Gusto is an HR & recruiting tool for Small businesses, offered as paid ($35/mo). Based in United States, founded in 2011. Popular alternatives include Rippling, BambooHR, Personio.
About Gusto
Gusto is payroll, benefits and HR software for small and mid-sized businesses in the United States. It was founded in 2011 in San Francisco as ZenPayroll, renamed Gusto in 2015, and has become one of the most common payroll choices for US startups, restaurants, agencies and accounting firms.
Full-service payroll calculates wages and deductions, files and pays federal, state and local taxes and produces W-2 and 1099 forms automatically. Around payroll, Gusto handles health insurance, 401(k) and workers' compensation through partner brokers, onboarding with offer letters and e-signature, time tracking, PTO policies, scheduling, compliance alerts and contractor payments in the US and more than 120 countries. Plans charge a monthly base fee plus a per-person fee: Simple for single-state payroll, Plus for multi-state teams with time tracking, Premium with HR support and compliance tools, and a Contractor Only plan.
Gusto fits US companies up to roughly 100 employees that want payroll to be easy and friendly, and accountants who manage many clients through its partner program. It only pays employees in the US; companies hiring abroad pair it with Deel or Remote for employer of record. Larger organizations that need IT, device management and a deeper HRIS move to Rippling, while ADP and Paychex suit those who want a traditional provider with more service options. Costs rise steadily with headcount.
Key features of Gusto
- Full-service US payroll with tax filings
- Health benefits, 401(k) and workers' comp
- Onboarding with offer letters and e-signature
- Time tracking, PTO and scheduling
- Contractor payments in 120+ countries
- Compliance alerts and HR resources
Pros and cons
Pros
- Very easy payroll for small teams
- Benefits administration included
- Friendly UX and good support
- Strong accountant partnerships
Cons
- US employees only
- Costs rise with headcount
- Limited HR depth for larger companies
- Integrations fewer than Rippling
Gusto pricing
Gusto uses a paid model.
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Simple | $49 / mo | + $6/person; single-state payroll |
| Plus | $80 / mo | + $12/person; multi-state payroll, time and PTO |
| Premium | $180 / mo | + $22/person; HR experts, compliance, priority support |
| Contractor Only | $35 / mo | + $6/contractor; base fee sometimes waived as promo |
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How Gusto compares in HR & recruiting
- Rank by votes
- #1 / 20
- Starting price
- $35
- Free alternatives
- 0
0 votes from members
250% above the category median ($10/mo)
Free or open-source tools in HR & recruiting
Gusto ranks #1 of 20 hr & recruiting tools by community votes and is priced above most tools in the category.
Common use cases
- 1US startup running payroll for 10 employees
- 2Restaurant handling hourly time and tips
- 3Small agency offering health benefits
- 4Company paying US and foreign contractors
Best for
US small businesses up to about 100 employees.
Not ideal for
Non-US employers or companies needing deep HRIS/IT (Rippling).
Integrations
- QuickBooks
- Xero
- FreshBooks
- Clover
- Deputy
- Expensify
- Guideline
- Slack
- Greenhouse
Our take
Gusto is the easiest payroll for US small businesses. Move to Rippling when IT, devices and complex HR enter the picture.
FAQ
- What is Gusto?
- Gusto is an HR & recruiting tool: Payroll, benefits and HR for US small businesses.
- How much does Gusto cost?
- Gusto uses a Paid model; paid plans start at $35 per month.
- What are the best alternatives to Gusto?
- Community-listed alternatives to Gusto include Rippling, BambooHR, Personio, 360Learning.
- What does Gusto integrate with?
- Gusto integrates with QuickBooks, Xero, FreshBooks, Clover, Deputy, Expensify and more.
- Which platforms does Gusto support?
- Gusto is available on web, ios, android.
- Who is Gusto for?
- US small businesses up to about 100 employees.
Alternatives to Gusto
See all 10Rippling
▲ 0HR, IT and finance in one system
Paid · $8Small businesseschecked Oct 20
BambooHR
▲ 0HRIS for small and medium businesses
Paid · $10Small businesseschecked Oct 20
Personio
▲ 0European all-in-one HR software
PaidSmall businesseschecked Oct 20
360Learning
▲ 0Collaborative LMS where in-house experts build corporate training
Paid · $8Small businesseschecked Oct 20
Deel
▲ 0Global payroll, EOR and contractor management
Paid · $5Small businesseschecked Oct 20
Factorial
▲ 0All-in-one HR, time tracking and payroll prep for growing SMBs
Paid · $8Small businesseschecked Oct 20
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