Gusto Review (2026): The Best All-in-One Payroll Solution for SMBs

Gusto is one of the most popular payroll platforms in America. It is especially useful for teams that want payroll, taxes, and employee management in one place. To help you determine whether Gusto is right for your business, we explore its features, pricing, strengths, and weaknesses in depth.

Gusto Interface Overview

The Gusto interface is extremely straightforward. It consists of two main navigation bars: a sidebar linking out to primary HR workflows and a utility bar on top for supporting actions. The sidebar consists of the following:

• People: Gusto’s People tab functions as a central hub for employee and contractor information, enabling you to view profiles, update personal details, track compensation, and manage roles in one place.
• Company: The Company section stores key information about your business, such as your company address, industry information, and linked bank accounts. You can also set company-wide policies.
• Payroll: The Payroll tab is where you run and manage employee payments. The platform automatically calculates wages, taxes, and deductions, enabling faster payroll processing. It also provides access to past payroll runs for easy reference.
• Time tools: Gusto’s time tools help you track hours worked and manage time off. Logged hours sync directly into payroll, reducing manual input and improving accuracy.
• Benefits: The Benefits section lets you manage employee perks such as health insurance and retirement plans, track enrollments, and monitor deductions.
• Taxes and compliance: This tab handles your tax responsibilities and compliance tasks. The platform automates payroll tax filing and updates based on current regulations.
• Reports: The Reports section translates payroll and workforce data into easy-to-understand summaries on wages, taxes, and employee trends.

Outside the main workflows, Gusto also lets you access an App directory (third-party integrations for accounting, time tracking, and more), Settings, Refer and earn, an Upgrade tab, and Help. Meanwhile, the utility bar contains quick-access tools — a search bar, notifications, and profile and account settings — that help you manage tasks and stay informed.

Does Gusto Have a Mobile App?

The Gusto Mobile app is available on iOS and Android, with separate versions for employers and employees. The employer version lets you run regular or off-cycle payroll, review and approve shifts and time off, manage team information, onboard new employees, and set up notifications. Employees can manage their paychecks, access early pay (payday advances), manage benefits, access and sign documents, and track hours.

The app scored well among users, earning 4.8 stars on the App Store (based on 40,000+ reviews) and 4.4 stars on Google Play (based on 17,000+ reviews). However, few written reviews are available online.

Gusto Key Features

Gusto provides all key HR workflows, including payroll, taxes, hiring, onboarding, benefits, and time-tracking. Combining these tools in one platform simplifies calculations and reduces manual work, which helps improve accuracy and efficiency across your operations.

Payroll Administration

Gusto provides simple and reliable payroll services. The system automatically calculates wages, overtime, and deductions, which lets you run payroll in minutes. It can handle different pay schedules, track changes in employee status, and automate recurring payroll runs. The platform also supports direct deposit and provides built-in reports, giving you a quick view of payroll costs and trends.

Tax Filing and Compliance

Gusto takes the stress out of tax filing by calculating and filing federal, state, and local payroll taxes on your behalf. The system automatically tracks deadlines and fills complex forms, and stays up to date with changing tax laws. It files W-2s and 1099s at the end of the year, then sends copies to your employees and contractors and saves them into the system for easy access.

Hiring and Onboarding

Gusto streamlines the entire hiring and onboarding process. It lets you send offer letters, collect employee or contractor signatures, and gather new hire information in one place. Once candidates accept the offer, Gusto guides them through each step of onboarding, including filling out forms, setting up direct deposit, and reviewing company policies.

Benefits Administration

Gusto helps you manage employee benefits with ease. You can offer health insurance, retirement plans, and other perks through a single platform, while the system keeps track of enrollments and deductions. Employees can review and select their benefits during open enrollment without confusion.

Time-Tracking

Gusto includes time-tracking tools that fit into your workflow. Employees can log hours, track overtime, and request time off in one system, and hours flow directly into payroll. The system allows managers to review and approve timesheets quickly and automatically flags inconsistencies.

HR Tools and Insights

Gusto offers HR tools that support your team as it grows. You can store employee records, manage documents, and track performance in one place. The platform also provides insights through reports on turnover, compensation, and team growth.

Employee Self-Review

Gusto encourages employees to take part in their own development through self-review tools. Team members can reflect on their work, set goals, and share feedback, while managers can use these insights to guide meaningful performance conversations.

Customer Support

Gusto provides customer support through chat, phone, and email, but prioritizes chat — they claim to resolve chat concerns nine times faster than email concerns. Chat and email support are available every day, but phone support is only available on weekdays, with all after-hours calls routed to voice AI. Premium users get priority customer support, which you can also buy as an add-on to any plan.

However, reviews for Gusto customer support are predominantly negative. The company scored an average of 2.4 stars (based on 2,000+ reviews) on Trustpilot. Common complaints include slow resolution times, erroneous responses, rude or condescending staff, and difficulty reaching humans. Note that customers with unsatisfactory experiences are more likely to leave reviews, which can skew overall ratings.

Gusto Pricing Plans

Gusto primarily caters to solopreneurs and small- to medium-sized businesses. It offers four types of plans tailored to businesses within this range of sizes. If you would rather not shoulder the cost of a full upgrade, you can buy specific features as add-ons — examples include priority support, time-tracking, scheduling, and workers’ compensation.

Plan	Price	Highlights
Solo	$49/mo	Compliant self-pay, automatic tax filing, reasonable salary calculator, S Corp election and compliance, Solo 401k, bill pay and invoicing
Simple	$49/mo	Single-state payroll, unlimited monthly payroll, tax filings, employee app, domestic contractor payments
Plus	$80/mo	All Simple features, multi-state payroll, time tracking, scheduling, expenses and reimbursements, workforce cost reports, custom time off and holiday policies, talent acquisition
Premium	$180/mo	All Plus features, priority support, dedicated service advisor, performance and compensation management, custom reports

Solo is designed for freelancers or business owners with no employees. Simple suits small businesses with a handful of employees and straightforward HR needs. Plus suits small to medium-sized businesses that want to centralize HR and payroll and improve efficiency. Premium is a good choice for fast-growing businesses that need hands-on support, expert guidance, and stronger compliance coverage.

When to Choose Gusto

Gusto is a serviceable solution for growing businesses with straightforward to moderately complex HR and payroll needs:

• You have simple to moderate payroll needs. Features like automated deductions, calculations, and filings make it a strong choice for small teams on a regular pay schedule.
• You run a multi-state team. Gusto calculates the correct taxes and files them appropriately according to each employee’s location, staying up-to-date on state requirements.
• You work with both contractors and employees. Gusto lets you pay contractors, track payments, and generate the correct tax forms alongside regular payroll, separating classifications to keep payments accurate.

When to Choose an Alternative

• You’re on a budget. Gusto plans start at $49 and get costlier as your needs expand. A cheaper alternative is Patriot Payroll, which charges $17 per month plus $4 per user per month with unlimited payrolls and free direct deposit.
• You run a larger business. Gusto lacks the advanced features and customization large organizations need. ADP Workforce Now provides deeper analytics, compliance support, and flexible integrations.
• You work with many international employees. Gusto focuses on U.S.-based payroll. Deel lets you pay in multiple currencies and stay compliant with local regulations.

Gusto vs. Competitors

	Gusto	ADP	Rippling	QuickBooks Payroll
Starting Price	$49/mo	Custom quote	$8/user/mo + module fees	$88 (w/ Simple Start)
G2 Rating	4.6/5 (8,000+)	4.4/5 (10,000+)	4.8/5 (14,000+)	4.4/5 (400+)

What Users Are Saying

Gusto earned positive ratings on user review platforms Capterra and G2 (both 4.6 out of 5, based on 8,000+ reviews). Users praise the platform for its ease of use, clean interface, and reliable payroll automation, and many say its features simplify tax filing. However, many reviewers say Gusto’s customer support leaves much to be desired, citing slow response times and unhelpful answers, while some negative reviews noted payroll issues like delayed direct deposits or incorrect calculations.

Bottom Line

Gusto is a reliable, easy-to-use platform for small to mid-sized businesses that want to simplify payroll and basic HR tasks. It provides useful automated features, a clean interface, and solid compliance support. Although it may not offer the depth or flexibility that larger organizations need, it provides decent value for teams that prioritize ease of use and efficiency.

Simplify Payroll Management with EpicBooks

If you want to streamline payroll management, partner with EpicBooks. Our experts handle routine payroll administration tasks, including calculating employee salaries, managing deductions, processing payroll taxes, and generating pay stubs so you can run your business with efficiency and confidence. For more information, read our services page.