# What Claude (Anthropic) with web search answered for payroll software (small businesses) on 2026-09-22

## In short

On 2026-09-22, Claude (Anthropic) with web search was asked "best payroll software for small businesses". It named 10 brands; the first six, in order, were Gusto, OnPay, FUTA, QuickBooks, QuickBooks Online and Online.

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Question | best payroll software for small businesses |
| Asked on | 2026-09-22 |
| Engine | Claude (Anthropic) with web search |
| Model | claude-opus-5 |
| Brands named | 10 |
| Sources cited | 9 |
| Audience | small businesses |
| Coverage | Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included. |
| Last verified | 2026-09-22 |

Page: https://bikoosh.com/answers/s/payroll-software-small-businesses-2026-09-22
Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.

## The answer, as recorded

Asked on 2026-09-22 through Claude (Anthropic) with web search (model claude-opus-5).

> Here's what I'd actually recommend, roughly in the order I'd suggest trying them (assuming a US business):
> 
> **1. Gusto** - my default first pick for most small businesses. Full-service payroll (it files and pays federal/state/local taxes for you), plus onboarding, benefits administration, and contractor payments in one place. Around $49/month base plus ~$6-8 per person. The main catch: the entry "Simple" plan is single-state only - if you have employees in multiple states you need the Plus tier.
> 
> **2. OnPay** - the better value if you want flat, predictable pricing and no upsell ladder. Roughly $40/month base plus per-person, and critically it includes **multi-state payroll at no extra cost**, which is where Gusto charges you more. It also has genuinely useful industry-specific handling (restaurants with tip credits, farms with Form 943, nonprofits/churches with FUTA and FICA exemptions). If you're a restaurant or nonprofit, I'd start here rather than Gusto.
> 
> **3. QuickBooks Payroll** - pick this if and only if you already run your books in QuickBooks Online. The integration means your pay runs and your ledger stay in sync with no journal entries to reconcile, which saves real time

## Brands named, in the order the engine gave

| Position | Brand | How it was named |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gusto | recommended |
| 2 | OnPay | recommended |
| 3 | FUTA | recommended |
| 4 | QuickBooks | recommended |
| 5 | QuickBooks Online | recommended |
| 6 | Online | recommended |
| 7 | Patriot | recommended |
| 8 | Square | recommended |
| 9 | Rippling | recommended |
| 10 | ADP | mentioned |

## Sources the engine cited

- https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/software/best-payroll-services/ (other)
- https://onpay.com/insights/best-small-business-payroll-software-picks/ (vendor)
- https://www.beltstack.com/payroll/compare/gusto-vs-onpay (other)
- https://www.beltstack.com/payroll/compare/gusto-vs-quickbooks-payroll (other)
- https://www.patriotsoftware.com/pricing/ (other)
- https://www.capterra.com/p/170266/Square-Payroll/ (review)
- https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/software/rippling-pricing/ (other)
- https://www.business.com/payroll/rippling-review/ (other)
- https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/small-business/paychex-payroll-review (review)

The question page: https://bikoosh.com/answers/q/payroll-software/small-businesses

Answer Watch records what one AI answer engine said on one date, nothing more. Each page names the engine and the model, carries the date the question was asked, and lists the brands that appeared in the answer in the order the engine gave them, with the sources it cited. It is a measurement, not a ranking, not a recommendation and not a claim about the world. Brands that did not appear in an answer are not named on any public page. Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.