What people complain about in Gusto
38 reported problems name Gusto as what the person is currently using. Below is what they said was missing, and what they resorted to instead.
- Complaints
- 38
- Avg severity
- 3.2/5
- Would pay to fix
- 3
- Industries
- 5
What they wish it did
Capabilities people described needing that Gusto does not give them, taken from the highest-scoring problems first. These are individual accounts written in each person’s own terms, so two entries may describe the same underlying gap in different words.
- Automated 1099 data aggregation and filing that replaces error-prone manual spreadsheets
- Mobile invoicing and dashboard app for all-in-one back-office platform
- Truly automated tax-ready record preparation with minimal manual intervention
- Flexible asset write-off rules configurable by vehicle ownership and actual business use
- Automated payroll calculation software that handles tax deductions and compliance
- Reliable time tracking app with persistent sessions and automatic save
- An integrated platform that combines scheduling, unlimited messaging, and payroll without per-user add-ons
- Health insurance comparison and recommendation tool for small businesses tying into payroll
- Automated tip data sync from field service management to payroll
- Configurable tip split calculation engine
- Bulk import of tip amounts into payroll system
- A payroll platform that processes data submitted by the accountant without taking over client relationships
- Accounting+pPayroll hybrid with multi-company support and transparent pricing
- Integrated commuter benefits management with reimbursement upload
- Automated tax rate processing that eliminates manual adjustment steps after document upload
- Automated payroll software with affordable pricing for micro-businesses
- Tax calculation and compliance tools for small-scale operations
- A simplified hiring platform that walks the owner through each step and offers professional assistance
- Automated FSA reconciliation tool that integrates payroll data and applies complex benefit rules
- Software that generates accurate accounting entries for FSA liabilities and forfeitures
- Dashboard for tracking FSA compliance deadlines and rollover calculations
- Automated time tracking that syncs job-level hours with both job costing and payroll, including drive time compensation
- Integrated time logging and payroll system that eliminates manual data entry
- Simplified bookkeeping software without unnecessary features like invoicing and inventory
- Payroll software that handles tax form generation without holding or remitting tax payments
What they do instead
The manual processes people built around the gap. A long workaround list is the strongest evidence a problem is real: someone is already paying for it in time. Where several people described the same workaround, it is marked.
- 4 peoplecalculating payroll by hand
- uses spreadsheet to track contractor payments
- uses desktop-only access because invoicing is unavailable on phone
- personally prepares tax-ready records despite automation promises
- must seek outside advice to write off a work-only van because platform only allows mileage
- re-logging in repeatedly
- re-entering clock records that failed to save
- Runs Deputy and Breakroom side-by-side to combine scheduling and messaging
- Imports Deputy schedule into Breakroom manually so staff use one app
- Owners spend hours matching invoice payments to dispatch logs on spreadsheets
- Running the math on tip splits manually using spreadsheets
- Typing tip amounts into Gusto payroll by hand
- Uses QuickBooks desktop even though frustrated because alternatives don't meet needs
- Spent hours researching and calling vendors but found none suitable
- Manually tracking commuter benefits outside of Gusto
- manually adjusting tax rates after uploading changes
- manually reconciling FSA accounts annually after claim periods
- using Gusto reports without clear accounting guidance
- tracking liabilities in a register with incomplete entries (e.g., missing forfeitures)
- technicians log hours in Knowify per job and also clock in/out in Gusto, requiring duplicate data entry
Industries
The problems themselves
Highest opportunity score first.
Missed 1099s during tax filing due to reliance on spreadsheets, leading to IRS audit and penalties.
5CriticalGeneral Business ServicesTax Preparation & Strategy1099ShieldA single-member LLC owner is frustrated with their current all-in-one back-office platform due to missing mobile invoicing, poor customer service, slow tax filing, and rigid expense policies, and wants personalized setup for tax optimization and bookkeeping.
4HighAccounting & BookkeepingFinancial ManagementSoloLedger Tax & Bookkeeping ConciergeThe business owner is manually calculating payroll, which is time-consuming and error-prone.
3MediumGeneral Business ServicesFinancial ManagementPayrollPro AutoCalcGusto's benefits management is highly error-prone with poor customer service, and its payroll service is not fully compliant with California labor law.
4HighGeneral Business ServicesFinancial ManagementComplyPay ProGusto's recent timesheet interface update has made finding and switching between timesheets significantly more difficult and time-consuming for users.
4HighGeneral Business ServicesTime TrackingTimeSheetFlowGusto's time tracking app requires constant re-logins and frequently fails to save clock records, disrupting payroll and employee trust.
4HighGeneral Business ServicesSoftware PerformanceTimeLock ProPayroll app fails to process payments on time and has banking connection issues, causing paycheck delays of up to a week.
4HighPayroll ServicesPayroll ManagementPaySync GuaranteedPayroll software Gusto has poor customer support, bugs, and integration issues with QuickBooks Online, making payroll and tax compliance painful.
4HighAccounting & BookkeepingPayroll ManagementPayrollSync ProSmall accounting firm is drowning in manual payroll compliance work for ~100 clients because their current software lacks automatic filings and payments.
4HighAccounting & BookkeepingPayroll ManagementPayrollComply HubHospitality operations manager needs affordable workforce communication, scheduling, and payroll tools but existing platforms like Deputy bundle features at high per-user cost or lack essential functionality like group chat.
4HighRestaurants & Food ServiceScheduling & DispatchShiftConnect HubA self-employed founder of a small C-corp struggles to find affordable, decent health insurance for 2 employees, navigating between marketplace plans and PEOs.
4HighGeneral Business ServicesAdministrative OverloadBenefitMatchHome service business owners manually match digital tips from Jobber/Housecall Pro to Gusto payroll because the systems don't sync, costing hours of spreadsheet work every week.
4HighHome ServicesPayroll ManagementTipSync Payroll ConnectSmall business accountant needs a payroll system that supports multi-client management, transparent pricing, and basic accounting features without the frustrations of QuickBooks.
4HighAccounting & BookkeepingPayroll ManagementMultiClient Payroll HubGusto does not support commuter benefits access or reimbursement upload, forcing manual tracking.
3MediumGeneral Business ServicesBenefits ManagementCommuteFlowGusto's payroll tax rate change process requires manual adjustment instead of automatic updates, creating frustration and potential errors.
3MediumAccounting & BookkeepingFinancial ManagementTaxSync Auto-AdjustA small business owner with one employee needs to calculate payroll manually due to the high cost of existing payroll software, risking errors and significant time investment.
3MediumGeneral Business ServicesFinancial ManagementPayrollPennySmall business owner finds hiring process confusing and wants to outsource or simplify it.
3MediumHome ServicesRecruitment & StaffingHireMate ProGusto's payroll system is overly complicated and non-intuitive for handling special payments like bonuses, making it difficult to ensure correct tax withholding.
3MediumGeneral Business ServicesFinancial ManagementBonusFlow PayrollAn accountant struggles to properly reconcile Flexible Spending Account (FSA) benefits due to complex rules around front-loading, rollovers, forfeitures, and claim periods, lacking clear accounting entries and tracking methods.
3MediumAccounting & BookkeepingFinancial ManagementFSA Reconciler ProI need an easy way for technicians to log hours that syncs job-level time tracking with payroll, while fairly accounting for drive time between jobs.
3MediumConstructionPayroll ManagementJobClock Sync
Read this fairly
These are complaints, and only complaints — nobody posts to say their software worked. A high count mostly reflects how many people use Gusto at all, so this page is not a quality judgement and should not be read as one. What it is good for is the shape of the gaps: the specific jobs people could not get done, which are the same whether the tool is popular or not.