Gusto Reviews

“its worth your money”

Pros

Setup was simple and adding different benefit options has been painless. Whenever I needed help, the support team was quick to jump in via phone. Pricing also feels reasonable so overall it's a solid deal. honestly it covers exactly what you'd hope for.

Cons

There's really not much to complain about since it does what it promises, this isn't a complex, all-in-one HRIS with every advanced feature. If you're expecting highly complicated HR scenarios, you'll want to double, check whether it fits your needs in today's market. As long as you're willing to align your processes with how it works, it tends to be a good match but it isn't designed for the most intricate setups.

“clean clock-in for staff”

Pros

I really appreciate how simple this is for regular employees. Clocking in and out is quick and it's also simple to pull up things like the employee manual and benefits without jumping through hoops.

Cons

Just wish it included employee work flow and task management... something along the lines of Wrike so it could function as a true one-stop place for work like you'd get with Asana or Slack.

“rough pdf downloads”

Pros

We mostly use it for payroll and that's where it really shines. The interface feels adaptive and modern overall so it's been convenient for day-to-day payroll tasks. That said, once you move beyond basic use and try to rely on more of the built-in product features, things start to feel a bit rough around the edges.

Cons

A good example is how paystubs are handled. If you want to download every paystub from an entire year as separate PDF files, that option just isn't available. You can either download them one by one or download everything at once... but the "all at once" download bundles them into a single combined PDF. Also, the combined document isn't paged nicely since the pages are just bunched together rather than formatted in a clean, readable way.

“All-in-one management”

Pros

It makes it pretty simple to set up employee profiles and then use the built-in analytics. I also like that it brings benefits, payroll and vendor management into a single platform so everything stays in one place.

Cons

Customer service can feel a little tiring at times. If they improved that side of things, the overall experience would be even better.

“Great UI”

Pros

I really enjoy Gusto's customer service team. When I have questions about payroll or HR, they're genuinely helpful and know how to point me in the right direction. They don't just answer and disappear either, they follow up to make sure I've got everything sorted. Calling in with questions feels reassuring because the support is actually responsive.

Cons

Honestly I can't see any downsides with it. The combination of features and customer service feels top-tier to me.

“Helps with alot of HR tasks”

Pros

Payroll tasks and the related compliance work usually eat up a lot of time but it lets me handle those responsibilities while still keeping my attention on other priorities. When I do need to jump in for manual updates, the interface is clear and customer support has helped move things along quickly so the extra admin time stays minimal. Knowing we're compliant without having to constantly second guess everything is a big relief.

Cons

Occasionally I've needed a quick response from customer support and it wasn't as fast as I expected. That said, it happened around busy periods when payroll compliance deadlines were coming up. I've also hit some confusion when setting up manual off-cycle payments... especially around whether I'm paying an employee versus a contractor... but those rough edges have improved over time.

“no fuss payroll management”

Pros

As a freelancer/part-time employee using this software, it's been incredibly adaptive once the setup is done. The interface follows a clear logic flow and entering hours daily or weekly is simple-exactly the kind of workflow you want since you definitely don't want mistakes when tracking time. The analytics side also makes a big difference for getting paid. You can see precisely how much is being withheld for taxes and you can update your tax forms directly inside the platform instead of emailing paperwork back and forth with your boss.

Cons

Trying to onboard for a small client project, my first time... it was genuinely confusing. That project didn't support the same level of detailed time tracking as what I'm used to and the limited back-end options made me feel like I was missing something crucial. After digging in, it turns out I wasn't but the unclear onboarding still took a few hours and I had to check back with my client to confirm everything was configured correctly.

“loved it”

Pros

It feels like the software was built after someone actually listened to my complaints about running QuickBooks payroll... especially juggling ADP (and Tsheets). It is really simple and since I switched from having an accountant handle payroll through ADP, it's cut down my workload a ton. I'm able to run payroll on my own now without all the back-and-forth.

Cons

Reporting tools aren't as strong or flexible as I'd like.

“great features overall”

Pros

Overall benefits and features look genuinely promising for this product .. everything about it seems strong on paper. It's just disappointing that I never got the chance to actually take advantage of those features because my issue came up right away.

Cons

The software appears to be an excellent offering but I hit a problem and needed customer support. Customer service didn't go well, the representative I spoke with gave me a rough experience when I tried to get help.

“Clean UI”

Pros

Payment management feels incredibly simple. Each employee also gets their own profile so they can quickly review anything they need without digging for details.

Cons

No problems to report, service has been quick, the workflow is simple and the setup looks clean. I'd recommend it to anyone handling payroll or shop-related work.

“complicated payroll with limited fixes”

Pros

It processes quickly and it automatically sends out email reminders and confirmation messages.

Cons

This feels like it was built by someone more interested in showing off than helping anyone, everything comes across as overly complicated and not very user friendly. A big problem is that you can't correct an employee's compensation during processing. If you notice an error while you're running payroll, the system won't reflect the adjustment until the next pay cycle. That means if someone's pay is wrong (for example, a raise wasn't entered earlier but gets caught during the processing window), they won't see the correction for about three weeks... even on a two-week cycle. Another odd quirk, it's the only payroll software I'm aware of that reverses the payee and amount lines on the checks which makes it impossible to print payroll checks on standard printers. You have to order their specific check stock instead. Reporting also feels hard to work with and doesn't come across as adaptive. QuickBooks Payroll honestly performed much better for day-to-day use.

“Made onboarding smoother”

Pros

Onboarding was simple and the team stays in constant communication with our management staff. That support is a big reason it has stayed as our payroll management system for our employees.

Cons

Pricing is a bit steep, mainly because we're not using every feature included. Still, it's a solid payroll system overall.

“Excellent”

Pros

It's pretty simple to use and didn't take much effort to implement. The self-service reporting works well for what I needed and they handled state filings competently.

Cons

When something comes up, like a question or a technical issue, you can end up waiting quite a while before someone helps you.

“friendly support to launch”

Pros

You can't really go wrong starting your business with this software, it helps you get onto the right path even when you're full of doubts. The support team and the tools are also very approachable, with access that feels simple.

Cons

Certain full services, hiring features or time tracking aren't available in every country. For example, if you're based in the US and plan to build your business outside the US, this may not be the best fit.

“user-friendly”

Pros

The setup feels simple and the whole app is really user friendly. I also appreciate the reports feature, I can customize the reports to match what I need.

Cons

Would be better if the system allowed payroll tracking by location.

“quick onboarding”

Pros

It makes getting paid feel both easy and enjoyable. The app shows a clear breakdown of each paycheck, including all taxes and fees up front. It also sends email updates when anything changes or when a payday is coming up. Setup and onboarding were simple too which helped me get started fast.

Cons

I can't really point to anything I dislike. The only snag I've run into is that the mobile app has been a bit glitchy for me at times.

“reliable payroll tool”

Pros

Having worked at a few different startups that relied on it for payroll and benefits. The workflow is simple and it's a big help for small teams that don't have a dedicated payroll or benefits specialist. It also supports compliance with local and federal requirements so you're not left scrambling to keep things correct.

Cons

One downside I noticed is the gap between submitting payroll and the actual payout to employees. Compared with other tools I've used that typically had around a 2-day cutoff, it was closer to 4 days during our initial rollout.

“Great service”

Pros

I really like how simple it is, with an elegant, simple design. As a new small business, I needed something that actually fit my needs and this platform keeps showing up with the right extra resources... things like integrations and HR reports, that make me feel supported in my HR role. It's reassuring to have that guidance without having to piece everything together myself.

Cons

A couple questions came up when I was trying to set up reimbursements and the reps I spoke with seemed a bit confused by what I was describing at first so I had to explain things a few times before it clicked. Aside from that, there haven't been any issues for me.

“positive experience”

Pros

Can pull up my W2, pay stubs and other documents right from the platform. It also includes solid time tracking plus a handy dashboard for keeping everything organized. Logging in is quick too, just click Google, pick the right email and you're in.

Cons

Sometimes it logs me out automatically if there hasn't been any activity for about 2 hours. That's basically the only downside I've noticed.

“low initial cost and usable hold times”

Pros

The setup is pretty simple and the pricing started out much lower than I expected. Hold times haven't been as painful as they used to be either.

Cons

Cost has gone up since the initial pricing. Getting through to a customer service representative can still involve long, drawn-out wait times and there have been recent changes that seem to line up with left leaning political views.