Gusto: pricing, features and alternatives
US payroll, benefits and HR for small businesses
What is Gusto?
Gusto runs payroll for US small businesses: it calculates pay, files and pays payroll taxes, and pays employees and contractors, with unlimited payroll runs on every plan. Higher plans add time tracking, multi-state payroll and HR support, and Gusto also offers health insurance, 401(k) plans and business insurance through partners. Pricing is a monthly base fee plus a fee per person paid.
Good for
- US small businesses paying employees and contractors
- Teams that want payroll, benefits and basic HR from one provider
- Businesses adding employees in a second state
Key features
- Unlimited payroll runs with tax filings and payments on every plan
- Payments to contractors in more than 120 countries
- Time tracking and scheduling synced to payroll (Plus and Premium)
- Multi-state payroll (Plus and Premium)
- Health insurance, 401(k), HSA and FSA administration through Gusto
- Add-ons for R&D tax credits, remote I-9 and E-Verify
Limitations to know about
- Every plan adds a per-person fee on top of the base fee, so cost grows with headcount
- The Simple plan covers payroll in one state; multi-state payroll starts on Plus
- Same-day pay ($90 per payroll) and instant pay ($100 per payroll) cost extra below Premium
- Payroll for employees is US-only; people abroad can be paid only as contractors
Gusto pricing
Gusto has no free plan. Simple, Plus and Premium cost $49 to $180 a month.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Simple | $49/month + $6/month per person | Basic payroll in one state, unlimited payrolls, tax filings and payments, basic PTO policies |
| Plus | $80/month + $12/month per person | Time tracking and scheduling, next-day pay, multi-state payroll, contractor invoices |
| Premium | $180/month + $22/month per person | Named advisor, HR guidance and tools, business compliance, same-day and instant pay |
Gusto alternatives
OnPay
US small-business payroll with a base fee plus a per-worker fee, and add-on HR, time tracking and benefits
Rippling
HR, payroll, IT and finance modules on one employee database, priced per employee on a custom quote
Justworks
Payroll from $8 per employee a month plus a $50 base fee, or PEO plans with benefits and HR support, for US small businesses
Deel
Global hiring and payroll platform for contractors, employer of record and US PEO, priced per worker
BambooHR
HR software with employee records, hiring and reviews, plus a US-only payroll add-on
Remote
Global employment platform with employer of record, payroll, contractors and a US PEO, priced per person
Frequently asked questions
Is Gusto free?
No, Gusto does not have a free plan. Paid plans start at $49/mo.
How much does Gusto cost?
Simple, Plus and Premium cost $49 to $180 a month. On Simple: $49 a month base fee plus $6 a month per person paid; payroll in one state. Prices as published on Gusto's pricing page on 7 November 2026.
What is Gusto used for?
Gusto runs payroll for US small businesses: it calculates pay, files and pays payroll taxes, and pays employees and contractors, with unlimited payroll runs on every plan. People use it for uS small businesses paying employees and contractors, teams that want payroll, benefits and basic HR from one provider and businesses adding employees in a second state.
What are the alternatives to Gusto?
Tools that do a similar job include OnPay, Rippling, Justworks, Deel and BambooHR. Each has its own page here with its plans, limits and prices.
Who makes Gusto?
Gusto is made by Gusto, Inc., based in San Francisco, California. The company was founded in 2011.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from the pages below, read on the dates shown: Gusto, Inc.'s own pages first, and a named public reference where they are silent.
- gusto.com/product/pricing (pricing, plans, per-person fees, add-on prices, features, contractor payments) read 7 November 2026
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gusto_(company) (company founded year and headquarters) read 7 November 2026
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