- Home
- Payout Software
- Gusto
Gusto
San Francisco, California, United States
What it is
Gusto is a small business platform for payroll, benefits, and HR. Employers can pay employees and contractors, run unlimited payrolls, and have payroll taxes filed automatically. Health benefits and 401(k) plans connect with payroll. Workforce tools include scheduling, timesheets, PTO requests, and mobile time tracking. Hiring features cover job postings, offer letters, electronic signing, applicant tracking, and new-hire onboarding.
Gusto’s app directory includes integrations for accounting, collaboration, time tracking, hiring, and expense management, with examples such as QuickBooks, Xero, FreshBooks, Expensify, Hubstaff, and Homebase. The platform is available on web, Android, iOS, and through an API; the mobile app works on iPhone and Android phones. Simple costs $49 a month, billed $49/mo + $6/mo per person. Plus is $80 a month, billed $80/mo + $12/mo per person, and Premium is $180 a month, billed $180/mo + $22/mo per person. Gusto says there are no long-term contracts and customers can cancel anytime.
For and against
For
- Unlimited payrolls with automatic tax filing.
- Health benefits and 401(k) plans integrate with payroll.
- Mobile app works on iPhone and Android.
- Plans have no long-term contracts.
Against
- No free plan is listed.
- Simple starts at $49 a month plus per-person charges.
- Premium costs $180 a month plus per-person charges.
The verdict
Gusto brings payroll, benefits, hiring, and time-management features together for small businesses. Its paid plans differ in listed capabilities and carry per-person monthly charges.
Who it suits
Gusto is aimed at small businesses looking to manage payroll, benefits, HR, hiring, and workforce time tools in one platform. Businesses needing multi-state payroll or time tracking can consider the Plus plan; Premium lists dedicated account support and HR guidance.
Plans and prices
Contractor Only
Domestic contractor payments · Four-day pay · Form 1099 creation and filings · + $6/mo per person
Read 22 Sep 2026 · gusto.com
Simple
Basic payroll in one state · unlimited payrolls · tax filings and payments · basic PTO and holiday pay
Read 7 Oct 2026 · gusto.com
Plus
Multi-state payroll · time tracking and scheduling · unlimited next day pay · contractor invoice management
Read 7 Oct 2026 · gusto.com
Premium
Premium account support · HR guidance and tools · Gusto Business Compliance · same-day and instant pay
Read 7 Oct 2026 · gusto.com
On the record
- Audience and scale
- Gusto describes its platform as serving small businesses and says it serves more than 500,000 businesses nationwide.gusto.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Benefits
- The platform supports health benefits and 401(k) plans integrated with payroll.gusto.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Compliance
- Gusto maintains annual SOC 1 and SOC 2 reports available to customers through its Trust Center after signing an NDA.gusto.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Examples
- The pricing page names QuickBooks, Xero, Aplos, ZipBooks, Autobooks, FreshBooks, Expensify, Hubstaff, Clover, and Homebase as integration examples.gusto.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Hiring
- Hiring tools include job postings, offer letters, e-signing, applicant tracking, and new hire onboarding.gusto.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- Gusto’s app directory includes integrations across categories such as accounting, collaboration, time tracking, hiring, and expense management.gusto.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Mobile
- Gusto’s mobile app works on iPhone and Android phones.support.gusto.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Payroll
- Employers can pay employees and contractors, run unlimited payrolls, and have payroll taxes filed automatically.gusto.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Plan terms
- Gusto says there are no long-term contracts and customers can cancel anytime.gusto.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Product
- Gusto is a small business platform that automates payroll, benefits, and HR.gusto.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Security
- Gusto says data in transit uses TLS v1.2 and data at rest is encrypted with AES-256 in AWS.gusto.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Support
- All plans include 24/7 access to the online Help Center and phone or chat support during business hours; Premium includes a dedicated account partner.gusto.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Time tracking
- Gusto supports scheduling, timesheets, PTO requests, and mobile time tracking.gusto.com · read 7 Oct 2026
