Gusto
Gusto is a small-business platform for payroll, benefits, and HR.
What Gusto 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, while hiring features cover job postings, offer letters, e-signing, applicant tracking, and new-hire onboarding. Gusto’s app directory includes services across accounting, collaboration, time tracking, hiring, and expense management; named examples include QuickBooks, Xero, FreshBooks, Expensify, Hubstaff, and Homebase. The product is available on web, Android, iOS, and through an API, and its mobile app works on iPhone and Android phones. Gusto was founded in 2012 and is headquartered in San Francisco. The company describes its customer base as more than 500,000 businesses nationwide. Plans include Simple at $49 a month plus $6 per person monthly, Plus at $80 a month plus $12 per person monthly, and Premium at $180 a month plus $22 per person monthly. Gusto says plans have no long-term contracts and can be canceled anytime.
Good
- Unlimited payroll runs are available.
- Payroll taxes are filed automatically.
- Health benefits and 401(k) plans integrate with payroll.
- Mobile time tracking is supported.
Watch out
- No free plan is listed.
- Simple has a per-person monthly charge in addition to its base price.
- Premium is $180 a month plus $22 per person monthly.
Who it suits
Gusto suits small businesses looking to manage payroll alongside benefits, time tracking, hiring, and HR tasks. It offers plan choices with different payroll, workforce, and support features.
Verdict
Gusto brings payroll, benefits, HR, time management, and hiring features together for small businesses. Compare plan pricing and included capabilities, especially the per-person charges, before selecting a tier.
Plans and prices
From Gusto's own pricing page, checked 22 Sep 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Contractor Only | Priced on request | Domestic contractor payments · Four-day pay · Form 1099 creation and filings · + $6/mo per person |
| Simple | $49 a month | Basic payroll in one state · unlimited payrolls · tax filings and payments · basic PTO and holiday pay · $49/mo + $6/mo per person |
| Plus | $80 a month | Multi-state payroll · time tracking and scheduling · unlimited next day pay · contractor invoice management · $80/mo + $12/mo per person |
| Premium | $180 a month | Premium account support · HR guidance and tools · Gusto Business Compliance · same-day and instant pay · project costing · $180/mo + $22/mo per person |
The facts
Each one read from Gusto's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Audience and scale
- Gusto describes its platform as serving small businesses and says it serves more than 500,000 businesses nationwide.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Benefits
- The platform supports health benefits and 401(k) plans integrated with payroll.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Compliance
- Gusto maintains annual SOC 1 and SOC 2 reports available to customers through its Trust Center after signing an NDA.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Examples
- The pricing page names QuickBooks, Xero, Aplos, ZipBooks, Autobooks, FreshBooks, Expensify, Hubstaff, Clover, and Homebase as integration examples.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Hiring
- Hiring tools include job postings, offer letters, e-signing, applicant tracking, and new hire onboarding.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- Gusto’s app directory includes integrations across categories such as accounting, collaboration, time tracking, hiring, and expense management.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Mobile
- Gusto’s mobile app works on iPhone and Android phones.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Payroll
- Employers can pay employees and contractors, run unlimited payrolls, and have payroll taxes filed automatically.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Product
- Gusto is a small business platform that automates payroll, benefits, and HR.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Security
- Gusto says data in transit uses TLS v1.2 and data at rest is encrypted with AES-256 in AWS.checked 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.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Time tracking
- Gusto supports scheduling, timesheets, PTO requests, and mobile time tracking.checked 7 Oct 2026
The company
- Founded
- 2012checked 28 Sep 2026
- Headquarters
- San Francisco, California, United Stateschecked 28 Sep 2026
Money
- Plan terms
- Gusto says there are no long-term contracts and customers can cancel anytime.checked 7 Oct 2026
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