Gusto Pricing 2026
How Much Does Gusto Payroll Cost?
Gusto uses simple, published pricing: a flat monthly base fee plus a per-person fee. Here's what each plan costs in 2026, what's included, and how to knock $300 off your start.
| Plan | Monthly base | Per employee | Best for | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simple | $40/mo | $6/employee | Small teams, single state | Full-service payroll, automatic tax filing, employee self-service, basic benefits |
| Plus Most popular | $80/mo | $12/employee | Growing teams, multi-state | Everything in Simple, plus multi-state payroll, next-day direct deposit, time tracking, hiring tools |
| Premium | Custom | Custom | Larger teams | Dedicated support, HR resources, compliance help, priority service |
| Contractor-only | Low base fee | Per-contractor fee | 1099-only businesses | Unlimited contractor payments, 1099 filing, no full-employee cost |
Pricing as of 2026 from Gusto's public pricing. Gusto occasionally runs promotions and adjusts plan pricing — confirm current rates on Gusto before purchasing.
Gusto price, Gusto cost & Gusto pricing plans
Searches for Gusto price, Gusto cost, Gusto pricing, and how much does Gusto cost all mean the same thing: what you pay each month for payroll. In 2026 the answer is a published base fee plus a per-person fee — Simple from about $40/month + $6/employee, Plus from about $80/month + $12/employee, Premium at custom rates, and a separate contractor-only tier. The plan table above is the full Gusto pricing plans breakdown; core tax filing and direct deposit are included on every paid plan.
What's included at every tier
Unlike some competitors that charge add-ons for the basics, every paid Gusto plan includes automatic federal, state, and local tax filing, unlimited payroll runs, direct deposit, employee self-service, and year-end W-2s and 1099s — at no extra cost. You're paying for the plan, not nickel-and-dimed for each feature.
How much does Gusto cost per month? (an example)
For a business with 5 employees on the Simple plan, the math is: $40 base + (5 × $6) = $70 per month. On Plus, the same team is $80 + (5 × $12) = $140 per month, adding multi-state payroll, time tracking, and next-day deposits. Contractor-only businesses pay much less since there's no full-employee fee.
Are there any hidden Gusto fees?
Gusto's pricing is transparent — the base fee and per-person fee are the core cost. Optional add-ons (like certain benefits, workers' comp, or state new-hire filings in some cases) may carry their own cost, but the core payroll and tax filing you'd expect are included. There's no setup fee to get started.
How to lower your Gusto cost
New customers can earn a $300 Visa card (up to $600 for teams of 10+) for running their first payroll — effectively offsetting several months of the base fee. See the full offer on our 2026 Gusto promo code page.
Before you buy: overview & comparisons
Read the Gusto Payroll overview to see how payroll runs day to day, or compare this Gusto cost against ADP, QuickBooks, Rippling and more on the payroll comparison chart. Net-pay estimates live on the Gusto paycheck calculator — separate from plan pricing above.