Gusto

Payroll and HR for small businesses — Gus AI assistant, automated tax filing, and 75+ new features for 2026.

AI Business Tools
Visit Tool Compare

About Gusto

Gusto is the small-business payroll and HR platform that wins on simplicity, value, and AI features for teams under 100 employees. Gus, the new 2026 AI assistant, handles HR questions, pulls payroll reports, approves time-off, and surfaces company-specific insights — all in plain English. Beyond Gus, Gusto added 75 new SMB features in 2026: AI-guided S corp election, AI benefits package optimization, and deep automation of payroll, tax filing, onboarding, and benefits. Plans: Simple ($49/mo + $6/person), Plus ($80/mo + $12/person), Premium ($180/mo + $22/person).

Key Features

Gus AI assistant for plain-English HR + payroll questions
Full-service payroll with automated tax filing
Self-serve onboarding (I-9, W-4, direct deposit, docs)
AI-guided S corp election advisory
AI benefits package optimization
Time-off, hiring, and benefits management
150+ integrations (QuickBooks, Slack, Xero, etc.)
Premium tier with HR resources and dedicated support

Use Cases

Run full-service payroll with automatic tax filing
Handle paperless new-hire onboarding end-to-end
Ask Gus plain-English HR questions
Optimize benefits packages with AI
Get AI-guided S corp election advice
Sync payroll data into QuickBooks or Xero

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Wins on simplicity for SMBs under 100 employees
  • Gus AI is a real productivity boost on HR questions
  • Strong tax filing automation — minimal compliance worry
  • Transparent pricing with no surprise add-ons

Cons

  • Less depth than Rippling for mid-market
  • International payroll limited vs Deel
  • Premium plan necessary for HR depth and dedicated support
  • Some advanced workflows still feel SMB-first