Gusto Reviews

“tax filings mishandled”

Pros

I like this online payroll setup and my accountant was able to access the account.

Cons

Ran into a tax filing problem, it missed filing the 940 and didn't get the 941 filed until about a year late. I understand I should've checked sooner even though I was paying for a service to handle this. Now I'm dealing with a tax liability that I can't properly clear because I can't get real answers from their support. When I call, it's basically just front line customer service... there's no actual tax department contact that will call you back, talk through what happened or provide any meaningful update. Instead, you get the same canned email saying they're working on it. At this point, it feels like my situation is pre-canned and they're hoping I fix it myself. I was told twice by the front-line rep to call the IRS and request an extension but my attorney advised against that. Even worse, it feels like Gusto is trying to pass the responsibility back on me by claiming I took over the issue from them. The phone support experience has been brutal too-holding for 30+ minutes every day isn't realistic for a small business especially when they keep saying someone from "Tax" will call before the end of the day and it never happens. I'm so frustrated that I'm at the point of calling the tax preparer whose number is listed on the 941s to push for answers. I don't even know whether I owe taxes or if this is purely a reporting/payroll processing issue but I can't get anyone to clarify what's going on. Overall, this service has not been recommendable for me.

“Amazing software”

Pros

It's been incredibly supportive throughout the pandemic and it helped us with the exact reportings we needed to secure PPP funding. The whole process was built to help businesses keep going when things were most uncertain and that showed in how it guided us through what we had to submit.

Cons

The retirement integration feels a bit confusing and isn't as simple as it should be.

“gusto payroll is simple”

Pros

Feels extremely simple to use, easy to access and priced lower than many competing options. Payroll is the standout, its setup and day-to-day use are genuinely my favorite part. I also appreciate the automatic tax reporting, the clean, simple user interface and the way new employee onboarding is organized. Beyond just handling payments, it helps create a better workplace by providing actionable data and useful insights. Having a dedicated customer success manager is another major plus since I can reach out for guidance when I need it.

Cons

A couple of gaps showed up during use. The platform doesn't show everything you'll need to know before selecting a plan which can make the planning stage a bit unclear. It also seems like there's room to improve the benefits side... I'd rather see more efficient benefits options included, instead of the focus being mainly on early payout and other financial instruments.

“so good”

Pros

This platform has been really simple to use. The administrator instructions are laid out clearly and once employees log in, uploading documents doesn't turn into a hassle because the steps are explained well. Pricing also feels spot on for a small business and it's especially useful if you're not totally familiar with certain tax and legal requirements. There are plenty of helpful tips and tricks tucked into the sidebar which I used a lot during setup and day-to-day tasks. Overall, it feels userfriendly, cost effective and fairly simple to get running so I'd recommend it to any small business trying to implement a payroll system.

Cons

One part I care about the least is the 2-3 day waiting period before employee payments go through. I understand it's tied to bank processing but if you're running a smaller business, you sometimes need payroll to land on a tighter timeline. It doesn't feel like a dealbreaker since it's basically unavoidable, just something worth planning for when you're thinking about turnaround times for employee payments.

“support is great”

Pros

Using it has been the best choice for me. I hadn't used this kind of program before but the options it offers immediately grabbed my attention. I'm able to handle my funds, generate and print pay stubs and manage a lot more from one place. When I reached out to the help desk, the support team responded quickly and in a friendly, professional way.

Cons

Reports and data are quick to find and pull up.

“user-friendly experience”

Pros

It has been really easy to use for us, everything feels user friendly and adaptive right from the start.

Cons

We're currently using the features we need and we're genuinely happy with how everything works.

“saves our time”

Pros

You can handle payments for services and salaries... basically everything you'd normally pay with money. The dashboard also lets you review when your employees are working and see their extra hours. It's especially useful because you can clearly view all worked hours along with each person's base salary so payroll feels more transparent.

Cons

For the app to run properly, all employees have to stay actively in the system. If someone doesn't keep up, you might run into payroll issues or errors later on.

“Great HR tool”

Pros

I really enjoy that employees can access all their pay and benefits information from a single software application. It keeps everything centralized which makes it simpler for them to find what they need without jumping between systems.

Cons

Time tracking feature can sometimes lag by a bit but aside from that, the software has been a solid choice to use.

“Has strong privacy controls”

Pros

The biggest win with it has been how simple it is to use, plus the privacy controls it provides for our employees. Setting things up and managing access has been simple and the controls feel solid and intentional.

Cons

The only real downsides are the overall cost and the lead time required before getting everything set up for payroll each week.

“fast access to payroll details”

Pros

Logging in and immediately seeing the information I need has been a huge help... I don't have to dig through the site to find things. Time off and my pay history are both right there and it has been a really solid experience.

Cons

Haven't hit any problems so far and the app has been simple to use.

“Loved it”

Pros

After the dashboard was set up with my details, running payroll just comes down to picking an employee and entering their timecard. Hitting "done" finishes it right away.

Cons

Every so often I receive payroll related emails from government tax agencies and I honestly don't know what those messages are referring to.

“guided walkthrough makes it great”

Pros

It has been fantastic for me, it clearly walks you through everything step by step so you're never left guessing what to do next.

Cons

I haven't come across anything I dislike yet.

“all-in-one payroll management”

Pros

This software lets me handle all my payroll needs from a single dashboard. The convenience is the best part direct deposit, tax forms and even parsonage details are all kept in one place so nothing feels scattered across different systems.

Cons

There's a bit of a learning curve at the start. You'll likely need some time to train on it and get comfortable with all the components before everything clicks.

“Great software!”

Pros

Time management feature is really helpful and the interface feels simple. Being able to see who's in the office makes planning projects a lot smoother and it's also easier to schedule my own time off without guessing.

Cons

HR side still feels a bit unfinished. A couple of steps after starting are confusing and I'd love to have a first time onboarding walkthrough or guide to point people in the right direction.

“comes recommended from me”

Pros

It has turned out to be the best payroll tool I've used so far. It's simple to manage on the admin side, while also being simple enough for our team to use without a ton of extra support. The automation handles our payroll procedures really well which saves time and keeps everything running smoothly.

Cons

Honestly there's not much I'd change.

“my review...”

Pros

Been really helpful to organize payroll just to get it done and the auto run payroll feature is a standout. Once it's set up, I can schedule payroll to run on autopilot which saves a lot of manual effort and reduces the risk of missing anything.

Cons

Being able to adjust payroll after it's already been processed is useful but I'd prefer an option to make changes before the payment actually goes out.

“had a positive experience”

Pros

Using it is pretty simple and the different features actually feel connected instead of scattered. The onboarding process is genuinely welcoming and the task management is the part that keeps getting praised, everything just flows together which makes it less of a hassle to get started and stay organized.

Cons

Customer support is where things fall apart. There's currently very limited help and whenever it involves a real person answering the phone, the experience tends to be bad. That's the one area they really need to fix.

“stellar for startups”

Pros

I've been using it since before it was rebranded to its current name and over the past eight years it's been a real backbone for our startups. It helped us organize HR workflows and keep things running without so much manual effort.

Cons

It'd be even better if there were built-in tools for employee perks particularly for remote team members.

“solid tool”

Pros

It is a strong tool for managing a high volume of payments and employee benefits, all from a home office

Cons

A few people ran into setup issues at the beginning but once the initial onboarding/startup phase was over, it performed really well.

“Amazing”

Pros

We use it for my work setup and it's made a noticeable difference in how I handle my pay and benefits. The design is simple and the customer support has been consistently helpful whenever I need it. Overall, the platform has impressed me again and again and it's been great that my team can use it together.

Cons

No downsides to report, my experience has been consistently positive.