- Works with
- QuickBooks, Xero
- Deployment
- Cloud
- Company size
- SMB, Mid-market
- Pricing
- Subscription
- Founded
- 2012
- Headquarters
- San Francisco, California, USA
Overview
Gusto is an all-in-one payroll, benefits, and HR platform designed for small and mid-sized U.S. businesses. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in San Francisco and Denver, Gusto combines full-service payroll with automatic tax filing, employee onboarding, benefits administration, and HR tools. The company serves over 400,000 businesses and is privately held.
Gusto's payroll includes unlimited payroll runs, automatic calculation and filing of federal, state, and local payroll taxes, and an AutoPilot feature that runs payroll automatically. Built-in benefits administration covers health insurance, 401(k), FSAs, commuter benefits, and more, and time tracking is included. The product is known for an approachable, self-service experience aimed at small employers without dedicated payroll staff.
Gusto is primarily a U.S. domestic payroll product, with contractor payments and international contractor support available. It also offers transparent, published pricing in tiered plans, which differentiates it from quote-based enterprise providers.
Screenshots & demo
Demo video from the vendor's YouTube channel.
Features & capabilities
Payroll Processing
Full-service U.S. payroll with automation.
- Unlimited payroll runs across all 50 states
- AutoPilot automatic payroll runs
- Automatic gross-to-net calculation
- Direct deposit and multiple pay schedules
- Contractor payments and 1099 handling
Tax Filing & Compliance
Automated payroll tax management.
- Automatic federal, state, and local tax calculation and filing
- W-2 and 1099 preparation and filing
- E-file, e-sign, and document storage
- New-hire reporting
Benefits Administration
Integrated benefits tied to payroll.
- Health insurance administration
- 401(k) retirement plans
- Flexible spending accounts and commuter benefits
- Workers' compensation
- Automatic benefit deductions synced to payroll
HR & Onboarding
Core HR tools for small teams.
- Employee self-onboarding
- Offer letters and document management
- Time tracking and PTO management
- Employee self-service portal
Integrations
Connect to accounting and business tools.
- Integrations with accounting software (e.g., QuickBooks, Xero)
- Time-tracking and POS integrations
- Public API and partner marketplace
Common use cases
- A small business running its first in-house payroll without dedicated payroll staff
- Automating payroll tax filing for a growing U.S. company
- Offering health insurance and 401(k) integrated with payroll
- Paying a mix of employees and 1099 contractors
- Onboarding new hires with self-service paperwork
- Syncing payroll journal entries into QuickBooks or Xero
Strengths & considerations
Strengths
- Transparent, published tiered pricing rather than quote-only
- All-in-one payroll, benefits, and HR aimed specifically at small businesses
- AutoPilot automatic payroll and strong self-service onboarding experience
Considerations
- Primarily a U.S. domestic payroll product (international support is contractor-focused)
- Built for small and mid-sized businesses rather than large enterprises
ERP integrations
Payroll journal entries sync to QuickBooks Online
Pricing
Tiered plans: Simple ($40/mo + $6 PEPM), Plus ($80/mo + $12 PEPM), Premium (custom), and Contractor-Only ($35/mo + $6/contractor). Cost is driven by plan tier and headcount. Get an independent shortlist with pricing guidance below.
Technical & security
- Hosting
- SaaS (multi-tenant)
- Data residency
- US
- Compliance
- SOC 2, GDPR
- Mobile app
- Yes
- Languages
- English, Spanish
About the vendor
- Founded
- 2012
- Headquarters
- San Francisco, California, USA
- Ownership
- Private
Alternatives to Gusto in Payroll
Gusto — frequently asked questions
How much does Gusto cost?
Gusto's Simple plan starts at $40/month plus $6 per employee per month; Plus and Premium plans add more HR features, and a contractor-only plan is available.
Does Gusto file payroll taxes automatically?
Yes. Gusto automatically calculates and files federal, state, and local payroll taxes and prepares W-2 and 1099 forms.
Is Gusto only for U.S. businesses?
Gusto's full-service payroll is U.S.-focused; it can also pay international contractors, but it is not a multi-country employee payroll engine.
Does Gusto include benefits administration?
Yes. Health insurance, 401(k), FSAs, commuter benefits, and workers' comp can be administered and synced to payroll.
Evaluating Payroll?
Tell us your ERP and requirements and we'll send an independent shortlist — including Gusto and the best-fit alternatives — with honest pros and cons.