2018 Review of Gusto Payroll

From the 2018 reviews of professional payroll systems.

Gusto is a cloud-based payroll application well-suited for small to mid-sized businesses as well as accounting professionals looking to offer payroll to clients. Gusto can be accessed from any device, including smart phones and tablets.

Gusto packs a lot of features into an easy-to-use product, handling multi-state payroll, flexible payment schedules, off-cycle and bonus payrolls, and supports an unlimited number of payrolls.

Gusto offers truly automated payroll capability, with users able to set the system to run payroll automatically. Users only need login to the dashboard and make any changes or adjustments to the saved payroll data. For accountants, Gusto offers easy access to all clients from one centralized dashboard, making it easy to handle payroll for multiple clients simultaneously.

Gusto offers complete tax compliance, with tax tables available for all 50 states. Gusto also supports both local and state tax compliance, with all related payroll reports produced automatically by Gusto, with reports submitted electronically to appropriate state or local agency.

Reporting options in Gusto are fairly standard, with reports such as Payroll Journal, Benefits Reports, Employee Information, and Contractor Information available. Gusto also handles all related tax reports. Report exported is limited, though users can save payroll and related reports as a PDF if desired.

Gusto offers excellent integration capability with a variety of time tracking applications including TSheets, Deputy, Ximble, Homebase, When I work, and Time Tracker. Gusto also integrates with third-party accounting applications such as QuickBooks, Xero, and FreshBooks, as well as several other applications designed to extend product functionality.

The Paperless Onboarding process in Gusto allows new employees to quickly enter all payroll and HR related information such as contact information, bank account information for direct deposit, and W-4’s. Accounting professionals can easily assign an individual portal to their clients, who in turn can provide that same access to their employees, including time entry capability, if desired. Employers can also send digital paystubs to their employees.

Gusto offers a variety of HR tools and resources that are available in the Concierge version of the product including employee onboarding, the ability to store confidential employee documents safely online, filing of all new employee paperwork, as well as HR advice on demand. For employers that currently offer insurance and other employee benefits, Gusto can also handle the administration portion, inviting employees to enroll at the appropriate time, while also ensuring proper payroll deductions. Gusto also handles 401(k) administration, as well as various FSA options including health and dependent care, along with HSA accounts.  

Gusto’s Online Help Center offers a variety of resources for new users to take advantage of, with help aimed at new customers, admins, employees, and accountants. Each section features links to a variety of instructional articles, or users can search the features articles listed below. A search function is available to look up specific topics, and toll-free support is available to system users. Support can also be contacted via message or email from the Gusto website, and all accounting professionals that use Gusto are assigned their own partner advisor at no additional cost.  

Designed for the small to mid-sized business, as well as accounting professionals looking to offer payroll services to clients, Gusto is available in three versions; Core, Complete, and Concierge. The Core version has a base price of $39.00 per month, plus an additional $6.00 per person, per month fee. The Complete version also has a base price of $39.00 per month, and a $12.00 per person per month fee. The Concierge, the most robust version of the product has a base price of $149.00 per month and a $12.00 per person per month fee and is designed for businesses that are looking for payroll and HR functionality, along with access to an HR Resource Center. Special perks and product discounts are available for accounting professionals. Gusto also offers a free 30-day trial of the product to try out prior to purchasing.

2018 Payroll Rating – 5 Stars