Gusto Reviews

“easy setup

Pros

Getting payroll up and running was very easy and I love how fast I can run payroll even when I'm behind on time. The direct deposit feature is flawless . I simply snap a screenshot of my bank details and feel comfortable that everything will go through correctly. What I value most is being able to set payroll frequency exactly how I want without getting slammed by steep fees which was a big problem with my old provider. On top of that, their customer support is outstanding . consistently warm, helpful and prompt and they answer my questions in a way that leaves me feeling reassured and backed up.

Cons

One annoyance is that I can't prepay payroll invoices. The system generates the bill at month-end which means I'm typically paying around the second day of the next month. It's not a deal-breaker, but I find it aggravating when I want to get ahead on my bills and clear payroll sooner rather than later.

“Quick and helpful support

Pros

Whenever I run into an issue, the support team gets back to me almost immediately and helps sort things out.

Cons

I can't think of anything worth criticizing about this company, which is pretty impressive.

“Super fast payroll

Pros

The speed is outstanding. I'm able to finish processing payroll in practically no time at all.

Cons

I haven't experienced any significant problems so far, everything has been running quite smoothly.

“Simple but pricey per person

Pros

As a small business owner, I find It incredibly easy to get around and use. The recent updates have really smoothed things out and made the whole interface a lot more interactive. Processing payroll now takes me under ten minutes no matter which device I'm on and knowing that monthly and quarterly tax filings are taken care of automatically has lifted a massive burden for me.

Cons

I don't like the per-employee pricing scheme, I'd much rather pay a single flat monthly fee instead.

“easy but unclear benefits

Pros

I've found the interface easy to use and it includes all the features I rely on. Even when I'm helping employees through tax season, this solution makes support much simpler and less stressful.

Cons

I've noticed figuring out what benefits are available requires more effort than it really should and I'd like them to simplify things, making eligibility and advantages clearer and the whole process more direct.

“Easy for anyone but slow support

Pros

getting everything set up was really easy even without any HR experience and I didn't need any accounting know-how to work through it.

Cons

I've found support replies can take a while at times which is frustrating, but truly it's the only complaint I have.

“Easy paycheck tracking

Pros

It's simple for me to keep track of my payslips and to dig back as far as I need to check my payment records and the hours I've worked.

Cons

I honestly can't come up with any major complaints, the workflow seems reliable and works well for me.

“Fun and smooth but payday can be late

Pros

the payroll workflow feels pretty simple and I was immediately intrigued by all the different tools and account choices available. I opened an account and got a card, then started funneling a portion of each paycheck into their distinct spending and savings buckets for later. The little animations when using and the tracking features genuinely make using it enjoyable and engaging, which is a nice perk while managing my money.

Cons

Although the payroll typically runs without issues, I've seen the timing of deposits vary. sometimes funds don't arrive in external bank accounts until late in the afternoon. We experienced a serious problem once where several team members were paid late, and that forced us to scramble and rely on Zelle as an emergency workaround. Support responded promptly but having to invent fixes for something as critical as payroll is incredibly frustrating and wastes a lot of everyone's time.

“They took my money and won't help

Pros

The interface is really easy to find my way around. I especially value how fast deposits clear, there's no waiting around like with other services.

Cons

I had an absolute nightmare when I attempted to pay a contractor $550 but entered the wrong bank account information. They sent an email saying the transfer had failed and asked if I wanted them to issue a refund which I said yes to right away. After I paid the contractor with a check, they somehow re-processed the original electronic payment without asking me or getting my consent. Now I'm missing $550 and their support team refuses to resolve it even though I've been handing them more than $500 a month for three years. Their customer service is awful and it feels like they took my money. I'm definitely moving to a different payroll provider after this.

“my go to tool

Pros

I've got all the tools I need to manage my team the way big companies do, with a full set of features and the kind of support you'd expect.

Cons

For the most part we're not troubled by anything in this system, we're genuinely satisfied with how it runs and the level of support the team provides.

“Easy but expensive for contractors

Pros

I find onboarding contractors very easy, thanks to the built-in automation tools.

Cons

For how little I rely on it, the monthly fee seems rather high and hard to justify.

“Simple start led to state penalty problems

Pros

Onboarding here went very smoothly, probably the easiest payroll setup I've experienced. Even though tasks are handled manually, the guidance was so clear and simple that I had no trouble following it.

Cons

The onboarding itself confused me when I wanted to go back and change earlier steps after moving forward and I had to rely on support to straighten it out with a brief phone call. What's more frustrating is the inconsistent state reporting and late payments . we've been assessed penalties because of missed deadlines and I don't get the sense the company is actively trying to resolve those recurring issues.

“Simple payroll

Pros

My payroll setup is unbelievably simple, only two quick steps and it's complete. Letting them act as a third-party to manage all tax payments really lifts a massive weight off my plate.

Cons

Although most parts of the software run smoothly, the reporting tools feel quite limited especially when I need to pull year-to-date hour totals for my hourly employees. It gets irritating because everything else performs well, yet I depend on more reliable payroll reports. They should introduce deeper, more granular reporting capabilities since those are essential to how I run my business.

“smooth and helpful support

Pros

It is very user friendly. everything is so interactive and simple that I rarely get confused and when I do, customer support has always been fantastic and quick to help.

Cons

Honestly, I can't think of any significant problems with it right now.

“Payday emails make me smile :)

Pros

Those bi-weekly payment emails are absolutely delightful . I genuinely smile when I open them because they're so upbeat and sprinkled with cute emojis. What I especially like is that each message lays out exactly how my taxes and other deductions were applied, right there in the email. The whole friendly layout actually makes comparing my gross and net pay feel a lot less bleak than it normally would, which I really appreciate.

Cons

I haven't run into any major problems so far. The mobile app runs smoothly and the email notifications I've received have been genuinely useful.

“efficient and simple to operate

Pros

I find bringing new team members on board remarkably simple and configuring payroll is absolutely effort-free.

Cons

My only complaint is that I wish the platform included built-in accounting tools as well.

“Simple tool with a tough transition

Pros

After months of hunting for the perfect payroll platform, I finally found Gusto and think it's very user friendly. The switch-over felt utterly simple and my whole team praised how simple it was to create new accounts. Everything operates in a very natural way and from a usability standpoint, it all just makes sense to me.

Cons

We haven't run into many big problems overall, but it's frequently been fairly difficult and time-consuming getting customer support to guide us through the complex compliance requirements for our remote employees.

“All my work in one place

Pros

Having everything in one place is something I truly value, the interface is very interactive and makes clocking in and out feel easy. I find it easy to keep track of my hours and submitting requests for time off or reporting sick days is all handled smoothly from the same spot.

Cons

I can't come up with any complaints, everything has functioned flawlessly for me so far and I haven't experienced any problems.

“My simple payroll solution for years

Pros

I have been using this payroll system for several years now and after initially trying to manage everything on my own, there's really no turning back. After those early DIY attempts, it feels refreshing to have a platform that's so well designed and easy to use. It reliably keeps me in compliance with all applicable rules and what matters most is that my CPA loves how tidy and organized the records are. Running a business without deep payroll knowledge, this tool has become indispensable to how I operate.

Cons

So far, I haven't come across anything that needs improving.

“Smooth switch with fun feature

Pros

I moved my non-profit over to It after getting tired of costlier options. The whole setup went smoothly, their communication has been top-notch and to be honest the flying pig feature really simplifies navigation and daily use.

Cons

Every so often when I punch in, the system fails to register it and I find myself fixing the error later on in the day.