Gusto
FeaturedFreemiumModern payroll, benefits, and HR for small businesses — all in one platform
💰Payroll Processing* Affiliate link
About Gusto
Gusto is the go-to payroll platform for small businesses, combining full-service payroll with benefits administration, HR tools, and time tracking. It handles federal, state, and local tax filings automatically, offers direct deposit, and includes an employee self-service portal. Where Gusto excels is its user experience — it's genuinely easy to set up and run payroll in minutes. The platform also includes health insurance brokerage, 401(k) management, and workers' comp, making it a true all-in-one HR suite for companies with 1-100 employees. Compared to ADP or Paychex, Gusto wins on simplicity and pricing transparency. The trade-off is that larger companies (100+ employees) may outgrow its reporting and customization capabilities.
What's Great
- ✓Genuinely intuitive UI — run payroll in under 10 minutes
- ✓Automatic federal, state, and local tax filings included
- ✓Built-in benefits: health insurance, 401(k), workers' comp
- ✓Affordable starting price with transparent per-person pricing
- ✓Employee self-service portal for pay stubs and tax docs
Watch Out For
- !Limited customization for complex pay structures
- !Customer support can be slow during peak periods
- !International payroll requires add-on (Global tier)
- !Advanced reporting lags behind enterprise platforms
Common Use Cases
Small business running payroll for the first time
Startup needing payroll + benefits in one platform
Company switching from manual payroll to automated
Growing team that needs onboarding + payroll combined
Pricing Model
Freemium
Free plan available. Paid plans unlock advanced features and higher limits.
Category
Payroll Processing
Full-service payroll platforms that calculate, file, and pay taxes automatically.
Tags
More Payroll Processing Tools
See all →ADP RUN
Enterprise-grade payroll trusted by 1M+ businesses worldwide
Rippling
Payroll, HR, IT, and spend management unified in one platform
Justworks
PEO-powered payroll, benefits, and compliance for growing teams
Paychex Flex
Scalable payroll and HR solutions from startup to enterprise