Payroller vs Xero:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Payroller had more branded searches than Xero among rostering and payroll software in Australia. Payroller had about 18,100 branded searches, while Xero had 1,900. Payroller made up 8.1% of all rostering and payroll software searches we track, and Xero accounted for 0.85%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about rostering and payroll software, Xero appeared in all five answers and Payroller in two. Xero was mentioned before Payroller in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Payroller, about 10 searches for every 1 for Xero
Who does AI mention more?
Xero, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Xero, named ahead of Payroller in every answer
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Top rostering and payroll software in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Xero appeared in all five answers. Payroller was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Xero was listed before Payroller in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Deputy1st
Tanda2nd
Employment Hero3rd
RosterElf4th- Xero5th
MYOB6th- Payroller7th
Connecteam8th
Humanforce–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Xero5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- MYOB5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Employment Hero4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Tanda4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- RosterElf4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Deputy4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Payroller2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Connecteam1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Humanforce0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about rostering and payroll software
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which rostering and payroll software should my business use in Australia?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best rostering and payroll software platforms in Australia?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best rostering software in Australia for a cafe with casual staff?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“payroll software”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“rostering software”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in Australia on October 22, 2026.
Is Payroller or Xero more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Payroller and Xero by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine rostering and payroll software we track, month by month, from searches in Australia.
Share of searches by month for Payroller, Xero. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Employment Hero | Tanda | Payroller | Connecteam | Humanforce | RosterElf | Xero | Deputy | MYOB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 51.8% | 27.3% | 8% | 4.4% | 5.3% | 1.3% | 0.71% | 0.83% | 0.39% |
| Nov 2025 | 52% | 27.4% | 8% | 5.4% | 4.4% | 1.1% | 0.71% | 0.83% | 0.26% |
| Dec 2025 | 51.7% | 27% | 7.9% | 5.3% | 5.3% | 1.3% | 0.69% | 0.78% | 0.25% |
| Jan 2026 | 51.9% | 27.2% | 8% | 5.4% | 4.4% | 1.3% | 0.84% | 0.76% | 0.26% |
| Feb 2026 | 51.9% | 27.2% | 8% | 5.4% | 4.4% | 1.3% | 0.71% | 0.76% | 0.32% |
| Mar 2026 | 56% | 24.2% | 7.1% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 1.4% | 0.74% | 0.78% | 0.34% |
| Apr 2026 | 52.3% | 27.5% | 8.1% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 1.3% | 0.72% | 0.84% | 0.32% |
| May 2026 | 56.2% | 24.2% | 7.1% | 4.8% | 4.8% | 1.1% | 0.75% | 0.74% | 0.28% |
| Jun 2026 | 55.4% | 23.8% | 8.6% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 0.93% | 0.93% | 0.68% | 0.34% |
| Jul 2026 | 54.4% | 23.4% | 10.3% | 4.6% | 4.6% | 0.91% | 0.72% | 0.61% | 0.34% |
| Aug 2026 | 55.4% | 24% | 8.6% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 1.1% | 0.62% | 0.62% | 0.28% |
| Sep 2026 | 52.5% | 27.4% | 8.1% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 1.3% | 0.85% | 0.71% | 0.26% |
Xero sells other things too, so only its searches that name this product count here, like “xero payroll”.
How has the Payroller and Xero comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Payroller was ahead of Xero in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Payroller’s share of searches among rostering and payroll software in Australia moved from 8% to 8.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 18.1K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Xero’s share of searches among rostering and payroll software in Australia moved from 0.71% to 0.85%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.6K to 1.9K.
How did search popularity change for Australia rostering and payroll software in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Payroller lost share of searches among rostering and payroll software in Australia, from 8.6% to 8.1%.
In September 2026, Xero rose from 8th to 7th among rostering and payroll software in Australia.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Payroller’s and Xero’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among rostering and payroll software
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