Gusto
Very GoodModern payroll, benefits, and HR for small businesses
Gusto is a top-rated business tools tool rated 8.6/10. Plans start at $40/mo. Key strengths: features (8.2/10) and ease of use (9.0/10). Highly recommended for most use cases.
Our Rating
Based on comprehensive analysis of features, pricing, ease of use, and customer feedback
What is Gusto?
Gusto is a modern people platform that simplifies payroll, benefits, HR, and compliance for small businesses. It handles full-service payroll with automatic tax filing, offers health insurance and 401(k) administration, and provides onboarding, time tracking, and employee self-service tools. Gusto serves over 300,000 businesses and is known for making payroll painless with its intuitive, friendly interface.
Gusto Key Features
Pros & Cons
👍 Pros
- Incredibly easy payroll processing ÔÇö run payroll in minutes with automatic tax calculations and filings
- All-in-one people platform combining payroll, benefits, HR, and compliance in one clean interface
- Excellent benefits administration including health insurance brokerage and 401(k) management
👎 Cons
- Per-employee pricing ($6-12/person/month plus base fee) adds up quickly for growing teams
- Multi-state payroll and contractor payments in some states require higher-tier plans
- Limited HR features compared to dedicated HR platforms like BambooHR or Rippling
Best Use Cases for Gusto
Use Cases
- Small business payroll: Process payroll in minutes with automatic tax calculations, filings, and direct deposits
- Employee benefits: Offer health insurance, 401(k), and other benefits with easy administration
- New hire onboarding: Send offer letters, collect documents, and onboard new employees digitally
- Time and PTO tracking: Track employee hours, manage PTO requests, and sync with payroll
Gusto Pricing
Full pricing details →Simple
- ✓Full-service payroll
- ✓Employee self-service
- ✓Health insurance admin
- ✓2-day direct deposit
- ✓Basic hiring tools
- + 1 more features
Plus
- ✓Everything in Simple
- ✓Next-day direct deposit
- ✓PTO management
- ✓Time tracking
- ✓Hiring and onboarding
- + 2 more features
Premium
- ✓Everything in Plus
- ✓Dedicated support
- ✓Compliance alerts
- ✓Performance reviews
- ✓Employee surveys
- + 1 more features
Gusto vs Competitors
Who is Gusto Best For?
Best for small businesses (1-100 employees) that want simple, all-in-one payroll with benefits administration and basic HR tools.
Gusto at a Glance
Expert Verdict
Gusto — Very Good
Gusto stands out as one of the strongest options in the Business Tools category. With excellent scores across features (8.2/10) and ease of use (9.0/10), it delivers genuine value for organizations willing to invest from $40/mo. We recommend it for users who prioritize reliability and a mature feature set.
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