VETTED SAAS
Pricing · HR and Payroll

Gusto pricing

What Gusto really costs, plan by plan, and the per person fees, benefits premiums and add ons that change the final number.

Gusto prices in two parts: a flat monthly base fee for the plan, plus a per person fee for every employee you pay. Simple covers full service single state payroll, Plus adds multi state payroll and time tools, and Premium layers on dedicated HR support and priority service. A contractor only plan strips the base for teams that pay 1099 workers and no W2 staff. Because the per person fee stacks on the base, the headline number understates what a growing team pays. Below we lay out each plan as published, then the per person, benefits and add on costs that push real spend past the base fee.

Read the full Gusto review
Reviewed by ·Updated JUNE 2026·How we vet

Plans and prices

Base fee plus per person, billed monthly

Pricing as of June 2026. Gusto charges a monthly base fee plus a per person fee: Simple $49 plus $6, Plus $80 plus $12, Premium $180 plus $22, and Contractor $35 plus $6 per contractor. Gusto only bills for people you pay that month. Check the vendor for current pricing.

★ Our pick
Simple
$49
Base per month, plus $6 per person
+Plus $6 per person per month
+Full service single state payroll
+Employee self onboarding
+Health benefits administration
Plus
$80
Base per month, plus $12 per person
+Plus $12 per person per month
+Payroll in multiple states
+Next day direct deposit
+PTO and time tracking
Premium
$180
Base per month, plus $22 per person
+Plus $22 per person per month
+Dedicated HR resources
+Compliance alerts
+Priority support
Contractor
$35
Base per month, plus $6 per contractor
+Plus $6 per contractor per month
+Unlimited contractor payments
+1099 filings
+For 1099 only, no W2 staff
What moves the real bill

The base fee is the floor, not the bill.

Four things tend to separate the published Gusto base fee from what a team actually pays. Budget for these before you commit.

→ Per person fees scale with headcount. Every plan adds a per person fee on top of the base, from $6 to $22 a person a month, so the bill rises with each employee you pay. On Plus, ten employees adds $120 a month over the base.
→ Benefits premiums are separate. Gusto administers health benefits at no extra software cost in most states, but the insurance premiums themselves are billed by the carrier and are a separate, often larger, line on your total.
→ Multi state and add on services. Running payroll in more than one state pushes you to Plus or higher, and extras like R&D tax credit filing, 401k and workers comp through partners add their own fees.
→ Per person, not flat, at scale. Because Gusto charges per person rather than a flat platform fee, larger headcounts can find a flat fee rival cheaper per employee once the team grows past a few dozen people.
Pricing questions

Gusto pricing FAQ

Is there a free version of Gusto?

No. Gusto has no free plan. The cheapest tier is Simple at $49 base per month plus $6 per person you pay. A contractor only plan starts at $35 base plus $6 per contractor. Pricing as of June 2026; check the vendor for current pricing.

How much does Gusto cost?

Gusto charges a base fee plus a per person fee: Simple $49 plus $6, Plus $80 plus $12, and Premium $180 plus $22 per person per month. A five person team on Simple runs about $79 a month. Verified June 2026.

Which Gusto plan is best value?

For most small teams, Simple covers full service single state payroll and benefits at the lowest cost. Teams that run payroll in more than one state, or want time tracking and next day deposit, move up to Plus.

Why is my Gusto bill higher than $49?

The $49 is only the base fee. Gusto adds a per person fee for every employee you pay, and benefits premiums are billed separately by the carrier. Those two lines are what push most invoices above the headline base.

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