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Gusto Review

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Gusto Review

All-in-One Payroll, Benefits, and HR for Small Businesses

Gusto Overview

Gusto is one of the most popular all-in-one payroll, benefits, and HR platforms in the United States, trusted by more than 400,000 small and midsized businesses. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in San Francisco, Gusto helps founders, accountants, and HR managers run payroll, file taxes, and manage benefits without juggling multiple tools.

Beyond payroll, Gusto offers health insurance, 401(k), workers\u2019 comp, time tracking, and hiring tools. With a modern interface, automated tax filings, and a generous mobile app for employees, Gusto is widely considered the gold standard payroll platform for SMBs with under 150 employees.

Unlimited Automated Payroll

Run payroll as many times as you need each month with auto-calculated taxes, deductions, and net pay across every Gusto plan.

Automatic Tax Filing

Gusto files federal, state, and local payroll taxes automatically and signs and submits all the necessary forms on your behalf.

W-2 & 1099 Support

Whether you pay W-2 employees, 1099 contractors, or a mix of both, Gusto handles year-end forms and direct deposits for everyone.

Health Insurance & 401(k)

Offer ACA-compliant medical, dental, vision, and 401(k) plans directly through Gusto with deductions synced to payroll automatically.

Hiring & Onboarding

Post jobs, send offer letters with e-signature, run background checks, and auto-trigger I-9 and W-4 onboarding paperwork.

Time Tracking & PTO

Built-in time tracking, PTO accruals, and project tracking sync straight into each payroll run with no double entry.

Gusto Wallet App

Employees get a free Gusto Wallet mobile app to view paystubs, manage direct deposit, and access early wage features.

100+ Integrations

Gusto connects to QuickBooks Online, Xero, Square, Shopify, Asana, and 100+ other tools to keep your back office in sync.

Gusto Features – What You Get?

Gusto bundles payroll, HR, benefits, and compliance into one polished platform:

  • Unlimited automated payroll runs
  • Federal, state and local tax filing
  • W-2 and 1099 contractor support
  • Next-day direct deposit (Plus and Premium)
  • Health insurance and 401(k) administration
  • Hiring and onboarding workflows
  • Time tracking and PTO
  • QuickBooks, Xero, and 100+ integrations

Video Guides and Tutorials

Watch real walkthroughs from accountants and founders to see how Gusto runs payroll, files taxes, and onboards new hires step-by-step.

Gusto Review
Gusto Review
Gusto Review
Gusto Review

Gusto Price Plans

Gusto offers tiered pricing built around plan features and seat size:

  • Contractor Only: $35/month base + $6/contractor.
  • Simple: $49/month base + $6/employee \u2014 entry plan with unlimited payroll.
  • Plus: $80/month base + $12/employee \u2014 adds advanced HR, project tracking, and next-day deposit.
  • Premium: Approximately $180/month base + $22/employee \u2014 priority support, HR resource center, R&D tax credit.
  • Enterprise / Custom: Custom pricing \u2014 contact sales for larger orgs.

Pros and Cons of Gusto

\u2705 Pros

  • \u2705 Unlimited automated payroll runs
  • \u2705 Automatic federal, state, and local tax filing
  • \u2705 Full benefits administration in one platform
  • \u2705 Beautiful, modern user interface
  • \u2705 Mobile app for employees (Wallet)
  • \u2705 W-2 and 1099 support out of the box
  • \u2705 100+ integrations with QuickBooks, Xero, Square
  • \u2705 Excellent onboarding and hiring tools

\u274c Cons

  • \u274c Pricing higher than budget competitors
  • \u274c Simple plan direct deposit can take 4 days
  • \u274c Priority support requires Premium tier
  • \u274c Limited international payroll outside the U.S.
  • \u274c Advanced reporting needs higher-tier plans

What Real Users Say

According to G2 reviewers, Gusto consistently scores in the high 4s out of 5 for ease of use and customer support among SMB payroll platforms. Trustpilot reviewers praise the intuitive UI and benefits administration, while occasional service complaints center on tax-notice resolution speed. Long-time accountants writing on Nav recommend Gusto for small businesses with W-2 employees that want HR baked in.

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Top Gusto Alternatives

Looking at payroll and HR alternatives to Gusto? Compare these popular platforms:

  • QuickBooks Payroll: Best for QuickBooks Online users.
  • ADP Run: Enterprise-grade payroll with deep compliance tools.
  • Paychex Flex: Scales from solopreneur to mid-market.
  • OnPay: Affordable per-employee pricing with unlimited runs.
  • Rippling: Combined HR, IT, and payroll for tech-forward teams.
  • Justworks: PEO model with benefits and compliance bundled.
  • Square Payroll: Tight integration for Square POS merchants.
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FAQs

Gusto Frequently Asked Questions

Gusto is an all-in-one payroll, benefits, and HR software platform built for small and midsized U.S. businesses with W-2 employees and 1099 contractors.

Gusto starts at $35/month base for the Contractor Only plan, $49/month for Simple, $80/month for Plus, and approximately $180/month for the Premium tier, with per-employee fees added.

Yes. Gusto files federal, state, and local payroll taxes automatically on every payroll run and prepares W-2 and 1099 forms at year-end.

Yes. Gusto offers medical, dental, vision, HSA/FSA, and 401(k) administration in supported states with deductions integrated into payroll.

Gusto is widely recommended for businesses with fewer than 150 employees, especially startups, agencies, and professional service firms that want payroll plus HR in one tool.

Yes. Gusto integrates with QuickBooks Online, Xero, FreshBooks, and 100+ other accounting, time tracking, and HR tools.

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