Every Gusto plan explained — plus what buyers actually pay after negotiation
| Feature | GustoBest Pick | Best Gusto Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Starter Plan | $40/month + $6/employee | $80/month minimum (~$8/employee) |
| Pro Plan | $120/month + $12/employee | Custom (typically $10–$14/employee) |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom |
| Free Trial | 14 days, no credit card required | 14 days, credit card required |
Gusto is a full-service payroll, benefits, and HR platform designed for small to mid-sized businesses. It automates payroll processing, tax filings, employee onboarding, time tracking, and health insurance administration, making it ideal for growing teams that want to streamline HR operations without hiring specialists.
Pricing: Gusto offers three main plans: Simple (free for the first 3 months, then $40/month + $6/employee), Core ($40/month + $6/employee), and Complete ($120/month + $12/employee). Enterprise pricing is custom. Most customers start with Core and upgrade as they add benefits and advanced HR features.
Rippling combines payroll, HR, IT, and benefits in a unified platform, offering deeper automation and scalability at a competitive price. It's ideal for fast-growing companies that want to sync employee data across systems from day one.
Pricing: Starting at $8/employee per month (minimum $80/month), with bundled HR, payroll, and device management.
Gusto starts at $40/month plus $6 per employee for the Core plan. The Complete plan is $120/month plus $12 per employee. For a team of 10, that’s $100/month on Core and $240/month on Complete. Prices drop slightly with annual commitments.
Gusto offers a free payroll-only tier for the first 3 months (up to 10 employees). After that, it reverts to the Core plan pricing. There is no permanent free plan, but the trial is fully featured and requires no credit card.
Yes, for most small to mid-sized businesses. The time saved on payroll, tax filing, and HR administration typically offsets the cost. Customers report 5–10 hours saved per pay period. However, companies over 50 employees may get better value from more scalable platforms like Rippling.
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