Gusto Features (2026): A Complete Rundown by Plan

Gusto packs full-service payroll, automatic tax filing, benefits administration, time tracking, hiring and onboarding, reporting, and 188+ integrations into one platform — with the depth of features scaling by plan. After about three years using it for a US team, the short version is that even the entry plan covers what most small businesses need (payroll plus tax filing), while time tracking and richer HR live on the higher tiers. Here’s the full feature map, what each piece actually does day to day, and how to read the plan tiers so you don’t overpay for capabilities you won’t touch.

Payroll

The core engine is where Gusto spends most of its engineering, and it shows. The pieces that matter:

• Full-service payroll — Gusto calculates wages, withholdings, and deductions, then pays employees by direct deposit. “Full-service” is the operative phrase: it’s not a calculator that hands you numbers to file yourself, it does the filing too.
• Unlimited payroll runs — no per-run fee, so off-cycle and bonus runs cost nothing extra. If you pay weekly, you run payroll 52 times a year at the same price as someone paying monthly twelve times.
• AutoPilot — runs payroll automatically on your schedule once configured. For a salaried team with stable hours, you set it once and it executes without you logging in.
• Direct deposit — next-day or two-day depending on plan.
• Multiple pay rates and schedules, plus contractor payments in the same run, so a business with salaried staff and hourly part-timers handles both in one place.

A concrete example of why unlimited runs matter: say you owe a $1,200 commission mid-month and don’t want to wait for the regular cycle. On a per-run pricing model that off-cycle payment might cost $5–$15 extra each time. On Gusto it’s free, so correcting an error or paying a bonus the day it’s earned has no marginal cost.

Taxes

This is where Gusto earns its keep. It automatically calculates, files, and pays federal, state, and local payroll taxes, and generates W-2s and 1099s at year-end. There’s no separate fee for tax filing, direct deposit, or pay stubs.

The practical value is that payroll tax is the part of running a business most likely to generate a penalty. Federal deposits, state unemployment, and local jurisdiction filings each have their own deadlines, and missing one triggers fines plus interest. Gusto tracks all of them per jurisdiction and files on time. If you hire someone in a second state, it registers and files there too, which is where DIY payroll most often breaks. The system also handles year-end forms automatically — employees and contractors get their W-2s and 1099-NECs without you assembling anything.

Benefits

Gusto administers benefits alongside payroll, so deductions flow automatically into each run rather than being reconciled by hand:

• Health insurance (medical, dental, vision), available in 38+ states
• 401(k) retirement via Guideline
• Workers’ compensation
• HSA/FSA and commuter benefits

Benefit availability varies by state, and premiums are separate from the payroll subscription. The integration is the point: when an employee elects a $200/month health contribution, that deduction shows up correctly in payroll and on their pay stub without a separate spreadsheet. For a small business owner, having benefits and payroll under one login removes a whole category of reconciliation work.

Time tracking, hiring, and reports

• Time tracking — hours and PTO that sync into payroll on Plus and Premium. Hourly employees clock time, it flows into the run, and you approve. PTO accrual and balances are tracked in the same place.
• Hiring and onboarding — offer letters, self-serve employee onboarding (W-4, I-9, direct deposit), and document storage. New hires complete their own paperwork before day one; you’re not chasing forms.
• Reports — payroll journals, tax liabilities, contractor payments, and exportable summaries for your accountant or bookkeeper.

The onboarding piece quietly saves the most time. Instead of collecting a W-4, bank details, and an I-9 by email, you send an invite and the employee enters everything themselves. The data lands directly in payroll, so there’s no re-keying.

Integrations

Gusto connects to 188+ tools, including QuickBooks, Xero, and a broad set of accounting, time, and POS apps, so payroll data flows into the systems you already use. With 300,000+ US businesses on the platform, most common integrations are covered. The accounting sync is the one most owners rely on: each payroll run posts to QuickBooks or Xero as a journal entry, so your books stay current without manual entry. If you run a restaurant or retail shop, POS integrations pull hours from the systems your staff already clock into.

Features by plan

The Contractor Only plan ($35/month, free for the first six months, + $6 per contractor) is a separate track for businesses that only pay 1099 contractors.

Which features matter at your size

The plan tiers map cleanly to common business shapes, and matching features to your actual needs is how you avoid overpaying.

• A one-to-five person salaried team rarely needs more than Simple. You get full payroll, automatic tax filing, AutoPilot, and benefits admin — the entire compliance burden handled — and two-day deposit is fine when you plan payroll a few days ahead.
• An hourly team of five to twenty is where Plus earns its premium. Time tracking and PTO sync turn variable hours into a clean payroll run, and next-day deposit gives you a tighter cash-flow window. The jump from $6 to $12 per employee is real, so the deciding question is whether you actually use time tracking.
• A larger or compliance-sensitive team is the Premium case: dedicated support and HR expert access matter when a multi-state team or a benefits audit creates questions you need answered fast.

A worked comparison shows the tradeoff. A 10-person hourly shop pays $109/month on Simple but $200/month on Plus. That $91/month difference (about $1,092 a year) buys time tracking, PTO management, and next-day deposit. If you’re currently tracking hours in a spreadsheet and re-keying them, Plus usually pays for itself in saved time and avoided payroll errors. If your team is salaried with no hourly variation, Simple is the right call and the extra spend is waste.

What Gusto doesn’t do

• No international employee payroll or EOR — Gusto pays contractors in 120+ countries but can’t employ staff abroad. Pair it with Remote for that.
• Not enterprise custom HR — for deep custom workflows, compare Rippling.

For a value read on whether these features justify the price, see is Gusto worth it, and the Gusto app review covers the dashboard and Wallet experience.

How to get Gusto’s best deal

Gusto doesn’t use a typed coupon code. The current offer is a referral link that pays a Visa gift card after your first paid payroll — $100 for businesses with fewer than 10 employees, $200 for 10 or more — plus 3 months free on your subscription. Click the referral link before you sign up, create your account, and run one paid payroll to qualify; the gift card arrives within 30 days of your first paid invoice.

Frequently asked questions

What features come with the cheapest Gusto plan?

The Simple plan ($49/month + $6 per employee) includes full-service payroll, automatic federal/state/local tax filing, unlimited payroll runs, AutoPilot, benefits administration, and two-day direct deposit. It covers what most small businesses need.

Does Gusto include time tracking?

Yes, on the Plus and Premium plans, with limited tracking on Simple. Time and PTO sync directly into payroll so hours are paid accurately.

Does Gusto handle benefits?

Yes. Gusto administers health insurance (available in 38+ states), 401(k) through Guideline, workers’ comp, and HSA/FSA, with deductions flowing automatically into payroll. Availability varies by state and premiums are separate.

How many integrations does Gusto have?

Gusto offers 188+ integrations, including QuickBooks and Xero, covering accounting, time tracking, and point-of-sale tools. See the full comparison library or the homepage for more.

Can Gusto run payroll automatically?

Yes. AutoPilot runs payroll on your set schedule without you logging in each cycle, available across all the main plans.

Does Gusto handle payroll in multiple states?

Yes. Gusto registers and files in each state where you have employees, on every plan, and tracks the separate deadlines for federal, state, and local jurisdictions automatically. Adding a remote hire in a new state is one of the most common reasons DIY payroll breaks, and it’s handled here.