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Gusto

HR & Recruiting

4.2(104 ratings)

84% recommend

Payroll, benefits, and HR platform for modern businesses.

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About Gusto

Best for small businesses needing simple, reliable payroll and HR.

Gusto is a cloud-based payroll, benefits, and HR platform designed primarily for small and medium-sized businesses. It handles full-service payroll processing, tax filing, health insurance administration, 401(k) management, onboarding, and time tracking in one integrated system. What sets Gusto apart is its genuinely user-friendly interface that makes complex payroll and compliance tasks accessible to business owners without HR expertise. The platform automates tax calculations and filings at federal, state, and local levels, reducing the risk of costly errors. It's particularly popular among startups, small businesses, and the accountants who serve them.

Pros

Extremely intuitive interface for payroll processing
Automatic tax filing and compliance handling
Built-in benefits administration including health and retirement
Excellent onboarding and employee self-service portal
Strong integrations with popular accounting software

Cons

Limited features for larger or complex organizations
Customer support can be slow during peak periods
No free plan available for ongoing use
International payroll not natively supported

Use Cases

Best for small businesses running payroll for the first time

Best for startups needing combined payroll, benefits, and HR onboarding

Best for accountants managing payroll for multiple small business clients

Best for growing teams that need automated tax filing and compliance

Key Features

6 features

Automated payroll processing

Employee benefits management

Time tracking and attendance

Tax filing and compliance

Onboarding and offboarding tools

Employee self-service portal

SaasHunter Score

8.0/10

“Your modern business requires an all-in-one payroll and HR solution with user-friendly features.”

Ease of Use

8.0

Features

9.0

Pricing

7.0

Support

8.0

Integrations

8.0

Best For

Small Business 9Startups 8Agencies 7Enterprise 7Freelancers 6

Integrations

QuickBooksXeroFreshBooksSlackZapierShopifyGoogle WorkspaceClover

Hr Software Payroll Payroll And Benefits

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Gusto?

Gusto is a cloud-based platform that provides full-service payroll, employee benefits administration, and HR tools for small and medium-sized businesses. It automates payroll processing, tax filings, and compliance so business owners can focus on running their company.

How much does Gusto cost?

Gusto offers tiered pricing starting with the Simple plan at around $40/month base plus $6 per employee per month. Higher-tier plans (Plus and Premium) include additional features like time tracking, PTO management, and dedicated support at increased costs.

What are the main features of Gusto?

Key features include full-service payroll with automatic tax filing, employee onboarding, health insurance and 401(k) administration, time tracking, PTO management, and compliance alerts. It also offers an employee self-service portal and robust reporting tools.

Who should use Gusto?

Gusto is ideal for small to medium-sized businesses, startups, and their accountants who need an easy-to-use, all-in-one payroll and HR solution. It's especially well-suited for companies with fewer than 100 employees that want to simplify payroll and benefits management.

Is there a free plan for Gusto?

Gusto does not offer a free ongoing plan, but it does occasionally offer free trials or promotional periods for new users. All regular plans require a monthly base fee plus a per-employee charge.