Payroll & HR · Overview

Gusto: what American businesses should know

Gusto is a US payroll and HR platform that runs payroll, files payroll taxes and handles benefits, onboarding and time tracking.

  • Full review in progress. This page is an overview to help you decide whether Gusto belongs on your shortlist. It has no rating yet. Our in-depth review, with setup, daily use, support and real costs, will replace it.

What Gusto is

Gusto is made by Gusto, Inc.. It sits in our Payroll & HR category, alongside the other options listed at the end of this page.

Best suited to: US small businesses that want payroll and basic HR in one friendly system.

What it does

  • Full-service payroll with tax filings
  • Contractor payments
  • Benefits administration and onboarding
  • Time tracking and PTO

Which business sizes it fits

How Gusto lines up with the four business sizes we use across USA24.

Solo

Good fit

Freelancers and one-person businesses

Main Street

Good fit

2–20 employees

Growth

Good fit

20–200 employees

Global

Less typical

Teams across borders

What to check before you buy

Questions to answer, ideally during a free trial or a demo, before you commit:

  • Which plan includes the HR features you need.
  • Multi-state payroll requirements.
  • Benefits availability in your state.
  • Integrations with your accounting software.
  • US tax and compliance. Software doesn't replace professional advice on payroll, sales tax or industry rules.
  • Getting your data out. Ask how you would export your data if you ever switch.

Pricing

Gusto pricing depends on the plan, number of users and add-ons, and vendors change it often. We don't list prices on overview pages; check the current plans on the official Gusto website. Our full review will break down the real cost.

Other options in Payroll & HR

Next step

Shortlist it, then test it on real work.

Read our five-step guide to choosing business software, then run Gusto through one real week of your work before you decide.