Gusto Review 2023: A Top-Notch Payroll and HR Platform - NerdWallet (2024)

Gusto rises to the top of our list of best payroll software because it’s easy to use and competitively priced. Plus, it includes features, such as unlimited payroll runs and garnishment payments, in its lowest-tier plan that some Gusto competitors charge extra for or don’t offer at all.

Designed for small businesses, this cloud-based, all-in-one platform can be accessed from virtually anywhere through an online browser. Gusto, formerly ZenPayroll, doesn’t lock you into a contract and it’s easy to change your plan as your business evolves.

With some payroll and benefits services, it’s nearly impossible to get a clear price upfront. That’s not the case with Gusto, which lists its monthly subscription prices on its website:

You can get a feel for the product through an interactive demo, after you provide Gusto with some basic information. Unlike some of its competitors, Gusto doesn’t charge a setup fee. And you can request free payroll setup assistance from Gusto or tackle the online setup process yourself when creating your initial payroll account.

Select a plan

Gusto plans offer integrated payroll, benefits and HR, with higher tiers offering additional features. Add-on benefits can be used to further customize your plan, and you have the flexibility to upgrade or downgrade at any time.

Add benefits

If you want benefits for your team, Gusto can help you build a benefits package. Or, you can compare various medical, dental and vision plans and providers on the platform to find the best fit yourself — assuming you live in a state where Gusto offers health benefits administration services. You can also set up 401(k) plans, 529 savings accounts, health savings accounts, flexible spending accounts, commuter benefits, workers’ compensation and life insurance. Some of these benefits carry a per-participant cost.

Top-notch employee portal access

Gusto gives your employees the ability to manage many tasks themselves through their own Gusto employee portal and the Gusto Wallet app. Employees can complete onboarding paperwork, select benefits and access pay stubs and other records through the portal on their own.

Gusto also gives lifetime account access to employees as long as there’s an email associated with the accounts. If an employee leaves the company, and years later needs access to their pay stubs, they can still view and download them through their Gusto account — even if their former company has stopped using Gusto. Not all small-business payroll services offer lifetime access to former employees.

Time-saving automation and integrations

Gusto provides numerous ways to automate payroll and HR tasks. At no additional cost, you can set payroll to run automatically, with a reminder sent to you the day before. Gusto will calculate, file and pay your local, state and federal payroll taxes automatically, and will even report new hires to the government for you.

Regardless of your plan level, Gusto also enables you to integrate with many types of third-party accounting, time tracking, expense management, point-of-sale and HR software. Integrations include popular accounting apps like QuickBooks, FreshBooks and Xero. The ability to sync data with Gusto means less time spent on manual entry.

Broad customer support

With any subscription level, you’ll be able to get customer support via phone, chat or email from actual humans — specifically, Gusto’s representatives in San Francisco or Denver. That’s a big plus, especially for those who are new to setting up payroll and benefits. However, customer support isn’t available during weekends and priority payroll and HR support is an add-on.

If you prefer completing tasks on your own, Gusto also provides an extensive online help center, checklists, step-by-step guides and other information.

Some benefits aren’t available in all states

While Gusto offers payroll services and 401(k) plans in all 50 states, its services for health benefits, HSAs, FSAs and commuter benefits come with some geographic restrictions. Gusto has coverage available in a majority of states and Washington, D.C. However, it doesn’t currently offer these benefits in Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming.

If benefits aren’t available in a state where you and your employees are based, you may want to consider companies that offer expanded benefits through PEOs, such as Paychex and ADP.

No mobile payroll app

Gusto doesn’t offer a mobile app specifically for payroll, but you can run payroll from a mobile device by using a web browser. However, this won’t offer the same user experience and may require extra scrolling on some pages. If you prefer to run payroll on the go, Roll by ADP is a chat-based, mobile payroll app that offers unlimited payroll in all 50 states.

QuickBooks Payroll

While Gusto offers next-day direct deposit of your employee’s pay at the Plus and Premium level, QuickBooks Payroll provides same-day direct deposit with its higher tiers. That means you can submit payroll by 7 a.m. Pacific time on payday, and your employees receive their money that same day. Plus, even though Gusto integrates with QuickBooks, if you already use Intuit accounting and tax software, adding QuickBooks Payroll may be a logical next step.

Square Payroll

Square Payroll's monthly fee starts with a $35 base price plus $5 per person, compared with Gusto’s monthly fee starting at a $40 base price plus $6 per person. Like Gusto, Square Payroll has a contractors-only option, but without the monthly base fee. It also offers unlimited payroll runs, includes features to automatically file payroll taxes and can help you manage employee benefits. And similar to QuickBooks, Square has an Instant Payments option that allows you to pay employees the same day using the Cash App.