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
52% neutral“At your size most people land on Gusto or Rippling, or BambooHR if it's mainly the records side you care about. One thing to check before you shortlist anything, most of the big US platforms don't run payroll outside the US.”
“I believe Gusto is great but demands total payment at the same time as well. I think?”
“what about gusto? they do the filing and remittance but the client still needs to have the cash on hand when payroll runs, same as any other provider. the real issue isn't the software, it's that they're spending the withheld taxes before the deposit hits.”
“A few things that matter more than the hire itself: get quotes on workers comp and payroll (Gusto handles both easily) before you need them, not after. Build in a cash buffer, at least a month of payroll, before you bring someone on, because the first time pay is late, people start looking elsewhere.”
“Payroll - gusto. Also will handle WC. Easy peasy.”
“You could set up basic payroll through a service like Gusto. You can also look this stuff up.”
“for paying yourselves - if you're an LLC taxed as S-corp you'll need payroll setup (can use gusto or similar), otherwise just owner draws. a CPA can tell you which structure makes sense at tax time, you probably don't need one monthly yet unless you're already doing 6 figures.”
“I use gusto as payroll. It's like 50$ a month. Reasonably salary and then draw/distribution for the rest.”
“For example, from an HR perspective, I will often get my clients onto software like Gusto (not an ad, just have honestly used the software for myself and my clients) to lighten the administrative burden of employee onboarding, time tracking, payroll, 401k contributions, and payroll taxes - because a lot of those become semi- or fully automated through the platform once set up.”
“I use Gusto payroll and you can designate a specific computer(s) to be a “time kiosk” for clock-ins and clock-outs. The employees enter their own unique pins.”
“I am looking at Gusto, which can import transactions into Qbo.”
“It is pretty important, as the majority of our expenses are generated by Gusto. We have one invoice we create per month and one business credit card expense per month, but then all the employee payroll, taxes, benefits, deductions, etc are the majority of our accounting entries.”
“I am making the switch to Gusto today! When the QBO payroll problems start, it is a nightmare.”
“If you decide to hire someone, I'd recommend Gusto for payroll, it's not too expensive and easy to use.”
“Like Gusto (ZenPayroll) or Checkr since they solved headaches and aching points for startups and small businesses”
“I sometimes use Gusto for my side business but they tend to give me headaches at times. Haven't heard of Priority payroll but will take a look”
“the boring ones are honestly where most of the money is, exactly because everyone chases the glamorous stuff. off the top of my head, gusto (payroll), checkr (background checks), flexport (literally freight forwarding, moving boxes on ships), zapier (glue between apps), segment (data plumbing), ramp/brex (expense + corporate cards).”
“To add in one more: they also need you to have already been an expert in the HRIS they are using, a fairly new HRIS like Rippling, BambooHR, Deel, Gusto, or HiBob, etc, which means you can fix any workflow issue without the need to wait for you to figure things out. No one wants to “waste” time on giving you training.”
“From what I can see it's $59/mo plus $12 employee which would put it on the higher end compared to gusto or Patriot? Do they have a cheaper version than this?”
“my main concern would still be making sure adp's july deposit is properly accounted for so gusto's q3 filing doesnt create a mismatch or duplicate payment.”
“In my experience, what I have done is just let both of them file your quarterly and then file an amended and ask for the money back. It never ever gets fixed through gusto or ADP.”
“Assuming Gusto is paying Aug / Sept checks, ONLY Gusto can file Q3 and ADP cannot. Both can deposit but the company that makes the final payment for the quarter needs to do the filing as they'll have the comprehensive wages for the period.”
“Nothing you need to adjust with the gusto filing though. They would report $100 as total taxes due with $100 paid.”
“I recently transitioned from ADP Run to Gusto in August. During our offboarding call, the rep at ADP said they would NOT deposit any tax withholdings from July and would instead refund them to our bank account.”
“Gusto is the only Payroll program most accountants that I know prefer.”