Price checkMonthly
Simple$49/base fee + per employee/moPlus$80/base fee + per employee/moPremium$180/base fee + per employee/mo
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Quick Answer
Last verified:
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Gusto Benefits costs Free to $180 per base fee + per employee/month as of March 2026, with 4 plans available including a free tier. Plans: Simple at $49/base fee + per employee/month, Plus at $80/base fee + per employee/month, Premium at $180/base fee + per employee/month, and Contractor Only (free). Pricing depends on your chosen tier, contract length, and negotiated discounts.

Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.

  • Free tier: Yes

Gusto Benefits offers 4 pricing tiers: Simple, Plus, Premium, Contractor Only. A free plan is available. Paid plans include Simple at $49/user/month, Plus at $80/user/month, Premium at $180/user/month. The Plus plan is businesses needing advanced payroll and time tracking.

Compared to other benefits administration software, Gusto Benefits is positioned at the mid-market price point.

  • Median contract: $960/yr from 0 purchases
    • 0
  • 4 documented hidden costs beyond list price
Last verified: | Sources: 1 pricing pages and reviews

How much does Gusto Benefits cost?

Gusto Benefits offers a free plan with 3 paid tiers from $49 to $180/base fee + per employee/month. Plans include Simple at $49/base fee + per employee/month, Plus at $80/base fee + per employee/month, Premium at $180/base fee + per employee/month, Contractor Only (free).

Gusto Benefits Pricing Overview

Gusto Benefits has 4 pricing plans, including a free tier. Paid plans range from $0 to $180/base fee + per employee/month. The Simple plan costs $49/base fee + per employee/month, best for small businesses needing single-state payroll. The Plus plan costs $80/base fee + per employee/month, best for businesses needing advanced payroll and time tracking. The Premium plan costs $180/base fee + per employee/month, best for scaling businesses needing full-service payroll with dedicated support. The Contractor Only plan is free and is best for contractor-only businesses.

Gusto Benefits and annual price increases of 10-20% of license costs.

The median Gusto Benefits customer pays $960/year.

There are at least 4 documented hidden costs beyond Gusto Benefits's list price, including implementation, training, and add-on fees.

This pricing was last verified in February 4, 2026 from 1 independent sources.

Visit Gusto Benefits Pricing

Gusto Benefits pricing starts at $49/month for the Simple plan, which includes basic employee payroll and benefits. For teams needing advanced HR tools and compliance support, the Plus plan runs $80/month, while the Premium plan with dedicated support costs $180/month. A free Contractor Only plan is available for businesses paying only independent contractors.

How Gusto Benefits Pricing Compares

Compare Gusto Benefits pricing against top alternatives in Benefits Administration.

Bambee $99-$299/user/mo View pricing → Ease $0.0-$6.0/user/mo View pricing → Justworks $8.0-$599.0/user/mo View pricing →

All Gusto Benefits Plans & Pricing

Plan Monthly Annual Best For
Simple $49 /user/month Custom Small businesses needing single-state payroll
Plus $80 /user/month Custom Businesses needing advanced payroll and time tracking
Premium $180 /user/month Custom Scaling businesses needing full-service payroll with dedicated support
Contractor Only employees: Contractors only (no W-2) Free Custom Contractor-only businesses
View all features by plan

Simple

  • Single-state payroll
  • Unlimited payrolls per month
  • Tax filings and payments
  • Basic PTO policies and holiday pay
  • Direct deposits or printable checks
  • Payroll on AutoPilot
  • Gusto employee app
  • Employer mobile app
  • Domestic contractor payments

Plus

  • Everything in Simple
  • Multi-state payroll
  • Next-day pay
  • Time Tracking
  • Scheduling
  • Expenses and reimbursements
  • Workforce cost reports

Premium

  • Everything in Plus
  • Dedicated Service Advisor
  • Access to certified HR experts
  • Performance & compensation management
  • Custom reports
  • Priority support
  • Payroll migration and account setup

Contractor Only

  • Contractor payments only
  • No W-2 employee payroll
  • Tax filings for contractors
See Gusto Benefits Plans & Sign Up

Compare Gusto Benefits vs Alternatives

Before committing to Gusto Benefits, compare pricing with these 3 alternatives in the same category.

VSBambee
From $99/user/mo

General users and teams

Compare pricing
VSEase
From $0.0/user/mo

General users and teams

Compare pricing
VSJustworks
From $8.0/user/mo

General users and teams

Compare pricing

All Gusto Benefits alternatives & migration guides

What Companies Actually Pay for Gusto Benefits

The median Gusto Benefits buyer pays $960/year based on 0 verified purchase transactions.

What companies actually pay $960/yr Median across 0 purchases
0
Review scores
Trustpilot 2.6/5 (25)
Top pricing complaints
Poor customer support with long wait timesTax compliance errors and unexpected billsComplicated interface and difficult to make changesBenefits enrollment and processing errors
Source: Vendr buyer database — median calculated from 0 real purchase transactions. Savings figure reflects negotiated discounts reported by buyers.
Visit Gusto Benefits Pricing

How Gusto Benefits Pricing Compares

Software Starting Price Top Price
Gusto Benefits Free $180/base fee + per employee/month
Bambee $99/per month $299/per month
Ease Free $6/per month
Justworks $8/per employee/month $599/per employee/month
Zenefits $8/per employee/month $27/per employee/month

Browse all Benefits Administration pricing →

4 Gusto Benefits Hidden Costs Beyond the List Price

Beyond the listed price, Gusto Benefits has at least 4 documented hidden costs that can significantly increase total cost of ownership.

Watch for 4 hidden costs
  • Tax Compliance Errors and Penalties $5,000-$50,000
    critical 3 sources
    Trustpilot "After walking through there setup for my payroll deductions, I was hit with a $XX k bill for unpaid taxes. This was the whole idea of hiring a payroll company...."
    Trustpilot "Does not support Portland Metro taxes. State tax setup not completed correctly."
    Trustpilot "No idea if tax withholding is correct as it's so complicated and non intuitive."
  • Customer Support Wait Time and Inefficiency 10-20% of license costs
    high 4 sources
    Trustpilot "Support is not well trained and takes too long to resolve issues. They basically just refer you to support articles r..."
    Trustpilot "impossible to communicate with anyone from Gusto - you could only ever talk to a useless bot."
    Trustpilot "I've been waiting 6 hours for a simple answer to what date is my Health insurance open enrollment."
    Trustpilot "if you need to call customer service for anything, you will be on the phone, mostly on hold for an hour minimum. Customer service does not seem to know their own product."
  • Benefits Administration Errors 5-15% of license costs
    high 2 sources
    Trustpilot "When signing up for benefits, all of my information was input correctly (I double checked!). But when I received my health insurance cards my..."
    Trustpilot "Extremely bad experience with Benefits accounts and with Customer Support. My Childcare couldn't receive payment via check as it was voided and Gusto Customer Support can't help me."
  • Payroll Timing Delays Around Holidays 5-10% of license costs
    medium 1 source
    Trustpilot "Gusto is a pro at not sending people their money after a holiday. If that holiday falls on a Wednesday or Friday, you can expect to receive your money no earlier than the following Tuesday."
Tip

Ask your Gusto Benefits sales rep about these costs upfront. Getting them in writing before signing can save you from surprise charges later.

Full hidden costs breakdown →

Intelligence sourced from 2 independent sources
Trustpilot Consumer reviews Vendr Verified buyer transactions
Key claims include inline source attribution. Data verified against multiple independent sources. 15 source citations total.

Gusto Benefits Contract Terms

Gusto Benefits contracts do not auto-renew. Changes require advance notice. These terms are sourced from verified buyer experiences.

Contract Terms
Price Escalation 10-20% of license costs
Based on 4 verified sources

Gusto Benefits Pricing FAQ

01 Is benefits administration included in Gusto's base pricing?

Basic benefits features are included, but integrating health insurance plans costs an additional $6 per employee per month. Tax-advantaged accounts (HSA, FSA, commuter benefits) also have separate per-participant fees.

02 What's the total cost for Gusto with full benefits?

For the Simple plan, you'd pay $49 base + $6/employee for payroll + $6/employee for health insurance + additional fees for HSA/FSA if needed. For a 10-person company, this would be $49 + $120 = $169/month base, plus any HSA/FSA fees.

03 Can I use Gusto just for benefits administration without payroll?

No, Gusto's benefits administration is bundled with their payroll service. You cannot purchase benefits administration separately.

04 Is Gusto tax withholding accurate?

Multiple users report tax compliance issues with Gusto, including incomplete state tax setups, unexpected tax bills despite correct payroll deduction configuration, and lack of support for certain regional taxes like Portland Metro taxes. Some users describe the tax withholding system as 'complicated and non-intuitive' with uncertainty about whether deductions are correct.

05 How long does Gusto customer support take?

Users consistently report hour-long wait times as standard, with some waiting 6+ hours for simple answers. Multiple reviews indicate support staff primarily refer users to help articles rather than resolving issues directly, and tickets requiring escalation can take weeks or months to resolve.

06 Does Gusto delay payroll after holidays?

Yes, users report that when holidays fall on Wednesday or Friday, payments may be delayed until the following Tuesday, regardless of the actual pay date schedule. This appears to be a recurring issue affecting timely employee payments.

07 How difficult is it to make changes in Gusto after setup?

Several users report that while initial setup is easy, making changes after configuration is difficult. The interface for adding bonus payments or adjusting tax withholding is described as 'nigh on impossible' to navigate while ensuring correct tax treatment. Recent timesheet interface updates have also made workflow significantly more complex.

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