Our verdict · 8.5/10 Excellent
The easiest way for a small US business to run compliant payroll. Larger or global teams may prefer a broader platform.
Key takeaways
- Best for: US small businesses hiring their first employees.
- Strongest area: Ease of use (9.2/10). Weakest: Support & reliability (8.0/10).
- Price: Base fee from around $49 / month plus a per-person fee.
- Watch out for: Primarily US-focused.
What is Gusto?
Gusto runs payroll, files payroll taxes, manages benefits and handles onboarding for US businesses. Its approachable interface and transparent pricing have made it a popular first payroll system for small companies.
Gusto is made by Gusto and is reviewed here as a payroll platform. It is priced on a subscription basis, and our editorial score is 8.5 out of 10, calculated from six weighted criteria.
Who it’s for — and who should skip it
Choose Gusto if
- US small businesses hiring their first employees
- Teams wanting payroll plus simple HR
- Businesses paying contractors
Not for you if
- Large international teams
- Complex enterprise HR needs
Key features
Automatic calculations and filings.
Health insurance and retirement options.
Offer letters and digital paperwork.
PTO policies and tracking.
- QuickBooks Online
- Xero
- FreshBooks
- Slack
Pros & cons
What we like
- Intuitive payroll runs
- Automatic tax filings
- Benefits and onboarding included
- Good accounting integrations
Watch out for
- Primarily US-focused
- Per-person fees add up
- Advanced HR requires higher tiers
Pricing & true cost
| Plan | Indicative price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Simple | ≈ $49 / mo base + $6 / employee / mo | Base fee plus per person |
| Plus | ≈ $80 / mo base + $12 / employee / mo | — |
| Premium | ≈ $180 / mo base + $22 / employee / mo | — |
Pricing watch-out: Contractor-only plans are cheaper; benefits may add cost.
True cost at 5, 10 and 25 seats
Cheapest paid plan that fits each team size, from indicative list prices checked October 30, 2026. Excludes tax, add-ons, onboarding fees and promotional discounts.
Pricing watch-outs
- Base fee on top of per-seat pricing. Simple adds a fixed monthly base fee, so a 5-person team pays about $16 per person per month, not the headline per-seat rate.
- No free plan or trial. Ask for a demo account, a pilot or money-back terms before committing.
Contract questions to ask before you sign
- Does the plan auto-renew, and how many days’ notice do you need to cancel?
- Is the advertised price for annual billing? What is the month-to-month price?
- Is the first-year price a promotion? What will renewal cost, and is it capped?
- Is there a minimum number of seats, or a charge for inactive users?
- Are onboarding, implementation or premium-support fees extra?
- How do we export all our data if we leave, and in what format?
General questions for any vendor — not findings about this product. Build a full checklist with our requirements builder.
Indicative USD pricing, last checked October 30, 2026. Vendors change prices and promotions often — always confirm on their website. Model your own numbers with our SaaS TCO calculator.
Score breakdown
| Criterion | Weight | Score | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Features & fit | 25% | 8.4 | 2.10 | |
| Ease of use | 20% | 9.2 | 1.80 | |
| Value for money | 20% | 8.3 | 1.70 | |
| Support & reliability | 10% | 8.0 | 0.80 | |
| Security & privacy | 10% | 8.4 | 0.80 | |
| Integrations & ecosystem | 15% | 8.6 | 1.30 | |
| Overall | 100% | Weighted for business software products | 8.5 | |
Security & compliance facts
| Item | Status | Question to ask Gusto |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-factor authenticationStops most account takeovers from reused or phished passwords. | Not verified by us | Can admins enforce MFA for every user, on every plan? |
| Single sign-on (SAML/OIDC)Lets you remove a leaver’s access everywhere from one place. | Not verified by us | Is SSO included on the plan we are buying, or only on enterprise tiers? |
| SOC 2 Type II reportIndependent audit of the vendor’s security controls — often required by larger customers. | Not verified by us | Can we see your current SOC 2 Type II report (under NDA if needed)? |
| ISO/IEC 27001 certificationInternational standard for running an information-security programme. | Not verified by us | Which legal entity and services does your ISO 27001 certificate cover? |
| GDPR data processing agreementNeeded if you handle personal data of people in the EU/UK. | Not verified by us | Do you offer a signed DPA and list your sub-processors? |
| HIPAA business associate agreementRequired before US healthcare businesses store protected health information. | Not verified by us | Will you sign a BAA, and on which plans? |
We have not yet verified these items for Gusto against a primary source, so we don’t claim them either way. Check Gusto’s trust or security page and ask for documents in writing.
Before you buy any payroll platform
Check Gusto against the same list we use for every payroll platform — and confirm each point on the plan you intend to buy, not the top tier.
- Automatic tax filing in your jurisdictions
- Contractor payments
- Benefits and time-off management
- Employee self-service portal
- Accounting integration
See every ranked option in Payroll & HR.
Gusto alternatives
Pick an alternative by what matters to you
- Cheaper
Paychex Flex≈ $39/mo vs $109/mo at 10 users (cheapest paid plans, indicative) - Better integrations
RipplingIntegrations score 9.2 vs 8.6
Computed from our published scores and indicative pricing for tools in the same category as Gusto. Scores are editorial; see the methodology.
Editor’s picks
A unified workforce platform: payroll, HR, IT and devices in one system.
Head-to-head comparisons
Featured in: Best Payroll Software for Small Business, Best HR Software for Small Business, Gusto vs Rippling vs ADP vs Deel
Review history
- Scored under methodology v2.0 (six weighted criteria, computed overall score).
Gusto FAQ
Does Gusto support international employees?
Gusto focuses on US payroll, with international contractor payments available in some regions.
Does Gusto have a free plan?
No, Gusto does not offer a permanent free plan. Pricing starts at Base fee from around $49 / month plus a per-person fee (indicative).
Who is Gusto best for?
Gusto is best for: US small businesses hiring their first employees; teams wanting payroll plus simple HR; businesses paying contractors.
How much does Gusto cost for a team of 10?
On indicative list prices, the cheapest paid plan that fits 10 users (Simple) works out at roughly $109 per month, or about $1,308 per year, before tax, add-ons and discounts.
How is the Gusto score calculated?
The 8.5/10 overall score is a weighted average of six sub-scores — features & fit, ease of use, value, support & reliability, security & privacy, and integrations — using the published weights for software products. Affiliate relationships have no input. See our methodology page for the full rubric.
What are the best alternatives to Gusto?
Popular alternatives include Rippling. See our comparisons for side-by-side verdicts.