Worry-free freelancer payroll

Freelancers help you grow your business, but juggling payroll and paperwork can get overwhelming, fast. With Gusto, you can easily onboard new hires, send and track payments, and payroll and tax filings are fully automated. Plus, you only pay for contractors in the months you pay them.

How Gusto works Create account

Easy onboarding, fast payments

Freelancer self-onboarding and two-day direct deposit will save you time and money while getting your freelancers paid fast.

We’re ready to grow with you

Whether you’re a team of two or a team of ten, Gusto is designed to grow as you grow. As you expand, you can easily add employees, upgrade your benefits, and more.

Peace of mind? Piece of cake.

With built-in compliance and automated tax filings, you can rest easy knowing your business is covered and payroll is done right.

“I appreciate being able to have the contractors fill out their own paperwork and that Gusto handles all tax and tax reporting.”

Miranda Johns

CEO of Hope in Healing LLC

customers would recommend Gusto.*

average time customers saved per year on tax and compliance work after switching to Gusto.*

agree Gusto helps them stay compliant with regulations.**

*Source: Survey of 538 Gusto Customers, September 2024, **Survey of 838 Gusto Customers, September 2024

Freelancer self-onboarding

Grow your business without growing your admin.

Gusto makes it easier than ever to hire and pay freelancers. Invite new hires to upload their W-9s and bank info and opt-in to electronic 1099 delivery. We’ll file with federal and state agencies and send out 1099s and at the end of the year—at no extra cost. Your contractors will love knowing where to find all their info come tax time, and you can rest easy knowing Gusto handles the hard stuff.

Domestic & international

Hire the talent you need, no matter where they call home.

With Gusto, you can manage your team abroad as easily as your team back home. Contractors get paid in their home currency with the click of a button, and there’s no need to juggle multiple accounts or transfer services. With support in all 50 states and 120 countries and counting, we’ve got you covered.

Flexible, transparent pricing

Get what you pay for, and then some.

Every Gusto plan includes freelancer payroll for one low, per-person fee. You get perks like unlimited payments, direct deposit, tax filing, and pay stubs with no extra fees to set up or file 1099s. We even have a Contractor Only plan for businesses without W-2 employees. When you’re ready to grow, adding employees, and even benefits, is a breeze. Plus we only charge you for contractors in the months you pay them.

What is freelancer payroll?

Payroll for freelancers is more straightforward than for full-time employees, but it can still feel complex if you’re new to hiring. Businesses are not responsible for withholding taxes, but tax forms still have to be filed with federal, and sometimes state, agencies. Domestic freelancers will need to fill out a W-9 form for the IRS, and 1099s must be filed and sent at the end of the year for anyone your business paid more than $600. The best freelancer payroll solutions should take care of any tax forms and compliance on your behalf.

How much does Gusto’s freelancer payroll service cost?

With Gusto, you’ll pay just $6 a month per contractor. Our Contractor Only plan starts with a base price of $0 per month for the first six months and includes all the basics you need like self-onboarding, direct deposit, 1099 filing, and new hire reporting (if it’s required by your state). International payments are available as an add-on.

If you’re ready for a little more power, or if you need to pay both W-2 employees and contractors, our Plus plan has a base price of $49 a month, but comes with perks like faster direct deposit, flexible benefits, and hiring and onboarding tools.

What is 1099 vs. W-2?

1099 and W-2 are shorthand for talking about the type of worker your business is hiring. W-2s are used to report earnings and tax withholdings for full-time and part-time employees at the end of the year. 1099-NECs are reserved for contractors, freelancers, gig workers, digital nomads, and solopreneurs.

W-2s must be filed for any employee of your business, regardless of how much they earned, but the IRS only requires the 1099-NEC to be filed for freelancers who received more than $600 in payments from your business throughout the year. W-2s and 1099-NECs must also be sent directly to your employees and contractors by January 31.

How do you pay freelancers in other countries?

Running payroll for freelancers across borders can seem complex, but Gusto makes it easy to pay all your freelancers in one place. We’ll help international hires file the paperwork they need (W-8BEN), and from there it’s as easy to pay them in their local currency as it is to pay your team back home. You only pay a small exchange fee. See our full list of countries and supported currencies.