Gusto
Modern payroll, benefits, and HR platform built for small businesses
About Gusto
Gusto is an all-in-one HR platform that simplifies payroll processing, benefits administration, and people management for small and growing businesses. It handles full-service payroll with automatic tax filing for W-2 employees and 1099 contractors, offers health insurance and 401(k) administration, and provides tools for hiring, onboarding, and time tracking. Gusto also features an AI assistant called Gus that can answer HR questions, pull data reports, and handle routine tasks like approving time-off requests. Designed primarily for US-based businesses, it serves over 400,000 companies ranging from solopreneurs to mid-size teams.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Intuitive, user-friendly interface that simplifies payroll and HR for non-experts
- All-in-one platform combining payroll, benefits, and HR in a single system
- Automatic tax filing and compliance across all 50 US states
- Strong contractor payment support with 1099 filing included
- Built-in benefits brokerage makes it easy to offer health insurance without a separate broker
- AI assistant (Gus) helps answer HR questions and automate routine tasks
- Solid employee self-service portal and mobile app
- Extensive integration ecosystem with popular accounting and business tools
Cons
- Per-employee pricing adds up quickly as teams grow, especially on Plus and Premium tiers
- Limited performance management features compared to dedicated HR platforms
- US-focused — international payroll requires Gusto Global at significantly higher cost ($599-699/employee/mo)
- No free trial or free plan — requires commitment before testing
- Customer support quality has drawn mixed reviews, with some users reporting slow response times
- Advanced HR features like custom workflows and detailed analytics locked behind Premium tier
- Time tracking and PTO management not included in the base Simple plan
Key Features
Full-Service Payroll
Automated payroll processing for W-2 employees and 1099 contractors with automatic tax calculations, filings, and payments across all 50 states
Benefits Administration
Health insurance, dental, vision, 401(k), HSA/FSA, commuter benefits, and workers' comp administration with broker integration
Employee Onboarding
Digital onboarding workflows including offer letters, e-signatures, document collection, and new hire checklists
Time & Attendance
Built-in time tracking with GPS, geofencing, PTO management, and automatic sync to payroll
HR Tools & Compliance
Employee handbook builder, compliance alerts, org charts, employee directory, and access to certified HR professionals
AI Assistant (Gus)
AI-powered assistant that answers HR questions, pulls data reports, approves time-off requests, and provides company-specific guidance
Employee Self-Service
Employee portal and mobile app for viewing pay stubs, managing benefits, requesting time off, and updating personal information
Reporting & Analytics
Payroll summaries, tax reports, benefits cost analysis, headcount trends, and custom report builder on higher tiers
Hiring & Applicant Tracking
Job posting, applicant tracking, offer letter management, and background checks integration
Integrations
Connects with popular accounting software (QuickBooks, Xero, FreshBooks), time tracking, expense management, and other business tools
Pricing
- 1099 contractor payments
- Contractor self-service
- 1099-NEC filing
- No base fee
- $6 per employee/month
- Single-state payroll
- Employee self-service
- Health insurance administration
- Basic hiring and onboarding
- Gusto-brokered benefits
- Standard support
- $12 per employee/month
- Multi-state payroll
- Next-day direct deposit
- Time tracking & PTO management
- Workforce costing & reports
- Hiring and onboarding tools
- Permissions and access roles
- Project tracking
- $22 per employee/month
- Everything in Plus
- Dedicated customer success manager
- Certified HR resource center
- Compliance alerts
- Payroll migration assistance
- Priority support
- Custom reporting
- Performance reviews
Best For
Small Business Payroll
Solopreneurs and small businesses running payroll for the first time get an easy-to-use system that handles tax filings, direct deposits, and compliance automatically
Startup HR & Benefits
Growing startups that need to offer competitive benefits packages can use Gusto's built-in brokerage to set up health insurance, 401(k), and other perks without separate vendors
Mixed Workforce Management
Businesses paying both W-2 employees and 1099 contractors from a single platform with proper tax document generation for each
Multi-State Payroll
Companies with remote employees across multiple US states benefit from Gusto's automatic multi-state tax calculations and filings on the Plus plan
Employee Onboarding Automation
HR teams streamline new hire onboarding with digital offer letters, document collection, e-signatures, and automated task checklists
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Featured In
Best People Ops Tools for Remote-First Teams (2026)
Best payroll-first platform for US-focused remote teams under 200 employees who want effortless multi-state compliance and integrated benefits without enterprise complexity.
Best HR and Payroll Integration Tools That Actually Talk to Each Other (2026)
Best for US small businesses — Gusto delivers the most intuitive HR-payroll integration for teams under 75 employees, with automated payroll, benefits brokerage, and accounting sync that just works.
6 Tools That Integrate With Greenhouse for Better Hiring Workflows (2026)
Best Greenhouse-to-payroll integration for startups and small teams who need simple, compliant onboarding without the complexity of enterprise HRIS platforms.
Best HR Tools With Onboarding Checklist Automation (2026)
Best for US small businesses that want compliance and payroll automated as part of onboarding.
Best Employee Time Tracking Software for Restaurants (2026)
Best for very small restaurants that want payroll, HR, and basic time tracking in one tool — and are willing to trade clock-specific features for consolidation.