12 Best Gusto Accounting Tool Integrations [2026 Updated]

Running a successful business means keeping your payroll and accounting perfectly in sync. Gusto is a powerful tool for managing payroll, but connecting it with the right accounting software will automate your financial workflows and give you back hours of valuable time. This guide breaks down the 12 best Gusto accounting integrations to help you build a more efficient, connected, and compliant financial operation in 2026.

1. QuickBooks Online

QuickBooks Online is the most popular accounting software for small businesses for a reason, and its integration with Gusto is seamless and reliable. The native sync automatically pushes detailed payroll data—including wages, taxes, reimbursements, and benefits—directly into your general ledger. It automates journal entries, which eliminates the risk of manual data entry errors and ensures your books are always accurate and up-to-date after every pay run. This deep connection makes it the go-to choice for businesses already invested in the Intuit ecosystem.

• Pros:
  • Native, bi-directional sync creates automated journal entries.
  • Maps payroll items to specific accounts in your chart of accounts.
  • Reconciles payroll liabilities and expenses accurately.
  • Simple setup process that takes minutes.
• Cons:
  • Custom field mapping can occasionally require adjustments.
  • The integration is strongest with QuickBooks Online, less direct with QuickBooks Desktop.
• Pricing:
  • The integration itself is free.
  • Requires a QuickBooks Online subscription, with plans starting around $30/month.

Who it's best for: Small to medium-sized businesses that use QuickBooks Online as their primary accounting software and need a dependable, set-it-and-forget-it payroll sync.

2. Xero

For businesses that prefer a cloud-native alternative to QuickBooks, Xero's integration with Gusto is a fantastic option. It provides a similar automated sync, sending pay run data to your Xero account and creating a draft bill for easy reconciliation. This allows you to review payroll expenses before they are posted. Xero is particularly strong for businesses that need multi-currency support, project tracking, and robust invoicing features alongside their core accounting.

• Pros:
  • Creates a bill in Xero with detailed line items for wages, taxes, and deductions.
  • Simple and intuitive mapping for your chart of accounts.
  • Strong international features, including multi-currency support.
  • Excellent for service-based businesses that bill by project.
• Cons:
  • Sync can sometimes experience a slight delay compared to the QuickBooks integration.
  • The integration isn't quite as deep, lacking some of the granular mapping options.
• Pricing:
  • The integration is free.
  • Requires a Xero subscription, with plans starting at approximately $15/month.

Who it's best for: Growing SMBs, especially those with international clients, that use Xero for its clean interface and powerful invoicing capabilities.

3. Wave Accounting

Wave is an excellent choice for freelancers, solopreneurs, and small businesses operating on a tight budget. Its core accounting, invoicing, and receipt scanning tools are completely free, making it an accessible entry point into formal bookkeeping. The Gusto integration syncs payroll journal entries into Wave after each payroll, allowing for straightforward financial record-keeping without the monthly software cost.

• Pros:
  • Completely free accounting software.
  • Automates payroll expense entries, saving time on manual entry.
  • Includes free invoicing and receipt management tools.
  • Very easy to set up and use, even for non-accountants.
• Cons:
  • Lacks the advanced reporting and inventory features needed for growing businesses.
  • The platform can feel slow compared to paid alternatives.
  • Customer support is limited on the free plan.
• Pricing:
  • The integration is free.
  • Gusto itself has a fee, but connecting it to Wave Accounting costs nothing extra.

Who it's best for: Freelancers, consultants, and very small businesses looking for a free, simple way to manage their books alongside Gusto payroll.

4. Zoho Books

If your business already operates within the Zoho ecosystem (using Zoho CRM, Projects, or another Zoho application), then connecting Gusto to Zoho Books is a no-brainer. The integration automates the flow of payroll information, including wages, taxes, benefits, and reimbursements, directly into Zoho Books. This keeps your financial data centralized and consistent across all of your Zoho business management tools, giving you a unified view of your operations.

• Pros:
  • Tightly integrated with the entire suite of Zoho business applications.
  • Automates creation of journal entries for each pay run.
  • Supports end-to-end business management, from sales to accounting.
  • Great for project-based accounting and time tracking.
• Cons:
  • The initial setup and account mapping can be more complex than other integrations.
  • Best suited for companies already committed to the Zoho platform.
• Pricing:
  • The integration is free with a Zoho Books subscription.
  • Zoho Books plans start at around $20/month.

Who it's best for: SMBs that use or plan to use the Zoho suite for CRM, project management, and other business operations.

5. Sage Business Cloud Accounting

Sage is a well-respected name in accounting, particularly for businesses that are scaling quickly and anticipate needing more advanced features like inventory management, job costing, and multi-user permissions. While Gusto doesn't offer a direct, native integration with Sage, you can connect the two platforms using a third-party automation tool like Zapier. This allows you to automatically create journal entries in Sage every time you run payroll in Gusto, keeping your records accurate as your company grows.

• Pros:
  • Highly scalable platform suitable for growing businesses.
  • Strong inventory management and manufacturing features.
  • Provides deeper financial reporting than some entry-level tools.
• Cons:
  • Requires a third-party connector (like Zapier) to integrate with Gusto, which adds a layer of complexity and potential cost.
  • The setup is not as straightforward as native integrations.
• Pricing:
  • Sage plans start around $25/month.
  • Connector tools like Zapier may have additional subscription fees depending on usage.

Who it's best for: Growing businesses in construction, manufacturing, or distribution that need a scalable accounting solution with robust inventory or job costing features.

6. Bill.com

Bill.com is not a general ledger system, but rather a specialized accounts payable (AP) and accounts receivable (AR) automation platform. Integrating it with Gusto and your accounting software (like QuickBooks or Xero) creates a powerful triangle for cash flow management. You handle payroll in Gusto, manage vendor payments and receivables in Bill.com, and both systems feed accurate data into your accounting software. This setup gives you a clear, real-time picture of every dollar coming in and going out.

• Pros:
  • Automates AP approval workflows, reducing payment delays.
  • Offers multiple ways to pay vendors (ACH, check, virtual card).
  • Syncs with both Gusto and accounting software to provide a full financial picture.
  • Creates a clear audit trail for all payments.
• Cons:
  • Adds another monthly subscription to your software stack.
  • Transaction fees can accumulate for businesses with a high volume of payments.
• Pricing:
  • Bill.com plans start at $45 per user per month.

Who it's best for: Businesses looking to automate their entire payables process and gain tighter control over cash flow management.

7. Expensify

Managing employee expense reports is a notorious pain point. The Expensify and Gusto integration solves this by connecting employee-submitted expenses directly to payroll. Employees use the Expensify app to scan receipts and submit reports. Once approved, the reimbursement amounts sync directly to Gusto and are added to the employee's next paycheck. This avoids the need to cut separate checks and ensures all reimbursements are properly recorded for tax purposes.

• Pros:
  • Automates the entire expense reporting and reimbursement process.
  • Receipt scanning technology reduces manual data entry.
  • Syncs reimbursements directly to the correct employee profile in Gusto.
  • Allows for custom expense policies and approval workflows.
• Cons:
  • Can be expensive for teams with many users.
  • Serves a very specific need, and doesn't replace core accounting software.
• Pricing:
  • Expensify paid plans start at $5 per user per month. The integration is included.

Who it's best for: Companies whose employees frequently travel or incur out-of-pocket expenses and want an automated reimbursement workflow.

8. Project Management Tools (via Zapier)

While tools like Trello, Asana, and Monday.com are not accounting software, integrating them with Gusto via an automation platform like Zapier can greatly improve your internal workflows. You can create "Zaps" that automate tasks related to payroll and onboarding. For example, when a new employee is added in Gusto, Zapier can automatically create a task in your project management tool for IT to set up their computer and for HR to schedule their orientation. This ensures nothing falls through the cracks during critical employee events.

• Pros:
  • Automates administrative tasks related to the employee lifecycle.
  • Connects Gusto events to your team's existing workflow management tools.
  • Highly customizable to fit your specific onboarding or offboarding checklists.
• Cons:
  • This is not a financial integration; it does not transfer accounting data.
  • Requires time to set up and maintain the automation rules in Zapier.
• Pricing:
  • Pricing depends on the project management tool and your Zapier plan. All have free tiers to get started.

Who it's best for: Operationally-focused teams that want to systematize the administrative tasks that surround payroll and HR events.

9. Automation Platforms (Zapier/Make/Workato)

Sometimes you need to connect Gusto to a tool that doesn't have a native integration. This is where middleware platforms like Zapier, Make, or Workato are indispensable. These services act as a bridge, allowing you to connect Gusto to hundreds of other apps, from specialized CRM systems to custom databases. You can build custom workflows without any coding, such as sending a Slack notification when payroll is processed or adding new employee data to a Google Sheet for analysis.

• Pros:
  • Connects Gusto to virtually any other cloud-based app.
  • Extremely flexible and programmable to your specific needs.
  • No coding knowledge required for most automations.
• Cons:
  • Can become expensive as your task volume increases.
  • Multi-step workflows can become complex to troubleshoot.
  • Your integrations depend on a third-party service.
• Pricing:
  • Each platform has a different pricing model, but all offer a free plan for a limited number of tasks.

Who it's best for: Businesses with unique workflow needs or that rely on niche software not covered by Gusto's native integrations.

10. Time Tracking & HR Systems

Larger or more complex businesses may use specialized time tracking software like Deputy or Workforce.com, or they might be migrating from an established payroll provider like ADP or Paychex. Many of these platforms integrate with Gusto to ensure that employee hours and HR data are synced accurately. For example, approved employee hours from Deputy can be pushed directly to Gusto, eliminating the need to manually enter this data and reducing the risk of payroll errors.

• Pros:
  • Ensures accuracy for hourly employee payroll.
  • Simplifies the data transfer process when migrating between HR systems.
  • Leverages the strengths of specialized tools for time tracking or advanced HR.
• Cons:
  • Setup can be complex, especially during a migration.
  • May involve extra fees depending on the system you are connecting.
• Pricing:
  • Varies widely depending on the platform. Integration costs may be included or billed separately.

Who it's best for: Larger businesses with hourly workforces or companies migrating from established enterprise HR platforms.

11. TaxJar and Avalara

For e-commerce businesses or any company selling across state lines, sales tax compliance is a major challenge. While not directly tied to payroll, integrating a sales tax automation tool like TaxJar or Avalara into your accounting stack is essential. These tools connect to your e-commerce platform (like Shopify) and your accounting software (like QuickBooks Online) to automatically calculate, collect, and file sales tax. This ensures accurate compliance and protects your business from costly nexus-related penalties.

• Pros:
  • Automates the entire sales tax lifecycle.
  • Provides real-time tax rate calculations for over 13,000 jurisdictions.
  • Handles remittance and filing for you, saving countless hours.
• Cons:
  • An additional monthly software cost.
  • Specifically for sales & use tax, not income or payroll tax.
• Pricing:
  • TaxJar starts around $19/month. Avalara pricing is typically quote-based.

Who it's best for: E-commerce companies and any business that sells products or services in multiple states.

12. Direct Bank Feeds (via Plaid)

While not a direct Gusto integration, a direct bank feed is the foundation of modern automated accounting. Services like Plaid securely link your business bank and credit card accounts to your accounting software (QuickBooks, Xero, Wave). This connection automatically imports transactions every day, making reconciliation incredibly efficient. When combined with Gusto's payroll sync, you get a fully automated system where both payroll runs and daily business transactions appear in your accounting software without any manual entry.

• Pros:
  • Eliminates the need to manually download and upload bank statements.
  • Provides a near-real-time view of your cash position.
  • Greatly speeds up the bank reconciliation process.
• Cons:
  • Bank connections can occasionally break and need to be reauthorized.
  • Some smaller banks or credit unions may not be supported.
• Pricing:
  • Almost always included for free with your accounting software subscription.

Who it's best for: All businesses. A direct bank feed is a non-negotiable feature for any company that wants an efficient and accurate accounting process.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right integrations for Gusto depends on the software you already use, your budget, and your business's most urgent needs. For most SMBs, a core integration with QuickBooks Online or Xero handles the biggest pain points, but specialized tools for expense management or bill payment can add another layer of efficiency.

As your accounting and payroll processes become more connected, complex compliance questions about withholding, nexus, and tax filings will inevitably arise. Instead of digging through outdated forums, our tool Feather AI provides direct answers from authoritative sources. We give tax and accounting professionals instant, citation-backed guidance on complex tax issues, helping you stay compliant and confident in every financial decision you make.