Gusto Reviews

“Setup was surprisingly easy”

Pros

Setting this up was simple and I appreciate how the interview-style configuration walks you through everything step by step. The support team is fantastic too whether you reach out via chat, phone or email, they're always helpful and responsive.

Cons

Figuring out how to add new users was confusing at first, though when I got support on the phone recently it turned out to be simpler than I expected.

“Has everything I need for years”

Pros

What I like most is that everything is organized in the dropdown menu, everything I need is right there when I need it. Onboarding new employees is simple because they can fill in their own details which frees up a ton of my time to focus on running the business. Whenever I've reached out to support, they've responded promptly and resolved issues quickly. Payroll runs smoothly whether workers clock in/out themselves or I type in their hours manually either method barely takes longer than signing into any other payroll system. If I ever launch another company, I'd use this service again without hesitation. The features for employees are great too, they reduce basic questions by letting staff handle things via the mobile app and payroll reminders help make sure everyone's paid on time.

Cons

I've been using them for almost four years and truly don't have many complaints. Most of the little problems I've had came from me not paying attention or rushing through tasks. The main inconvenience is scheduled site maintenance because you can't log in while it's happening. They do give advance notice about downtime, but I once ignored that email and tried to run payroll at the last minute right when maintenance started. That was completely on me since I had a couple of days to get it done beforehand. So honestly, about 99% of my 'issues' are self-inflicted.

“Fun but annoying accounts”

Pros

I've found It upbeat and easy to use and it makes running payroll utterly painless because it automates practically everything. For example, when new hire paperwork needs to be filed with the state, the system handles it for me. If I'm unsure how to register for tax withholding, it walks me through the exact steps for my state. When I need benefits or insurance options, it either hooks up to the provider I already use or guides me to enroll through its partner network. All of those little administrative tasks are taken care of, so I don't have to juggle the details myself.

Cons

I find the back-and-forth between admin and employee views frustrating because, it forces me to create separate accounts and use different email addresses even when the same person needs both roles. It would be so much more convenient if I could simply switch roles within a single account instead of managing multiple logins and inboxes for the same user.

“Clean and simple dashboard”

Pros

For me, both the mobile app and the web version have a tidy dashboard that puts all the payroll essentials within easy reach, things like my paycheck, vacation and sick leave balances, 401(k) contributions and more. The layout is uncluttered and interactive, so whenever I want to dig into details it's simple and quick to find what I need.

Cons

Honestly I can't point to any real problems, it's the only tool we have at work to view payroll info, so I don't have another product to compare it to which makes spotting shortcomings impossible for me.

“so simple, my kid could use it”

Pros

I find the web interface very friendly, so I'm able to handle payroll on my own without any headaches. Whether I'm running standard salaries, bonus payouts or commission calculations, the workflow is easy to follow. After seven months of use we haven't faceed any glitches or mistakes and their communication has been consistently excellent.

Cons

At the moment, I honestly can't think of any major problems to report.

“no complaints after a year”

Pros

I found the implementation process surprisingly simple and the interface feels interactive to use. The versatility really stands out and there's so much flexibility in how you can configure things. When I've reached out for help, the support team has been quick to respond and genuinely helpful. There are tons of features available, and I'm excited about rolling out more functionality as our company expands.

Cons

I've been using this for about a year and a half now and honestly can't think of anything that bothers me about it.

“strong features”

Pros

Overall, setting up and using the payroll tools has been simple enough. The payroll workflow is generally simple to configure and operate.

Cons

A few things have been frustrating. Their payroll journal entries can only be mapped to main accounts, not sub accounts which limits how I can structure the accounting side. They also appear to mishandle Group Term Life Insurance, employer paid premiums are a taxable benefit to the employee but there's no cash transfer between employer and employee. Instead, their journal entries treat it like a cash payment to the employee and I haven't found a setting to disable that behavior. Support has also been a repeated headache. The biggest issue was a company-wide W-2c problem, employees who were employed during 2022 were notified in their employee accounts that a "Draft" W-2c for the 2022 tax year was uploaded on 12/4/2023. Those draft W-2cs for the prior year were wrong. I spent hours reviewing each employee's 2022 payroll totals to confirm whether anything needed correction and then I had to contact it using the attachment-only online form (submitting one request per employee). I only got a single "not to worry" email, with no follow-up until I pushed for a callback. When they finally responded, I was told it was an internal company-wide error. They also couldn't remove the erroneous draft 2022 W-2cs from my employees' accounts and they couldn't provide any official documentation explaining that the mistake was on their side. After I asked for compensation, they offered a 25% discount for two months (around $130) which barely covers the time I spent cleaning up their mistake. Even then, the discount didn't show up on my January bill, though they claimed it would appear on a future invoice and I'm not exactly confident. They should have contacted customers proactively when the issue happened, been more responsive to the 16 support tickets I raised and offered more meaningful compensation than a small discount that they didn't even apply correctly at first. Also, I hit another tax compliance snag with a city-wide occupational tax in an adjacent jurisdiction where they're supposedly familiar with the rules,, and their own employees didn't seem to understand the local nuance for that tax. It's hard to understand how a payroll provider wouldn't get their own local payroll tax requirements right.

“Reliable payroll solution”

Pros

Our team picked up the system very quickly because the interface is so user-friendly, which really smoothed out the whole rollout process. I've been pleasantly surprised by how naturally payroll processing fits into our workflow and it's easy to make changes in real time without any issue. What truly makes it stand out compared to other tools we've tried is how simple it is to handle prior payroll adjustments, there isn't a bewildering trail of journal entries to hunt through. Plus, the QuickBooks Online connection is rock solid and even maps all the way down to job and class levels which has been a big help for our accounting.

Cons

Reaching the tax team has been a real pain because there isn't a direct number to call. Whenever something goes wrong I find myself stuck in a long email chain, repeatedly explaining the issue, a short phone call would almost always clear things up in a few minutes.

“Can use some improvements”

Pros

The main portal is pretty user-friendly... check stubs and deposits are simple to view and manage.

Cons

Childcare benefits handling didn't feel properly supported. It looks like the work was outsourced to a third party with no real staff available to assist and over $10,000 is still missing from my account without being returned yet.

“Dishonest and poor service”

Pros

Honestly, I can't come up with a single redeeming feature, the entire process has been awful and felt like a continuous nightmare from beginning to end.

Cons

My interactions with their customer service left me convinced the representatives were dishonest and the overall quality of support was so poor that I've only had negative experiences dealing with the support team.

“It may work if your workweek starts on a Monday”

Pros

Setting up Gusto seemed straightforward and I like its integration with other apps like timekeeping and scheduling.

Cons

Despite accurately capturing our work week and payroll day details Gusto incorrectly generated payroll periods starting from Monday to Sunday despite my repeated explanations that our work week starts on Saturdays. Despite assurances of resolution they failed to address the issue and erroneously reported payroll data to tax agencies causing significant problems.

“Support Severely Lacking”

Pros

If everything goes smoothly Gusto is fine. However Im disappointed with their support which falls short of expectations. Despite promises of US-based support its rare to speak to someone from the US. Contacting support is challenging with no available phone number or designated contact person. Lack of response on submitted tickets is unacceptable considering the impact on peoples lives. Expecting bug-free software without investing in customer support is arrogant.

Cons

I have several grievances with Gusto including limitations on payroll journal entries misinterpretation of taxable benefits and unresolved support issues. Despite spending considerable time addressing erroneous tax documents and demanding compensation Gustos handling of the situation was inadequate. Additionally they demonstrated a lack of understanding of local tax regulations further complicating matters.

“Gusto's weakness (childcare benefits deductions) is inexcusable”

Pros

Overall setting up and using Gustos payroll features is straightforward.

Cons

Childcare benefits management was poorly handled outsourced without adequate support resulting in significant financial losses.

“Great Online HR platform”

Pros

The main portals user-friendliness makes it easy to access check stubs and deposits.

Cons

I wish Gusto had a more user-friendly interface for tax compliance and other less common tasks.

“always-on access”

Pros

It stays online whenever I need it so I can search and quickly reference the simple items and documents I use regularly.

Cons

I do wish the interface felt more adaptive when handling tax compliance and other tasks that don't come up as often.

“friendly payroll pto tracking”

Pros

This system isn't just quick to get running... it's also really user-friendly on the day-to-day side. It handles all of our payroll details, PTO tracking and tax information and then does the heavy lifting so everything keeps moving with minimal intervention. After trying a few other options, it honestly feels like the best value we found for the money.

Cons

Used to include a paycheck advance option and a few employees used that but that feature has since been removed.

“user-friendly tax reporting”

Pros

The interface feels user-friendly and the tax compliance and reporting features are genuinely the strongest part of the app. Everything is set up so I can handle my filings and generate the needed reports without too much hassle.

Cons

During busy peak periods, I've noticed occasional slowdowns and delays in response time.

“easy scheduling”

Pros

Scheduling shifts and paying employees has been simple and convenient.

Cons

Nothing negative to report, gusto services have met my expectations across the board.

“Made work simpler”

Pros

Handles your quarterly reporting so you don't have to stress about filing with the IRS.

Cons

You still have to manually enter the data on a weekly (or biweekly) basis.

“Easy to use”

Pros

Managing everything on my own has been really simple and I can get things done without needing extra help.

Cons

Honestly there isn't anything I dislike... it feels very user-friendly.