't public. The partner pages publish retail list prices per person per month ($10 for Full-Service Payroll, $81 for all 19 modules) and call them illustrative, not a quote, with base, setup and per-use fees excluded. The sandbox is self-serve after developer registration, so an agent's owner can start without a contract. Whether registration asks for a card was not read, because apiweb.worklio.com disallows crawlers (checked 2026-10-09).", "priceSummary": "Paid", "where": "hosted", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the docs index, the reference pages read or the website (checked 2026-10-09).", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": null, "popularity": { "githubStars": null, "npmWeekly": null, "pypiWeekly": null, "asOf": "2026-10-09" }, "docsUrl": "https://apidocs.worklio.com/docs/overview", "llmsTxt": "https://apidocs.worklio.com/llms.txt", "capabilities": [ "payroll.run", "payroll.embedded", "payroll.employees", "payroll.tax-filing", "payroll.contractors" ], "tags": [ "hosted", "closed-source", "oauth", "openapi", "llms-txt", "webhooks", "sandbox", "partner-access", "soc2", "iso27001" ], "lastRelease": "2026-06-30", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 38.6, "grade": "E", "agentReady": false, "rank": 812, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 842, "categoryRank": 10, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 44, "maintenance": 25, "payments": 25, "reliability": 25, "schema": 71, "security": 48, "transparency": 48 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-09" }, "negative": -3, "negativeNotes": [ "30 June 2026. The changelog entry that announces the reworked Time-Off Requests API says the older `timeoffrequests` routes were replaced by hyphenated routes and tells integrators to update, in the same note and with no earlier notice found. Whether partners were told privately is unknown, so the smallest deduction applies (-3). https://apidocs.worklio.com/changelog/v1-api-updates" ], "verdict": "Worklio documents 853 REST operations with an OpenAPI fragment on every reference page, and a developer can register for the sandbox without a sales call. No rate limits or public SDK were found, the status page is password protected, and the payroll guide tells callers to treat an HTTP 500 as the signal to finalise.", "bestFor": "A software platform, PEO or payroll bureau that wants to sell US payroll under its own brand and can sign a partner agreement, with Worklio handling tax filing and money movement.", "strengths": [ "853 documented operations across 17 API groups, each reference page carrying an OpenAPI 3.0.4 fragment, plus llms.txt and a Markdown copy of every docs page", "Sandbox access is self-serve. A developer registers, uses a shared sandbox client secret printed in the docs and gets a bearer token", "A payroll run moves through steps with next, previous, discard, lock and finalise calls, and starting a scheduled run twice returns the same run", "Every operation states which user levels may call it (System, Admin, ClientAdmin, Employee, or anonymous with a link token)", "The security page claims SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, ISO 27018 and ISO 9001, with third-party penetration testing" ], "weaknesses": [ "No rate limits, 429 handling or idempotency keys were found in the reviewed documentation", "status.worklio.com asks for a password, so no public incident history exists", "The Run Payroll guide says the `next` call answers HTTP 500 with an untranslated message when a run is ready to finalise", "No public SDK. `@worklio/sdk` and the component library sit in a private repository granted through support", "The public Terms of Use are dated 21 December 2014 and describe a small-business HR site. The partner agreement and production prices aren't public" ], "agentNotes": [ "Send `api-version: 2.0` on `/wep` calls. The reference marks the header as required", "Get a token from `POST https://api.worklio.com/connect/token` with the password grant and scope `api`. It lasts 24 hours, so fetch a new one daily", "Run payroll as start, `next` until it answers 500 with \"Next step operation is not allowed\", then `finalize`. Don't treat that 500 as a failure", "Don't retry bonus, off-cycle, void or termination payroll starts blindly. The reference says those calls are not idempotent", "Most `/wep` list endpoints return the whole result set. Paging, `filter` and `sort` work only under `/api/public`, and a `DataToken` expires after 60 seconds" ], "metrics": { "kind": "remote", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 0, "avgRating": 0, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "E", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 38.6 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 44, "maintenance": 25, "payments": 25, "reliability": 25, "schema": 71, "security": 48, "transparency": 28 }, "provenanceScore": 67 }, "connect": { "http": "curl -s -X POST \"https://api.worklio.com/connect/token\" \\\n -H \"accept: application/json\" \\\n -H \"content-type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded\" \\\n --data-urlencode \"grant_type=password\" \\\n --data-urlencode \"username=$WORKLIO_USERNAME\" \\\n --data-urlencode \"password=$WORKLIO_PASSWORD\" \\\n --data-urlencode \"scope=api\" \\\n --data-urlencode \"client_id=wep_resourceowner.public.api\" \\\n --data-urlencode \"client_secret=$WORKLIO_CLIENT_SECRET\"" }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/payroll.run", "tool": "https://letme.dev/worklio" }, "area": "domain-data", "provenance": { "legalEntity": "Worklio, Inc.", "domain": "worklio.com", "domainRegistered": "2015-03-10", "endpointOnVendorDomain": true, "terms": "", "privacy": "https://www.worklio.com/privacy", "statusPage": "", "changelog": "https://apidocs.worklio.com/changelog", "securityTxt": "none", "checked": "2026-10-09", "notes": [ "The site footer reads \"© 2026 Worklio, Inc.\". The about page says Worklio LLC was established in 2017. No postal address was found on the pages read.", "No terms link is given. The only public terms are the Terms of Use at www.worklio.com/terms, last updated 21 December 2014, which describe an HR site for small businesses and predate the embedded API. The partner agreement that governs API use isn't public.", "www.worklio.com/privacy embeds a policy hosted at www.iubenda.com/privacy-policy/25719508. iubenda's robots.txt disallows that path, so the policy text was not read.", "status.worklio.com exists (an UptimeRobot page) and answers \"This status page is password protected\", so it is not recorded as a public status page.", "www.worklio.com/.well-known/security.txt returns 404.", "The changelog holds two entries, both dated 30 June 2026.", "RDAP for worklio.com gives a registration date of 2015-03-10." ], "score": 67 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/worklio.json", "live": { "slug": "worklio", "probe": { "target": "https://api.worklio.com", "method": "get", "lastAt": "2026-10-09T09:27:10.766818456Z", "lastOk": true, "lastStatus": 403, "lastMs": 504, "lastNote": "asks for credentials", "authRequired": true, "uptime24h": 100, "uptime30d": 100, "p50ms24h": 468, "p95ms24h": 504, "samples24h": 20, "samples30d": 20, "days": [ { "date": "2026-10-09", "probes": 20, "ok": 20 } ] }, "updatedAt": "2026-10-09T09:27:10.766818456Z" } }, "facts": [ { "a": "HTTP API", "b": "HTTP API", "name": "Kind" }, { "a": "Gusto, Inc.", "b": "Worklio, Inc.", "name": "Vendor" }, { "a": "no (local only)", "b": "https://api.worklio.com", "name": "Hosted endpoint" }, { "a": "HTTP", "b": "HTTP", "name": "Transports" }, { "a": "OAuth", "b": "OAuth", "name": "Auth" }, { "a": "Paid", "b": "Paid", "name": "Pricing" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "x402" }, { "a": "Proprietary service under Gusto's API Policy and Developer Terms of Service. The API clients on GitHub are MIT, and the React SDK and the Gusto CLI are Apache-2.0", "b": "Proprietary service. The public Terms of Use date from 2014 and the partner agreement isn't public. The front-end library sits in a private repository", "name": "Licence" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "Read-only variant documented" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "yes", "name": "llms.txt" }, { "a": "2026-10-01", "b": "2026-06-30", "name": "Last release" }, { "a": "couldn't be read", "b": "no document linked", "name": "Terms last updated" }, { "a": "no document linked", "b": "couldn't be read", "name": "Privacy policy last updated" }, { "a": "couldn't be read", "b": "", "name": "Customer content may train models" }, { "a": "couldn't be read", "b": "", "name": "Terms restrict automated access" }, { "a": "couldn't be read", "b": "", "name": "Terms restrict benchmarking" }, { "a": "couldn't be read", "b": "", "name": "Terms or service can change without notice" }, { "a": "couldn't be read", "b": "", "name": "Arbitration or class-action waiver" }, { "a": "2 stars, 25k npm/wk", "b": "none", "name": "Popularity" } ], "faq": [ { "answer": "Gusto scores 63.3 (B) on agent readiness against Worklio's 38.6 (E), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Worklio leads on payments \u0026 pricing.", "question": "Which is better for AI agents, Gusto or Worklio?" }, { "answer": "Both use an OAuth sign-in.", "question": "Do Gusto and Worklio need an API key?" }, { "answer": "No hosted endpoint is listed for Gusto. Worklio has a hosted endpoint at https://api.worklio.com.", "question": "Can an agent call Gusto and Worklio without installing anything?" } ], "goodFor": [ { "aheadOn": [ "Reliability, 58 against 25", "Schema \u0026 documentation, 86 against 71", "Agent ergonomics, 82 against 44", "Security \u0026 auth, 60 against 48", "Maintenance \u0026 community, 76 against 25", "Transparency \u0026 trust, 61 against 48" ], "also": [ "No incidents deducted, where Worklio loses 3 points for them" ], "goodFor": "A software platform that wants to run US payroll for its own customers and can pass Gusto's partner reviews.", "slug": "gusto", "watchFor": "Production keys need commercial, security and implementation reviews with Gusto's partnerships team, and the docs say not all use cases are supported" }, { "aheadOn": [ "Payments \u0026 pricing, 25 against 15" ], "also": [ "A hosted endpoint, with nothing to install" ], "goodFor": "A software platform, PEO or payroll bureau that wants to sell US payroll under its own brand and can sign a partner agreement, with Worklio handling tax filing and money movement.", "slug": "worklio", "watchFor": "No rate limits, 429 handling or idempotency keys were found in the reviewed documentation" } ], "job": { "capability": "payroll.run", "name": "Payroll run" }, "others": [ { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/argyle-vs-gusto.json", "title": "Argyle vs Gusto", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/argyle-vs-gusto" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/argyle-vs-worklio.json", "title": "Argyle vs Worklio", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/argyle-vs-worklio" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/finch-vs-gusto.json", "title": "Finch vs Gusto", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/finch-vs-gusto" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/finch-vs-worklio.json", "title": "Finch vs Worklio", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/finch-vs-worklio" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gusto-vs-paychex.json", "title": "Gusto vs Paychex", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gusto-vs-paychex" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paychex-vs-worklio.json", "title": "Paychex vs Worklio", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paychex-vs-worklio" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/check-payroll-vs-gusto.json", "title": "Check vs Gusto", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/check-payroll-vs-gusto" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/check-payroll-vs-worklio.json", "title": "Check vs Worklio", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/check-payroll-vs-worklio" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/employment-hero-vs-gusto.json", "title": "Employment Hero Payroll vs Gusto", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/employment-hero-vs-gusto" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/employment-hero-vs-worklio.json", "title": "Employment Hero Payroll vs Worklio", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/employment-hero-vs-worklio" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/everee-vs-gusto.json", "title": "Everee vs Gusto", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/everee-vs-gusto" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/everee-vs-worklio.json", "title": "Everee vs Worklio", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/everee-vs-worklio" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gusto-vs-salsa.json", "title": "Gusto vs Salsa", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gusto-vs-salsa" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gusto-vs-zeal.json", "title": "Gusto vs Zeal", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gusto-vs-zeal" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/salsa-vs-worklio.json", "title": "Salsa vs Worklio", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/salsa-vs-worklio" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/worklio-vs-zeal.json", "title": "Worklio vs Zeal", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/worklio-vs-zeal" } ], "scores": [ { "by": 33, "edge": "gusto", "gusto": 58, "key": "reliability", "name": "Reliability", "weight": 16, "worklio": 25 }, { "key": "performance", "name": "Performance", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 15, "edge": "gusto", "gusto": 86, "key": "schema", "name": "Schema \u0026 documentation", "weight": 13, "worklio": 71 }, { "by": 38, "edge": "gusto", "gusto": 82, "key": "ergonomics", "name": "Agent ergonomics", "weight": 13, "worklio": 44 }, { "by": 12, "edge": "gusto", "gusto": 60, "key": "security", "name": "Security \u0026 auth", "weight": 14, "worklio": 48 }, { "by": 10, "edge": "worklio", "gusto": 15, "key": "payments", "name": "Payments \u0026 pricing", "weight": 10, "worklio": 25 }, { "key": "tasks", "name": "Task success", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 51, "edge": "gusto", "gusto": 76, "key": "maintenance", "name": "Maintenance \u0026 community", "weight": 7, "worklio": 25 }, { "by": 13, "edge": "gusto", "gusto": 61, "key": "transparency", "name": "Transparency \u0026 trust", "weight": 7, "worklio": 48 } ], "summary": "Gusto scores 63.3 (B) on agent readiness against Worklio's 38.6 (E), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Worklio leads on payments \u0026 pricing. Both do payroll run.", "verdicts": { "gusto": "This listing covers the Embedded Payroll API. Every reference page carries an OpenAPI 3.1 definition, payroll is calculated as a preview before submission, and each API version gets 12 months of deprecation support. Production needs commercial and security approval, no price was readable, and the status page lists 11 incidents between 14 July and 5 October 2026, five marked major.", "worklio": "Worklio documents 853 REST operations with an OpenAPI fragment on every reference page, and a developer can register for the sandbox without a sales call. No rate limits or public SDK were found, the status page is password protected, and the payroll guide tells callers to treat an HTTP 500 as the signal to finalise." } }, "kind": "anchor.page", "links": { "api": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json", "html": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gusto-vs-worklio", "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gusto-vs-worklio.json", "llms": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt", "markdown": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gusto-vs-worklio.md", "slim": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gusto-vs-worklio.min.md" }, "markdown": "Gusto scores 63.3 (B) on agent readiness against Worklio's 38.6 (E), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Worklio leads on payments \u0026 pricing. Both do payroll run.\n\n- Gusto: grade B, 63.3/100, rank #362 of 842. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/gusto.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/gusto.json\n- Worklio: grade E, 38.6/100, rank #812 of 842. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/worklio.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/worklio.json\n\n## Which one, for what\n\n### Gusto (B)\n\nGood for: A software platform that wants to run US payroll for its own customers and can pass Gusto's partner reviews.\n\nAhead on:\n- Reliability, 58 against 25\n- Schema \u0026 documentation, 86 against 71\n- Agent ergonomics, 82 against 44\n- Security \u0026 auth, 60 against 48\n- Maintenance \u0026 community, 76 against 25\n- Transparency \u0026 trust, 61 against 48\n\nAlso in its favour:\n- No incidents deducted, where Worklio loses 3 points for them\n\nWatch for: Production keys need commercial, security and implementation reviews with Gusto's partnerships team, and the docs say not all use cases are supported\n\n### Worklio (E)\n\nGood for: A software platform, PEO or payroll bureau that wants to sell US payroll under its own brand and can sign a partner agreement, with Worklio handling tax filing and money movement.\n\nAhead on:\n- Payments \u0026 pricing, 25 against 15\n\nAlso in its favour:\n- A hosted endpoint, with nothing to install\n\nWatch for: No rate limits, 429 handling or idempotency keys were found in the reviewed documentation\n\n\n## Score by category\n\n| Category | Weight | Gusto | Worklio | Edge |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 58 | 25 | Gusto +33 |\n| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Schema \u0026 documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 86 | 71 | Gusto +15 |\n| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 82 | 44 | Gusto +38 |\n| Security \u0026 auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 60 | 48 | Gusto +12 |\n| Payments \u0026 pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 15 | 25 | Worklio +10 |\n| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Maintenance \u0026 community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 76 | 25 | Gusto +51 |\n| Transparency \u0026 trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 61 | 48 | Gusto +13 |\n| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | -3 | |\n| **Total** | | **63.3 · B** | **38.6 · E** | |\n\n## Facts side by side\n\n| Fact | Gusto | Worklio |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Kind | HTTP API | HTTP API |\n| Vendor | Gusto, Inc. | Worklio, Inc. |\n| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | `https://api.worklio.com` |\n| Transports | HTTP | HTTP |\n| Auth | OAuth | OAuth |\n| Pricing | Paid | Paid |\n| x402 | no | no |\n| Licence | Proprietary service under Gusto's API Policy and Developer Terms of Service. The API clients on GitHub are MIT, and the React SDK and the Gusto CLI are Apache-2.0 | Proprietary service. The public Terms of Use date from 2014 and the partner agreement isn't public. The front-end library sits in a private repository |\n| Read-only variant documented | no | no |\n| llms.txt | yes | yes |\n| Last release | 2026-10-01 | 2026-06-30 |\n| Terms last updated | couldn't be read | no document linked |\n| Privacy policy last updated | no document linked | couldn't be read |\n| Customer content may train models | couldn't be read | |\n| Terms restrict automated access | couldn't be read | |\n| Terms restrict benchmarking | couldn't be read | |\n| Terms or service can change without notice | couldn't be read | |\n| Arbitration or class-action waiver | couldn't be read | |\n| Popularity | 2 stars, 25k npm/wk | none |\n\n## Verdicts\n\n**Gusto.** This listing covers the Embedded Payroll API. Every reference page carries an OpenAPI 3.1 definition, payroll is calculated as a preview before submission, and each API version gets 12 months of deprecation support. Production needs commercial and security approval, no price was readable, and the status page lists 11 incidents between 14 July and 5 October 2026, five marked major.\n\n**Worklio.** Worklio documents 853 REST operations with an OpenAPI fragment on every reference page, and a developer can register for the sandbox without a sales call. No rate limits or public SDK were found, the status page is password protected, and the payroll guide tells callers to treat an HTTP 500 as the signal to finalise.\n\n## Before you call either\n\n### Gusto\n\n1. Develop against https://api.gusto-demo.com. Production at https://api.gusto.com needs keys Gusto issues after its reviews\n2. Send `X-Gusto-API-Version: 2026-06-15` on every call. Without it the application's minimum version applies\n3. Send the resource's current `version` with every PUT, and only the fields to change. A stale version returns 409\n4. Calculate and submit return 202. Poll GET on the payroll until `calculated_at` is set or the status is processed, and read `submission_blockers` first\n5. For a company already on Gusto, the Embedded API is the wrong route. Use the Gusto CLI or the MCP server at https://mcp.api.gusto.com, which draft payroll but can't submit it\n\n### Worklio\n\n1. Send `api-version: 2.0` on `/wep` calls. The reference marks the header as required\n2. Get a token from `POST https://api.worklio.com/connect/token` with the password grant and scope `api`. It lasts 24 hours, so fetch a new one daily\n3. Run payroll as start, `next` until it answers 500 with \"Next step operation is not allowed\", then `finalize`. Don't treat that 500 as a failure\n4. Don't retry bonus, off-cycle, void or termination payroll starts blindly. The reference says those calls are not idempotent\n5. Most `/wep` list endpoints return the whole result set. Paging, `filter` and `sort` work only under `/api/public`, and a `DataToken` expires after 60 seconds\n\n## Questions\n\n### Which is better for AI agents, Gusto or Worklio?\n\nGusto scores 63.3 (B) on agent readiness against Worklio's 38.6 (E), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Worklio leads on payments \u0026 pricing.\n\n### Do Gusto and Worklio need an API key?\n\nBoth use an OAuth sign-in.\n\n### Can an agent call Gusto and Worklio without installing anything?\n\nNo hosted endpoint is listed for Gusto. Worklio has a hosted endpoint at https://api.worklio.com.\n\n\n## For agents\n\n- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gusto-vs-worklio.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gusto-vs-worklio.min.md\n- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {\"a\": \"gusto\", \"b\": \"worklio\"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare gusto worklio`\n- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/gusto.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/worklio.json\n\n## Other comparisons with Gusto or Worklio\n\n- [Argyle vs Gusto](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/argyle-vs-gusto.md)\n- [Argyle vs Worklio](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/argyle-vs-worklio.md)\n- [Finch vs Gusto](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/finch-vs-gusto.md)\n- [Finch vs Worklio](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/finch-vs-worklio.md)\n- [Gusto vs Paychex](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gusto-vs-paychex.md)\n- [Paychex vs Worklio](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paychex-vs-worklio.md)\n- [Check vs Gusto](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/check-payroll-vs-gusto.md)\n- [Check vs Worklio](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/check-payroll-vs-worklio.md)\n- [Employment Hero Payroll vs Gusto](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/employment-hero-vs-gusto.md)\n- [Employment Hero Payroll vs Worklio](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/employment-hero-vs-worklio.md)\n- [Everee vs Gusto](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/everee-vs-gusto.md)\n- [Everee vs Worklio](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/everee-vs-worklio.md)\n- [Gusto vs Salsa](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gusto-vs-salsa.md)\n- [Gusto vs Zeal](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gusto-vs-zeal.md)\n- [Salsa vs Worklio](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/salsa-vs-worklio.md)\n- [Worklio vs Zeal](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/worklio-vs-zeal.md)\n", "meta": { "attribution": "Anchor Terminal (https://www.anchorterminal.com)", "docs": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/docs/", "generatedAt": "2026-10-09", "license": "CC-BY-4.0", "method": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/", "methodology": "0.4", "openapi": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/openapi.json", "preview": false, "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run" }, "page": { "breadcrumbs": [ { "name": "Home", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/" }, { "name": "Compare", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/" }, { "name": "Gusto vs Worklio", "url": "" } ], "description": "Gusto scores 63.3 (B) on agent readiness against Worklio's 38.6 (E), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Worklio leads on payments \u0026 pricing. Both do payroll run. Category scores, facts, verdicts and agent notes side by side.", "facts": [ "Gusto B 63.3", "Worklio E 38.6", "scores" ], "h1": "Gusto vs Worklio", "image": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/assets/og/compare-gusto-vs-worklio.png", "path": "/compare/gusto-vs-worklio", "published": "2026-10-01", "section": "tools", "title": "Gusto vs Worklio for AI agents, B 63.3 vs E 38.6 | Anchor Terminal", "toc": null, "updated": "2026-10-09", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gusto-vs-worklio" }, "tokens": { "markdown": 2200, "slim": 730 }, "version": 1 }