
Software picks from the field
Run the crew.Not the software.
Payroll, books, and hours, picked by an owner who runs a landscaping crew on them. Every page says where its facts came from.
Running payroll
- Hours in from Jobber
- Pay calculated
- Taxes withheld
- Paying 8 people
- Books updated
Monthly cost, 8 people
September 2026
| Gusto Simple | $97 |
| QuickBooks Payroll | $106 |
| Gusto Plus | $176 |
| QuickBooks Premium | $192 |
Bank feed
- GUSTO NET PAYWages$9,842.16
- GUSTO TAXPayroll taxes$3,127.40
Screens recreated with example data
The problem
Twelve tabs. Three sales pages. No straight answer.
Picking software shouldn’t take a free afternoon and a demo call. Owner Atlas puts the price, the catch, and the source on one page.
$49 + $6/person
or $50 + $7??
does it need QuickBooks too?
Before: twelve tabs and a sticky note
Picking your stack
- Payroll: Gusto
- Books: QuickBooks Online
- Hours: Jobber
- Price at 8 people: $97/mo
After: one page with the answer
How my stack fits together
Follow one paycheck from the job site to the books.
Hours
Payroll
Taxes
Books
Hours
Jobber
The crew clocks in on the job. Before each payroll, I pull their hours over.
Timesheets
Sep 1 – Sep 14
- Maria L. · 80 hrsApproved
- James R. · 76 hrsApproved
- Ana P. · 64 hrsNeeds review
Payroll
Gusto
Hours go in, Gusto works out pay and taxes, and the crew gets paid on payday.
Review payroll
Pay date Fri, Oct 10
- Gross pay
- $6,420.00
- Employer taxes
- $491.13
- Total debit
- $6,911.13
Taxes
Gusto
Gusto files the quarterly and annual forms. When a notice showed up, I uploaded it and they handled it.
Tax documents
Federal
- Form 941 · Q3Scheduled
- Form 941 · Q2Sent
- Form 940 · AnnualSent
Books
QuickBooks Online
Payroll lands through the bank feed, with wages and taxes in their own categories.
Bank transactions
Business checking
- GUSTO NET PAY · $9,842.16Wages
- GUSTO TAX · $3,127.40Payroll taxes
Start here
What do you need to run?
Payroll
I use thisGusto
From $49 + $6/person
Pays my crew. Files the taxes. Sorted both tax notices we got.
Read the reviewLatest
Gusto Payroll Review (2026)
Is Gusto a good payroll company? I’ve run my crew’s payroll on Gusto since 2024: what Gusto payroll costs, how it works, how it handled two tax notices, the downsides, and who should pick something else.
Gusto vs QuickBooks Payroll
Gusto vs QuickBooks Payroll priced at your team size, what each includes and charges extra for, and how to run Gusto with QuickBooks for your books.
How to set up Gusto payroll
Every screen of Gusto’s setup in order, what to have ready, and the two mistakes that got me tax notices. My setup took about an hour.
How to run your first payroll in Gusto
Run your first Gusto payroll: find your deadline, enter hours and bonuses, check the withdrawal, and submit by 4 pm PT. Plus the $100 fee and 4-day wait that catch first-timers.
Biweekly payroll: how it works and how to set it up
How biweekly payroll works: 26 paydays a year (27 in some years), how to convert salaries, why overtime is counted by the week, which months get three paychecks, and how to set it up.
How to connect Gusto to QuickBooks Online
Connect Gusto to QuickBooks Online step by step: the accounts to create, how to map them, matching bank transactions so payroll isn’t counted twice, and how to fix duplicates. Plus the bank-feed method if you skip the sync.
Best payroll software for small business
The best payroll software and payroll programs for small businesses, priced at your team size: Gusto, OnPay, Square Payroll, and QuickBooks Payroll, compared by an owner who runs payroll every pay period.
Best payroll software for landscaping companies
Payroll for landscaping companies, picked by an owner with a 20–25 person summer crew: seasonal layoffs and rehires, driver pay rates, overtime, and what each costs at your crew size.
Best business phone systems for small business
The best business phone systems for small businesses, compared by an owner who has run Quo, Google Voice, and Grasshopper: real per-user costs, texting limits, team features, and porting your number.
Gusto pricing
What Gusto costs, plan by plan, from an owner who pays for it. Every add-on and fee included.
Pick once. Get back to work.
$100 Visa gift card after your first payroll, through my referral link.