Gusto pricing in 2026: base fees, per-person costs and add-ons

Gusto plans and prices

Gusto publishes its prices, and they look small: a base fee plus a few dollars per person. The bill grows with headcount, though, and the per-person fee changes with the plan. Hiring in a second state, needing time tracking or wanting same-day pay can each push you to a plan where every employee costs twice as much.

This guide breaks down Gusto's plans and add-ons using prices from its official pricing page, then shows what a 20-person team actually pays.

Prices below were recorded on 12 October 2026. The headline figure is the lowest price you can get for that plan. Check the official page before you buy, because vendors change prices without notice.

Read this first. Plan prices, add-ons and FAQ terms were read on gusto.com/product/pricing in a browser on 12 October 2026, because the page blocks automated fetches. Pricing is a monthly base fee plus a per-person fee, and the calculator on this page adds the base fee (USD 49, USD 80, USD 180) to the per-person fee. The March 2026 Simple increase (USD 40 to USD 49) is from a third-party source (Eightx, citing whichpayroll.com), not Gusto. No free trial terms are published for payroll plans. No reliable buyer benchmark was found.

Gusto cost calculator

Move the slider to see what each plan costs at your size. The figures use the list prices on this page and leave out tax, add-ons and any discount you negotiate.

What 20 people paid cost on Simple, Plus and Premium

Twenty people shows what a second-state hire and the Premium advisor tier add to the Simple base.

Where the bill grows

A Gusto bill is a base fee, a per-person fee and add-ons. These are the places it moves.

What each Gusto plan includes

Compare the plans side by side. Where a cell says Check page, the vendor's pricing page was not specific enough for us to fill it in.

Features we could not place by plan: Unlimited payrolls and tax filings, S corp self-pay and Solo 401(k). Check the official page for which plan includes each one.

Which Gusto plan should you pick?

How to pay less for Gusto

1. Stay single-state on Simple

   Simple covers payroll for one state at USD 6 per person, half the Plus rate.

2. Buy add-ons only when needed

   Next-day pay, time tracking and compliance tools are sold separately on Simple, so price them against the Plus upgrade.

3. Clean up contractors and leavers

   You are billed for active employees and for contractors paid that month, so offboard promptly.

4. Use Gusto as your broker

   Health insurance administration is free with Gusto as broker, against USD 6 per eligible employee to integrate an outside broker.

5. Downgrade when needs change

   Plans are month to month and downgrades start on the first of the next month.

6. Price the alternatives

   OnPay and QuickBooks payroll give you a competing number before you upgrade.

Subject: Gusto renewal on [renewal date]

Hi [account manager],

Our Gusto [plan] subscription renews on [renewal date]. Over the last 90 days, [active people paid] of the [paid people paid] we pay for used it.

We would like to renew with [target people paid] on a [term] term. Before we sign, please send:
1. The current list price and the price you are offering us, line by line.
2. The cap on any price increase at the next renewal.
3. The notice period if we want to cut people paid or move to another plan.

We are comparing this against [alternative] and plan to decide by [decision date]. If you can offer [target discount] percent off list, or a lower price for a longer term, we are ready to talk this week.

Thank you,
[name]
[company]

Gusto alternatives and what they cost

If this vendor does not fit, these are the closest options and what they charge.

Keeping Gusto spend under control

Payroll grows with every hire, contractor and new state. Each one changes the per-person count or the plan, and the bill moves without a renewal date to prompt a review.

• Get the quote in writing, line by line. Finance and HR systems are priced by employee, module and service. Ask for each module as its own line so you can remove one later.
• Read the renewal clause first. Look for the uplift cap, the notice period and the rules on reducing headcount. Our contract management guide lists what to check.
• Compare against alternatives with the same scope. A fair comparison needs the same modules and employee count on both sides. Use a vendor comparison matrix.
• Plan for implementation cost. Setup, data migration and training often cost as much as a year of licences. Add them to the total cost of ownership.

Bottom line. Start on Simple while you pay people in one state, move to Plus when multi-state payroll or time tracking becomes a real need, and treat Premium as an advisory decision. Review headcount, contractors and add-ons every quarter.

Gusto pricing questions

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