Gusto EOR review 2026
US-based businesses managing domestic payroll with occasional international payments
Robbin Schuchmann
Co-founder, Employ Borderless
I'll say the quiet part out loud; most small and midsize companies don't want to become great at HR. They want payroll to run, benefits to exist, and compliance handled.
What they don’t want are the headaches that come with it, whether they handle it themselves or rely on a complex HR platform.
Gusto favors
simplicity and doesn't try to be everything to everyone.
But simplicity isn't neutral. It can be a real advantage in some scenarios and a bottleneck in others.
This review is about figuring out which of those scenarios applies to your business.
Editorial note: By using our partner links, you'll get exclusive discounts and the best available offers we've negotiated while also supporting our efforts to provide unbiased comparisons of global hiring solutions.
Editor's verdict
- Best for
- US-based businesses managing domestic payroll with occasional international payments
- Not ideal for
- Companies hiring full-time employees across many countries
- Standout feature
- Intuitive interface that makes US payroll processing fast and simple
- Biggest limitation
- EOR available in only 12 countries
Our Gusto ratings
We score every provider across 10 categories based on hands-on testing, user feedback, and independent research. Each category is covered in detail further in this review.
What are the pros and cons of using Gusto?
Pros
- +
Fast US payroll processing
Run payroll in under 10 minutes with automated tax calculations and filings
- +
Clean interface
Navigate without training, with clear labels and logical workflows
- +
Contractor payments in 120+ countries
Pay freelancers internationally without separate platforms
- +
Strong accounting integrations
Sync payroll data automatically to QuickBooks, Xero, and FreshBooks
- +
Unlimited payroll runs
Process payroll as often as needed without extra charges
- +
Built-in time tracking
Employees clock in from web or mobile, hours sync directly to payroll
Cons
- −
Limited EOR coverage
Full-time employees only supported in 12 countries
- −
Inconsistent customer support
Response quality varies, with longer wait times during busy periods
- −
Limited mobile admin functions
Many employer tasks still require desktop access
- −
Recent price increases
March 2025 raised base plan costs 23% without new features
What is Gusto?
Gusto provides payroll and HR software for US-based small to medium businesses. The platform handles federal and state tax filings, benefits administration, and employee onboarding. Founded in 2011, the company serves over 300,000 businesses.
Gusto added global services in 2024 through a partnership with Remote.
This lets businesses pay international contractors in 120+ countries and hire full-time employees in 12 countries without setting up local entities. The EOR service currently costs $599 per employee monthly.
The platform works best for companies with a US headquarters managing mostly domestic staff. Businesses can add a few international contractors or employees without leaving Gusto's interface.
| Founded | 2011 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco |
What are the features of Gusto?
Gusto lands at an 8.3 because it covers the core HR and payroll needs most U.S. teams actually use. Payroll, benefits, hiring, and basic compliance are all there, and they work without much fuss.
Gusto’s feature set focuses on the essentials most U.S. teams rely on day to day.
The key features of the Gusto platform include:
Key features
Gusto runs payroll automatically across states, handles tax calculations, and files required forms. Companies can run payroll as often as needed without extra fees.
Health insurance, retirement plans, and other benefits live inside the platform. Enrollment, deductions, and ongoing management connect directly to payroll.
The platform includes basic time tracking and tools to set up PTO policies. Hours and time off flow into payroll without manual entry.
Employees can view pay stubs, download tax forms, update personal details, and manage benefits on their own.
Gusto files federal, state, and local payroll taxes automatically and supports required employment filings to reduce compliance errors.
Gusto supports international EOR hiring in a limited number of countries through its Global offering, powered by an external partner.
Standard payroll and workforce reports cover wages, taxes, benefits, and employee data. Reports export easily for accounting or audits.
The platform supports paying and managing 1099 contractors alongside full-time employees.
What are the benefits of Gusto?
Beyond individual features, here are the broader advantages of using Gusto as your employer of record.
Easy to get started
The interface is simple, and setup is guided. Most users get comfortable quickly without formal training.
All core payroll in one place
Payroll runs, tax filings, and payments live in the same system. Most features come standard, without add-on fees.
HR tasks stay connected
Payroll, benefits, and basic HR functions work together. This reduces duplicate work and manual handoffs.
Built-in compliance support
Automated tax filings and required forms help reduce missed deadlines and filing errors.
Employee self-service
Employees handle routine tasks on their own, such as viewing pay stubs, updating details, and managing benefits.
Scales with company size
Plans work for small teams and continue to support growth into mid-sized businesses.
Wide integration coverage
Gusto connects with a large number of accounting, HR, and business tools to fit into existing workflows.
Clear pricing
Pricing is published and predictable, which makes monthly costs easier to plan.
What is the geographic coverage of Gusto?
Gusto earns an 8.8 for coverage due to its contractor-payment support in 120+ countries, but the platform offers EOR services in fewer countries than global-hiring competitors.
Gusto supports international contractors in more than 120 countries, but the Employer of Record coverage is far narrower. EOR services are available in 12 countries and focus on markets that most U.S. companies expand into first.
Those EOR countries include a mix of nearshore, offshore, and European locations:
Canada
United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain
India and the Philippines
Brazil and Mexico
This footprint covers common hiring paths for U.S.-based companies but stops well short of full global expansion.
Gusto does not operate its own EOR entities.
Employment services are delivered through a partner, which limits how quickly new countries are added and reduces flexibility compared to direct EOR providers.
Contractor payments work differently. Gusto pays contractors in local currency across its supported countries, but tax handling remains U.S.-centric. The platform issues 1099 forms for U.S. contractors only. International contractors remain responsible for their own tax reporting.
What it means for clients: Gusto works well for U.S. companies with limited international hiring needs. Coverage is enough for a small global footprint. Companies planning broader expansion will reach EOR limits quickly.
Gusto covers 103 countries across Europe, Asia, Asia Pacific, and more. Search below to check if your target country is supported.
- Faroe Islands
- Poland
- Malta
- Slovakia
- Saudi Arabia
- France
- Germany
- Lithuania
- Romania
- Andorra
- Greece
- Denmark
How much does Gusto cost?
Gusto is in the second-highest pricing tier for EOR, even when using the current discounted rate, so it gets a modest 8.3 out of 10.
Gusto charges $599 per employee monthly for EOR services (discounted from $699 at the time of writing this review).
This rate covers payroll processing, benefits administration, tax filings, and compliance support in the employee's country. The cost includes Remote's services.
For contractor payments, pricing depends on your plan:
Businesses with W-2 employees: Contractors are charged at your plan's per-person rate ($6 for Simple, $12 for Plus, $22 for Premium)
Contractor-Only plan (no W-2 employees): $35/month base + $6 per contractor
US payroll plans:
Simple: $49/month + $6 per employee
Plus: $80/month + $12 per employee
Premium: $180/month + $22 per employee
All plans include unlimited payroll runs.
Note: The Simple plan handles single-state payroll. Plus adds multi-state payroll and time tracking. Premium includes HR advisors and custom reporting.
The two tables below show Gusto pricing for different services and compare the discounted EOR rate with other providers and across different team sizes (use the slider to change the number of employees).
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Employer of record | $599/per employee/month |
| Contractor management | $40/per employee/month |
How does Gusto compare on price?
| Provider | Per month | Total/mo | vs Gusto |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gusto(reviewed) | $599 | $5,990 | — |
| Hire with Columbus | $179 | $1,790 | Save $4,200 |
| RemoFirst | $199 | $1,990 | Save $4,000 |
| Multiplier | $400 | $4,000 | Save $1,990 |
| Remote | $599 | $5,990 | Same |
| Deel | $599 | $5,990 | Same |
Based on published starting prices. Actual costs vary by country, contract terms, and add-ons.
What is the user experience of Gusto like?
The platform feels easy to use from the first login. It can be a bit boxed in once you want deeper reports or tighter admin controls. I’m giving Gusto an 8.6 here.
Gusto’s interface is simple and predictable. The main dashboard shows upcoming payroll runs, pending approvals, and compliance tasks in one view. Nothing feels crowded or hidden.
Running payroll is fast. In most cases, it takes under ten minutes.
Here’s what stood out to me:
The review screen shows hours, deductions, and net pay before anything is finalized.
Edits update immediately.
Payroll, People, Benefits, and Reports are separated cleanly.
Search works well for finding employees, documents, or settings.
Employees get a simplified view focused on self-service. They can:
View pay stubs and tax forms
Check PTO balances
Update direct deposit details
Request time off
Initial setup is guided
Gusto asks about company structure, pay schedules, and tax locations. State tax registration is handled step by step. For most small businesses, setup takes about 30 to 60 minutes.
I’ve talked to some users who find the interface restrictive for complex payroll needs. Custom reports require higher-tier plans, and multi-state payroll also pushes companies toward more expensive tiers.
What it means for clients: Gusto works best for companies that want speed and clarity. Standard payroll flows feel easy to manage. It’s my impression that businesses with complex reporting or multi-state needs may outgrow the interface.
How is the customer support at Gusto?
Gusto’s support is generally helpful once you reach the right person. The team understands the product, and routine payroll or benefits questions usually get cleared up without much back-and-forth.
Gusto provides customer support through email, chat, and phone during U.S. business hours.
Support covers payroll setup, billing questions, benefits administration, and general platform use. Higher-tier plans include priority handling, but all customers go through the same core support channels.
For international EOR employees, the support model changes slightly.
Gusto uses Remote as its Employer of Record partner. Remote is the legal employer and handles employment law, statutory benefits, payroll execution, and local compliance. Gusto remains the primary interface for customers, but EOR-specific issues rely on Remote’s employment infrastructure.
In practice, this means support responsibilities are split by function rather than by ticket type.
How support is handled
For EOR employees, Remote acts as the legal employer and handles local employment law, contracts, and compliance. Gusto remains the main customer interface for platform access and billing.
EOR-related issues may involve Remote behind the scenes due to its role as the employer.
Gusto’s help center covers common questions with step-by-step guides.
Chat support is usually the fastest option during business hours. I’ve also seen a few reports that phone support quality depends on the representative and issue type.
What it means for clients: Support works well for standard payroll and platform questions. EOR-related issues depend on Remote’s underlying role as the legal employer. Companies with frequent international employment questions should expect a more structured support flow than with direct EOR providers.
What integrations does Gusto offer?
Gusto connects cleanly with the tools most small and midsize teams already use. Accounting platforms, time tracking, and a handful of HR add-ons plug in without much setup and, from what I've seen, the connections are stable and reliable.
Gusto offers one of the broadest integration libraries among SMB-focused payroll platforms. The emphasis is on practical connections that reduce duplicate data entry across payroll, accounting, benefits, and daily work tools.
The integration catalog is public and easy to scan. Most connections are pre-built rather than API-only.
Core integration categories include:
Accounting: QuickBooks, Xero, FreshBooks, Aplos
Time tracking: TSheets (QuickBooks Time), Homebase, When I Wor
HR and benefits: Guideline, Human Interest, HealthEquity, Employee Navigator
Hiring and onboarding: Greenhouse, Lever, JazzHR
Productivity and expenses: Expensify, Trainual, Slack
Most integrations sync automatically on a set schedule.
Payroll data, employee details, and time tracking flow into Gusto with minimal setup. In my testing, the setup process usually takes a few minutes per integration and does not require technical support.
Gusto also supports API access for custom connections.
However, this is less visible than the pre-built marketplace. Companies with niche systems may need manual exports or custom work.
What it means for clients: Gusto works well for companies using common SMB tools. The integration depth covers most day-to-day needs without extra configuration for most companies.
What about Gusto's mobile app?
The mobile app is fine for quick checks; employees can view pay stubs, update personal information, and handle basic tasks without a computer.
It’s not built for heavier work. Admin features are limited, and you’ll still need the desktop version for deep admin work, which keeps the score just under the 8 mark.
Gusto offers a mobile app called Gusto, available on iOS and Android. The app is built for employees, not administrators.
For employers, the app supports light administrative tasks:
Run payroll
Approve timesheets
Approve time off requests
View and manage basic team information
Employees use the app to:
View pay
stubs and payment history
Track upcoming paydays
Access tax forms
Manage direct deposit details
Receive pay notifications
From my testing, the app is easy to navigate and does what it promises. It focuses on pay visibility and basic self-service rather than full HR workflows.
More advanced work still requires desktop access. Benefits management, compliance setup, reporting, and complex payroll changes are handled through the web platform.
What it means for clients: The mobile app works well for day-to-day payroll actions and employee self-service. HR and finance teams should expect to rely on the desktop platform for deeper administrative work.
What analytics and reporting features does Gusto include?
Gusto’s reports cover what most teams actually need. Payroll summaries, tax reports, and basic headcount data are easy to pull and easy to understand.
Gusto’s reporting is built for payroll oversight and basic employee tracking. It focuses on payroll activity, taxes, and employee data, without positioning itself as a full analytics platform.
What Gusto reports well
Most reports center on day-to-day payroll and compliance needs, including:
Payroll history and pay run summaries
Tax filings and liabilities by period
Employee compensation, deductions, and benefits
Bank transactions and payment status
PTO balances and accruals
Reports export to CSV or PDF, which makes them practical for accounting and finance reviews.
Insights and limitations
Gusto includes an “Insights & Reporting” section that summarizes headcount changes, compensation totals, and benefit costs over time. These views support quick checks rather than deep analysis.
There is no custom dashboard builder or advanced filtering across multiple dimensions. More detailed analysis typically requires exporting data or using third-party tools from Gusto’s integration system.
Access to some reports depends on plan tier, with Premium plans offering more flexibility.
What it means for clients: Gusto’s reporting works well for payroll checks, tax tracking, and basic cost visibility. Companies that need forecasting, multi-entity analysis, or advanced workforce analytics will need external tools.
What do users say on review platforms?
Gusto’s overall sentiment on major review sites is mixed. It’s strong on G2 and Capterra, weaker on Trustpilot.
The volume of reviews on G2 and Capterra tends to reflect actual business use, with thousands of ratings on each platform. Trustpilot’s lower score reflects more vocal frustrations from users reporting issues with support, taxes, and specific payroll mishaps.
Positive feedback
Users on G2 and Capterra frequently mention:
Ease of use: Many reviews emphasize how straightforward payroll and basic HR tasks are to run.
Time savings: Payroll runs and tax filings are described as less manual than with older systems.
Employee self-service: Employees appreciate easy access to payslips, PTO info, and benefits.
Small business fit: Reviewers with smaller teams note that Gusto makes payroll manageable without a full HR department.
Common complaints
Across platforms, some recurring critical themes include:
Support challenges: Several users report long hold times for customer support and mixed resolution quality.
Tax paperwork issues: A portion of Trustpilot reviewers describe problems with tax setup and filings, sometimes with financial implications.
Advanced needs: Some reviewers say Gusto feels basic for complex reporting, multi-state payroll, or custom workflows.
| Platform | Rating | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| G2 | 4.5 | 2,259 |
| Weighted average | 4.5 | 2,259 |
Gusto’s high scores on G2 and Capterra suggest strong satisfaction among business users for core payroll and HR functionality. The lower Trustpilot score highlights real frustrations around support and edge-case scenarios.
Together, these patterns suggest Gusto works well for standard payroll needs but may disappoint users with complex, non-standard payroll or compliance situations.
Ratings sourced directly from each platform. Weighted by number of reviews. Last updated February 2026.
How secure is Gusto?
Gusto takes security seriously and covers the basics well. Standard safeguards are in place, and nothing about the setup feels careless or outdated.
Gusto treats data security as a core element of its payroll and HR platform. The company maintains third-party attestations and applies standard controls used by cloud-based business services.
Certifications and audits
Gusto supports industry-standard security audits and certifications. The company maintains SOC 1 and SOC 2 reports that customers can request through its Trust Center. These reports are updated regularly and reviewed under independent audit processes.
Gusto also maintains HIPAA compliance for handling protected health information tied to benefits administration.
Data protection controls
Public security documentation indicates the platform uses common protective controls, including:
Encryption for data in transit and at rest
Role-based access controls limiting who can see employee and payroll data
Multi-factor authentication for account security
Regular audits tied to SOC reporting requirements
These controls align with what enterprise vendors document for payroll and HR systems handling sensitive personnel and financial data.
Privacy and regulatory alignment
Gusto aligns with major data privacy standards including GDPR and CCPA for personal data usage and processing done through the platform.
While specific internal processes are not publicly detailed, Gusto integrates with third-party compliance automation tools that help support SOC 2 and other frameworks.
What it means for clients: Gusto’s SOC controls and data protection frameworks give customers a measurable basis for vendor risk reviews, especially around payroll and benefits data.
What compliance standards does Gusto meet?
Gusto does a solid job with everyday U.S. compliance. Payroll taxes, standard filings, and basic labor rules are handled automatically, so most teams don’t have to think about them once things are set up.
Gusto’s compliance coverage focuses on U.S. payroll and employment requirements. International compliance is handled through Gusto’s Employer of Record partnership with Remote.
U.S. payroll and tax compliance
Gusto automatically calculates, files, and pays federal, state, and local payroll taxes. This includes standard filings such as income tax withholdings, unemployment taxes, and required year-end forms like W-2s and 1099-NECs.
For companies that meet ACA thresholds, Gusto supports required reporting and employee eligibility tracking when using Gusto-brokered benefits.
State-level requirements
The platform supports common state obligations, including new hire reporting, workers’ compensation setup through partners, and multi-state payroll tax filings.
Labor law posters and compliance reminders are available in the dashboard.
International compliance via Remote
For international employees and EOR arrangements, Remote handles local employment law, contracts, statutory benefits, and country-specific payroll compliance. Gusto remains the system of record for onboarding, payroll coordination, and billing.
Who should use Gusto?
Gusto works best for companies that want payroll and HR to feel straightforward, predictable, and well supported inside the U.S.
Gusto is a good fit if you:
Run a U.S.-based business with employees in one or multiple states.
Want payroll, benefits, and basic HR handled in one place.
Value a clean interface and guided workflows over deep customization.
Pay both W-2 employees and 1099 contractors.
Prefer strong defaults and automation for tax filings and compliance.
Consider alternatives if you:
Plan large-scale international hiring or multi-country payroll.
Need advanced workforce analytics or complex reporting logic.
Rely heavily on custom integrations or non-standard HR workflows.
Operate in highly regulated environments that require deeper compliance tooling.
Bottom line: For many small and mid-sized businesses, Gusto covers day-to-day payroll needs without much setup or ongoing maintenance.
Gusto can support international hiring through partners, but it is not built as a global-first platform. Companies with complex global structures or enterprise-level HR needs may outgrow it faster than expected.
What are the best Gusto alternatives?
Multiplier
Companies looking for fast global hiring & payments
Read review
RemoFirst
Small businesses making their first international hires who prioritize low pricing over advanced features.
Read review
Remote
Companies who want strong protection of intellectual property (IP) and legal risk coverage when hiring internationally
Read review
Deel
Growing companies scaling internationally with a mix of contractors and full-time employees
Read review
Hire with Columbus
Companies hiring 5 or more international employees who want to keep costs low and predictable
Read reviewFrequently asked questions about Gusto
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