Gusto Price: Plans, Monthly Cost & Price History

Gusto is an online payroll service for small businesses. It pays employees by direct deposit, calculates and files payroll taxes, and produces year-end forms such as W-2s and 1099s. Higher plans add HR tools, time tracking, and more support.

Gusto pricing has two parts: a monthly base fee for the plan, and a monthly fee for each employee on payroll. Most plan and fee figures on this page come from Business.com, and the headline range and the contractor plan come from Fit Small Business. Prices were checked on Oct 11, 2026. Gusto updates its plans from time to time, so confirm current pricing on the official Gusto pricing page before you sign up.

Your monthly Gusto bill is the plan's base fee plus the per-employee fee multiplied by the number of people you pay. A business with a handful of employees pays mostly the base fee, while a larger team pays more through per-employee charges.

Simple

Simple has a base fee of $49/mo, plus $6/mo per employee. It covers full-service payroll for a single state, including tax filings and employee self-service. It suits a small business with straightforward payroll in one location.

Plus

Plus costs $80/mo as a base fee, plus $12/mo per employee. It adds multi-state payroll, next-day direct deposit, time tracking, and PTO management. It fits a business with remote staff in more than one state, or one that wants to run payroll closer to payday.

Premium

Premium has a base fee of $180/mo, plus $22/mo per employee. It adds access to HR professionals, compliance alerts, and priority support. It is meant for businesses that want more HR help without hiring a full-time HR person.

Contractor-only plan

If you only pay independent contractors and have no employees on W-2 payroll, the contractor plan has a base fee of $35/mo, according to Fit Small Business. Gusto may also charge a fee for each contractor you pay; check the official pricing page for the current terms.

Some features cost extra on top of your plan. Each add-on in our data has its own monthly base fee:

• Next-day pay on the Simple plan costs $15/mo. Plus and Premium include faster direct deposit.
• Priority Support costs $30/mo and moves your calls and chats ahead in the queue.
• HR Resources costs $50/mo and gives you access to HR templates, guidance, and policy tools.

Add-ons may also carry per-employee charges, so check the full terms on Gusto's pricing page before you turn one on.

The subscription price is not always the whole bill. Benefits such as health insurance, 401(k) plans, and workers' compensation are often available through Gusto, but the premiums and contributions are separate from Gusto's fees. Some services, such as registering for state tax accounts or filing for prior periods, may cost extra.

Payroll taxes themselves are not a Gusto fee. Gusto calculates and files them, but the employer and employee taxes are paid on top of the subscription. For questions about how much tax you owe, how to classify workers, or which state accounts you need, consult a licensed CPA or payroll tax professional.

• Contractor-only: you pay only independent contractors.
• Simple: you have employees in one state and want basic full-service payroll.
• Plus: you have employees in several states, or you want time tracking and next-day deposit included.
• Premium: you want on-call HR expertise and priority support built into the plan.

The per-employee fee affects the decision more as your team grows. Compare the total for your headcount on each plan, not just the base fee.