Gusto Review 2027: Pros, Cons and Verdict

Who Gusto suits

Gusto fits a business that starts small in one state and expects to add states, benefits or HR help later. Every plan files federal, state and local payroll taxes, pay runs are unlimited, and it is month to month, cancel anytime. You can move up a tier instead of switching providers.

It also suits teams that pay contractors now and then. Gusto bills US contractors at the plan's per-person rate only in months you pay them. S corp owners who only pay themselves can use the Solo plan at $49/mo plus $6 per person.

This review is based on Gusto's pricing page, checked November 12, 2026.

Who should skip it

If you have employees in two or more states, Simple won't work. It covers one state, and multi-state payroll starts on Plus at $80/mo plus $12 per person. For 20 employees that is $320/mo, against $169/mo on OnPay, which includes every state.

Owners who want phone support without paying extra should also look elsewhere. Priority phone and chat is a $30/mo plus $3 per person add-on on Simple and Plus, and only Premium includes it.

What it costs at 5, 20 and 50 employees

Regular published prices, employees only. Simple covers one state; Plus and Premium include multi-state.

Plan	5 employees	20 employees	50 employees
Simple ($49 + $6 per person)	$79	$169	$349
Plus ($80 + $12 per person)	$140	$320	$680
Premium ($180 + $22 per person)	$290	$620	$1,280

Simple ties OnPay at every size. The jump to Plus is where Gusto gets expensive, and many businesses make that jump for one reason: a second state.

What it files and what it leaves to you

Per the pricing page, Gusto files federal, state and local payroll tax forms on every plan, including Forms 941, 940 and 8974, and it files W-2s and 1099s.

Registering in a new state is not part of the base price. Gusto lists state tax registration as a paid service whose price varies by state. Basic PTO is on Simple; HR guidance and tools arrive on Premium.

Fees and traps

Gusto publishes a price for every add-on, which helps when you compare. The ones that change the bill most often:

• Next-day direct deposit on Simple is $15/mo plus $3 per person. Plus and Premium include it.
• Same-day pay is $90 per payroll and instant pay $100 per payroll on Simple and Plus.
• Time & Attendance Plus is $6/mo per person on Simple.
• Priority phone and chat support is $30/mo plus $3 per person below Premium.
• Remote I-9 is $20 per submission, and E-Verify is $5 more.
• A health insurance broker integration is $6/mo per eligible employee.
• Gusto Business Compliance is $85/mo per state, and it requires an annual contract, unlike payroll itself.

Gusto's Trustpilot score is 3.3/5 from 2,767 reviews. Its pricing page shows 4.6 stars on Capterra from 4,137 reviews, which is a vendor-displayed figure.

Verdict

Gusto ranks second with a score of 8.9, just behind OnPay. The two cost the same to start, and both file local taxes. Gusto loses ground on the one-state limit of Simple and on add-ons such as next-day deposit and phone support that OnPay either includes or doesn't sell. It wins on published prices for every tier and a clear path to benefits and HR as you grow. Pick Gusto if you are in one state and want room to scale; pick OnPay if you already pay people in several.