Gusto Review 2026: Full Tour of a Real Account
Every section of Gusto from inside a real small-business account, what it costs, and how to get $100 when you sign up.
Written guide
Inside a real Gusto account
This is a full tour of Gusto payroll from inside a real small business account. You'll see what every section does, what it costs, and how to get a hundred dollars when you sign up.
Real Gusto account
Everything you'll see is a real account. Names, bank details and dollar amounts are blurred for privacy.
The Home dashboard
When you log in, you land on Home. The menu on the left is where everything lives: People, Pay, Reports, Taxes, Time, Benefits, Documents, and Money.
Upcoming payroll deadlines
On the right, Gusto shows what's coming up, like your next payroll deadline, so nothing sneaks up on you.
People: your whole team
People is your team list. Every employee and contractor has a profile with their job title, pay, and tax forms.
Add a person
To hire someone, tap Add, then Add a person. Gusto emails them to enter their own details, sign their W-4 and I-9, and set up direct deposit, so you're not chasing paperwork.
Pay: every way to pay people
Pay is where you run payroll. Besides regular payroll, you can pay contractors, run an off-cycle payroll for a bonus, or fix a payroll mistake.
Payroll on AutoPilot
There's also AutoPilot. Turn it on, and payroll runs automatically on schedule.
Pay history
Every payroll you've run is saved in Pay history, with the pay period, the funding account, and the status.
Pay contractors too
Paying contractors works the same way. Gusto collects their W-9 during onboarding and files their 1099s at the end of the year.
Unlimited payroll runs
On every plan, payroll runs are unlimited, and Gusto calculates, files, and pays your payroll taxes for you, including W-2s and 1099s.
Taxes & compliance
Taxes and compliance shows your tax accounts, the filings Gusto has already made, and your next filing date.
Tax documents in one place
Quick links take you straight to your tax documents, exemptions, and W-2 settings.
Reports
Reports has ready-made reports like the payroll journal, which your accountant will love, plus custom reports and payroll trends.
Time tracking add-on
Time and attendance lets employees clock in from their phone, and their hours sync straight into payroll. On the Simple plan it's an add-on.
Benefits
Benefits is where you can offer health insurance and 401k plans, with the deductions handled automatically in payroll.
Documents
Documents stores every signed form: offer letters, W-4s, I-9s, direct deposit forms, and W-2s.
Hiring toolkit
The Hiring section adds offer letters, background checks, and onboarding checklists.
Gusto Money
And Gusto Money lets you send payments, upload bills, and create invoices from the same account.
Simple: $49/mo + $6/person
Now pricing. The Simple plan is forty-nine dollars a month plus six dollars per person. Plus is eighty dollars plus twelve per person, and adds next-day direct deposit and multi-state payroll. Premium is one hundred eighty plus twenty-two.
No long-term contracts
There are no long-term contracts, and setup is free.
Get $100
If you're signing up, use the link in the description. You'll get a hundred dollars after you run your first payroll. Terms apply.
Get $100 with Gusto
Sign up with our link and run your first payroll