Gusto

Gusto is the leading SMB payroll, benefits, and HR platform serving 300,000+ small and mid-sized businesses across the United States. Founded in 2011 (originally as ZenPayroll), Gusto has grown into one of the most-recognized HR brands in the US SMB segment, with a reputation for design quality and customer experience that distinguishes it from legacy payroll competitors. Pricing follows a tiered SMB model with a flat platform fee plus per-employee charge: Simple at $49/month + $6/employee covers single-state payroll, basic reports, and standard support — designed for small businesses with straightforward payroll needs. Plus at $80/month + $12/employee adds multi-state payroll, time tracking, hiring tools, and project tracking. Premium at $180/month + $22/employee adds advanced HR support, dedicated CSM, performance reviews, and compliance alerts. Contractor-only plans start at $35/month plus $6/contractor for businesses with international or contractor-heavy workforces. Gusto's AI capabilities center on Gus, an AI assistant integrated into the platform that answers payroll, HR, and compliance questions for both employers and employees — reducing support ticket volume and helping small business owners self-serve through complex payroll scenarios. AI features also include automated tax filing, benefit administration recommendations, and intelligent onboarding workflows. Gusto serves the US-only SMB market and integrates natively with QuickBooks, Xero, FreshBooks, and 200+ business tools. The platform handles payroll tax filing for all 50 states automatically and supports W-2, 1099, and contractor payments. Gusto operates under SOC 2 Type II compliance, with bank-level encryption and dedicated security infrastructure for sensitive HR data.