# Gusto pricing (2026): plans, cost, and compliance

**Entry price:** $35/mo (Contractor Only). Among the 8 hr & payroll software we track it is #6 cheapest of 8; median entry $14/mo.
**Domain:** gusto.com
**Free tier:** No
**Compliance:** HIPAA Not published · SOC 2 Not published · GDPR Not published
**Integrations:** QuickBooks, Xero, Clover, Deputy, When I Work, Shopify, Greenhouse
**Best for:** US-based SMBs running their first payroll; Companies with a mix of W-2 employees and contractors; Small businesses wanting bundled HR + payroll
**Price tracked since:** June 2026

## Plans

| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Billing | Notes | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Simple | $49 | — | flat | Flat base $49/mo plus $6 per employee/mo. Single-state full-service payroll, employee self-service, basic HR and benefits admin. No setup/implementation fees. | gusto.com |
| Plus | $80 | — | flat | Flat base $80/mo plus $12 per person/mo. Adds multi-state payroll, next-day deposits, time tracking, project tracking, team scheduling, and advanced hiring tools. 25% off first three months. | gusto.com |
| Premium | $180 | — | flat | Flat base $180/mo plus $22 per person/mo. Adds dedicated customer success manager, HR expert access, compliance alerts, and full-service payroll migration. 25% off first three months. | gusto.com |
| Contractor Only | $35 | — | flat | Flat base $35/mo plus $6 per contractor/mo. Unlimited contractor payments and 1099 filings. Base fee waived for first six months. | gusto.com |

**Key features:** Full-service multi-state payroll; Automated federal/state/local tax filing; Employee self-service portal; Benefits administration (health, dental, vision, 401k); Contractor payments and 1099 filings.

**Plan limits:** Simple plan: single-state payroll only; Plus plan: 25% off first 3 months (promotional); Contractor Only: base fee waived for first 6 months.

## Cheaper hr & payroll software alternatives

- [Deel](https://frontdeskreview.com/software/hr-payroll-software/deel/) — from $5/mo
- [Square Payroll](https://frontdeskreview.com/software/hr-payroll-software/square-payroll/) — from $6/mo
- [Rippling](https://frontdeskreview.com/software/hr-payroll-software/rippling/) — from $8/mo
- [BambooHR](https://frontdeskreview.com/software/hr-payroll-software/bamboohr/) — from $10/mo
- [Patriot Software](https://frontdeskreview.com/software/hr-payroll-software/patriot-software/) — from $17/mo

Sources: 1 · Last verified 2026-06-13
Provenance: Pricing published on gusto.com/product/pricing; official page blocked automated fetch (HTTP 403), figures corroborated from remotepeople.com Gusto pricing review (accessed 2026-06-13).
Canonical: https://frontdeskreview.com/software/hr-payroll-software/gusto/
Cite: Per The Front Desk Review, Gusto's entry plan was $35/mo as of 2026-06-13 — https://frontdeskreview.com/software/hr-payroll-software/gusto/
License: CC BY 4.0. Price history: https://frontdeskreview.com/data/price-history.jsonl