Features
What the integration does
- Posts every payroll to your ledger automatically
- Uses your own chart of accounts
- Splits costs by department, class or tracking category
- Syncs contractor payments as well as wages
Integrations · Payroll
Is Gusto accounting software, or payroll that needs a ledger?
Excello keeps Gusto accounting software connections working for you: an accountant prepares and checks each pay run in your own Gusto, your team approves and submits it, and payroll is posted and reconciled inside your own QuickBooks, Xero or Odoo.
The same work covers Rippling and Deel, so your accounting and payroll software for startups stays in step.
Your team presses submit. Your books show every pay run.
- Payroll
- Runs checked every cycle
- Submitted by your team
- Posted monthly
- Connections checked daily
Does Gusto have accounting software?
The short answer
Does Gusto offer accounting software of its own? It connects to QuickBooks and Xero for that part of the job.
Gusto accounting software integration: how payroll reaches your books
The sync
Gusto posts each payroll to your ledger automatically once connected. How it arrives depends on the ledger.
| Ledger | How payroll arrives | Detail you can add |
|---|---|---|
| QuickBooks Online | A journal entry built from your chart of accounts each time you run payroll | Break down by department, employee, job title, project or QuickBooks class |
| QuickBooks Desktop | Payroll synced through Gusto's QuickBooks Desktop integration | Set up in Gusto |
| Xero | A bill or a manual journal each payroll, depending on your Xero plan | Break down by earnings type, Gusto department or Xero tracking category |
Source: Gusto Help Center, QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop and Xero integration articles, checked September 2026
How Excello handles Gusto payroll
Four steps
-
Step 01
Prepared
An accountant prepares the pay run in your Gusto and checks it against the last cycle.
-
Step 02
Submitted
Your team reviews the totals and submits the run, so every pay day stays under your control.
-
Step 03
Posted
Lump-sum payroll withdrawals are broken into balanced journal entries by department.
-
Step 04
Reconciled
Each month, payroll is reconciled to the pay runs, so the cash that left the bank matches the ledger.
Gusto accounting software features and benefits
What you get
Benefits
Why it matters for your books
- No payroll figures typed in by hand
- Labor cost by team in every profit and loss
- Payroll liabilities that clear when they are paid
- A faster, cleaner month-end close
Gusto's link to your ledger is only as good as the account mapping behind it. A wrong account in the setup repeats every pay run, which is why an accountant checks it.
Gusto accounting software reviews and the alternatives to QB payroll
Side by side
| Provider | Best known for | Often chosen by |
|---|---|---|
| Gusto | Payroll, benefits and HR for US small businesses | US teams that want payroll and benefits in one place |
| Rippling | Payroll and HR, with IT and spend tools on the same platform | Growing teams that want one system for people and devices |
| Deel | International payroll, contractors and employer of record | Teams hiring across countries |
Gusto for accountants pricing, and support
Costs and help
Pricing
Who pays for what
Gusto Pro, Gusto's dashboard for accounting firms, is free to join. The business pays for its own Gusto plan, priced as a monthly base fee plus a fee for each person paid.
Excello's payroll work is quoted before any work starts, and the Gusto subscription stays in your company's name.
Support
Where to take a question
Questions about Gusto itself go to Gusto's help center. Questions about how payroll shows up in your books go to Excello's accountants, who answer within one business day.
Excello checks the Gusto connection daily and fixes it when it breaks.
Source for Gusto Pro: Gusto accountant partner pages, checked September 2026
Payroll inside your own accounts
Nothing to migrate
Frequently asked questions
Does Gusto have accounting software?
No. Gusto is payroll, benefits and HR software, and it connects to accounting software such as QuickBooks and Xero, where it posts a journal entry or bill each time you run payroll.
How does Gusto integrate with QuickBooks and Xero?
Gusto builds a journal entry in QuickBooks Online from your chart of accounts each payroll, with optional department or class detail. In Xero it syncs a bill or a manual journal, depending on your Xero plan.
Who runs payroll in Gusto when I work with Excello?
An Excello accountant prepares each pay run in your Gusto and checks it against the last cycle. Your team reviews the totals and submits it, so every pay day stays under your control.
What does Gusto cost for accountants?
Gusto Pro, the dashboard Gusto offers accounting firms, is free to join. The business pays for its own Gusto plan, which is priced as a monthly base fee plus a fee for each person paid.
What are the alternatives to QuickBooks Payroll?
Gusto, Rippling and Deel are the usual alternatives for startups. Gusto suits US payroll and benefits, Rippling adds HR and IT tools, and Deel covers international teams. Excello works with all three.
Does Excello work with Rippling and Deel too?
Yes. Pay runs are prepared and checked in Rippling or Deel the same way, and payroll costs, contractor payments and foreign currency payouts are posted and reconciled in your books every month.