What Claude (Anthropic) with web search answered for payroll software (freelancers) on 2026-09-12

Claude (Anthropic) with web search claude-opus-5 asked 2026-09-12

Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.

The question asked, verbatim: best payroll software for freelancers

Brands named, in the order the engine gave

1. you're mentioned
   Quick framing that changes the answer: if you're a sole proprietor or single-member LLC, you can't put yourself on payroll - you take owner's draws and pay quarterly estimated taxes, so payroll software would be wasted money.
2. S-corp mentioned
   Payroll only becomes real for a freelancer in two cases: you've elected S-corp status and owe yourself a "reasonable salary," or you're paying subcontractors.
3. Gusto mentioned
   Gusto - the default pick for most freelancers.
4. Square mentioned
   Square Payroll - cheapest if you just pay a few subcontractors.
5. QuickBooks mentioned
   QuickBooks Payroll - only if you're already in QuickBooks Online.
6. QuickBooks Online mentioned
   QuickBooks Payroll - only if you're already in QuickBooks Online.
7. Online mentioned
   QuickBooks Payroll - only if you're already in QuickBooks Online.
8. Deel mentioned
   Deel - if your contractors are overseas.
9. Wave mentioned
   Wave - if you mostly need invoicing and just occasionally file a 1099.
10. Gusto Contractor mentioned
    - Gusto contractor payroll (https://gusto.com/product/solutions/size/contractor)
11. Patriot Payroll mentioned
    - Patriot Payroll review (https://payrollsignal.com/reviews/patriot/)
12. Wise mentioned
    - Wise - payroll software for 1099 contractors (https://wise.com/us/blog/batchtransfer-payroll-software-1099-contractors)

Sources the engine cited

The answer, as recorded

Quick framing that changes the answer: if you're a sole proprietor or single-member LLC, you **can't** put yourself on payroll - you take owner's draws and pay quarterly estimated taxes, so payroll software would be wasted money. Payroll only becomes real for a freelancer in two cases: you've elected S-corp status and owe yourself a "reasonable salary," or you're paying subcontractors. Here's who I'd actually use, in order: **1. Gusto - the default pick for most freelancers.** Its Contractor Only plan is $35/mo + $6 per contractor, and it only bills you in months you actually pay someone, which fits lumpy freelance work well. W-9 collection, direct deposit, and automatic 1099-NEC filing are included. There's currently a $0 base fee for the first six months. They also sell "Gusto Solo," built specifically for S-corp solopreneurs (~$49/mo + $6), with a reasonable-salary calculator and shareholder health insurance reporting baked in - that's the piece competitors handle worst. ([gusto.com/product/pricing](https://gusto.com/product/pricing), [gusto.com/product/solutions/size/contractor](https://gusto.com/product/solutions/size/contractor)) **2. Square Payroll - cheapest if you just pay a few subcontractors.** $0 base + $6 per contractor per month, so a month where you pay nobody costs nothing. No reason to pay Gusto's base fee if contractor payments and 1099s are all you need. Obvious fit if you already take payments through Square. ([peoplemanagingpeople.com/tools/best-payroll-software-for-contractors](https://peoplemanagingpeople.com/tools/best-payroll-software-for-contractors/)) **3. Patriot Software - the value pick for a solo S-corp.** Basic payroll is $17/mo + $4/person; Full Service (they file your payroll taxes, which is the whole point) is $37/mo + $5/person. Roughly $500/yr versus ~$660 for Gusto for one person. US-based phone support is consistently praised. Less polished S-corp-specific tooling, so it's the right call if you have an accountant handling the fine print. ([payrollsignal.com/reviews/patriot](https://payrollsignal.com/reviews/patriot/)) **4. QuickBooks Payroll - only if you're already in QuickBooks Online.** Contractor payments run about $15/mo for up to 20 contractors, and the native accounting integration means no reconciliation work. Standalone, I wouldn't choose it. ([softwarefinder.com/resources/best-payroll-software-1099-employees](https://softwarefinder.com/resources/best-payroll-software-1099-employees)) **5. Deel - if your contractors are overseas.** Priced far higher (from ~$49/contractor/mo) and overkill domestically, but it handles compliant international contracts and multi-currency payouts that the US-centric tools don't. Notably, Gusto charges no per-contractor fee for global contractors, so price that comparison before committing. ([wise.com/us/blog/batchtransfer-payroll-software-1099-contractors](https://wise.com/us/blog/batchtransfer-payroll-software-1099-contractors)) **6. Wave - if you mostly need invoicing and just occasionally file a 1099.** Free invoicing and accounting with payroll bolted on; the weakest payroll engine here, but the right amount of tool for a freelancer with one subcontractor. ([research.com/software/payroll-software-for-freelancers](https://research.com/software/payroll-software-for-freelancers)) Two caveats: 1099-NEC e-filing is often an extra $10-15 per form outside the base price, so check that before comparing monthly rates. And if you're weighing the S-corp election itself, the payroll cost (~$500-700/yr) plus accounting fees typically only pencils out above roughly $60-80k in net profit - worth running past a CPA first. Sources: - [Gusto pricing](https://gusto.com/product/pricing) - [Gusto contractor payroll](https://gusto.com/product/solutions/size/contractor) - [People Managing People - payroll software for contractors](https://peoplemanagingpeople.com/tools/best-payroll-software-for-contractors/) - [Patriot Payroll review](https://payrollsignal.com/reviews/patriot/) - [Software Finder - payroll for 1099 employees](https://softwarefinder.com/resources/best-payroll-software-1099-employees) - [Wise - payroll software for 1099 contractors](https://wise.com/us/blog/batchtransfer-payroll-software-1099-contractors) - [Research.com - payroll software for freelancers](https://research.com/software/payroll-software-for-freelancers)

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