Gusto uses month-to-month, per-person pricing with no contracts. The Contractor Only plan runs $35/month plus $6 per contractor (currently $0/month base for the first 6 months), while Simple, Plus, and Premium are billed per active employee.
Gusto's Contractor Only plan costs $35/month plus $6 per contractor, and a limited-time offer drops the base to $0/month for your first 6 months. Simple, Plus, and Premium are month-to-month plans billed per active person.
Here's a closer look at each option.
Contractor Only
Price: $35/month plus $6 per contractor (limited-time offer: $0/month base for the first 6 months)
Best For: Contractor-only businesses that haven't hired W-2 employees yet
Other Features:
- Domestic contractor payments
- 4-day pay
- Form 1099 creation and filings
- No backup withholding or plan add-ons, aside from global contractor payments
If you work with freelancers but haven't hired employees, this plan covers the essentials. Better yet, you're only billed for contractors in months when you actually pay them.
Simple
Other Features:
- Unlimited payroll runs, including off-cycle runs at no extra cost
- Federal, state, and local tax filings handled for you
- Payroll on AutoPilot plus employee and employer mobile apps
- Domestic contractor payments included
- Optional Priority Support add-on for $30/month plus $3 per person
Simple covers the fundamentals without features you may not need yet. It's a dependable starting point if you want solid payroll with basic support.
Plus
Other Features:
- Everything in Simple
- Expenses and reimbursements included
- Workforce cost reports
- Unlimited custom earning types
- Optional Priority Support add-on for $30/month plus $3 per person
Plus makes sense when you need better visibility into labor costs. You can track custom pay types and reimbursements without moving to the top tier.
Premium
Other Features:
- Everything in Plus
- Unlimited custom admin roles
- Priority Support and a Dedicated Service Advisor included
- Health insurance broker integration at no extra cost
Premium suits growing teams that want hands-on help. A dedicated advisor and faster support come standard, which helps when HR admin eats up your week.
Gusto Solo
Best For: S corp owners who need to pay themselves compliantly
Other Features:
- Pay-yourself payroll
- Tax-saving solutions
Solo keeps things simple for owner-only S corps that want to pay themselves the right way.
A few things worth knowing: every plan includes unlimited payroll runs, and you're only charged for active employees. There are no contracts — Gusto is month-to-month, so you can upgrade, downgrade, or cancel anytime (downgrades start at the next billing period). Setup is free, and you can tailor your plan with add-ons like global contractor payments, state tax registration, time tracking, HR tools, and health benefits. Tax-advantaged accounts such as HSAs, FSAs, dependent care FSAs, and commuter benefits carry one $200 annual service charge.
Since per-person rates for Simple, Plus, and Premium aren't shown on this page, confirm current pricing at checkout before you sign up.
