What Claude (Anthropic) with web search answered for payroll software (small businesses) on 2026-10-23

Claude (Anthropic) with web search claude-opus-5 asked 2026-10-23

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 compared
   Here's how I'd rank them for a typical small business, with the caveat that a fair bit of the comparison content out there is vendor marketing (Gusto's page on ADP, Patriot's page on SurePayroll, etc.), so treat competitors' numbers as directional and confirm on the provider's own pricing page.
2. ADP compared
   Here's how I'd rank them for a typical small business, with the caveat that a fair bit of the comparison content out there is vendor marketing (Gusto's page on ADP, Patriot's page on SurePayroll, etc.), so treat competitors' numbers as directional and confirm on the provider's own pricing page.
3. Patriot compared
   Here's how I'd rank them for a typical small business, with the caveat that a fair bit of the comparison content out there is vendor marketing (Gusto's page on ADP, Patriot's page on SurePayroll, etc.), so treat competitors' numbers as directional and confirm on the provider's own pricing page.
4. SurePayroll compared
   Here's how I'd rank them for a typical small business, with the caveat that a fair bit of the comparison content out there is vendor marketing (Gusto's page on ADP, Patriot's page on SurePayroll, etc.), so treat competitors' numbers as directional and confirm on the provider's own pricing page.
5. OnPay mentioned
   OnPay - best value, especially multi-state.
6. QuickBooks mentioned
   QuickBooks Payroll - if you already run QuickBooks.
7. Homebase mentioned
   (Homebase (https://www.joinhomebase.com/blog/best-payroll-software))
8. G2 mentioned
   Ratings are strong (4.8 G2 / 4.7 Trustpilot).
9. Trustpilot mentioned
   Ratings are strong (4.8 G2 / 4.7 Trustpilot).
10. Square mentioned
    Square Payroll - for restaurants and retail already on Square.
11. Square Payroll mentioned
    Square Payroll - for restaurants and retail already on Square.
12. Square POS mentioned
    Roughly $35/mo + $6/employee, with native sync to Square POS and timecards so tips and hours flow in automatically.
13. Justworks mentioned
    Justworks - if you want real benefits leverage.
14. Rippling compared
    (Rippling comparison (https://www-j.rippling.com/blog/rippling-vs-justworks-hr-payroll-peo-comparison))
15. ADP RUN mentioned
    Who I'd skip: ADP RUN and Paychex for businesses under ~50 people.
16. Paychex mentioned
    Who I'd skip: ADP RUN and Paychex for businesses under ~50 people.

Sources the engine cited

Is one of these your site? Its page lists every recorded answer that cited it, with the questions, the pages and the dates, and carries the alert for the next citation.

The answer, as recorded

Here's how I'd rank them for a typical small business, with the caveat that a fair bit of the comparison content out there is vendor marketing (Gusto's page on ADP, Patriot's page on SurePayroll, etc.), so treat competitors' numbers as directional and confirm on the provider's own pricing page. **1. Gusto - the default pick for most small businesses.** Simple tier runs about $49/mo + $6/employee, with Plus at ~$80 + $12 and Premium at ~$180 + $22. It's the best all-around balance of clean interface, automatic multi-state tax filing, built-in benefits brokerage, contractor payments, and ~650 integrations. If you have a mix of salaried and hourly staff and want benefits in the same place as payroll, start here. ([Gusto pricing comparison](https://peoplemanagingpeople.com/tools/gusto-vs-adp-run/), [NerdWallet](https://www.nerdwallet.com/business/software/best/payroll)) **2. OnPay - best value, especially multi-state.** One flat plan at roughly $49/mo + $6/worker that includes multi-state payroll, unlimited pay runs, benefits, and full tax filings with no tier gating or module upsells. You don't get pushed up a pricing ladder to unlock basics, which is the main frustration with Gusto's Simple tier. ([OnPay](https://onpay.com/payroll/best-payroll-services/adp-vs-gusto/)) **3. QuickBooks Payroll - if you already run QuickBooks.** About $50/mo + $6.50/employee. On features alone it wouldn't beat the top two, but same-ledger bookkeeping and payroll eliminates reconciliation work, and that convenience usually wins. ([Homebase](https://www.joinhomebase.com/blog/best-payroll-software)) **4. Patriot Software - cheapest credible full-service option.** Basic Payroll (you file your own taxes) at ~$17/mo + $4 per worker paid; Full Service at ~$37/mo + $5. It bills only per worker *actually paid* and includes W-2s and 1099s free, which matters if you have seasonal or irregular staff. Ratings are strong (4.8 G2 / 4.7 Trustpilot). Thinner on HR and benefits. ([Patriot](https://www.patriotsoftware.com/payroll/best-payroll-software-for-small-businesses/)) **5. Square Payroll - for restaurants and retail already on Square.** Roughly $35/mo + $6/employee, with native sync to Square POS and timecards so tips and hours flow in automatically. Payroll-only, no accounting ledger. ([Capterra](https://www.capterra.com/compare/116050-170266/Patriot-Payroll-vs-Square-Payroll)) **6. Homebase - if your team is mostly hourly shift workers.** Its distinguishing feature is scheduling, time tracking, and payroll in one system, which kills the usual timesheet-import step. ([Homebase](https://joinhomebase.com/blog/payroll-software-for-small-business)) **7. Justworks - if you want real benefits leverage.** From about $59/mo/employee. It's a PEO, meaning it becomes co-employer of your staff, which lets a 10-20 person company buy into health plans it could never negotiate alone. More expensive, less flexible, worth it specifically for benefits and compliance offload. ([Rippling comparison](https://www-j.rippling.com/blog/rippling-vs-justworks-hr-payroll-peo-comparison)) **8. Rippling - if payroll is one piece of a bigger system.** One employee record drives payroll, benefits, laptop provisioning, app access, and spend, plus EOR for overseas hires. Genuinely powerful, but it's overkill under ~25 employees and pricing isn't published, so you're in a sales process. **Who I'd skip:** ADP RUN and Paychex for businesses under ~50 people. Both are quote-based, and ADP RUN tends to land 20-40% above Gusto at comparable headcount, with bundling and per-item fees that make the real cost hard to pin down upfront. They earn their keep at larger scale or with genuinely complex compliance needs. **The one thing that should drive your choice:** how many states you pay people in. Single-state and simple → Patriot or Square. Multi-state → OnPay or Gusto. Price differences at small headcount are tens of dollars a month; a botched state tax registration costs far more than that in penalties and your own time.

Near this answer

The same question, recorded on other dates: 2026-10-21, 2026-10-18, 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.

payroll software, asked for other audiences: freelancers (asked 2026-10-23), nonprofits (asked 2026-10-21).

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

Play this answer: which brand was named first?

Markdown edition · JSON record · the question page, with every recording · Answer Watch · AEO Watch

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.