Choose Gusto when US SMB payroll and benefits with transparent published pricing is the job — not when you need a full HRIS, people platform, or dedicated ATS.
Starting price
$49.00/user/month
Free plan
No
Free trial
Yes
Best for
US small businesses running payroll (and benefits) for the first time
SoftwareGlimpse review
7.1/10
Good
Official vendor demonstration of product surfaces. It supplements screenshots and editorial analysis — it is not independent SoftwareGlimpse testing.
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Official vendor video
$49.00
per month (annual billing rate shown)
$49/mo platform + $6/person. Single-state US payroll. Time/performance/many benefits features are add-ons.
$80.00
per month (annual billing rate shown)
$80/mo + $12/person. Multi-state payroll path versus Simple.
$180.00
per month (annual billing rate shown)
$180/mo + $22/person. Highest published SMB payroll+HR bundle.
$35.00
per month (annual billing rate shown)
$35/mo + $6/contractor after promo; first 6 months $0 base advertised. Not employee payroll.
Product screenshots coming soon
We only publish verified captures from Gusto's product interface — never stock images, mockups, or teaching diagrams. Screenshots appear here once editorial review confirms them.
Choose Gusto when US SMB payroll and benefits with transparent published pricing is the job — not when you need a full HRIS, people platform, or dedicated ATS. Compare Rippling for HR+IT+payroll unification, BambooHR for a stronger core HRIS, Justworks for PEO, and Deel for global hiring. Scores reflect first-party documentation as of 2026-08-17 — not hands-on product testing. Confirm current packaging, minimums and usage rates on the vendor site before purchase.
Bottom line
Simple $49/mo + $6/person; Plus $80 + $12; Premium $180 + $22. Contractor Only $35 + $6. Setup free until first payroll. Simple is single-state. Confirm on gusto.com/product/pricing.
| Gusto(this review) | BambooHR | Rippling | ADP Workforce Now | Paycor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $49.00/user/month | $10.00/user/month | $8.00/user/month | Custom quote | Custom quote |
| Free plan | No | No | No | No | No |
| Free trial | Yes | No | No | No | No |
Core HRIS
Keep employee records, org charts, PTO, and onboarding as the people system of record.
Explore use case →Payroll & benefits
Run payroll, tax filings, and benefits administration for employees.
Explore use case →Gusto may not be the best fit if…
Setup, implementation, migration, plans, and worth-it walkthroughs for this product.
