Gusto pricing
Quick verdict
As of 2026-08-19, Gusto payroll software pricing starts at $35/mo on its contractor only plan. It has no free plan. There are 4 plans in total. Paid plans run up to $180/mo. All figures come from the vendor's own pricing page, kept dated and current.
Gusto has 4 plans. There is no free plan. The cheapest paid plan is contractor only at $35/mo on monthly billing. Pricing is Monthly base fee plus per-person fee; stored tier prices are base fees only.
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No free plan.
At $35/mo across 4 plans, Gusto's entry price is 20% below the $44/mo median across the 4 payroll software tools we compare.
| Plan | Monthly | Billed annually | Contacts / limit | What's included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| contractor only | $35/mo | — | Base fee only; the captured card also charges $6 per person per month. | |
| simple | $49/mo | — | Base fee only; the captured card also charges $6 per person per month. | |
| plus | $80/mo | — | Base fee only; the captured card also charges $12 per person per month. | |
| premium | $180/mo | — | Base fee only; the captured card also charges $22 per person per month. |
Price history
As of Aug 2026, Gusto's contractor only plan lists at $35/mo. We track every change to it from here.
| Observed | contractor only plan (monthly) |
|---|---|
| $35/mo |
What you'll actually pay
As of , Gusto payroll software pricing starts at $35/mo, but none of these buyer scenarios match a covering tier — see the plan table above for its published pricing.
| Scenario | Monthly usage | Cheapest plan | Base plan | Add-ons | Total / mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solopreneur | 500 contacts · 2,000 sends | Custom | Custom | — | Custom |
| Event coordinator | 500 contacts · 5,000 sends · SMS | Custom | Custom | — | Custom |
| Small business | 2,500 contacts · 20,000 sends | Custom | Custom | — | Custom |
| Nonprofit | 5,000 contacts · 25,000 sends | Custom | Custom | — | Custom |
| Ecommerce store | 10,000 contacts · 80,000 sends · SMS | Custom | Custom | — | Custom |
Each total is the list price of the cheapest plan covering that persona's contacts plus any add-ons (e.g. SMS) it needs, read from the vendor's own pricing — the real cost, not the sticker price. Scenario set v1.0.0; usage-based tiers that don't publish a rate for a scenario show as Custom.
Source: gusto.com/product/pricing, verified
See Gusto plans →Compare Gusto plans & pricing →
Related comparisons
- Gusto vs OnPay
- Gusto vs Justworks
- Gusto alternatives
- Price history: how every payroll software tool's price has moved
- Compare all payroll software tools
Frequently asked questions
Does Gusto have a free plan?
No. Gusto does not offer a free plan. The cheapest way to start is its contractor only plan at $35/mo, and most vendors also offer a limited free trial before you commit to a paid tier. Every figure comes straight from our maintained, dated dataset, verified on 2026-08-19.
How much does Gusto cost?
Gusto lists 4 plans, and its cheapest priced option is contractor only at $35/mo. Pricing for payroll software is Monthly base fee plus per-person fee; stored tier prices are base fees only, so your cost scales with your workforce. There is no free plan.
Is Gusto cheaper than the average payroll software tool?
The average entry price across the 4 payroll software tools we track is $43.25/mo per month. Gusto starts at $35/mo, which makes it cheaper than the payroll software average. Free plans and annual billing can change the real cost, so compare on your workforce size.
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