Gusto
Payroll and HR for small businesses, with apps for owners and staff
Gusto report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Oct 17, 2026
Best for small US teams that want payroll and HR in one app
Gusto is the payroll most small US businesses look at first, and it's easy to see why: payroll, taxes, time tracking and onboarding in one app your staff use too. Simple is $79 a month for five people. Just know it covers one state until you move up to Plus, and there's no trial.
Who Gusto is for
- Great if you want to approve hours and run payroll from your phone
- Handy when you pay W-2 staff and US contractors in the same run
- Good for owners who want staff to sign documents and find pay stubs themselves
Who Gusto is not for
- Tight if your team works in more than one state, as that needs Plus at $80 plus $12 a person
- Skip it if you want to try before you pay, because there's no free trial on record
- Pricey if you need fast pay on Simple: next-day pay is $15 a month plus $3 a person extra
Why Gusto gets a 2.4
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for moneySimple is $49 a month plus $6 a person, so $79 for a team of five. That sits between the cheapest quarter of this category ($65 or less for five) and the middle ($85). Pay people in more than one state and you need Plus at $80 plus $12 a person, which is $140.
- FFree plan and trialNothing free on record: no free plan and no trial in the listing. You pay from the first month.
- BFeaturesRegular and off-cycle payroll, taxes worked out by work location, time tracking, onboarding, document signing and expense claims, with contractors abroad as an add-on. That's the whole payroll job, spread across its three plans.
- AEase of use4.8 from about 52,000 App Store ratings for Gusto Mobile, where owners approve hours and run payroll and staff see their pay and sign documents.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb, iPhone and Android, and you can link your own systems through a command-line tool or an MCP server. No desktop app, and the full API is only for approved partners.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Gusto's own pages on 17 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Gusto's pricing page turned our reader away on 17 October 2026, so its prices are as the listing has them. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/gusto#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/gusto.svg" alt="Gusto: 2.4 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Gusto stands among payroll services
Gusto's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 6 of the 18 other payroll services we grade, and level with 9.
It stands best on ease of use (A, above 9 of 18) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $49 a month, against a middle price of $29 for the category: 9 of the 13 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.3 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 19 payroll services we grade, cut by the letter each got. Gusto’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 1 of 18, level with 11
- FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 18, level with 13
- BFeaturesAbove 6 of 18, level with 12
- AEase of useAbove 9 of 18, level with 9
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 2 of 18, level with 16
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 14 payroll services. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Keep Gusto, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace Gusto you would be making payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $588 a year.
What you could make
- Time tracking and expense tracking: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Gusto’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Gusto?
Gusto is a payroll and HR service for small businesses. It runs regular and off-cycle payrolls, works out tax withholding and benefit deductions, and pays people by direct deposit or check. Owners approve hours and onboard new hires from its mobile app, and employees and contractors use the same app to see pay, track time and sign documents.
Gusto is a paid product, starting at $49 per month, plus $6 per person paid (Simple). See every plan
Good for
- Small US businesses paying W-2 employees and contractors
- Owners who want to approve hours and run payroll from a phone
- Teams that want staff to handle their own pay details and documents
Worth knowing
- Gusto runs US payroll only: W-2 employees, state and local taxes and US contractors. Paying contractors abroad is a separate add-on covering 120+ countries.
- Many extras cost more on Simple: next-day pay is $15 a month plus $3 a person, same-day pay $90 a payroll and instant pay $100 a payroll.
- Priority phone and chat support is a $30-a-month add-on, plus $3 a person, on Simple and Plus.
- Gusto's API is open only to approved integration and embedded-payroll partners, not to customers building their own links.
Key features
- Regular and off-cycle payroll
- Runs payroll on a set schedule, including hours, paid time off and bonuses, plus one-off payrolls for corrections or special bonuses.
- Tax withholding and deductions
- Works out federal, state and local taxes by work location, takes pre-tax and post-tax deductions, and pays by direct deposit or check.
- Time and time off
- Employees and contractors clock in and out and request time off in the app; admins review and approve hours before payroll.
- Onboarding and documents
- Add and onboard new team members from the app, and have employees read and sign documents there.
- Expense reimbursements
- Employees photograph receipts and submit expenses, and admins approve them in the app. The App Store listing limits this to Gusto Plus and Premium.
- Gusto CLI and MCP server
- Customers connect their own systems to their Gusto account through a command-line tool or an MCP server; the full API is for approved partners.
Gusto pricing
- Starts at
- $49 per month, plus $6 per person paid (Simple)
- Free plan
- None
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Simple | $49per month, plus $6 per person paid | Payroll in one state: unlimited pay runs, tax filings and payments, and basic time-off and holiday pay rules. |
| Plus | $80per month, plus $12 per person paid | Adds multi-state payroll, time tracking and scheduling, unlimited next-day pay and contractor invoice handling. Marked best value. |
| Premium | $180per month, plus $22 per person paid | Adds a named advisor and premium support, HR guidance, Gusto Business Compliance, and unlimited same-day and instant pay. |
Read from gusto.com on Oct 17, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Gusto before you buy.
How people rate the Gusto app
4.8
out of 5 for the iPhone and iPad app
51,959 ratings on the App Store in the United States, read Oct 17, 2026. It rates the app, not everything the product does. See the listing
Gusto alternatives
- Gusto vs OnPay
Free trial · from $49/mo
- Gusto vs QuickBooks Workforce
Free trial · from $50/mo
- Gusto vs Square Payroll
From $6/mo
Common questions
Is Gusto free?
No. Gusto is a paid product, starting at $49 per month, plus $6 per person paid (Simple).
How much does Gusto cost?
Gusto lists 3 plans. Simple: $49 per month, plus $6 per person paid. Plus: $80 per month, plus $12 per person paid. Premium: $180 per month, plus $22 per person paid. Prices were read from gusto.com on Oct 17, 2026.
What platforms does Gusto work on?
Gusto is available on Web, iOS and Android.
How is Gusto rated?
Gusto's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.8 out of 5 from 51,959 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 17, 2026. That is the store's rating of the app, not a score from us.
Does Gusto have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Gusto is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does Gusto have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Gusto is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is Gusto open source?
Gusto is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 17, 2026.
Who makes Gusto?
Gusto is made by Gusto, Inc.
What are the alternatives to Gusto?
The closest alternatives to Gusto in our directory are Rippling, OnPay, QuickBooks Workforce, RUN Powered by ADP and Square Payroll. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Gusto.
How does Gusto compare with other payroll services?
Gusto's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 6 of the 18 other payroll services we grade, and level with 9. It stands best on ease of use (A, above 9 of 18) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).
Is Gusto good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Gusto C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $49 a month, against a middle price of $29 for the category: 9 of the 13 others that charge start lower. On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.3 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Could I make my own version of Gusto?
To replace Gusto you would be making payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one. It costs $588 a year. What you could not make: Payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you. A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page. The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job. This is a judgement from its listing. We have not built one.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 17, 2026. What people say is linked where it appears.