Gusto Pricing 2026: Plans, Monthly Fees and Cost Per Employee

Quick answer: Gusto pricing is a monthly base fee plus a monthly fee per person. Simple is $49/month + $6 per person, Plus is $80/month + $12 per person, and Premium is $180/month + $22 per person. The Contractor Only plan is $35/month + $6 per person, with the base fee discounted to $0 for the first six months. A 10-person team pays $109/month on Simple, $200 on Plus and $400 on Premium. All prices vendor-published on gusto.com/product/pricing, checked September 2026.

Gusto is one of the most popular payroll and HR platforms for small and mid-sized businesses in the US. It bundles payroll processing, tax filings, benefits administration, and HR tools into a single subscription — making it a compelling alternative to piecing together multiple tools.

But Gusto’s pricing structure can be confusing. There’s a base fee, a per-employee fee, optional add-ons, and a contractor-only plan. Depending on your headcount and the features you need, your actual monthly bill can vary significantly from what you see advertised.

This guide breaks down every Gusto pricing plan for 2026 — Simple, Plus, Premium, and Contractor-Only — including what’s included, what’s not, and how it stacks up against competitors. If you’re evaluating Gusto for your business, this is the complete picture.

Gusto Pricing Plans at a Glance

Gusto offers three main subscription tiers for businesses with W-2 employees, plus a separate plan for businesses that only pay contractors. Here’s how the plans compare:

Prices vendor-published on gusto.com/product/pricing, checked September 2026. Gusto states there are no contracts, account setup is free, and you can switch or cancel at any time.

For example, a 10-person team on the Simple plan would pay $49 + (10 × $6) = $109/month. On Plus, that same team pays $80 + (10 × $12) = $200/month. The per-employee fee makes headcount the biggest driver of your Gusto bill.

How Much Does Gusto Cost Per Month? Base Fee Plus Per-Person Fee

Your monthly Gusto bill is two numbers added together: a flat base fee for the plan and a per-person fee multiplied by the number of people you pay. The base fee is $49 on Simple, $80 on Plus and $180 on Premium. The per-person fee is $6, $12 and $22 respectively. Payroll runs are unlimited on every plan, so running payroll weekly or adding an off-cycle run does not change the bill.

That structure means the base fee dominates for very small teams and the per-person fee dominates as you grow. On Simple, the base fee is 89% of the bill for one employee but only 25% of it at 25 employees.

Gusto Cost for 1 Employee (and for Contractors Only)

For a business paying a single W-2 employee, Gusto costs $55/month on Simple ($49 + $6), $92/month on Plus ($80 + $12) and $202/month on Premium ($180 + $22). Over a year, Simple comes to $660 for one employee.

If you only pay 1099 contractors and have no W-2 employees yet, the Contractor Only plan is the cheaper route: $35/month + $6 per person. One contractor costs $41/month at the standard rate. During Gusto’s current offer, the base fee is $0 for the first six months, so that same contractor costs $6/month until the discount ends. The plan covers domestic contractor payments, 4-day pay and Form 1099 creation and filing. It does not cover back-up withholding or other contractor withholding that state agencies require, and add-ons other than global contractor payments are unavailable on it.

Solo owners of S corps who mainly need to pay themselves are pointed by Gusto to a separate Gusto Solo plan, which is priced on its own page.

How Gusto Pricing Scales With Headcount: 5, 10 and 25 Employees

The table below applies Gusto’s published base and per-person fees to three common team sizes. It excludes add-ons, benefits premiums and taxes.

Calculated from prices ‘+SRC+’.

Two patterns stand out. First, each extra hire adds a fixed amount: $6, $12 or $22 a month depending on plan. Second, the gap between plans widens with headcount. At 5 employees, Plus costs $61/month more than Simple; at 25 employees the gap is $181/month. That is why the choice between Simple and Plus matters more for a 25-person company than for a 5-person one. If the only Plus feature you need is next-day pay, the Simple add-on ($15/month + $3 per person) costs $45/month at 10 people, against the $91/month step up to Plus.

Gusto Simple Plan

The Simple plan is Gusto’s entry-level offering, priced at $49/month base + $6 per employee per month, vendor-published on gusto.com/product/pricing, checked September 2026. It’s designed for small businesses that need reliable payroll without a lot of HR complexity.

What’s Included in Simple

• Single-state payroll
• Unlimited payrolls per month, by direct deposit or printable check
• Tax filings and payments
• Payroll approvals and Payroll on AutoPilot
• Multiple pay rates and schedules
• Gusto employee app and employer mobile app
• Domestic contractor payments
• Basic PTO policies and holiday pay

Limitations of Simple

Simple is limited to payroll in one state. Multi-state payroll, workforce cost reports and unlimited custom earning types start on Plus. Time tracking, next-day pay, performance tools and priority support are sold as add-ons on Simple (prices in the add-on section below), so a Simple customer can buy only the pieces they need.

Next-day pay is included from Plus upward and costs $15/month + $3 per person as a Simple add-on. For most small businesses with straightforward payroll needs, Simple is sufficient. But if you’re growing quickly or managing complex schedules, you’ll likely hit its ceiling.

Gusto Plus Plan

The Plus plan costs $80/month base + $12 per employee per month. It builds on Simple with a meaningful set of HR tools aimed at businesses that are scaling and need payroll plus real HR support.

What’s Added in Plus

• Everything in Simple, plus:
• Multi-state payroll
• Next-day pay
• Time tracking
• Expenses and reimbursements (an add-on on Simple)
• Workforce cost reports
• Unlimited custom earning types

The jump from $6 to $12 per employee doubles your per-head cost, but Plus delivers a substantially more capable HR platform. For a 15-person team, that’s the difference between $139/month (Simple) and $260/month (Plus), a $121 monthly premium.

Plus makes the most sense for businesses that are actively hiring, managing complex PTO policies, or needing performance management tools but aren’t ready to invest in a dedicated HRIS.

Gusto Premium Plan

Gusto Premium is priced at $180/month + $22 per person, vendor-published on gusto.com/product/pricing, checked September 2026. Gusto positions it for scaling businesses that want full-service payroll, benefits and HR with dedicated support.

What’s Included in Premium

• Everything in Plus, plus:
• A dedicated Service Advisor
• Access to certified HR experts
• Performance and compensation management
• Custom reports
• Priority support
• Payroll migration and account setup
• Unlimited custom admin roles
• Same-day pay and Instant pay included (paid per payroll on other plans)

Who Needs Premium?

Premium is for businesses that need a dedicated point of contact at Gusto, access to HR experts, and custom reporting. Gusto also says Premium customers may receive discounts and waived fees on R&D tax services and broker integration. If you’re in a regulated industry, managing multi-state payroll at scale, or want a hands-on relationship with your payroll provider, Premium may justify the cost. For most small businesses, the Simple or Plus plans will cover their needs.

Gusto Contractor-Only Plan

If your business pays only independent contractors (no W-2 employees), Gusto offers a dedicated Contractor Only plan at $35/month base + $6 per person per month. New accounts currently get the base fee discounted to $0/month for the first six months (terms apply). Prices vendor-published on gusto.com/product/pricing, checked September 2026.

What’s Included

• Domestic contractor payments
• 4-day pay
• Form 1099 creation and filings

Global contractor payments are the one add-on available on this plan. Back-up withholding and other contractor withholding required by state agencies are handled outside it. The Contractor-Only plan is a solid, affordable option for agencies, consultancies, or early-stage startups working entirely with freelancers. However, if you ever bring on W-2 employees, you’ll need to upgrade to one of the main plans.

Gusto Add-On Costs

Beyond your base subscription, Gusto charges separately for several optional services. These add-ons can significantly increase your total cost depending on which ones you need. Every price below is vendor-published on gusto.com/product/pricing, checked September 2026.

The four tax-advantaged accounts (HSA, FSA, dependent care FSA, commuter) also share one $200 annual service charge.

Health Benefits Administration

Gusto partners with major insurance carriers to offer medical, dental, and vision benefits. Gusto charges no administration fee for health insurance bought through its licensed brokers: you pay only the premiums, which depend on your carrier, plan selection, employee ages and location. If you keep an outside broker, Gusto can usually integrate your existing broker and eligible plans for $6/month per eligible employee.

401(k) Retirement Plans

Gusto offers 401(k) plans that sync with payroll through integrated providers such as Guideline. Gusto’s pricing page states that 401(k) pricing varies by integration, so the cost is set by the 401(k) provider and billed separately from your Gusto subscription.

Workers’ Compensation

Gusto sets up pay-as-you-go workers’ comp plans that integrate with payroll, starting at $14/month. The final premium depends on your industry, state and payroll.

Time Tracking

Time tracking is included in the Plus and Premium plans. On Simple, Gusto sells Time & Attendance Plus (time tracking synced to payroll, project tracking, time off and scheduling) as an add-on: free to try, then $6/month per person. Third-party tools such as QuickBooks Time or Deputy remain an option, at their own cost.

International Contractor Payments

Gusto’s global contractor payments add-on pays contractors in more than 120 countries with no monthly per-contractor fee; foreign exchange rates vary. It is available on every plan, including Contractor Only.

State Tax Registration

If you’re expanding into a new state, Gusto can handle the state and local payroll tax registration paperwork as an add-on. Gusto does not publish a single price: its pricing page says the cost varies by state.

Is Gusto Worth the Price?

Gusto’s value depends heavily on your team size and which plan you’re on. Here’s an honest look at the pros and cons at each tier.

Simple Plan: Good Value for Small Teams

Pros: Clean interface, reliable payroll, solid tax automation, strong employee self-service. At $49 + $6/employee, it’s competitive for teams under 10 people.

Cons: Single-state payroll only, and time tracking, next-day pay and performance tools cost extra. If you’re hiring across states, you’ll outgrow Simple quickly.

Plus Plan: Strong Mid-Market Option

Pros: Multi-state payroll, next-day pay, time tracking and workforce cost reports in one price. For teams of 10–30, Plus can replace multiple standalone tools.

Cons: The per-employee cost adds up fast. A 25-person team pays $380/month on Plus — meaningful for a small business. Gusto’s HR features are also lighter than dedicated tools like Lattice or 15Five.

Premium Plan: Only If You Need the Hands-On Support

Pros: A dedicated Service Advisor, certified HR experts, priority support, and same-day and instant pay included make Premium compelling for fast-growing companies.

Cons: At $180/month + $22 per person, a 50-person company pays $1,280/month. At that size, dedicated HRIS platforms can be more cost-effective.

Gusto vs Competitors on Price

How does Gusto’s pricing compare to the other major payroll platforms? Here’s a quick side-by-side for a 10-person team on an entry-level plan:

Pricing shown is approximate; check vendor websites for current rates.

Gusto Simple and OnPay now publish the same $49 + $6 headline price, while QuickBooks lists payroll bundled with its accounting software, so its figure covers more than payroll. ADP and Paychex tend to cost more but offer stronger compliance support and dedicated payroll specialists — worth it for businesses in complex regulatory environments. For most small businesses, Gusto Simple or Plus delivers a better experience per dollar than legacy providers.

Related Payroll Resources

If you’re still evaluating payroll options or want to dig deeper into comparisons, these guides cover the key decisions:

• Best Payroll Software in 2026 — our top-rated picks across all business sizes
• Best Gusto Alternatives — the strongest Gusto competitors worth considering
• Gusto vs ADP — a detailed head-to-head comparison on features, pricing, and support
• Rippling vs Gusto — how they compare on HR, IT, and payroll features
• Best Payroll Software for Small Business — the best options specifically for teams under 25 employees

Gusto plan and add-on prices re-checked September 2026 against gusto.com/product/pricing. OnPay and QuickBooks figures were checked the same month on onpay.com and quickbooks.intuit.com; ADP and Paychex do not publish prices, so their ranges are estimates to confirm with a quote. Gusto pricing may change.

How Gusto Pricing Compares to Other Small Business Payroll

Gusto sits in the middle of the small business payroll market on price. Patriot Payroll and OnPay generally come in lower on the monthly base fee, while Paychex Flex and ADP Workforce Now quote, not publish and typically land higher once modules are added. What Gusto includes at its entry tier — full-service payroll with automatic federal, state and local tax filing — is the fair basis for comparison, because several cheaper options treat filing as an upgrade.

The other figure worth calculating is cost per pay run, not cost per month. Gusto does not charge extra for additional or off-cycle runs, which matters if you pay weekly or make frequent corrections. Providers that charge per run can end up more expensive despite a lower headline rate.

What Drives Your Final Gusto Bill

Three variables move the total beyond the advertised base. Headcount is the obvious one, since the per-person fee applies to each person you pay. Benefits administration is the second — health insurance, retirement and similar plans are administered through Gusto but priced by the carrier. The third is the tier you choose, since features such as multi-state payroll, time tracking and performance and compensation management sit on higher plans or cost extra as add-ons.

Before comparing quotes, list which of those you actually need in the next twelve months. Our HR software pricing guide sets out the same exercise across the wider market, and the best payroll software for small business guide compares ten providers on total cost.

Related reading: How Much Does Payroll Cost in 2026? Per-Employee Pricing Across 13 Providers, Gusto Review 2026: Pros, Cons, Pricing and Who It Fits, Gusto vs Paychex 2026: Published Prices vs Quote-Based Payroll, Gusto vs QuickBooks Payroll 2026: Prices, Features and Verdict

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