Gusto Pricing (2027): Every Plan and Fee

Gusto's plans and prices

Gusto publishes a price for every plan and add-on. All plans are month to month, cancel anytime, with unlimited pay runs. This page is based on Gusto's pricing page, checked November 12, 2026.

Plan	Price	What changes at this tier
Simple	$49/mo + $6 per person	One state only; basic PTO
Plus	$80/mo + $12 per person	Multi-state payroll, next-day direct deposit
Premium	$180/mo + $22 per person	HR guidance and tools; priority phone and chat included
Solo	$49/mo + $6 per person	For S corp owners who only pay themselves

Gusto lists no contractor-only plan. US contractors are billed at your plan's per-person rate, and only in months you pay them.

What it costs at 5, 20 and 50 employees

Regular published prices, one state, employees only.

Plan	5 employees	20 employees	50 employees
Simple	$79	$169	$349
Plus	$140	$320	$680
Premium	$290	$620	$1,280

The jump from Simple to Plus is the one most owners feel. At 20 employees it nearly doubles the bill, from $169 to $320, and the main reason to make that jump is a second state.

Add-ons and fees

The base plans leave several things out. Each of these costs extra:

• Next-day direct deposit on Simple: $15/mo + $3 per person
• Priority phone and chat support on Simple and Plus: $30/mo + $3 per person
• Same-day pay on Simple and Plus: $90 per payroll
• Instant pay on Simple and Plus: $100 per payroll
• Time & Attendance Plus on Simple: $6/mo per person
• Gusto Business Compliance: $85/mo per state, on an annual contract
• Remote I-9: $20 per submission, plus $5 for E-Verify
• Health insurance broker integration: $6/mo per eligible employee
• State tax registration in a new state: price varies by state

Two of these catch people. Business Compliance is the one item on an annual contract, unlike the plans themselves. And state registration has no listed price, so ask before you hire in a new state.

What tax filing is included

Every plan, Simple included, files federal, state and local payroll tax forms, including the 941, 940 and 8974. Gusto also files W-2s and 1099s at year end. The pricing page lists no extra charge for any of that filing.

The limit on Simple is geography, not filing. It covers one state. If an employee lives or works in a second state, you need Plus.

How Gusto compares on price

Gusto Simple costs the same as OnPay Payroll Essentials at every size: $79, $169 and $349 a month for 5, 20 and 50 employees. OnPay includes multi-state payroll at that price, while Gusto Simple doesn't.

Two providers cost less than Simple. Square Payroll runs $65, $155 and $335, and Patriot Full Service runs $62, $137 and $287. Patriot charges $12/mo per extra state, so its gap narrows if you work in several states. Patriot Basic is cheaper still at $37, $97 and $217, but it does not file taxes.

Gusto Plus at $320 for 20 employees costs about twice what OnPay ($169) or Square ($155) charge, and both include multi-state payroll. You'd pick it for next-day deposit and room to grow into Premium, not for price. Gusto's Trustpilot score is 3.3/5 from 2,767 reviews.