Gusto Review 2026: Pricing, Plans, Add-ons and Gusto Pro for Accountants

Gusto is one of the most widely used payroll platforms for US small businesses. It runs unlimited payrolls, files federal, state and local payroll taxes, and adds benefits, time tracking and HR tools as a business grows. For accountants, Gusto Pro is a free dashboard for every client's payroll. This spotlight covers what each plan costs, which add-ons matter, three worked cost examples, what Gusto Pro gives a practice, how Gusto compares with Deel, Warp, Every and Paylocity, and where it falls short. Prices were read on the Gusto pricing page on 29 October 2026.

TL;DR:

• Three published plans: Simple at $49 a month plus $6 per person, Plus at $80 plus $12, and Premium at $180 plus $22. Unlimited payrolls and tax filings are included on all three.
• Five employees on Simple cost $79 a month. Multi-state payroll needs Plus or Premium.
• Gusto Pro, the dashboard for accounting firms, is free. Gusto says more than 23,000 firms use it.
• Gusto says more than 500,000 businesses use it, and it shows a 4.6 average from 4,137 Capterra reviews on its pricing page.
• It scores 4.6 out of 5 in our directory, the highest in our Payroll and HR category.
• Best for: US small businesses and the accountants who run their payroll, plus UK practices whose clients have US entities or US staff.

Table of Contents

• What is Gusto?
• What each Gusto plan includes
• The add-ons that change the bill
• Three worked examples
• Gusto Pro for accountants
• What the AI actually does
• What UK practices need to know
• Where Gusto falls short
• Gusto vs Deel, Warp, Every and Paylocity
• How to try Gusto
• Our verdict
• Frequently asked questions
• Sources

What is Gusto?

US payroll is harder than it looks. The IRS Employer's Tax Guide alone runs to dozens of pages. A small business with a handful of staff has to withhold federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, pay federal and state unemployment taxes, register in every state where someone works, and file quarterly and annual returns on time. Each state has its own rules, and some cities add their own taxes on top. Getting any of it wrong brings penalties and letters.

Gusto takes that work off the business. It calculates each payroll, pays employees by direct deposit, pays and files the taxes, and produces W-2s and 1099s at year end. Staff get an app for payslips, tax forms and time off. On higher plans, Gusto adds time tracking, multi-state payroll, HR tools and compliance tracking, and it sells benefits such as health insurance, 401(k) plans and workers' compensation through its own insurance agency and partners.

It is built for small and growing businesses rather than enterprises. Gusto says more than 500,000 businesses use it.

What each Gusto plan includes

Gusto publishes its prices. There are no contracts, account setup is free, and you can switch or cancel at any time.

Simple suits a single-state business with straightforward pay. Plus is the plan most growing teams need, because it is the first with multi-state payroll and time tracking built in. Premium adds a named advisor, HR guidance, compliance tracking and faster pay options.

The add-ons that change the bill

The headline prices are only part of the cost. These are the add-ons we see change a client's total most often, with the prices Gusto publishes.

Two of these catch businesses out. Same-day pay at $90 a time adds up quickly if payroll is regularly late. Compliance at $85 per state a month becomes expensive across several states, which is often the point where Premium is the cheaper plan.

Three worked examples

These use the published prices only.

1. A five-person business in one state

For a single-state team with regular pay dates, Simple does the job at $79 a month. Plus is worth the extra $61 a month only if the business needs time tracking or next-day pay.

2. Twelve people across two states

Multi-state payroll rules out Simple. The question is whether Plus with compliance tracking costs less than Premium.

Premium costs $50 a month more than Plus with compliance in two states, and adds same-day and instant pay, a named advisor and HR guidance. If the business runs even one same-day payroll a month at $90, Premium is the cheaper option. In a third state, compliance on Plus would rise to $479 a month, more than Premium.

3. A UK client's US subsidiary with three staff

A UK group opens a US office with three employees in one state. Its UK practice manages the payroll through Gusto Pro.

At $804 a year, Gusto is a low-cost way to run compliant US payroll for a small subsidiary, while the group's UK payroll stays in its UK system.

Gusto Pro for accountants

Gusto Pro is Gusto's platform for accounting firms, and it is free. A firm sees every client's payroll in one dashboard, can run payrolls on clients' behalf, and gets alerts when something needs attention. Gusto says more than 23,000 firms use it.

Firms that join Gusto's partner programme can earn a revenue share of up to 20 percent on client subscriptions, and get training and migration support. For a practice that runs payroll for many small US clients, that revenue share can cover a meaningful part of the time spent on setup and support.

Gusto connects with QuickBooks and Xero, so payroll journals flow into the client's ledger without rekeying.

What the AI actually does

Gusto describes "smart, AI-driven suggestions built into your everyday tools" on its pricing page. On the Gusto Pro side, it has announced AI-assisted workflows for repetitive payroll tasks and reporting, and an assistant that answers questions about a firm's whole book of clients from live data. When we last checked the listing, on 23 October 2026, Gusto marked these firm features as beta.

That matches what we would expect from a payroll provider: AI that drafts, flags and answers questions, while the payroll engine and tax filings work the way they always have. Judge the AI features on what they do in a trial, and do not choose Gusto for the AI alone.

What UK practices need to know

Gusto is a US product. It does not run UK PAYE, submit RTI returns, handle auto-enrolment pensions or file anything with HMRC. For UK payroll, practices use UK tools such as BrightPay or PayFit.

Gusto is relevant to a UK practice in three situations:

1. Clients with a US subsidiary or US staff. Gusto is one of the simplest ways to run compliant US payroll alongside the client's UK system.
2. UK founders incorporating in the US. A Delaware company with a few US hires needs US payroll from day one.
3. Practices with US clients. Gusto Pro gives the practice one dashboard for all of them.

For clients hiring in many countries rather than mainly the US, compare Deel, which covers contractors and employer of record hiring worldwide.

Where Gusto falls short

• Per-person fees add up. At $22 per person on Premium, a 50-person team pays $1,280 a month. Larger teams should compare quotes from mid-market providers such as Paylocity.
• Faster pay costs extra below Premium. Same-day pay at $90 per payroll and instant pay at $100 per payroll are add-ons on Simple and Plus.
• Compliance tracking per state. At $85 per state a month, multi-state compliance on Plus quickly costs more than upgrading.
• AI features are early. The firm-level AI tools were marked as beta when we last checked.
• US only. No UK, EU or other non-US payroll, apart from paying contractors in more than 120 countries.
• Complex groups. Businesses with many entities and complicated structures should test reporting depth before moving.
• Support and customisation. In Capterra reviews, the most common complaints are slow phone support and limited customisation for unusual payroll or benefit setups.

Gusto vs Deel, Warp, Every and Paylocity

For five employees, Gusto Simple costs $79 a month, Every $175 and Warp $264. Gusto is the cheapest of the three for straightforward payroll.

Choose Gusto for small US teams, especially when an accountant runs payroll through Gusto Pro.

Choose Paylocity once a company has grown past the point where per-person pricing makes sense and needs a fuller HR system.

Choose Deel when most hiring is outside the US.

Choose Warp when the team is spread across many states and registrations are the main headache.

Choose Every when a founder wants payroll, banking, bookkeeping and tax from one provider.

How to try Gusto

Setup is free and there is no contract. You can create an account and set everything up without paying, because billing starts when you run payroll. Gusto also offers a free trial of Time and Attendance Plus.

See Gusto's plans and pricing ↗

The AI Ledger earns a commission if you sign up through the links on this page. It never changes an editor score.

Our verdict

Gusto is the dependable default for US small business payroll. The engine is mature, tax filings are automated, the prices are published, and Gusto Pro gives accounting firms a free way to run payroll for every client from one place. The costs to watch are the per-person fees on larger teams and the add-ons for faster pay and multi-state compliance. Price Premium against Plus for any client in more than one state.

We score Gusto 4.6 out of 5, the highest in our Payroll and HR category. For UK practices, it is the tool to recommend when a client needs US payroll, alongside the client's UK system.

Start with Gusto ↗

Frequently asked questions

How much does Gusto cost?

Gusto Simple is $49 a month plus $6 per person, Plus is $80 a month plus $12 per person, and Premium is $180 a month plus $22 per person. Setup is free, there is no contract, and you can cancel at any time.

Is Gusto free for accountants?

Yes. Gusto Pro, the dashboard for accounting firms, is free. Firms in Gusto's partner programme can also earn a revenue share of up to 20 percent on client subscriptions.

Does Gusto do UK payroll?

No. Gusto runs US payroll only. It does not handle PAYE, RTI or HMRC filing. UK practices use it for clients with US entities or US staff.

Which Gusto plan do I need for employees in more than one state?

Plus or Premium. Simple covers payroll in one state. With compliance tracking in two or more states, Premium can cost less than Plus plus the $85 per state compliance add-on.

Does Gusto integrate with QuickBooks and Xero?

Yes. Gusto connects with QuickBooks and Xero, so payroll entries post to the ledger automatically.

How many payrolls can I run on Gusto?

Unlimited payrolls are included on every plan.

Sources

• Gusto pricing, read 29 October 2026
• Gusto homepage
• Capterra: Gusto reviews
• IRS Publication 15, Employer's Tax Guide
• The AI Ledger: Gusto listing and review
• The AI Ledger: Deel listing and review
• The AI Ledger: Every review 2026