Gusto Review 2026 - Features, Pricing & Deals

Gusto is a cloud-based payroll, benefits, and HR management platform that helps US businesses handle their administrative tasks. The platform brings together essential tools for managing employee payments, benefits, and HR functions in one central system.

Since its launch in 2012, the platform has grown from a simple payroll service to include automated tax filing, health insurance administration, and employee onboarding tools. Small and medium-sized businesses can process payroll, manage time off requests, and handle employee documentation through a user-friendly interface. The platform now includes Gus, an AI assistant that helps with policy navigation, payroll explanations, report generation, and actions like approving time-off requests.

The software offers four main pricing tiers: Simple, Plus, Premium, and Contractor Only. Each plan includes core payroll features, with more advanced HR and benefits tools available in higher tiers. Businesses can choose add-ons like next-day direct deposit or time tracking to customize their setup.

Features include automated payroll processing across all 50 states, benefits administration for health insurance and retirement plans, and digital employee onboarding with an AI job description generator. The platform connects with accounting software and time-tracking tools like QuickBooks and Slack.

• Automated Payroll Processing: Handles automated tax calculations and filings, multiple pay schedules, and direct deposit options across all 50 states.
• Benefits Management: Offers insurance options including medical, dental, vision, and retirement plans like 401(k).
• HR Management: Provides digital onboarding tools, self-service employee portals, time-off tracking, and performance review capabilities.
• Gus AI Assistant: Answers questions about policies and payroll, generates reports, and executes actions like approving time-off requests through conversational AI.
• AI-Powered Hiring Tools: Includes an AI job description generator and onboarding features that speed up recruitment and help new hires get started quickly.
• Reporting Capabilities: Generates customizable payroll, time-off, and workforce cost reports to track and analyze financial and employee data.
• Software Integrations: Connects with accounting, time tracking, and expense management platforms like QuickBooks and Slack.

• Simple Plan starts at $49-$54 base price plus $6-$7 per employee monthly, offering single-state payroll, basic PTO, tax filings, and employee self-service portals.
• Plus Plan costs $80-$89 base price with $12-$13 per employee monthly, including multi-state payroll, time tracking, onboarding, and hiring tools.
• Premium Plan ranges from $180-$199 base price with $22-$24 per employee monthly, offering dedicated support, certified HR experts, advanced analytics, and compliance monitoring.
• Contractor Only Plan provides unlimited contractor payments at $35 base price plus $6 per contractor monthly, supporting 1099 filings and payments in all 50 states with basic compliance features.
• Special offer available: $0 per month for 6 months, then $35 per month base for Contractor Only plan.

Gusto targets small businesses with a user-friendly interface that doesn't require HR expertise, while ADP and Paychex often cater to larger companies with more complex needs. Gusto's pricing is more transparent and typically lower for small teams, starting at $49-$54 per month plus per-employee fees. The platform combines payroll, benefits, and HR in one system, whereas ADP and Paychex may require multiple modules. Gusto includes features like the Gus AI assistant and modern employee self-service tools that competitors charge extra for or don't offer at all.

Yes, Gusto offers a Contractor Only plan specifically for businesses that work exclusively with independent contractors. This plan costs $35 per month plus $6 per contractor. You'll be able to pay contractors in all 50 states, provide them with 1099 forms, and give them access to the Gusto Wallet app. There's currently a deal where you can get $0 per month for 6 months, then $35 per month. You can easily upgrade to a full-service plan later if you hire employees.

Yes, but you need the Plus or Premium plan for multi-state payroll. The Simple plan only covers single-state operations. Gusto automates tax calculations and filings for all 50 states, handling different withholding rates, local taxes, and compliance requirements for each location. This makes it useful for remote teams spread across multiple states. The system updates automatically when tax laws change, so you don't have to track different state regulations yourself.

Gusto's onboarding process can feel overwhelming if you're new to payroll software, but their support team helps with the migration. You'll need to gather employee information, past payroll data, and tax records from your old system. Gusto walks you through importing this data, though some users report the process takes longer than expected. Once you're set up, the platform is straightforward to use. Consider starting the switch at the beginning of a quarter to make tax reporting cleaner.

Yes, employees get their own Gusto login where they can view pay stubs, access W-2s, manage their tax withholdings, and update their personal information. They can also enroll in benefits, track time off balances, and submit time-off requests. With the free Gusto Wallet app, employees can access their pay up to two days early with direct deposit, set savings goals, and track their spending. This self-service feature saves you time answering basic payroll questions.