Gusto Review 2026: Payroll & HR Features, Pricing, Pros, Cons & Alternatives
Gusto review covering payroll features, HR tools, pricing, G2/Capterra scores, pros, cons, and the best alternatives for small businesses in 2026.
TL;DR
Gusto is the most recommended payroll and HR platform for small businesses (1–100 employees). It handles payroll taxes automatically, bundles health benefits, and has one of the cleanest UIs in the category. It's more expensive than DIY alternatives but significantly cheaper than ADP or Paychex for comparable service. Main limitation: customer support responsiveness on lower plans can be slow during tax season.
Gusto at a Glance
| Product | Gusto |
| Category | Payroll & HR Software |
| Best For | Small businesses (1–100 employees) needing payroll + benefits |
| Community Score | 4.5 / 5.0 — top pick for payroll ease-of-use |
| G2 Score | 4.5 / 5.0 (2,200+ reviews) |
| Capterra Score | 4.6 / 5.0 (3,900+ reviews) |
| Trustpilot Score | 2.4 / 5.0 — lower, primarily due to support complaints |
| Simple Plan | $49/mo base + $6/person/mo |
| Plus Plan | $80/mo base + $12/person/mo |
| Premium Plan | $180/mo base + $22/person/mo |
| Free Trial | Yes — first month free |
| Official Website | gusto.com |
Quick Verdict
Gusto wins community discussions for small business payroll by a wide margin. It handles the painful parts of payroll — tax filings, W-2s, state compliance — automatically. For a 10-person company that was previously doing payroll manually or via an accountant, Gusto typically pays for itself in time savings within the first month.
- • Have 1–100 employees in the US
- • Want payroll, benefits, and HR in one platform
- • Need automatic federal, state, and local tax filings
- • Have both W-2 employees and 1099 contractors
- • Value ease of use over maximum customization
- • Have 200+ employees (consider ADP or Workday)
- • Need international payroll (use Rippling or Deel)
- • Require deep HR customization or HRIS features
- • Need 24/7 phone support on a basic plan
- • Want the absolute cheapest option (try Wave Payroll)
Pricing Breakdown
- • Full-service payroll
- • Employee profiles
- • Health benefits admin
- • 2-day direct deposit
- • W-2s & 1099s
- • Basic reporting
- • Everything in Simple
- • Next-day direct deposit
- • Time tracking
- • PTO management
- • HR resource center
- • Performance reviews
- • Everything in Plus
- • Same-day direct deposit
- • Dedicated support
- • HR advisory services
- • Compliance alerts
- • Priority support
Gusto vs Competitors
| Feature | Gusto | ADP Run | Rippling |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auto Tax Filings | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Benefits Admin | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Time Tracking | ✓ (Plus+) | ✓ (add-on) | ✓ |
| International Payroll | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| IT Management | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Base Pricing | $49/mo + $6/p | Custom quote | $8/p/mo + base |
| Ease of Use | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Free Trial | First month free | 3 months free | Demo only |
Pros and Cons
Pros
- ✓Automatic federal, state, and local payroll tax filing
- ✓Clean, user-friendly interface — non-HR people can use it
- ✓Handles W-2s and 1099s automatically at year-end
- ✓Benefits administration bundled in (health, dental, 401k)
- ✓Excellent onboarding flow for new hires
- ✓First month free for new accounts
Cons
- ✗Customer support can be slow during peak tax periods
- ✗No international payroll (US-only)
- ✗Higher-tier plans get expensive for larger teams
- ✗Limited HR customization vs enterprise HRIS tools
- ✗Some users report errors in state tax filings (rare but documented)
Best Gusto Alternatives
| Alternative | Best For | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|
| ADP Run | Compliance-heavy businesses, larger teams | Custom quote |
| Rippling | Companies wanting HR + IT in one platform | $8/employee/mo |
| BambooHR | HR-first companies with structured HRIS needs | ~$6–$9/employee/mo |
| Justworks | PEO model — outsource HR & benefits entirely | ~$59–$99/employee/mo |
| Wave Payroll | Cheapest option for simple payroll needs | $20/mo + $6/person |
Final Recommendation
Gusto is our top recommendation for US small businesses with 5–100 employees that need payroll, tax compliance, and basic HR in a single platform. The Simple plan covers 90% of what most small businesses need at a predictable monthly cost.
If you need international payroll, look at Rippling or Deel. If you're more HR-focused than payroll-focused, BambooHR may be a better fit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources Reviewed
Related comparisons: ADP Review · Rippling Review · BambooHR Review · Best Payroll Software 2026