Used For

• +**You're spending weekends calculating payroll taxes and still getting them wrong** → Gusto runs payroll in 10 minutes, files all tax forms automatically, zero manual calculations
• +**Employees constantly asking for pay stubs and you're emailing PDFs like it's 2005** → Self-service portal where they grab their own stubs, update their W-4s, request time off
• +**You need to run payroll twice a month but your current tool charges per run** → Unlimited payroll runs included — weekly, bi-weekly, whatever works
• +Handles multi-state payroll automatically — no researching each state's tax requirements yourself

Best For

• >You're doing payroll in spreadsheets and your accountant is tired of fixing your mistakes
• >Hit 10+ employees and realized payroll taxes are actually complicated
• >Multi-state team where you're drowning in different tax requirements

Not For

• -Solo freelancers who just need to track 1099s — this is overkill and expensive for one person
• -Companies over 100 people who need custom compliance workflows — you'll outgrow the simple setup
• -Anyone wanting a mobile app to run payroll from their phone — it's web-only and clunky on mobile

Pairs With

• *QuickBooks (where your accounting lives and syncs payroll expenses automatically)
• *Slack (where Gusto sends payroll reminders and employees complain about mandatory time tracking)
• *BambooHR (if you outgrow Gusto's basic HR features but keep it for payroll)
• *Toggl or Harvest (for time tracking until you upgrade to Gusto Plus)
• *HelloSign (for signing offer letters since Gusto's document signing is basic)

The Catch

• !The base price looks reasonable but you'll need the $80/month Plus plan for time tracking — the $40 plan is too basic for most real businesses
• !Benefits administration isn't available in all states, so you might still need another tool for health insurance
• !Once you file taxes through Gusto, modifying them is a nightmare — double-check everything before hitting submit

Bottom Line

Payroll that doesn't make you want to cry — handles taxes, direct deposits, and compliance so you can stop Googling "how to calculate FICA" at midnight.