Gusto

Gusto runs payroll for US small businesses. You add your team, and Gusto pays them, works out and files payroll taxes, and sends W-2s and 1099s at year end. It also handles health insurance, 401(k)s, workers' comp, onboarding paperwork, time off and, on Plus and up, time tracking and pay across several states. Employees get their own app for payslips and early access to pay.

Gusto's own AI, Gus, answers questions and takes on admin inside Gusto. Gusto also has an official Claude connector, so you can ask Claude to prepare a payroll summary, flag overtime costs or check hours, and approve changes before they're applied. That suits owners who already plan their week in Claude.

The catch: it's US-only. You pay a monthly base fee plus a fee for every person you pay, so costs climb as you hire, and the cheapest plan only covers one state. The old contractor-only plan closed to new customers on 1 October 2026, so even a business that only pays contractors now starts at $49 a month.

• Small businesses
• Startups
• Restaurants and retail
• Agencies
• Accountants

US small businesses with up to around 100 staff who want payroll, taxes and benefits handled in one place.

• Full-service payroll

  Unlimited pay runs, with federal, state and local taxes calculated, paid and filed for you.

• Benefits

  Health, dental and vision insurance, 401(k)s and workers' comp, managed inside Gusto.

• Hiring and onboarding

  Send offer letters, collect tax forms and e-sign documents before a new hire's first day.

• Time and PTO

  Track hours, schedule shifts and manage leave so payroll uses the right numbers (Plus and up).

• Gus AI

  Gusto's built-in AI assistant answers questions and helps with admin inside Gusto.

• Claude connector

  Ask Claude to prepare payroll, check hours and flag costs using your Gusto data, then approve changes.

• Simple

  $49/mo + $6/person

  Small teams in one state.

  • Unlimited payroll runs
  • Tax filings and payments
  • Basic PTO and holiday pay
  • Also sold as Gusto Solo for paying yourself
• Our pick

  Plus

  $80/mo + $12/person

  Growing teams across several states.

  • Multi-state payroll
  • Time tracking and scheduling
  • Next-day pay
  • Contractor invoice management

• Premium

  $180/mo + $22/person

  Businesses that want HR advice and compliance help.

  • A named account advisor
  • HR guidance and tools
  • Business compliance tracking
  • Same-day and instant pay

Prices in USD unless noted, checked 3 November 2026. Vendors change plans often, so confirm on their site before you buy.

Ways Gusto can slot into your week.

1. 1

   Run payroll in a few minutes

   Check hours, approve the pay run and let Gusto pay everyone and file the taxes.

2. 2

   Onboard a new hire

   Send the offer letter, have them fill in tax and bank forms online, and they're ready for their first pay.

3. 3

   Offer real benefits

   Set up health insurance and a 401(k) without a broker, with deductions handled in payroll.

4. 4

   Check payroll from Claude

   Ask Claude "how much overtime did we pay this month?" and get the answer from your Gusto data.

Gusto runs payroll and HR and sends the journal entries to QuickBooks or Xero. Time tracking can come from tools like Homebase or Square, and Claude can work with your payroll data through the connector.

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