Gusto Pricing 2026

Gusto offers four plans in 2026: Contractor Only (free base + $6/contractor), Simple at $49/month + $6/employee for single-state payroll, Plus at $80/month + $12/employee for multi-state and advanced tools, and Premium at $180/month + $22/employee with dedicated support. A 5-person team on Simple costs $79/month total ($49 base + $30 per-person fees). Annual billing matches monthly pricing with no discount ($588, $960, $2,160 for Simple, Plus, and Premium respectively).

In 2026, Gusto per-employee pricing is: Simple $6/employee/month, Plus $12/employee/month, Premium $22/employee/month. Add the base fee to get total cost. For example, a 5-person team on Simple costs $49 + (5 × $6) = $79/month, while the same team on Plus costs $80 + (5 × $12) = $180/month.

Yes — Gusto offers a free Contractor Only plan at $0/month base + $6/contractor for businesses paying only 1099 contractors. For W-2 employee payroll, paid plans start at $49/month (Simple), $80/month (Plus), or $180/month (Premium). Gusto also provides a 30-day free trial and sometimes runs promotions offering 3 months free for new customers.

Hidden costs include additional fees for multi-state payroll on Simple plan, benefits administration add-ons ($10-30/employee/month), international contractor payments, and R&D tax credit services. Year-end forms are included but errors may incur refiling costs.

Gusto's Simple and Plus pricing is generally fixed. Premium pricing is custom and negotiable based on company size, typically offering 10-15% discounts for annual prepayment or companies with 50+ employees. Contact sales for enterprise deals.

No — Gusto's annual billing matches monthly pricing with no prepayment discount. Simple is $588/year ($49/month × 12), Plus is $960/year ($80/month × 12), and Premium is $2,160/year ($180/month × 12). Most customers stay on monthly billing for flexibility.

Gusto includes payroll ($49+ base fee) while BambooHR is HR-only at $10-22/employee/month. For a 5-person team, Gusto Simple costs $79/month ($49 base + 5 × $6) with payroll included. BambooHR costs ~$50-110/month for 5 people but requires separate payroll software adding $30-50/month. For combined payroll+HR, Gusto offers better value.

Gusto Premium ($180/month + $22/employee) includes a dedicated customer success manager, HR resource center, certified HR expert assistance, compliance alerts, payroll migration, priority support, and custom reporting. Best for companies needing hands-on HR guidance and compliance help.

Yes, Gusto offers startup discounts through various accelerator partnerships and frequently runs promotions for new businesses. Discounts typically range from 3-6 months free. Check for current promotions or ask about partnership deals.

Some users have reported issues with local tax support. One reviewer noted that Gusto does not support Portland Metro taxes, and experienced problems with state tax setup not being completed correctly. If your location has specialized local tax requirements, verify Gusto's support before committing.

Yes, Gusto offers a free Contractor Only plan at $0/month specifically for businesses that only pay contractors. If you have both employees and contractors, you'll need one of the paid plans (Simple at $49/month, Plus at $80/month, or Premium at $180/month).

Yes, Gusto supports S-corp payroll and has tools to help calculate reasonable compensation for officers. One user noted that after electing S-corp status, Gusto helped handle the more complex payroll requirements including mandatory salary payments and proper tax withholding.

Customer service experiences vary significantly. Some users report quick, friendly support with short wait times, while others describe long hold times (6+ hours), difficulty reaching human representatives, and being routed to unhelpful chatbots. Support quality appears inconsistent.

The Simple plan ($49/month base + $6/month per person) includes full-service single-state payroll, employee profiles, employee self-service portal, and basic hiring tools. This plan automates tax filing and compliance support, making it suitable for small businesses with straightforward payroll needs in a single state.

You'll need the Plus plan ($80/month base + $12/month per person) if you operate in multiple states, need next-day direct deposit instead of the standard 2-day processing, want advanced hiring tools, or require time tracking functionality. The Plus plan also includes all Simple features plus multi-state payroll support.

Yes, Gusto integrates with leading accounting software platforms. However, Gusto itself lacks invoicing and accounts receivable capabilities, so you'll need separate accounting software for a complete financial management solution. The integration allows payroll data to sync automatically with your accounting platform.

Gusto pricing starts at $49/month for the Simple plan, plus $6 per employee per month. For a 5-person team, this totals $79/month. Some users report this is expensive for very small businesses, especially compared to the value received. One reviewer noted 'Cost is difficult for my company of 5 employees.' However, others find it reasonably priced for the automation and tax compliance features included.

Yes, according to user reports, full tax automation features are only available on the Premium plan at $180/month base fee, plus $22 per employee per month. One user noted they 'couldn't do it cause of the pricing of the tier that automates the tax burden.' The Simple and Plus plans handle basic tax filing but may require more manual oversight.

Yes, but there's a cost structure difference. The free Contractor Only plan works if you only have contractors. Once you add W-2 employees, you need to upgrade to at least the Simple plan ($49/month base + $6/employee). You can then manage both employees and contractors on the same platform, though some users report contractor payroll processing is more complex than employee payroll.