Rating: 4.2 / 5 — The gold standard for small business payroll in the US. Automated payroll that just works, strong benefits administration, and decent HR features. It gets pricey per person as you grow, but for teams under 50, it's hard to beat. Simple plan at $40/mo + $6/person is a fair deal.
Gusto at a Glance
| Developer | Gusto |
| Starting Price | $40/mo + $6/person |
| Plus Plan | $60/mo + $9/person |
| Best For | Small business payroll and HR |
| Employee Range | 1–100 employees (sweet spot) |
| Key Strengths | Auto payroll, benefits admin, onboarding, time tracking |
| Key Weakness | Per-person cost adds up, limited for 50+ employees |
Pricing
Gusto has three main plans, all with a base fee plus per-person pricing:
- Simple ($40/mo + $6/person): Full-service payroll, benefits admin, hiring and onboarding, time off management. Everything a typical small business needs.
- Plus ($60/mo + $9/person): Adds PTO management, time tracking, project tracking, and employee surveys. Worth it if you need time tracking built in.
- Premium (Custom): Dedicated account manager, HR advisory, compliance alerts, and custom reports. For scaling companies.
💡 A team of 10 on Simple costs $100/mo. On Plus, it's $150/mo. Simple covers most needs — don't let FOMO push you to Plus unless you actually need time tracking.
Key Features
- Automated Payroll: Federal, state, and local tax filings are handled automatically
- Benefits Administration: Health insurance, 401(k), HSA, FSA, commuter benefits
- Hiring & Onboarding: Offer letters, e-signatures, I-9 and W-4 collection, background checks
- Time Tracking: Built-in time clock with GPS, PTO tracking, and timesheet approvals
- Employee Self-Service: Employees manage their own profiles, direct deposit, and tax withholdings
- Workers' Comp: Pay-as-you-go workers' compensation insurance
Pros & Cons
✅ The Good
- Payroll is fully automated — including all tax filings
- Beautiful, intuitive interface
- Excellent employee self-service portal
- Benefits administration is genuinely useful
- Hiring and onboarding tools save hours per new hire
❌ The Bad
- Per-person pricing gets expensive over 50 employees
- No built-in performance review system
- Limited recruitment features (applicant tracking is basic)
- Customer support wait times have gotten worse
- Only available in the US (no international payroll)
Verdict
🏆 Choose Gusto if: You're a US-based small business that wants payroll to be a set-it-and-forget-it operation. Gusto handles the boring but critical stuff — tax filings, compliance, benefits — so you don't have to. For teams under 50, it's the best payroll platform available. Beyond that, consider BambooHR or Rippling.
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