# What Claude (Anthropic) with web search answered for payroll software (small businesses) on 2026-10-25

## In short

On 2026-10-25, Claude (Anthropic) with web search was asked "best payroll software for small businesses". It named 12 brands; the first six, in order, were Gusto, OnPay, Patriot, QuickBooks, QuickBooks Online and Square.

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Question | best payroll software for small businesses |
| Asked on | 2026-10-25 |
| Engine | Claude (Anthropic) with web search |
| Model | claude-opus-5 |
| Brands named | 12 |
| Sources cited | 6 |
| Audience | small businesses |
| Coverage | Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included. |
| Last verified | 2026-10-25 |

Page: https://bikoosh.com/answers/s/payroll-software-small-businesses-2026-10-25
Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.

## The answer, as recorded

Asked on 2026-10-25 through Claude (Anthropic) with web search (model claude-opus-5).

> Here's how I'd rank them for a typical US small business:
> 
> **1. Gusto** - My default recommendation. Full-service payroll (files and pays federal/state/local taxes automatically), unlimited runs, and the best onboarding/employee self-service experience in the category. It's also a real HR platform: benefits administration, 401(k), offer letters, I-9s. Around $49/mo + $6/employee. Pick this unless you have a specific reason not to.
> 
> **2. OnPay** - Best if you want full-service payroll with no upselling and no feature tiers. One flat price (~$49/mo + $6/employee) gets you everything, including multi-state filing, which many competitors charge extra for. Strong choice for multi-state employers and for businesses with unusual payroll needs (agriculture, nonprofits, churches - it handles clergy pay and farm workers, which most tools don't).
> 
> **3. Patriot Software** - The value pick, by a wide margin: ~$17/mo + $4/employee, roughly half of Gusto at most team sizes. You give up the slick benefits/HR layer, but the payroll engine and tax filing are solid and support is well-reviewed. Good if you're under ~15 people and just need paychecks and tax filings done correctly.
> 
> **4. QuickBooks Pa

## Brands named, in the order the engine gave

| Position | Brand | How it was named |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gusto | recommended |
| 2 | OnPay | mentioned |
| 3 | Patriot | mentioned |
| 4 | QuickBooks | mentioned |
| 5 | QuickBooks Online | mentioned |
| 6 | Square | mentioned |
| 7 | Square Payroll | mentioned |
| 8 | Square POS | mentioned |
| 9 | ADP RUN | mentioned |
| 10 | Choose | mentioned |
| 11 | Homebase | mentioned |
| 12 | Patriot Payroll | mentioned |

## Sources the engine cited

- https://www.nerdwallet.com/business/software/best/payroll (review)
- https://www.joinhomebase.com/blog/best-payroll-software (other)
- https://www.patriotsoftware.com/payroll/best-payroll-software-for-small-businesses/ (other)
- https://www.g2.com/compare/onpay-vs-patriot-payroll (review)
- https://www.techrepublic.com/article/patriot-payroll-alternatives/ (other)
- https://gusto.com/resources/guides/best-cheap-payroll-services (vendor)

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

Alerts and membership: Answer Watch Pro, 79 USD per month: https://bikoosh.com/answers. Bikoosh is monitoring assistance, not complete protection.

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.