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Accounting

Gusto

Gusto is a cloud-based payroll, HR, and benefits platform purpose-built for small and mid-sized businesses in the US. Founded in 2011 as ZenPayroll and rebranded in 2015, Gusto serves 400,000+ businesses with full-service payroll (including multi-state, contractor, and prevailing wage), automated federal/state/local tax filing, benefits administration (health, dental, vision, 401k, workers comp), employee onboarding, time tracking, scheduling, compliance tools, and HR reporting. It integrates natively with QuickBooks and Xero and offers a developer API for embedded payroll. Construction trades, HVAC, plumbing, and electrical contractors use Gusto to pay mixed W-2 and 1099 crews, automate new-hire reporting, and push labor costs to their accounting software.

major★★★★½4.6(11,000)G2★★★★½4.6(4,210)CapterraPlumbingElectricalHVACRoofingTradeAtlas verified· Jul 2026

Product Tour

Use Cases

  • Running weekly payroll for field crews with multiple pay rates
  • Paying and filing 1099s for subcontractors automatically
  • Administering workers comp and benefits for small contractor teams
  • Syncing labor costs to QuickBooks for accurate job costing
  • Onboarding new hires with digital I-9/W-4 and state new-hire reporting
  • Tracking employee time by project for accurate payroll and billing
  • Complying with prevailing wage requirements on public construction projects

Pricing

Starting at
$35/mo
Transparency
Pricing published
Contract
Month-to-month
Simple Plan

Single-state payroll, unlimited runs, automated tax filing, basic PTO tracking. $49/mo + $6/mo per person.

Plus Plan

Multi-state payroll, next-day direct deposits, built-in time tracking, scheduling, hiring tools. $89/mo + $14/mo per person.

Premium Plan

Dedicated service advisor, certified HR experts, advanced performance management, priority support. $180/mo + $22/mo per person.

Contractor Only

Unlimited contractor payments and automated 1099 filing for businesses with no W-2 employees. $35/mo base + $6/mo per contractor.

Capability Matrix

FeatureStatusDepth
PayrollYesAdvanced
Time TrackingYesStandard
SchedulingYesStandard
Reporting DashboardYesStandard
QuickBooks SyncYesAdvanced
API AccessYesAdvanced
Zapier IntegrationYesStandard
Safety ChecklistsPartialBasic
Job CostingPartialStandard
InvoicingNoBasic
EstimatingNoBasic
CRM / Customer ManagementNoBasic
Proposals & QuotesNoBasic
DispatchNoBasic
Route OptimizationNoBasic
GPS TrackingNoBasic
Inventory ManagementNoBasic
Asset ManagementNoBasic
PricebookNoBasic
Flat Rate PricingNoBasic

Strengths

  • Full-service payroll with automated federal, state, and local tax filing
  • Handles both W-2 employees and 1099 contractors in one platform
  • Native QuickBooks and Xero sync for job costing
  • Built-in benefits administration including health insurance, 401k, and workers comp
  • Strong compliance hub with new-hire state reporting and compliance task tracking
  • 180+ third-party integrations
  • User-friendly mobile app for both employers and employees
  • Prevailing wage payroll support for public works contractors

Best Fit

Small and mid-sized contractors running a mix of W-2 employees and 1099 subcontractors who need full-service payroll, automated tax compliance, and benefits administration without a dedicated HR team.

Typical clientssolo operators up to mid-size shops (21–100)
Platform weightHeavyweight — deep feature set, industry-standard footprint
Cost signalFrom $35/mo published

Sized and priced for small operations — large shops may outgrow it.

SoloSmall teamsMid-size