What Claude (Anthropic) with web search answered for payroll software (small businesses) on 2026-10-18

Claude (Anthropic) with web search claude-opus-5 asked 2026-10-18

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

The question asked, verbatim: best payroll software for small businesses

Brands named, in the order the engine gave

1. Gusto recommended
   Gusto - my default recommendation for most US small businesses (say 1-50 employees).
2. OnPay mentioned
   OnPay - the best value if you don't need the HR bells and whistles.
3. QuickBooks mentioned
   QuickBooks Payroll - the obvious pick only if you already run QuickBooks Online for your books.
4. QuickBooks Online mentioned
   QuickBooks Payroll - the obvious pick only if you already run QuickBooks Online for your books.
5. Patriot mentioned
   Patriot Software - the budget option, around $17/mo + $4/employee.
6. ADP RUN mentioned
   ADP RUN or Paychex Flex - where I'd point you if you're scaling past ~50 employees, operating in many states, or in a compliance-heavy industry.
7. Paychex mentioned
   ADP RUN or Paychex Flex - where I'd point you if you're scaling past ~50 employees, operating in many states, or in a compliance-heavy industry.
8. Paychex Flex mentioned
   ADP RUN or Paychex Flex - where I'd point you if you're scaling past ~50 employees, operating in many states, or in a compliance-heavy industry.
9. Homebase mentioned
   Homebase - worth a look specifically if you're hourly-heavy (retail, cafés, salons) and your real pain is scheduling and time tracking, not payroll.

Sources the engine cited

The answer, as recorded

# Best payroll software for small businesses Here's who I'd actually name, roughly in order: **1. Gusto** - my default recommendation for most US small businesses (say 1-50 employees). Full-service payroll with automatic federal/state/local tax filing, clean interface your bookkeeper won't fight you on, unlimited payroll runs, and solid benefits/health insurance brokerage built in. $49/mo + $6/person on the Simple plan; Plus ($80 + $12) adds time tracking and multi-state payroll. Month-to-month, no contract. It's the one with the fewest regrets. **2. OnPay** - the best value if you don't need the HR bells and whistles. One flat price (~$49/mo + $6/person) with *everything* included: multi-state payroll, unlimited runs, all tax filings, benefits - no tier gating or module upsells. Especially good for restaurants, farms (it handles Form 943), nonprofits, and anyone employing across several states. **3. QuickBooks Payroll** - the obvious pick *only if* you already run QuickBooks Online for your books. The integration is genuinely seamless, which saves real reconciliation work. Core is $50/mo + $6.50/employee. Caveat: Core doesn't handle local tax filings, so check your city/county situation before buying. **4. Patriot Software** - the budget option, around $17/mo + $4/employee. Not glamorous, US-only, light on HR, but accurate and dramatically cheaper if you have a handful of employees and simple needs. **5. ADP RUN or Paychex Flex** - where I'd point you if you're scaling past ~50 employees, operating in many states, or in a compliance-heavy industry. Deep HR/compliance infrastructure and real human support. Downsides: neither publishes pricing (expect a sales call and a custom quote), and contracts are stickier than Gusto's. **6. Homebase** - worth a look specifically if you're hourly-heavy (retail, cafés, salons) and your real pain is scheduling and time tracking, not payroll. It's the one product that bundles all three in one system. ~$39/mo + $6/employee. **Short version:** start with Gusto; pick OnPay if you want flat all-in pricing or are multi-state; pick QuickBooks Payroll if you're already in QuickBooks; pick Patriot if cost is the deciding factor. One caveat: payroll pricing changes often and promo rates are common, so confirm the current number on the vendor's own pricing page before committing. Sources: - [Gusto pricing](https://gusto.com/product/pricing) - [QuickBooks Payroll pricing](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/payroll/pricing/) - [NerdWallet - Best payroll software for small businesses](https://www.nerdwallet.com/business/software/best/payroll) - [Patriot Software - Best payroll software for small businesses](https://www.patriotsoftware.com/payroll/best-payroll-software-for-small-businesses/) - [Homebase - Best payroll software for small business](https://www.joinhomebase.com/blog/best-payroll-software) - [Gusto vs. ADP RUN comparison](https://peoplemanagingpeople.com/tools/gusto-vs-adp-run/)

Near this answer

The same question, recorded on other dates: 2026-10-15, 2026-10-13, 2026-10-10, 2026-10-08, 2026-10-06, 2026-10-05, 2026-10-03, 2026-10-01, 2026-09-26, 2026-09-24, 2026-09-22.

payroll software, asked for other audiences: freelancers (asked 2026-10-18), nonprofits (asked 2026-10-18).

Other categories with a recorded answer: accounting software, accounts payable automation, audit management software, bookkeeping services.

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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.