The Gusto Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Gusto in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Gusto
The Insider’s Guide
Payroll and HR for small businesses, with apps for owners and staff
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among payroll services, read from Gusto’s own pages.
Made by Gusto, Inc. · checked Oct 17, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Gusto’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Gusto’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 6 of the 18 other payroll services we grade
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.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Gusto, taken from its own pages and our grades.
- 1
Best for small US teams that want payroll and HR in one app
Just know it covers one state until you move up to Plus, and there's no trial.
- 2
Paid plans start at $49 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $49 per month, plus $6 per person paid (Simple).
- 3
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android.
- 4
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.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
A 2.4 GPA, above 6 of 18
That is against the other payroll services we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
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.
Gusto at a glance
- Pricing
- Paid, from $49 per month, plus $6 per person paid (Simple)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Gusto, Inc.
- Category
- Payroll
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
- Store rating
- 4.8 on the App Store, 51,959 ratings
The report card
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.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Simple 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. |
| Free plan and trial | F | Nothing free on record: no free plan and no trial in the listing. You pay from the first month. |
| Features | B | Regular 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. |
| Ease of use | A | 4.8 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. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, 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. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
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 it 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
Good to know
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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$49
A month to start
Gusto is a paid product, starting at $49 per month, plus $6 per person paid (Simple).
Nothing free on record: no free plan and no trial in the listing.
Simple
$49
per 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
$80
per 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
$180
per 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.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: Web, iOS and Android
Payroll and HR for small businesses, with apps for owners and staff. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: time tracking, expense tracking, payroll.
That's the whole payroll job, spread across its three plans.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
Gusto is made by Gusto, Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
6/18
Other payroll services it is graded above
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
- FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 18
- BFeaturesAbove 6 of 18
- AEase of useAbove 9 of 18
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 2 of 18
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 14 payroll services. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Gusto is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
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.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Rippling, OnPay, QuickBooks Workforce, RUN Powered by ADP and Square Payroll
The 5 tools Gusto is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Rippling
Paid
HR, IT and finance platform with US and global payroll, by quote.
- Rippling also covers workflow automation.
- 2.6GPA
OnPay
Free trial · from $49/mo
US payroll with published prices, plus HR and time add-ons.
- Gusto also covers expense tracking.
- OnPay also covers reports.
- 2.4GPA
QuickBooks Workforce
Free trial · from $50/mo
Intuit's payroll and HR service, sold alone or with QuickBooks.
- Gusto also covers expense tracking.
- 2.4GPA
RUN Powered by ADP
Paid
ADP's payroll and HR service for US businesses of 1 to 49 people.
- Gusto also covers expense tracking.
- 2.4GPA
Square Payroll
From $6/mo
Payroll for Square sellers, with timecards from Square POS.
- Gusto also covers expense tracking.
- Square Payroll also covers reports.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Gusto’s own pages on Oct 17, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 17, 2026. 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.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Gusto, Inc. Prices change, so check gusto.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
1,858
Tools graded, in 46 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
1,858
tools graded
46
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Gusto, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/gusto
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Gusto: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 17, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/gusto
Know someone choosing between payroll services?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/gusto/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded payroll services after Gusto, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Payroll Insider's GuideEvery one of the 19 payroll services we grade, compared
- Roll by ADP Insider's GuideChat-based payroll app for very small US businesses2.8 GPA
- OnPay Insider's GuideUS payroll with published prices, plus HR and time add-ons2.6 GPA
- Patriot Payroll Insider's GuideLow-cost online payroll for small US businesses2.6 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Gusto’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Gusto is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Gusto, Inc. Prices and plans change: check gusto.com before you buy.