9.7
SpotScore
Gusto Pricing Plans in 2026
Modern HR for Growing Businesses
Main Features
- 401(k) Tracking
- Access Control
- Accounting Integration
- Accounting Management
Pricing
Starts from $49/user/month when monthly
Free Trial available
Gusto Pricing
Starting Price
$49 / /user/month
when monthly
Pricing Model
No credit card required · Cancel anytime · Free trial included
How much does Gusto cost?
Need a plan for 50+ users?
Get volume pricing, dedicated onboarding, and a custom contract. Switching from another tool? Gusto supports data import to get you set up quickly.
Pricing sourced from Gusto's official website as of May 2026. For the latest pricing, visit their website.
What people ask about Gusto pricing
How much does Gusto cost?
Gusto publishes its pricing, which already makes it unusual in payroll. Three plans, each a monthly base fee plus a per-employee charge: Simple at $49 + $6 per employee, Plus at $80 + $12, and Premium at $180 + $22.
Gusto raised the Simple base fee from $40 to $49 in March 2026, so older comparisons understate it by about 20%.
What Gusto costs at 5, 25 and 100 employees
5 employees: Simple $79/mo, Plus $140, Premium $290. 25 employees: Simple $199, Plus $380, Premium $730. 100 employees: Simple $649, Plus $1,280, Premium $2,380.
The base fee dominates for small teams and the per-employee rate dominates above roughly 20 people. That crossover matters: below 15 employees the plan choice barely moves your bill, above 50 it is the whole bill.
Is Gusto or ADP cheaper?
For small teams, almost always Gusto — and you can verify it, because Gusto publishes rates and ADP does not. Reported ADP quotes for comparable small-business payroll commonly exceed Gusto's Simple plan, with setup fees that Gusto does not charge.
The comparison flips as complexity rises. ADP's pricing opacity works in its favour at enterprise scale where volume discounts are real. Under 50 employees with straightforward payroll, Gusto is cheaper and you will know what you are paying before you sign.
How expensive is Gusto payroll?
The published price is close to the true price, which is the main reason to choose it. There is no implementation fee and no minimum term on the standard plans.
Watch two things. Multi-state payroll adds a per-state charge on lower tiers. And the features most people assume are standard — time tracking, PTO policies, next-day direct deposit — sit on Plus, not Simple, so the realistic comparison for a growing team is $80 + $12, not $49 + $6.
When not to buy Gusto
If you are running payroll for a handful of people and nothing else, a $49 base fee is heavy — contractor-only teams in particular are better served by cheaper tools or Deel's free contractor tier.
And if you need deep HR beyond payroll, Premium at $180 + $22 is competing with dedicated HRIS products that do that job better for similar money.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Stuck on something? We're here to help with all the questions and answers in one place.
Yes, Gusto offers a free trial — no credit card required. You can test core features before committing to a paid plan. Start your free trial →
Gusto offers Free Trial, Subscription, Quotation Based pricing. Plans start from $49//user/month. View all Gusto pricing plans →
The starting price of Gusto is $49/user/month when monthly
Gusto does not have a permanently free plan, but it does offer a free trial so you can evaluate the product before committing to a paid subscription.
Most subscription-based tools including Gusto offer a discount when you choose annual billing over monthly. Annual plans typically save 15–40% compared to paying month-to-month. Check Gusto's pricing page for exact savings.
Most SaaS products including Gusto allow you to cancel your subscription at any time. For monthly plans, cancellation typically takes effect at the end of the current billing cycle. For annual plans, refund policies vary — check Gusto's terms or contact their support team for details.
Gusto offers a free tier or trial that works well for small teams and startups just getting started. As you grow, paid plans provide more capacity and advanced features. See all plans to find the best fit.
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Disclaimer: This research has been collated from a variety of authoritative sources. We welcome your feedback at [email protected].
