{"question": "best payroll software for small businesses", "category": "payroll-software", "category_name": "payroll software", "audience": "small-businesses", "audience_name": "small businesses", "engine": "Claude (Anthropic) with web search", "model": "claude-opus-5", "asked_at": "2026-10-03T00:04:08Z", "permalink": "https://bikoosh.com/answers/s/payroll-software-small-businesses-2026-10-03", "question_page": "https://bikoosh.com/answers/q/payroll-software/small-businesses", "brands_named": [{"position": 1, "brand": "Gusto", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 2, "brand": "OnPay", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 3, "brand": "QuickBooks", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 4, "brand": "QuickBooks Online", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 5, "brand": "SurePayroll", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 6, "brand": "Square", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 7, "brand": "Square POS", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 8, "brand": "Rippling", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 9, "brand": "ADP", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 10, "brand": "Paychex", "label": "recommended"}], "sources_cited": [{"url": "https://fitsmallbusiness.com/best-payroll-software-reviews/", "domain": "fitsmallbusiness.com", "source_type": "other"}, {"url": "https://www.business.org/finance/accounting/best-payroll-software/", "domain": "business.org", "source_type": "other"}, {"url": "https://www.rippling.com/blog/gusto-vs-onpay", "domain": "rippling.com", "source_type": "vendor"}, {"url": "https://www.rippling.com/blog/best-payroll-software", "domain": "rippling.com", "source_type": "vendor"}, {"url": "https://technologyadvice.com/payroll-software/", "domain": "technologyadvice.com", "source_type": "other"}, {"url": "https://www.selectsoftwarereviews.com/buyer-guide/small-business-payroll-software", "domain": "selectsoftwarereviews.com", "source_type": "other"}], "answer_text": "Here's what I'd actually recommend, roughly in the order I'd suggest looking at them:\n\n**1. Gusto - the default pick for most small businesses.** Full-service payroll with automatic federal/state/local tax filing, benefits administration, onboarding, and contractor payments in one clean interface. Starts around $49/month + $6 per person. It's the one I'd name first if you told me nothing else about your business, because it's hard to outgrow and easy to set up without an accountant holding your hand.\n\n**2. OnPay - best value, and arguably the best if cost is the deciding factor.** Same ballpark price as Gusto ($49 + $6/employee), but multi-state payroll and the full HR toolset are included at the base rate rather than gated behind a higher tier. Consistently rated the easiest to use (4.8/5 on G2). If you have employees in more than one state and fewer than ~25 people, this is often the cheaper, simpler answer.\n\n**3. QuickBooks Payroll - if you already use QuickBooks Online.** Around $50/month + $7/employee. The native sync is the whole argument: no reconciling payroll journal entries by hand, and same-day direct deposit is included. I wouldn't pick it on its own merits, but if your", "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"}}