Gusto Reviews

“easy to learn

Pros

I was able to get the system up and running in a single day & it was surprisingly easy to pick up. When I need help, customer support is quick and painless to reach. The rollout went a lot more smoothly than with other platforms I've used. My team and I rely on it all week long, they update records repeatedly while I pop in for a weekly review. What really impresses me is how feature-rich it is. Tax integration is flawless, and dealing with unemployment claims, W-2s, and 1099 onboarding for employees is very easy.

Cons

I find the billing summary in our account really confusing . entries appear as long, random mixes of letters and numbers, so I'm never sure whether a particular charge is someone's payroll, our subscription fee, or a cost tied to a newly added employee. Other providers I've used typically label debits clearly, so this lack of clarity feels like a basic thing that was overlooked.

“Simple and always improving

Pros

It is very easy to use. They keep improving the service and roll out fresh features on a regular basis. Whenever we've reached out for help, the team replies remarkably quickly. Moving from our internal payroll system to this provider turned out to be one of our best business decisions.

Cons

We occasionally hit limitations, although we generally manage to find workarounds when that happens. The mobile app, however, feels a bit lacking and could benefit from enhancements.

“Stress relief for new owners

Pros

It totally changed the way I manage weekly wages, and it automatically produces all the necessary tax forms, W-2s included when tax time rolls around. The layout is clean and easy to use, so tasks that used to cause me a lot of stress are now far simpler to handle for both my business and personal payroll needs.

Cons

I can't pinpoint any drawbacks, everything ran without a hitch and it genuinely simplified how I run my business.

“user-friendly and helpful

Pros

Overall, I find the app really easy to use, especially because it gives a lot of practical tips that make learning the ropes simple. My favorite part has become the reminders, I no longer miss payroll runs since the system sends automatic alerts. When I contacted support, I was pleasantly surprised by how attentive and helpful the team was. I rely on it often for bringing on new hires, staying on top of compliance, and pulling together different reports. What impresses me most is how smoothly it links with various payment platforms and how simple it is to connect other tools and apps.

Cons

I can't really point to any major negatives so far, because I enjoy experimenting with the range of features to make sure I'm getting the best possible experience.

“easy to use every day

Pros

I really like how clear and easy to follow their communications are, and they don't overwhelm me with constant messages. They only send things that are actually useful and relevant which feels refreshing compared to everyone else pestering you all the time. When I need to pull up older paystubs, they're right where I expect them and easy to find. Everything is kept in one place and it even links to my benefits providers so I don't have to hunt them down separately when I need to make changes. Requesting time off is simple too, and I genuinely appreciate the clean layout of the website and how everything is communicated.

Cons

After my time off is approved, I can't change it, for example if I originally asked for eight hours but only end up needing six because meetings were added, I'm forced to keep the original request and there's no option to edit or reduce it which is frustrating.

“works good but multiple glitches

Pros

I find the interface very interactive and bringing new hires on board is simple. My entire team likes how easy it is to use, and since I work in it every day, I can confirm the experience remains reliably smooth.

Cons

We've been fighting a recurring problem where one employee's time-off balance resets or displays wrong numbers every year, and her vacation submissions keep glitching out. After opening countless support tickets and exchanging months of emails back and forth, nothing has been resolved so far, and it's really frustrating. The onboarding flow also has annoying restrictions . I can't view new hires' details while they're still completing their initial paperwork, so I'm stuck waiting until they finish those forms before I can do anything. Time-off administration is another pain point, the system doesn't offer enough editing capabilities and I wish there were more flexibility to adjust requests or balances when needed. Performance can be sluggish at times too. For example whenever I upload documents they don't show up in employee records right away . it usually takes at least a day before the files are visible, which slows down our processes and causes extra follow-up.

“Saves time but too expensive

Pros

Running a small business means every minute matters to me. It lets me bypass most of the usual payroll headaches and it's been part of my workflow for several years, so I trust it completely. On the rare occasions when two mistakes happened over the years, they resolved both situations quickly and professionally far better than other remote services I've had to deal with. The web interface is simple and interactive, and the autopilot payroll feature frees up an enormous amount of my time.

Cons

real con is the cost. I don't use most of the features they include and I wish there were a cheaper tier aimed at tiny businesses like mine.

“Great time tracking but limited app

Pros

I've been using this time-tracking app daily and honestly it's the best I've found yet. What really impresses me is how it keeps track of my hours across different spans . not only daily totals but across pay period and year. The interface makes it really easy to update things like banking details or an address when required. Even the pig mascot is a charming detail, especially because it changes outfits with each new season. The entire system is interactive enough that people who struggle with technology can use it without trouble. I'd certainly recommend this to any business owner seeking dependable time-tracking solutions today.

Cons

I don't have many big complaints but the mobile app seems more limited than the website. When I punch out for lunch I can't view the precise time on my phone which makes it hard to tell when my break ends and when I need to clock back in.

“Best for banking access

Pros

Every week I use this and find it very user-friendly. Being able to access my details, including paystubs, right from my phone is fantastic. I can break down my pay as I need without trouble. Setting up a weekly deposit to my Gusto account was simple and the debit card works great. The banking experience has been excellent overall. After trying several payroll platforms, this one still stands out as my clear favorite.

Cons

I can not really point to any major problems that bother me.

“Too much for small owners

Pros

the interface is very user friendly and there's a huge amount of useful documentation at my fingertips. Processing payroll has become much simpler for me. Whenever I've had questions, support has been detailed and quick to respond. Having switched from a pricey, awkward payroll system, this feels like a major upgrade.

Cons

I run a very small owner-operator setup, so this system sometimes feels like overkill for my needs. It obviously excels at managing larger, more complicated payrolls, but what I actually require is a simple way to pay myself as the only employee and remain S-Corp compliant with the IRS. Over recent years they've gotten rid of the lower-cost tiers that previously suited businesses of my size, the Basic plan is no longer available. As a result, even the entry-level option now includes far more features than I use and I'm stuck paying a considerably higher price than before.

“easy setup that runs payroll on autopilot

Pros

Getting everything set up was ridiculously easy and at this point it basically runs on autopilot, honestly feels like I've brought a dedicated payroll specialist onto the team without the extra hire. It takes care of both contractors and W-2 employees smoothly, so I don't have to worry about manual interventions. Processing 1099s is super simple now, I'm no longer rushing at month's end trying to find forms. Monthly payroll used to be a effort, but now it's something I barely have to think about. The QuickBooks sync keeps everything flowing cleanly, and the interface is simple and dependable. Overall, this tool has freed up a ton of our time so we can concentrate on the core business instead of payroll minutiae.

Cons

While the payroll functions themselves work well, what bothers me is that essential features like HR support and the ability to handle multiple states are locked behind higher-priced plans. The initial simplicity that attracted me becomes a lot more complicated once you need anything beyond the basic package and that can be frustrating.

“Organized and fairly priced

Pros

It is simple to use and allows me to handle benefits while keeping all our HR materials centralized in a single place. The way they price things is sensible because you only pay for what your team actually needs based on headcount. From an employee standpoint, I can access my W-2s and other records any time without having to bug HR. Getting set up was easy when we switched over, and whenever I've run into questions, their support crew has been quick to respond. My manager can monitor everyone's PTO and sick time easyly which helps operations stay smooth. They continually add integrations and capabilities that simplify drafting offer letters and onboarding new hires.

Cons

To be frank, I don't have any big complaints but I would like to see a wider selection of more affordable health insurance options for our team.

“all-in-one hub

Pros

I've been impressed by how user-friendly the interface is, everything feels interactive and easy to use. What I enjoy most is having all my HR tasks in one spot where I can request time off, access paystubs, submit reimbursements and manage performance reviews. The more I use it, the more useful features I discover. Also those email alerts for paydays and approved time off are handy.

Cons

I can't really think of any actual problems or issues at the moment

“Great reminders but poor reports

Pros

I receive two reminders before payroll and that's been a lifesaver since I don't have the bandwidth to worry about missing deadlines in my small business. It aligns the whole payroll workflow and keeps the process simple and efficient.

Cons

I find the reporting tools need improvement. Even though I'm fairly tech-savvy, it still takes me much longer than it should to pinpoint the exact data I need in the reports sometimes.

“Quick support team

Pros

the support team responds very quickly whenever I face payroll or benefits issues. The interface is easy to use and I really value how it keeps me organized with timely reminders and compliance prompts.

Cons

Last year my team and I ran into several benefits-related issues that caused real headaches across our department, although the company did work with us to identify and resolve what went wrong. I'd also like the system to automatically save the Payroll Journal Report I prepare before running payroll . at present I have to rebuild that report each time, which feels like an avoidable extra task.

“Flexible and accurate adjustments

Pros

My payroll manager was able to make last-minute tweaks multiple times to cover urgent payment needs. On top of that, the system lets me switch between working as a 1099 contractor and as a W-2 employee (obviously not simultaneously) and it keeps the bookkeeping for each status separate throughout the fiscal year. My tax accountant keeps saying how thorough, accurate and compliant everything looks for year-end filings.

Cons

I hadn't expected the system to split my pay across two different sections and to automatically default to the brief period when I was paid as a 1099 contractor. Once I figured that out, though, the rest of the platform has been pretty easy to use.

“Simple with great support

Pros

The interface is very easy to use and find my way around, support gets back to me lightning quick whenever I contact them and I genuinely value that they take care of all the government paperwork on my behalf.

Cons

I can't really think of anything that annoys me about this platform. The fees fit within our budget and it manages every task we require it to perform.

“Quick and Easy All-in-One Solution

Pros

I have been really impressed with this payroll tool at my workplace. For years I kept pestering our payroll team for status updates and details. Since we switched to this system, I genuinely no longer have to bug that person at all.

Cons

Occasionally it's a bit of a challenge to find certain features when I have to change my details after moving. I end up spending several minutes hunting around. Those are tools I don't use often, so when they're required they're not immediately obvious. The everyday tasks are easy to locate though.

“Small Business Payroll Solution

Pros

For smaller, less complex operations, I'm thankful for how easy this is to use. The QuickBooks Online connection is excellent and significantly simplifies my accounting tasks.

Cons

I'd love if it could record the locations where 1099 contractors are working and allocate their hours across different cities. Ohio's municipal tax rules are especially tricky, so having that capability would make a huge difference for construction firms and other mobile service businesses that frequently travel between jurisdictions.

“Convenient all-in-one

Pros

My team and I have found that handling payroll and benefits through one platform has completely transformed how we work. People on staff often mention how much smoother processes feel and it's taken a lot of weight off my shoulders when I'm managing pay and benefits administration. I also love the Wallet capability, being able to set up multiple bank accounts for various savings goals and everyday expenses has been very handy and time-saving.

Cons

Well I do find the mobile app a bit lacking compared with the desktop site, some controls and tools are only available online which becomes annoying when I'm out and need to make quick changes or check settings from my phone.