Gusto Free Trial: What You Actually Get Before Paying
Let's cut to the chase: Gusto doesn't offer a traditional time-limited free trial. Instead, they use a "free until you run payroll" model. You can set up your account, explore every feature, onboard employees, and poke around the entire platform without paying anything. The moment you hit that "Run Payroll" button? That's when billing starts.
If you're comparing this to competitors who give you 30 days and then cut you off, Gusto's approach is actually more useful. You get unlimited time to set everything up properly rather than rushing through a trial period. Want to check it out? Create a free Gusto account here and see how it works.
How Gusto's Free Setup Actually Works
Here's what you can do without paying:
- Create your account – No credit card required to sign up
- Set up your company details – Enter your business info, tax details, and payroll schedule
- Explore all features – Time tracking, reporting, benefits administration, integrations
- Add employees and contractors – Enter their information and let them self-onboard
- Test the interface – Run through the motions of how payroll would work
- Connect integrations – Link QuickBooks, Xero, time tracking tools, etc.
Gusto states clearly: "You won't pay a cent until you're ready to run payroll." The free setup period has no time limit. You could technically keep an account set up for months before deciding to pull the trigger on your first payroll run.
What Happens After You Run Your First Payroll
Once you actually run payroll, you're on a paid plan. Here's Gusto's current pricing structure:
| Plan | Base Price | Per Employee | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple | $40/month | $6/month | Single-state payroll, small teams |
| Plus | $80/month | $12/month | Multi-state, growing businesses |
| Premium | $180/month | $22/month | Complex needs, dedicated support |
| Contractor Only | $35/month | $6/contractor | Only paying 1099 workers |
For a 10-person company on the Simple plan, you're looking at $40 + (10 × $6) = $100/month. On Plus, that same team costs $200/month. Not cheap, but you get unlimited payroll runs and no surprise fees for things like off-cycle payments or tax filings.
For a detailed breakdown, check out our Gusto pricing guide or Gusto cost analysis.
Ways to Extend Your Free Period
There are a few legitimate ways to get more free time with Gusto:
Time & Attendance Plus Trial
If you're on the Simple plan and want to test time tracking features, Gusto offers their Time & Attendance Plus add-on free for up to 2 billing cycles. After the trial, it costs $6 per user per month. This isn't a full Gusto trial—it's specifically for the time tracking upgrade.
Partner Promotions
Through certain partners like Synder Perks, you can sometimes find promotional offers for extended free trials (up to 3 months on some deals). These partnerships come and go, so it's worth checking if any current promotions exist when you sign up.
Contractor Only Plan Discount
If you only need to pay contractors, Gusto has offered promotional pricing of $0/month base fee for the first 6 months (you'd still pay the $6 per contractor). This effectively makes it a 6-month free trial for the base fee, though it may not always be available.
What Gusto Doesn't Give You for Free
Be realistic about limitations:
- No demo payroll runs – You can't test running actual payroll without triggering billing
- No free plan exists – Unlike some competitors, there's no permanently free tier
- Benefits require setup – Health insurance administration is free through Gusto as broker, but you still pay premiums
- Add-ons cost extra – R&D tax credits, state tax registration, priority support (on lower plans) are additional fees
Is Gusto's Free Setup Better Than a Traditional Trial?
It depends on your situation.
It's better if:
- You want to take your time setting up properly
- You're not ready to commit to a specific payroll start date
- You want your employees to self-onboard before you start paying
- You need time to compare features across multiple providers
A traditional trial would be better if:
- You want to test actual payroll processing before committing
- You need to evaluate the end-to-end experience (including how direct deposits work)
- You're switching providers and want to run parallel payrolls temporarily
How Gusto Compares to Competitor Free Trials
Here's what other payroll providers offer:
- Square Payroll – One-month free trial included
- ADP Run – 30 days for contractor setup, no full free trial
- Paychex – No free trial, but often has promotional discounts
- QuickBooks Payroll – No free trial, has free plan limited to 10 employees (core features only)
Gusto's approach of unlimited free setup actually compares favorably since you're not racing against a clock. But competitors like Square Payroll let you actually run test payrolls during their trial.
If you're choosing between payroll providers, we've compared Gusto head-to-head with major competitors:
Step-by-Step: Getting Started with Gusto Free
Ready to explore Gusto without paying? Here's the process:
- Create your account – Visit Gusto's signup page and enter your email. No credit card needed.
- Enter company information – Business name, EIN, address, banking details, payroll schedule
- Add team members – Input employee/contractor information or invite them to self-onboard
- Set up tax info – Federal and state tax details for your business
- Configure pay rates and schedules – Hourly vs salary, pay periods, etc.
- Explore features – Check out time tracking, benefits, reporting, integrations
- Choose a plan when ready – Only then do you start paying
The entire setup can take anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours depending on how complex your payroll situation is. Take your time—there's no rush during the free period.
Is Gusto Worth It After the Free Period?
After using Gusto through the free setup and running payroll, here's the verdict:
Gusto is worth it if:
- You're a small to mid-sized business (under 100 employees)
- You want an all-in-one platform for payroll + HR + benefits
- You value an intuitive interface over enterprise features
- You're okay paying a premium for a smooth experience
Look elsewhere if:
- You have complex global payroll needs (Gusto Global is still limited)
- You need deep integrations with enterprise systems like SAP or Oracle
- You're extremely price-sensitive and have very simple payroll
- You need 24/7 phone support on cheaper plans
Gusto holds the top spot for payroll on G2 and reports a 4.5/5 average rating from customers. Users praise the interface and time savings—one testimonial mentioned reducing monthly payroll time from a full day to under an hour.
For more details on actual user experiences, read our Gusto reviews and in-depth Gusto review.
Bottom Line
Gusto's "free until you run payroll" model is actually pretty generous for getting set up and exploring the platform. You can take as long as you need without a ticking clock. The downside is you can't test actual payroll processing before committing to a paid plan.
For most small businesses, the free setup period provides enough time to evaluate whether Gusto is the right fit. And at $40/month + $6/employee for the basic plan, it's competitively priced for what you get.
Remember: no credit card, no contract, cancel anytime after you start paying. Set it up, explore the features, and only commit when you're ready to actually run payroll.