How Much Does Gusto Payroll Cost?

Understanding Gusto pricing can help you choose the right plan and avoid paying for features your business does not need. Gusto publishes its pricing plans online, making it easier to compare costs before signing up.

Here’s what Gusto costs, what each plan includes, and which add-ons may increase your monthly price.

How Much Does Gusto Payroll Cost?

Gusto boasts three main pricing plans for salaried, W-2 employees, and 1099 contractors that are paid on a monthly basis.

There is a fourth contractor-only plan available for businesses that don’t need to pay full-time employees.

A Solo plan is also available for solopreneurs.

How Does Gusto Pricing Work?

Gusto uses tiered monthly pricing. Businesses pay a monthly base fee plus a per-person fee for employees or contractors. Higher-tier plans cost more but add features such as multistate payroll, time tracking, next-day pay, performance tools, custom reports, priority support, and access to HR experts.

Gusto publishes pricing online and says customers can cancel anytime. Promotions, demos, or trial offers may be available, but they can change, so check Gusto’s current pricing page before signing up.

Gusto Pricing Breakdown

Gusto lets you choose the plan that’s right for your business with three tiers of plans, plus a Contractor plan for 1099 employees and a Solo plan for solopreneurs.

It can get tough to keep track of which features come with which Gusto plans at a glance. Let’s dig a little deeper to see which tools and services set these plans apart from each other.

Gusto Simple Plan

Gusto Simple is the entry-level employee payroll plan. It’s best for small businesses that need basic full-service payroll, single-state payroll, tax filings and payments, basic PTO policies, holiday pay, employee self-service, and basic support.

With Gusto Simple, you get:

• Full-service single-state payroll
• Unlimited payrolls
• Payroll tax filings and payments
• Employee self-service
• Basic PTO policies and holiday pay
• Basic reports
• Accounting integrations
• Basic support

Gusto Plus Plan

Gusto Plus is designed for businesses that need more payroll, HR, and time tracking features. It adds multistate payroll, next-day pay, time tracking, PTO tools, project tracking, workforce cost reports, and more advanced HR tools.

With Gusto Plus, you get Simple features plus:

• Multistate payroll
• Next-day pay
• Time tracking
• PTO requests and custom time-off policies
• Project tracking
• Workforce cost reports
• Custom reports
• Employee directory and org chart
• Expenses and reimbursements

Gusto Premium Plan

Gusto Premium is designed for scaling businesses that need deeper HR support, reporting, onboarding, and dedicated service. It includes more advanced payroll, HR, performance, and support tools than Simple or Plus.

With Gusto Premium, you get Plus features plus:

• Dedicated service advisor
• Priority support
• Access to certified HR experts
• Performance and compensation management
• Custom reports
• Payroll migration and account setup
• Advanced onboarding tools
• Custom documents and e-signing

Gusto Contractor Only Plan

This plan is designed for businesses that are only paying contractors. You’ll get:

• Domestic contractor payments
• 4-day payments
• Create and file 1099s

Gusto Solo Plan

Gusto Solo is designed for solopreneurs who only need to pay themselves. This plan includes:

• Self-pay compliance
• Reasonable salary calculator
• Automatic tax filings
• S Corp compliance
• Access to features and benefits, including 401(k)s, health insurance, and invoicing

Extra Gusto Costs & Fees

Gusto also offers add-ons that can increase your total monthly cost. Add-on availability and pricing may vary by plan, location, and provider, so confirm current costs before adding services.

Common Gusto add-ons may include:

• 401(k) retirement plans through Guideline
• Workers’ compensation
• Health insurance broker integration
• International contractor payments
• State tax registration
• R&D tax services
• Life and disability insurance
• HSA, FSA, and commuter benefits
• 529 college savings options

Which Gusto Pricing Plan Is Right For Your Business?

The right Gusto plan depends on your team size, payroll complexity, states, HR needs, time tracking needs, and budget.

If you only pay contractors, the decision is easy, and you can choose the Gusto Contractor-Only plan with confidence. If you’re a soloprenuer, the Solo plan has just what you need.

If you’re looking for a W-2 plan, we’ve put together a comparison table of Gusto’s different pricing plans to make it as easy as possible to choose the one that’s right for you.

The Bottom Line On Gusto Pricing

Gusto offers transparent pricing and a strong mix of payroll, HR, benefits, and employee management tools. It is not the cheapest payroll software, but its published pricing and clear plan tiers make it easier to compare than quote-based providers. It’s also a favorite here at Merchant Maverick and makes our list of the best payroll software.

For most small businesses, Simple is enough for basic single-state payroll, while Plus is a better fit for businesses that need multistate payroll, time tracking, and more HR tools. Premium is best for businesses that need dedicated support, HR experts, performance tools, and more advanced reporting.

If Gusto is outside your budget, compare cheaper payroll software options before committing. If you’re sold on Gusto, review the current plan details and add-on costs before choosing a plan.

Or, if you’re sold on Gusto, learn how to sign up for Gusto in our video below or read our post on how to run payroll in Gusto to get started.