HR Software (HRIS) · Payroll Software
Gusto review
Small-business payroll platform that bundles tax filing, benefits and basic HR tools, priced as a base fee plus a per-person fee.
Gusto at a glance
- Category
- HR Software (HRIS), Payroll Software
- Starting price
- $49/month plus $6 per person (Simple)
- Pricing model
- base fee plus per person
- Public pricing
- Yes
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- No
- Contract
- Monthly
- G2 rating
- 4.6 (9,000 reviews)
- Founded
- 2011
- Headquarters
- San Francisco, US (formerly ZenPayroll)
- Employees
- 2,400 to 3,000 (estimates)
- Funding or owner
- Series E, $9.5B valuation in 2021/2022 rounds
Buying Gusto: security, admin and contract
- SAML SSO
- Reportedly available by contacting support (third-party source); not verified on gusto.com.
- SCIM provisioning
- Reportedly not offered (third-party)
- Contract
- Monthly pricing; cancellation terms not verified.
Questions to ask Gusto before you sign
- Which plan includes audit logs, and how long are they kept?
- Where is our data stored, and can we choose the region?
- Can we sign your standard DPA without changes?
- What will the price be at renewal, and is the increase capped?
Questions are listed where Gusto's public pages leave the answer open.
Who Gusto is for
Choose Gusto if
- Small US businesses of 1 to a few dozen people wanting simple setup.
- Companies that pay a mix of W-2 employees and 1099 contractors.
Look elsewhere if
- Large enterprises needing SCIM or deep identity controls.
- Companies that need global payroll.
Gusto pricing
| Plan | Price | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple | $49 + $6 | per month + per person per month | Single-state payroll, auto tax filing |
| Plus | $80 + $12 | per month + per person per month | Multi-state payroll, time tracking, hiring tools |
| Premium | $180 + $22 | per month + per person per month | HR guidance, same-day and instant pay |
| Contractor Only | $35 + $6 | per month + per contractor | 1099-only businesses |
Prices as listed on gusto.com/product/pricing. Some Gusto guides list Premium as custom. Active employees only are billed.
Gusto features by buying criteria
| Criterion | What we found |
|---|---|
| Core HR and employee records | Employee records and self-onboarding on all plans (basic) |
| Payroll integration or built-in payroll | Built-in payroll is the core product. |
| Onboarding and offboarding workflows | Employee self-onboarding on Simple; hiring and onboarding tools on Plus. |
| Time off and attendance | Basic PTO on Simple; time and PTO tracking on Plus. |
| Pricing model and transparency | Base fee plus per-person fee per plan. |
| Target company size | Small businesses (about 84% of G2 reviews) |
| Tax filing and compliance | Automatic federal, state and local filing on all plans. |
| Multi-state payroll | Plus and Premium; Simple is single-state. |
| Time tracking and PTO | Plus adds time tracking and PTO. |
| Contractor and 1099 payments | Contractor Only plan $35 + $6 per contractor. |
What reviewers say about Gusto
Praised for
- Ease of use (9.5 of 10 on G2)
- Quick setup and onboarding.
Common complaints
- Support rated slightly behind some competitors.
Themes paraphrased from public reviews on G2 and similar sites, not quotes.
What most Gusto reviews leave out
- Multi-state payroll only starts on Plus ($80 + $12)
- Simple's price excludes benefits costs and add-ons.
- SAML SSO is not self-service: reportedly enabled via Gusto support, and SCIM is reportedly unavailable (third-party Stitchflow)
- Billing counts only active employees.
- Contractor-only businesses have their own $35 + $6 plan.
Gusto alternatives
RipplingCompanies already running payroll and HR on Rippling that want app access tied to employee records.$8 per employee per month plus monthly base fee
PaycorUS employers with roughly 10 to 1,000 staff that want payroll and HR from one vendor.Contact sales
JustworksSmall US companies that want a PEO with benefits and compliance handled for them.$50/month base plus $8 per employee (Payroll plan)
OnPaySmall businesses and accounting-firm partners.$49/month + $6 per worker
BambooHRSmall and mid-size US companies that want HRIS first and light recruiting in the same system.$250/mo flat (Core, 25 or fewer employees); $10 to $10.25 per employee per month above that
QuickBooks PayrollBusinesses already on QuickBooks Online.$44/month + $6.50 per employee (Payroll + Simple Start, 50% promo for 3 months shown; list $88)
Gusto compared
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from Gusto's own pricing, product or documentation pages, G2 and company records, checked on October 24, 2026. Unknown values are left out instead of estimated.