Gusto

Gusto is a payroll and HR platform built for small businesses, with specific support for multi-location and franchise operations — automated tax filing and compliance across states, hourly and salaried payroll, contractor payments, and benefits administration (health insurance, FSAs, 401(k), commuter benefits) in one system. For a wellness franchisee running one location or a franchisor managing HR guidance across many, the appeal is consolidating payroll, tax compliance, and benefits into a single vendor rather than stitching together separate tools. Multi-state payroll requires the Plus or Premium tier rather than the base plan; confirm which tier you need before comparing pricing against ADP or Paychex, which target larger, more complex organizations.

Reviewed by Miles Sutherland, Vendors & Equipment Editor