{"question": "best payroll software for freelancers", "category": "payroll-software", "category_name": "payroll software", "audience": "freelancers", "audience_name": "freelancers", "engine": "Claude (Anthropic) with web search", "model": "claude-opus-5", "asked_at": "2026-10-28T00:42:14Z", "permalink": "https://bikoosh.com/answers/s/payroll-software-freelancers-2026-10-28", "question_page": "https://bikoosh.com/answers/q/payroll-software/freelancers", "brands_named": [{"position": 1, "brand": "Gusto", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 2, "brand": "OnPay", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 3, "brand": "Patriot Payroll", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 4, "brand": "SurePayroll", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 5, "brand": "Collective", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 6, "brand": "Wave", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 7, "brand": "Square Payroll", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 8, "brand": "QuickBooks", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 9, "brand": "Deel", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 10, "brand": "Rippling", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 11, "brand": "Wise", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 12, "brand": "Wise Business", "label": "mentioned"}], "sources_cited": [{"url": "https://work-club.com/best-payroll-apps-freelancers-2026/", "domain": "work-club.com", "source_type": "other"}, {"url": "https://gusto.com/resources/guides/best-contractor-payroll-software", "domain": "gusto.com", "source_type": "vendor"}, {"url": "https://wise.com/us/blog/batchtransfer-contractor-payroll-software", "domain": "wise.com", "source_type": "vendor"}, {"url": "https://gusto.com/resources/guides/best-payroll-service-for-one-employee", "domain": "gusto.com", "source_type": "vendor"}, {"url": "https://www.collective.com/blog/money-management/payroll-solutions-for-solopreneurs-a-comparison-guide", "domain": "collective.com", "source_type": "vendor"}, {"url": "https://www.patriotsoftware.com/payroll/best-payroll-software-for-small-businesses/", "domain": "patriotsoftware.com", "source_type": "other"}], "answer_text": "Short framing first, since \"payroll for freelancers\" means two different things - I'll cover both.\n\n## If you *are* the freelancer (paying yourself)\n\nA caveat worth one sentence: if you're a sole proprietor or single-member LLC with no employees, you don't need payroll at all - you take owner's draws and pay quarterly estimated taxes. Payroll only becomes necessary once you've elected S-corp status and have to pay yourself a W-2 salary. Assuming that's you:\n\n1. **Gusto** - my default pick. It's the one built with owner-employees in mind: reasonable-salary guidance, S-corp election help, auto-filed W-2s and 1099s. Starts around $49/mo + $6/person. Costs more than the budget options, but S-corp compliance is exactly where you don't want to improvise.\n2. **OnPay** - best if you want one flat price with nothing gated. ~$40/mo + $6/person, and multi-state payroll and year-end filings are included rather than upsold. Most predictable bill of the group.\n3. **Patriot Payroll** - the cheap option, ~$17/mo + $4/person on Basic. Tax filing is an add-on, so price the full-service tier before comparing.\n4. **SurePayroll** - good \"set it and forget it\" autopilot for a one-person S-corp with an u", "answer_truncated": true, "measurement": "One answer from one engine on one date. Not a ranking and not a claim about the world; brands the engine did not name are not recorded.", "limitation": "Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.", "alerts": {"name": "Answer Watch Pro", "price_usd": 79, "period": "month", "gets": "daily change alerts for up to 5 brands in what one AI answer engine says, history, CSV export. Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included", "url": "https://bikoosh.com/answers"}}