Gusto
Payroll, benefits and HR for small US businesses
Gusto runs payroll for small businesses in the United States and files the taxes that come with it. Payroll can be run as often as needed at no extra cost per run, federal, state and local taxes are calculated, filed and paid automatically, and W-2s and 1099s are issued at year end. Contractors can be paid from the same place as employees, including businesses that have not hired W-2 staff yet. Benefits sit alongside payroll rather than in a separate system: health insurance, 401(k), workers compensation and commuter benefits, with deductions flowing straight into the pay run. Higher plans add multi-state payroll, next-day pay, time and attendance tracking, PTO policies, hiring and onboarding tools, performance and compensation management, and a dedicated service advisor. Every plan is a monthly base fee plus a per-person fee.
- Unlimited payroll runs at no extra cost per run
- Federal, state and local taxes filed and paid automatically
- W-2 and 1099 filings at year end
- Pay contractors from the same place as employees
- Health insurance, 401(k) and workers compensation
- Multi-state payroll and next-day pay on higher plans
- Time tracking, PTO policies and holiday pay
- Hiring, onboarding and performance tools
Based on what people have said
Every answer links back to the mentions it came fromWhat features does Gusto offer for small businesses?
Gusto is used to manage payroll, payroll taxes, 401(k) contributions, time tracking, and employee onboarding. It also handles workers' compensation and health insurance, with some users noting that it allows for a time kiosk setup for employee clock-ins.
4 mentions · r/Contractor · r/ExecutiveAssistants · r/Dentistry · r/Dentistry · Aug 2026 – Sep 2026
How does Gusto compare to other payroll providers when switching services?
Some users report that switching to Gusto can help avoid issues experienced with other platforms like QuickBooks Online or ADP. However, others note that when transitioning between providers, it is critical to ensure that tax filings and deposits are properly coordinated to avoid mismatches or duplicate payments, as these issues can be difficult to resolve.
6 mentions · r/quickbooksonline · r/Payroll · Aug 2026 – Sep 2026
Is Gusto considered easy to use?
Several users describe Gusto as easy to use and a standard choice for startups and small businesses. While some find it helpful for streamlining administrative burdens, a few users mention that they occasionally encounter headaches while using the platform.
4 mentions · r/smallbusiness · r/Payroll · r/SalesOperations · Aug 2026
What are the costs associated with using Gusto?
Users describe the pricing as not too expensive, with some citing monthly fees around fifty dollars. Others note a structure involving a base monthly fee plus an additional cost per employee, which some consider to be on the higher end compared to other options.
3 mentions · r/llc_life · r/smallbusiness · r/Payroll · Aug 2026 – Sep 2026
These summarise counts and dates only. Read the quotes themselves under what people are saying.
What people are saying about Gusto
45% neutral“A lot of companies like CR have an exportable .csv file that can be uploaded to most major payroll services like ADP or Gusto. Now, the bigger issue is the fact that the responsibility of labor laws and paying wages correct relies on the provider, not CR or other companies.”
“I think what most platforms are moving toward are just more API options to connect to existing solutions like Gusto, etc”
“Gusto's own page says it, don't pay a cent until you run payroll. So you set the whole thing up and see it working before any money leaves.”
“If Gusto already points customers toward Poppins, I can see why an acquisition would make strategic sense—especially if Gusto wants to add household payroll without building that infrastructure from scratch.”
“Gusto does not offer household employee services and specifically recommends Poppins to people in their FAQ.”
“Then call Gusto and ask them to track that number.”
“I used to work in support at gusto, contact them and see if they can tell you if they got a bank error yet and confirm your account/routing with them. Important: you need to actually call, not use chat.”
“Standard setups in Gusto or entry-level ADP will push a single summary journal entry to your GL wages account. That completely severs your labor costs from Buildertrend’s job phases, leaving your project-level profitability and WIP schedules blind.”
“Gusto does it as well”
“Gusto 100% is the way. Super easy to use for both back office admin and the actual employees. It has great HR features built in.”
“Thank you, we looked at Gusto as it integrates with BuilderTrend but they unfortunately cannot withhold multiple local taxes. QBO can’t either.”
“I'm certified in QBO Payroll and I would go with ADP or Gusto before QBOP.”
“Gusto is strong for payroll, compliance, and HR records, but weak if you want true daily job-level labor reporting for operations. If support is telling you to stitch together multiple exports, that usually means the workflow wasn’t built for dispatch or job costing, just paycheck accuracy.”
“But then they screwed it up, so do you want an accountant referral to Gusto?”
“gusto is definitely built for payroll and tax filings first, their daily operational tracking is super bare bones.”
“Why does gusto make it so hard to run a report that line items each employee that worked on a certain day, their clock in and out times, total hours and total pay for each day?”
“Gusto is wrong on the employer contribution front. You don't need them for that though - you can make employer contributions directly to the plan.”
“And then, of course, we started running into all sorts of limits and constraints that the gusto 401(k) rep failed to mention. Like there’s supposedly a cap that an employee can only contribute 92% and an employer can only match 25%.”
“Gusto very user friendly and they have time tracking”
“I've watched three SaaS companies white-label payroll through Check or Gusto and none hired payroll staff until around 200 customers.”
“Gusto just straight up sucks. Worst small businesses payroll system I had to use as an employee.”
“We use BambooHR and it compared favorably to Gusto (which I used in my previous nonprofit org). I like Bamboo - it's easy enough and my team doesn't complain too much about it.”
“I’ve used Gusto at a number of orgs and it’s great. Time tracking is an add on, if memory serves, but it’s great interface and service.”
“Gusto’s customer service pissed me off from jump. Ripplings was decent and that’s the one we went with.”
“I use gusto to manage payroll & my 401(k) (it merged with guideline). I asked my solo friends for referrals for an accountant.”