Gusto has built a reputation as a straightforward payroll and HR platform, but figuring out what you'll actually pay takes a little more math than the starting price suggests. Your monthly bill depends on your plan, team size, and the extra features you add along the way.
So, how much does Gusto cost in 2026? Gusto pricing starts at $49 per month plus $6 per person for its Simple plan, while its Contractor Only option costs $35 per month plus $6 per contractor. Growing businesses can move up to Plus or Premium for additional HR, payroll, compliance, and support features.
That base price is only part of the picture. Add-ons for time tracking, faster payroll, HR support, benefits, and other services can push the final Gusto cost higher. If you're comparing payroll outsourcing companies or calculating payroll software pricing for a growing team, those extras matter.
This guide breaks down Gusto's plans, per-employee costs, add-on fees, and realistic monthly totals so you can see what you'd actually spend before choosing a plan.
Quick Answer: How Much Does Gusto Cost in 2026?
Gusto uses a base monthly fee plus a per-person charge, so the final Gusto cost increases as your team grows. Its standard payroll pricing currently ranges from $49 per month plus $6 per person for Simple to $180 per month plus $22 per person for Premium.
Here's a quick look at the main Gusto pricing plans:
Gusto Solo generally costs $55 per month for a single owner, once the $49 base fee and $6 payroll recipient fee are combined.
Gusto also currently advertises a limited-time promotion that waives the $35 monthly base fee on its Contractor Only plan, leaving businesses paying $6 per contractor. Because promotions can change, it's worth checking Gusto's current pricing before budgeting around the discounted rate.
The important thing to remember is that these are starting subscription costs. Your actual Gusto monthly cost can be higher if you add services such as faster payroll, time and attendance, priority support, HR resources, benefits administration, or other optional features.
How Does Gusto Pricing Work?
Gusto pricing is built around a simple formula:
Monthly base fee + per-person fee + optional add-ons = total Gusto cost
For example, if you choose the Simple plan for a team of 10 employees, you'd pay the $49 monthly base fee plus $6 for each employee. That brings your base Gusto payroll cost to $109 per month before add-ons.
The per-person charge generally applies to each employee or contractor paid through the platform, depending on the plan. As your headcount grows, the per-person portion of the bill becomes a bigger factor in your overall payroll costs.
Gusto's standard payroll plans also include unlimited payroll runs, so running payroll more frequently doesn't automatically increase the subscription price. Businesses can run regular payroll, bonuses, and off-cycle payments without paying a separate processing fee for each standard payroll run.
There are also no long-term contracts required for Gusto's standard subscriptions, giving companies flexibility to change or cancel their plan as their payroll needs evolve.
Where costs can climb is through optional features. Services such as priority support, advanced time tracking, HR resources, faster payroll options, and certain benefits features come with additional fees. That's why comparing the base subscription price alone doesn't always give you an accurate picture of what you'll spend each month.
Gusto Pricing Plans Explained
Gusto offers several plans for different business sizes and payroll needs. The biggest differences come down to who you're paying, how complex your payroll is, and how much HR support you want included.
Here's what you get at each Gusto pricing tier.
Gusto Solo: $49 + $6 per Person
Gusto Solo is designed primarily for one-person businesses and owners who need to run payroll for themselves. You don't have to operate as an S corporation to use it, although the plan includes tools geared toward owners who elect S corp status.
At the standard rate, a single owner pays $55 per month: a $49 base fee plus $6 for the payroll recipient.
Solo includes payroll processing, direct deposit, payroll tax filings, and tools for managing owner compensation. You can also pay contractors for an additional $6 per contractor in months when they're paid.
Best for: Solo business owners who need payroll and tax administration without paying for a broader HR platform.
Gusto Contractor Only: $35 + $6 per Contractor
The Contractor Only plan is built for companies that pay independent contractors but don't have W-2 employees. Its standard pricing is $35 per month plus $6 for each contractor paid that month.
It includes contractor payments and the tax documentation needed for eligible U.S. contractors, making it useful for businesses built primarily around freelance or contract talent.
Best for: Contractor-based businesses that don't need employee payroll.
Gusto Simple: $49 + $6 per Person
Gusto Simple is the entry-level payroll plan for businesses with employees. It costs $49 per month plus $6 per person.
The plan covers core payroll functions, including automated payroll tax calculations and filings, direct deposit, employee self-service, and unlimited payroll runs. Gusto positions Simple primarily for businesses with straightforward, single-state payroll needs.
Best for: Small businesses that want full-service payroll without advanced HR and workforce management features.
Gusto Plus: $80 + $12 per Person
Gusto Plus costs $80 per month plus $12 per person and adds functionality for companies with more complex workforce requirements.
It expands on Simple with features geared toward growing and multi-state teams, including more advanced time tracking and HR tools.
The jump from $6 to $12 per person makes headcount especially important when comparing Simple vs. Plus. A 20-person team, for example, would pay considerably more each month for Plus, so the additional features need to provide enough value to justify the upgrade.
Best for: Growing businesses, especially those managing employees across multiple states or needing more workforce management tools.
Gusto Premium: $180 + $22 per Person
Gusto Premium is the highest standard tier, priced at $180 per month plus $22 per person. It combines payroll with a wider range of HR capabilities and access to HR expert support.
At $22 per person, Premium can become expensive as headcount increases. A 25-person company would already pay $730 per month before any separately priced services are added.
Best for: Businesses that want payroll, more advanced HR functionality, and additional support under one platform.
Ultimately, the right Gusto plan depends heavily on team size. The per-person fee can matter more than the base subscription once you start adding employees, which is why it's useful to calculate the actual monthly cost before choosing a tier.
Gusto Cost by Number of Employees
The advertised monthly fee only tells part of the story. Because Gusto charges a base subscription plus a per-person fee, the difference between plans becomes much more noticeable as your team grows.
Here’s what Gusto payroll pricing looks like at several common team sizes, before add-ons or other optional services:
For example, a company with 10 employees on Gusto Simple would pay:
$49 base fee + ($6 × 10 employees) = $109 per month
That same 10-person team would pay $200 per month on Plus and $400 per month on Premium.
This difference matters when you're estimating the real cost of Gusto for a small business. Moving from Simple to Plus doubles the per-person fee from $6 to $12, while Premium charges $22 per person. At higher headcounts, those employee fees can quickly outweigh the difference in base subscription prices.
A 50-person company, for instance, would spend approximately $4,188 per year on Simple, $8,160 on Plus, or $15,360 on Premium before adding optional services.
If you're comparing Gusto with payroll outsourcing or other payroll software, calculate the cost using your expected headcount rather than relying on the advertised starting price. A plan that looks inexpensive for five employees can become a much larger recurring expense at 25 or 50.
Gusto Add-Ons and Extra Fees
Gusto's advertised subscription price isn't necessarily your final monthly bill. Businesses can add payroll, HR, benefits, and money-management features depending on the plan they choose.
Some extras are charged per employee each month, while others come with a flat monthly fee or a charge every time you use the service. Here's what Gusto currently lists for its main add-ons:
These extras can quickly change the economics of a plan. For example, a 10-person company using Gusto Simple would normally pay $109 per month. Adding Priority Support would increase that by another $60 per month: $30 for the add-on, plus $3 per employee.
Gusto also offers several benefits-related services with separate pricing. Health savings accounts cost $2.50 per participant per month, while flexible spending accounts, dependent care FSAs, and commuter benefits cost $4 per participant per month, subject to applicable minimums. One $200 annual service charge covers Gusto's tax-advantaged benefit account types.
Some costs depend on your situation rather than a fixed published rate. State tax registration varies by state, 401(k) pricing depends on the integration, and Gusto charges 15% of identified R&D tax credits for its R&D tax credit service.
The key takeaway is to calculate Gusto pricing using the features you'll actually need. A lower-tier plan with several paid add-ons can end up much closer in price to a higher-tier subscription than the headline rates suggest.
What Does Gusto Include at No Extra Cost?
Gusto's base subscription covers more than simply calculating paychecks. Its core payroll plans include several features that businesses would otherwise need to manage manually or purchase separately.
Some of the main features included in Gusto payroll pricing are:
- Unlimited payroll runs, including regular, bonus, and off-cycle payrolls
- Automatic federal, state, and local payroll tax calculations and filings
- Direct deposit
- Multiple pay schedules and pay rates
- W-2 and eligible 1099 preparation and filing
- Payroll reports
- Employee self-service access
- Payroll deductions for benefits and other eligible expenses
- Integrations with accounting platforms such as QuickBooks, Xero, and FreshBooks
Gusto specifically states that unlimited payroll runs don't carry an additional processing fee, which can be valuable for companies that run bonuses, corrections, or off-cycle payments throughout the year.
Payroll tax management is also included with Gusto's plans. The platform calculates applicable payroll taxes, deducts them, and files required federal and state forms on the company's behalf.
That distinction matters when comparing Gusto pricing with other payroll services. A lower headline price isn't always cheaper if routine payroll processing, tax filings, or other essential functions cost extra elsewhere.
Still, the exact features available can vary by Gusto plan. Advanced HR support, enhanced time tracking, priority support, and certain benefits services may require a higher tier or an additional fee, so it's worth comparing what's included before choosing based on the monthly subscription alone.
Are There Any Hidden Gusto Fees?
Gusto publishes its core subscription prices, so there isn't much mystery around the base monthly cost. The bigger budgeting challenge comes from optional services and usage-based fees that sit outside the advertised plan price.
Depending on how you use the platform, additional Gusto fees can include:
- Faster payroll options such as same-day or instant payments
- Priority customer support
- Advanced HR resources and performance tools
- Time and attendance features
- Benefits administration and account fees
- Workers' compensation
- State tax registration
- 401(k) integrations
- International contractor payment and currency conversion fees
- R&D tax credit fees
For example, paying $109 per month for Gusto Simple with 10 employees doesn't mean $109 will always be your final bill. Adding HR Resources alone would add $100 per month at that headcount: a $50 monthly fee plus $5 per employee.
The same applies to benefits. Some services are included when using Gusto's own benefits offerings, while other integrations or benefit accounts carry separate per-participant or administrative charges.
This doesn't necessarily make Gusto expensive. It simply means businesses should compare total Gusto pricing rather than the advertised starting rate. Before choosing a plan, list the payroll, HR, benefits, and support features you'll actually use and calculate those costs together.
For companies comparing software with outsourced HR services, that all-in monthly figure provides a much more useful benchmark than the base subscription alone.
Which Gusto Plan Is Best for Your Business?
The best Gusto plan depends less on company size alone and more on how you pay your team and which HR tools you actually need. Gusto’s higher tiers add capabilities across time tracking, hiring, compliance, talent management, and support, so paying more makes sense when those features replace other tools or manual work.
Here’s a simple way to narrow down your options:
Choose Solo if You Run a One-Person Business
Solo is geared toward business owners who primarily need to pay themselves and manage payroll-related taxes. It can be a practical option if you want Gusto's payroll infrastructure without paying for broader workforce management features designed for larger teams.
Choose Contractor Only if You Don't Have Employees
Contractor Only makes more sense when your workforce consists entirely of independent contractors. If you start adding employees later, you'll need to evaluate one of Gusto's standard payroll plans instead.
Choose Simple for Straightforward Payroll
Simple is the strongest starting point for small businesses that mainly need payroll processing, tax filings, employee self-service, and basic workforce tools. Gusto's standard plans include full-service payroll and automatic tax calculations and filings.
Choose Plus if Your Team Is Getting More Complex
Plus becomes more attractive when payroll is only one part of what you need. Gusto offers broader tools for areas such as time and attendance, hiring, onboarding, and workforce management, making this tier more relevant as operational requirements grow.
Choose Premium if You Need More HR Support
Premium is aimed at businesses that want Gusto to play a larger role in HR operations. One of its notable differences is dedicated customer success support, alongside Gusto's broader HR and workforce-management capabilities.
Before upgrading, compare the added monthly cost against the specific features you'd use. Paying for a higher Gusto plan makes the most sense when it replaces other software, reduces administrative work, or gives your team support you'd otherwise have to source separately.
Is Gusto Worth the Price?
Gusto can be worth the price for small and growing businesses that want payroll, tax filing, employee self-service, and HR tools in one platform. Its strongest value comes from reducing manual payroll work while giving employees a simple place to access pay information and benefits.
The bigger question is whether you'll use enough of Gusto's features to justify the monthly cost, especially as your headcount increases.
Gusto Is a Good Fit If…
Gusto tends to make the most sense for businesses that:
- Want full-service payroll with automatic tax calculations and filings
- Prefer unlimited payroll runs instead of paying each time payroll is processed
- Need an easy-to-use payroll system for a small or midsize team
- Want payroll, benefits, time tracking, and HR functions connected in one platform
- Expect to use employee self-service and onboarding features regularly
- Value predictable base pricing that scales with headcount
For smaller teams, the entry-level plans can offer a strong balance between functionality and cost. A 10-person business on Simple, for example, pays $109 per month before optional add-ons, which may be reasonable if Gusto replaces several manual payroll processes.
Gusto May Be Less Attractive If…
The economics become less compelling when your workforce grows or you start stacking multiple paid features on top of the subscription.
Gusto may be a weaker fit if you:
- Have a large headcount and want to minimize per-employee software fees
- Need several HR, support, and workforce-management add-ons
- Operate a highly complex payroll environment
- Need extensive international workforce support
- Only use a small portion of the features included in a higher-tier plan
The per-person pricing is especially important. Premium costs $22 per employee per month on top of its $180 base fee, meaning a 50-person company would spend $1,280 per month before additional services.
That's why the best way to evaluate Gusto pricing isn't simply to ask whether the software is affordable. Compare the total annual cost against the administrative work, payroll tools, and separate software subscriptions it could replace.
For many small businesses, Gusto can provide solid value. For larger or more complex teams, it's worth calculating the full cost first and comparing it with other payroll outsourcing options before committing.
Can You Use Gusto to Pay International Workers?
Yes, but Gusto handles international contractors and international employees differently. That's an important distinction if you're building a remote international team.
Paying International Contractors With Gusto
Gusto supports global contractor payments in more than 120 countries, allowing U.S. businesses to manage domestic payroll and international contractor payments from the same platform.
For existing Gusto customers, there isn't an additional monthly per-contractor subscription fee for global contractors. Gusto currently lists a $5 international contractor payment fee, while foreign exchange costs can vary depending on the transaction.
Gusto can also help collect forms such as the W-8BEN during contractor onboarding. However, businesses remain responsible for determining whether someone should legally be treated as an employee or an independent contractor.
Hiring International Employees Through Gusto
Full-time international employees work differently.
Gusto partners with Remote, an employer of record, to support businesses hiring employees in countries where they don't have their own legal entity. The EOR acts as the legal employer and handles areas such as local payroll, benefits, taxes, employment contracts, and compliance.
There's also an important 2026 change to understand.
Starting May 1, 2026, new Gusto customers hiring non-U.S. employees through an EOR are referred directly to Remote rather than onboarding those employees through Gusto's previous integrated EOR flow. Remote now handles the onboarding, payroll, and ongoing support for these new EOR customers.
That means Gusto can still fit into an international payroll strategy, but businesses planning to hire employees abroad should evaluate the additional provider relationship and costs involved.
And if your challenge starts earlier—finding qualified international talent rather than simply paying people you've already hired—you'll need a recruitment solution alongside your payroll platform.
Need to Hire the Talent Before You Pay Them? Hire With South
Gusto can help you manage payroll once you've built your team. But if your bigger challenge is finding experienced people to hire in the first place, that's where South fits in.
South helps U.S. companies find and hire full-time remote professionals across Latin America, giving you access to experienced talent in areas such as software development, finance, marketing, sales, customer support, and operations.
Hiring in Latin America can also make your overall workforce budget go further. Companies can often access experienced professionals at more competitive salary levels than comparable U.S. hires, while maintaining strong English proficiency, overlapping working hours, and close collaboration with U.S.-based teams.
South supports the hiring process with:
- Pre-vetted Latin American candidates matched to your role
- Salary benchmarking based on role, seniority, and market
- Candidates working in U.S.-aligned time zones
- One consolidated monthly invoice
- No minimum hiring commitments
- Free replacement if a placement doesn't work out
Gusto can handle the payroll side of your workforce. South helps you find the people worth putting on that payroll.
Find remote talent in Latin America with South.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How Much Is Gusto Per Month?
Gusto's standard employee payroll plans start at $49 per month plus $6 per person. Your total Gusto monthly cost depends on the plan, number of people on payroll, and any optional add-ons you purchase.
How Much Does Gusto Cost Per Employee?
Gusto's per-person fee varies by plan. Simple costs $6 per person per month, while higher-tier plans charge more for additional HR and workforce-management features.
Because Gusto combines this per-person charge with a monthly base fee, your effective cost per employee generally changes with team size.
How Much Does Gusto Cost for 10 Employees?
Using current standard pricing, a 10-person team would pay $109 per month on Gusto Simple before add-ons:
$49 base fee + ($6 × 10 employees) = $109 per month.
Higher-tier plans cost more because both the base and per-person fees increase.
What Is the Cheapest Gusto Plan?
For businesses with employees, Gusto Simple is the lowest-priced standard payroll plan at $49 per month plus $6 per person.
Gusto also offers specialized options for contractor-only businesses and solo business owners, so the lowest-cost option depends on how your workforce is structured.
How Much Does Gusto Solo Cost?
Gusto Solo uses a $49 monthly base fee plus $6 per payroll recipient, meaning a one-person business would typically pay $55 per month before optional services.
The plan is designed around the payroll needs of solo business owners, including owners who have elected S corporation status.
Does Gusto Have a Free Plan?
Gusto doesn't currently offer a permanently free standard payroll plan. Its core payroll service is subscription-based, with plans starting at $49 per month plus $6 per person.
Promotional discounts can occasionally reduce the cost of specific plans, so businesses should check Gusto's current pricing before signing up.
Does Gusto Charge for Every Payroll Run?
Standard Gusto plans include unlimited payroll runs, so businesses don't pay an additional processing fee every time they run regular payroll. Gusto also advertises unlimited payments for contractors.
Separate charges can still apply for optional faster payment methods or other premium services.
Does Gusto Require a Long-Term Contract?
Gusto's standard payroll offering uses subscription pricing rather than requiring businesses to purchase an annual payroll package upfront. It's still worth reviewing the current subscription and cancellation terms before choosing a plan, particularly if you're taking advantage of a promotion.
Does Gusto Charge Extra for Contractors?
Gusto's employee payroll plans allow businesses to pay contractors using the same applicable per-person pricing, and contractors aren't charged in months when they're not paid. Gusto also offers a Contractor Only plan for businesses without W-2 employees.
International contractor payments can involve additional transaction or foreign exchange costs.
Does Gusto Have Hidden Fees?
Gusto publishes its standard plan pricing, but optional features can push your total monthly cost above the advertised subscription rate. Additional costs can come from advanced HR features, priority support, faster payroll, benefits services, time tracking, and other add-ons.
That's why it's better to calculate your expected Gusto cost using the complete feature set you need rather than comparing base prices alone.
Can Gusto Pay International Employees?
Gusto supports international hiring through its partnership with Remote. However, the process changed on May 1, 2026. New customers who want to hire international employees through an employer of record are now referred directly to Remote, which manages onboarding, payroll, benefits, taxes, contracts, and local compliance.
Gusto separately supports payments to eligible international contractors.
Is Gusto Worth It for Small Businesses?
Gusto can be a good value for small businesses that want payroll processing, payroll tax administration, unlimited payroll runs, employee self-service, and HR features in one platform.
The value becomes more dependent on your needs as headcount increases. If you require several paid add-ons or a higher-tier plan, calculate your total annual cost before deciding whether Gusto is the most economical option.
