HR & Payroll Software · pricing · Updated September 2026
Gusto pricing (2026)
Gusto starts at $35/mo (Contractor Only) as checked on 2026-09-29, read from Gusto's own pricing page; 4 plans. Best for US-based SMBs running their first payroll. Every figure below links to its source and the date we captured it.
At a glance
- Entry price: $35/mo (Contractor Only)
- Free tier: No
- Compliance: HIPAA — · SOC 2 — · GDPR —
- 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
As of · every figure below links to its source STALE · 2026-09-02
Gusto plans & pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Billing | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simple STALE · 2026-09-29 | $49 | — | Flat monthly | 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 STALE · 2026-09-29 | $80 | — | Flat monthly | 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 STALE · 2026-09-29 | $180 | — | Flat monthly | 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 STALE · 2026-09-02 | $35 | — | Flat monthly | Flat base $35/mo plus $6 per contractor/mo. Unlimited contractor payments and 1099 filings. Base fee waived for first six months. | gusto.com |
Last verified 2026-09-29. STALE marks a plan we have not re-checked at its source in over 30 days. Every plan above is marked — we flag rather than silently retain. 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). Cross-checked against remotepeople.com.
Price changes
Price on record
$35/moFirst on record 2026-06-27
A new dated entry is stamped here each time the price moves — the record builds itself.
Tracked since June 2026. No change record has cleared two sources yet, so nothing is published on the wire.
Capabilities
Integrations: QuickBooks, Xero, Clover, Deputy, When I Work, Shopify, Greenhouse.
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.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Gusto cost?
Gusto starts at $35/mo (Contractor Only); it has 4 published plans. Verified 2026-09-29.
What are cheaper alternatives to Gusto?
Cheaper HR & payroll software than Gusto (entry $35/mo) include Patriot Software at $17/mo. Verified 2026-09-29.
Does Gusto support HIPAA?
Gusto's public pages do not say whether it supports HIPAA.
Does Gusto have a free plan?
No — Gusto publishes no free tier.
Gusto vs alternatives
Compare all HR & payroll software · Gusto alternatives · SOC 2 claims in HR & payroll software · Open data · MCP
Cheaper HR & payroll software alternatives
- Patriot Software from $17/mo
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Related categories
This standing as a plaque
Gusto currently holds a bronze deskmark here — Rank 7 of 9 · HR & Payroll Software. Anyone may show it. There is nothing to apply for, nothing to pay, and displaying it changes no score: the standing comes from the published algorithm, which never reads commission data. We never ask anyone to show it, and its link carries rel="nofollow".
The image is drawn from our live data, so it follows the standing rather than freezing it: if Gusto moves up or down a tier, the plaque on your own site says so at our next publish. Nothing is tracked beyond the ordinary web-server log that records any image request.