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Gusto
US payroll, benefits, and the first-hire desk. Published pricing. Not a global EOR platform.
By Gregory GreensteinUpdated September 20, 2026Affiliate disclosure
Best for: US teams under ~50 running W-2s and 1099s who want a bill they can estimate.
Skip if: You need native global payroll as the core product, or you already standardized on QuickBooks Workforce / Rippling.
Public pricing: Simple $49/mo + $6/person; Plus $80 + $12; Premium $180 + $22; Contractor Only $35 + $6 (base fee sometimes promoted).
gusto.com/product/pricing, reviewed September 20, 2026.
What it is
Gusto is full-service US payroll with benefits administration and onboarding. The reason it sits at the top of our payroll ranking is not a feature dump — it is a public price and a product a founder can finish setting up. Simple is single-state. Plus is the usual multi-state step.
Pricing notes
Per-person fees apply to employees and, in months you pay them, contractors. Add-ons (next-day pay, some support, certain benefits) are extra. International contractor payments use per-payment fees. Confirm the live calculator on Gusto’s pricing page before you model a year.