Gusto Mobile vs Applause App
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Gusto Mobile
This app simplifies payroll, time tracking, and employee management for small businesses. It offers features for both employers to run payroll and manage their team, and for employees to access paychecks, track time, and manage benefits on the go.
- Run payroll on the go
- Review and approve team hours
- Manage employee information
- Onboard new employees
- Access paychecks and early pay
- Track hours and request time off
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Gusto simplifies payroll, paycheck management, time tracking, expense reimbursement, and savings for small businesses—making it easier to manage tasks on the go with powerful tools for employers, employees, and contractors. For business owners and payroll administrators: Payroll: Easily run regular or off-cycle payroll on the go. Time: Review and approve your team's hours and time off. Team: View and manage critical team information in one place. Onboarding: Add and onboard team members directly from the app. Notifications: Set up notifications and permissions to suit your business. Expenses: Review and approve expense reimbursements on the go.³ For employees: Paychecks: Easily manage paychecks and route money to different bank accounts. Early Pay: Receive paychecks up to 2 days early¹ and access advances between paydays with Gusto Wallet.² Benefits: Manage your benefits or sign up for special offers. Documents: Access and sign important documents. Time: Track your hours and request time off. Expenses: Snap receipts and submit expenses from anywhere. For US contractors: Pay: View payment history, download pay statements, and route money to different bank accounts. Time: Clock in and out, review tracked hours, make updates as needed, and check schedules. Scheduling: View personal and team schedules, and update availability. Documents: Access and sign important documents. ¹ With a Gusto spending account, your payment may be processed up to 2 days early. Timing depends on when your employer submits the payment file. The Gusto Spending account is issued by nbkc bank, Member FDIC. Gusto is a payroll services company, not a bank. Banking services provided by nbkc bank, Member FDIC. ² All Advances are originated by Pathward®, N.A. All Advances are subject to eligibility criteria and application review. Per pay period advance amounts may vary and are based on factors including repayment history. Terms and conditions apply. On-Demand Pay provided by Clair. Clair is a financial services company, not a bank. ³ Available with Gusto Plus and Gusto Premium only
Applause App
This app provides real-time performance tracking for service teams, enabling instant recognition and rewards for great work. Managers gain tools to monitor team performance, customer feedback, and leads, fostering motivation and continuous improvement.
- Real-time performance visibility
- Instant bonuses and recognition
- Cash out rewards
- Team performance tracking
- Customer feedback management
- Lead and referral tracking
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Applause helps service teams see performance in real time, recognize great work, and turn daily wins into measurable results. Technicians get instant visibility into how they’re doing, access to bonuses and recognition, and the ability to cash in on a job well done. Managers get powerful tools to track performance across teams, manage customer feedback, and track leads and referrals, all in one platform. Whether in the field or in the office, Applause connects performance, feedback, and rewards in a system that keeps teams aligned, motivated, and improving every day. Instant rewards that motivate Service workers get recognized the moment great work happens. Earn bonuses and tips, see customer feedback, and cash out rewards directly through the app. Real-time performance insights Live scorecards show progress on key metrics, while managers can view performance by technician, location, or service type to quickly identify wins and coaching opportunities. Recognition that feels real Wins, achievements, customer ratings, and milestones are visible to the whole team, reinforcing the behaviors that drive better service and stronger results. Easy access, every day Technicians and managers share the same real-time data. Managers can monitor performance, manage customer feedback with automated alerts, and keep teams informed, anytime, anywhere.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Applause App at 77% against Gusto Mobile's 35%. Applause App also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). Gusto Mobile's advantage is ratings volume (50K vs 340) and rating (4.8 vs 4.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Gusto Mobile holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Gusto Mobile has 50K ratings behind it against 340, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 35% of Gusto Mobile's written reviews are positive against 77% of Applause App's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Gusto Mobile ships an update weekly, Applause App fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Gusto Mobile | Applause App |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (50K ratings) — better | 4.6 (340 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 35.4% of reviews | 77.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 50K — better | 340 |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Fortnightly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #97 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 281 MB | 43 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Gusto, inc. | Applause Technology, Inc. |
Customer experience
Gusto Mobile
Applause App
Bugs and requests
Gusto Mobile
Reported bugs
5 issues- Login screen freezes and issues
- Inconsistent paycheck arrival times
- Debit card delivery delays and malfunctions
- Inability to update contact information
- Syncing issues between app and web platform
Requested features
5 requests- Ability to easily update direct deposit split
- Mobile time tracking and clocking in/out
- Improved geofencing and location accuracy
- Integration with other financial apps and services
- Streamlined onboarding and account management
Applause App
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Gusto Mobile
No in-app purchases
Applause App
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Gusto Mobile free?
Is Applause App free?
Which has better reviews, Gusto Mobile or Applause App?
Do Gusto Mobile or Applause App have ads?
Which is updated more often, Gusto Mobile or Applause App?
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