Payroll · Recommended
Gusto Review
The modern SMB payroll favorite — best affiliate economics in the entire WrenchStack universe ($300-$1,000+ per signup via PartnerStack)
Quick verdict
Gusto is best for Modern SMB trades shops with 2-25 W-2 employees + optional 1099 subcontractors who want self-service payroll, automatic tax filing, and integrated employee benefits without the complexity of ADP-tier enterprise systems. Pricing: $40/mo base + $6/employee on Simple; $80/mo + $12/employee on Plus; custom on Premium. Per-employee pricing climbs at scale, limited customization for unusual pay structures, some FSM-integration gaps with smaller platforms, support response has slowed slightly in 2025 — but for typical SMB trades the combination of features + affiliate economics is unmatched.
About Gusto
Gusto is the modern SMB payroll platform that contractors with employees consistently recommend to each other — and the platform with the single highest affiliate-payout economics in the entire WrenchStack universe ($300-$1,000 per signup via PartnerStack with stacking incentives). What sets Gusto apart structurally: it was built for SMB-without-HR-staff use cases (no minimum employee count, no per-call sales team required, full self-service onboarding), the tax-filing automation actually works (federal + state + local withholdings, year-end W-2 and 1099 issuance, quarterly filings — all automatic), and the contractor + W-2 mixed-workforce handling is genuinely good (most trades shops have a mix of W-2 employees and 1099 subcontractors, and Gusto handles both cleanly).
The market position: Gusto serves the segment of SMB contractors who have outgrown 'I write personal checks to my one employee' but haven't reached 'I need ADP's enterprise complexity.' For a 2-15 employee trades shop, Gusto's combination of features (payroll + tax filing + employee benefits + time tracking + onboarding) at $40-$80/mo base + $6-$12/employee is structurally well-priced compared to legacy alternatives (ADP, Paychex) that often run 2-3x more for comparable feature breadth. The Plus tier ($80/mo + $12/employee) includes the time tracking and PTO management most growing trades shops eventually need.
Reddit and small-business-forum sentiment on Gusto is consistently strong. The common refrains: 'paying employees actually works,' 'tax filing automation is the killer feature,' 'support responds to email within hours,' 'the onboarding workflow makes new hires feel professional.' The criticisms — and they exist — concentrate around: (a) limited customization for shops with unusual pay structures (multiple per-job pay rates, complex commission structures), (b) some integration depth gaps with smaller FSM platforms (the major ones are covered — Jobber, Housecall Pro, QuickBooks — but specialty FSM may need Zapier), (c) pricing increases as company grows (the $40 base + $6/employee math is competitive at 5 employees, less so at 25+).
The affiliate program is the standout in this entire directory. Gusto runs through PartnerStack with documented per-signup payouts of $300-$1,000 depending on tier and stacking bonuses. Top affiliate partners can earn recurring revenue share on top of the per-signup bonus. For editorial publishers, Gusto's affiliate economics are 5-10x better than typical SMB-software affiliates — and importantly, the product genuinely deserves the recommendations the affiliate program incentivizes. Aligned commercial incentives + strong product is the rare combination that lets WrenchStack recommend without ethical compromise.
How it works
Sign up on Gusto's website (no sales call required for Simple or Plus tiers — full self-service onboarding). Enter business info (EIN, state, bank account, employees). Gusto handles the federal + state + local tax registration where possible. Run your first payroll: enter hours (or import from time-tracking integration), Gusto calculates withholdings, you approve, employees get paid via direct deposit, tax payments process automatically. Year-end W-2s and 1099s issue automatically. Add employees, manage PTO, run reports — all in the dashboard. Integrations with QuickBooks, Xero, Jobber, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan, and most major FSM platforms push payroll data into your accounting and operational systems.
Pros & cons
What works
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Best affiliate economics in WrenchStack universe ($300-$1,000+ per signup via PartnerStack)
Documented PartnerStack program with per-signup bonuses and stacking incentives. Recurring revenue share available at higher partnership tiers. Editorial publishers can earn 5-10x more per Gusto signup than from typical SMB-software affiliates — and the product deserves the recommendation, which is what makes the alignment work.
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Self-service onboarding without sales calls
Sign up, enter your business info, run payroll same day. No 'schedule a demo' gate, no quoted-pricing-after-call, no minimum-employee thresholds. The full SMB experience is available without sales-team intermediation — a structural improvement over ADP/Paychex.
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Tax filing automation that actually works
Federal withholdings, state withholdings (in all 50 states), local taxes where applicable, quarterly 941 filings, year-end W-2 and 1099 issuance — all automatic. The few cases that require manual intervention (multi-state employees, unusual local jurisdictions) are flagged proactively in the dashboard.
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W-2 + 1099 mixed-workforce handling
Most trades shops have a mix of W-2 employees and 1099 subcontractors. Gusto handles both cleanly — same dashboard, separate compliance workflows, accurate year-end tax document generation for both. Some payroll competitors treat 1099 as an afterthought; Gusto treats it as a first-class workflow.
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Integration depth with major FSM platforms
Native or Zapier-driven integrations with QuickBooks Online/Desktop, Xero, Jobber, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan, FieldEdge, and most mid-tier FSM platforms. Payroll data flows into accounting; time-tracking data flows into payroll. The integration story is the cleanest in the SMB payroll segment.
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Employee experience is professional
Employees get a Gusto account with self-service for paystubs, W-2 access, PTO requests, benefits enrollment. The onboarding flow for new hires (I-9 + W-4 collection, direct deposit setup, handbook acknowledgment) makes a small shop feel professional in a way that paper-based or check-writing payroll doesn't.
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Health benefits + 401(k) bolt-ons available
Plus tier and above support health insurance broker tooling and 401(k) plan integration. For contractors moving from 'we don't offer benefits' to 'we offer benefits,' Gusto provides the infrastructure without requiring a separate broker relationship.
What doesn't
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Per-employee pricing climbs at scale
$6-$12/employee/mo is competitive at 5 employees, less so at 25+. A 30-employee shop on Plus tier ($80 + $12*30 = $440/mo) starts to compare unfavorably with ADP's volume-based pricing. Gusto remains a reasonable choice but the math gets tighter at scale.
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Limited customization for unusual pay structures
Multiple per-job pay rates, complex commission structures, prevailing-wage compliance (some construction projects), tipped employees with tip credit — these edge cases either don't work in Gusto or require manual workarounds. For unusual pay setups, you may need an enterprise payroll system.
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Some FSM integration gaps with smaller platforms
Major FSM platforms are well-covered. Smaller or specialty FSM platforms (some pest control specialty, some specialty pool tools, some commercial-mechanical platforms) may not have native Gusto integration and need Zapier middleware. The major-platform coverage is excellent; the long tail has gaps.
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Support quality has declined slightly in 2025
Historical support reputation was 'response within hours.' Recent (2025) forum threads describe response times stretching to 1-2 business days for non-urgent issues. Not a crisis, but a notable shift. Critical issues (failed payroll, tax filing problems) still get fast escalation.
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Some state tax registration requires manual setup
For most states, Gusto handles tax registration automatically when you onboard. For a handful (Pennsylvania local taxes, some New York City rules, complex multi-state employees), you'll need to register with the state directly before Gusto can file. The dashboard flags this clearly but it's still a setup step.
Pricing
$40/mo base + $6/employee on Simple; $80/mo + $12/employee on Plus; custom on Premium
Starting base: $40/mo + $6/employee
Affiliate disclosure: PartnerStack program with $300-$1,000+ per-signup payouts, stacking bonuses for top partners, recurring revenue share at higher tiers. Highest affiliate economics in the WrenchStack universe..
Integrations
Frequently asked
Is Gusto worth it for a 2-employee trades shop?
Yes — at $40 base + $6×2 = $52/mo, Gusto is cost-competitive with even the cheapest manual-payroll alternatives once you factor in tax-filing automation. The setup time investment (60-90 minutes) pays back within the first quarter because you're not manually filing quarterly 941s or hand-calculating withholdings.
Does Gusto handle 1099 contractors?
Yes, and well. 1099 subcontractors get their own workflow alongside W-2 employees in the same dashboard. Year-end 1099-NEC issuance is automatic. For mixed-workforce trades shops (which is most of them), the 1099 handling is one of Gusto's strongest features compared to W-2-only payroll alternatives.
How does Gusto compare to ADP?
Gusto is structurally better for SMB self-service. ADP's strength is enterprise complexity (multi-state, complex compliance, high-volume payroll) that most trades shops don't need. ADP's pricing is opaque and renewal-rate increases are widely complained about. Gusto's pricing is transparent and the product is purpose-built for SMB. Most trades shops doing $250K-$10M revenue with 2-50 employees are better served by Gusto.
What integrations matter for trades shops specifically?
QuickBooks (for accounting), Jobber/Housecall Pro/ServiceTitan (for FSM time-tracking), and Stripe (if you collect payments). Gusto has all three. Also useful: 401(k) bolt-on for shops adding retirement benefits, health insurance broker tooling for shops adding health coverage. These are differentiating features at higher tiers.
Why is the affiliate payout so high?
Customer lifetime value in SMB payroll is meaningful — Gusto retains customers for years, average revenue per customer climbs as employee count grows, and tax-filing relationships create high switching friction. Gusto's customer-acquisition economics support the per-signup payouts. The high affiliate payout is structural, not promotional.
Other payroll services
OnPay
Tier SLean SMB payroll with flat pricing — favorite of small trades shops who don't need Gusto's bolt-ons
Patriot Payroll
Tier SUltra-affordable payroll for 1-3 employee shops — cheapest tax-filing payroll in the market
Hourly.io
Tier SPayroll + pay-as-you-go workers comp combined — the only payroll service with WC built in, structurally relevant for trades
QuickBooks Payroll
Tier APayroll embedded in QuickBooks Online — convenient for QBO users, mediocre as standalone product
Square Payroll
Tier APayroll embedded in Square ecosystem — convenient for Square-POS users, narrow fit outside that context
Rippling
Tier AAll-in-one HR + IT + payroll platform — comprehensive but overkill for most trades shops