PayHero vs Smartly:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, PayHero had more branded searches than Smartly among payroll and rostering software in New Zealand. PayHero had about 22,800 branded searches, while Smartly had 4,880. PayHero made up 32.7% of all payroll and rostering software searches we track, and Smartly accounted for 7%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about payroll and rostering software, both PayHero and Smartly appeared in all five answers. PayHero was mentioned before Smartly in four out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
PayHero, about 5 searches for every 1 for Smartly
Who does AI mention more?
Both are mentioned in every answer we collected.
Who does AI recommend more?
PayHero, named ahead of Smartly in 4 of 5 answers
Follow PayHero vs Smartly and get free monthly updates on what changed
By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy
Top payroll and rostering software in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, both PayHero and Smartly showed up in all five answers. PayHero was listed before Smartly in four of them.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- PayHero1st
Smartly2nd
Droppah3rd
Employment Hero4th
Deputy5th
iPayroll6th
Rosterit7th
Tanda8th
Thankyou Payroll9th- Ace Payroll10th
- +2 more
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- PayHero5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Smartly5 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
- Droppah4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Deputy3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- iPayroll2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Rosterit2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Thankyou Payroll1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
IMS Payroll1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers- Ace Payroll1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about payroll and rostering software
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which payroll and rostering platform should I use in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best payroll and rostering platforms in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best payroll and rostering platform in New Zealand for a small team?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“payroll software nz”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“rostering software nz”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 19, 2026.
Is PayHero or Smartly more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for PayHero and Smartly by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 12 payroll and rostering software we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for PayHero, Smartly. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | PayHero | iPayroll | Employment Hero | Thankyou Payroll | Smartly | PaySauce | Droppah | Rosterit | IMS Payroll | Ace Payroll | Deputy | Tanda |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 35.4% | 29% | 13.1% | 5.7% | 5.6% | 5.8% | 2.5% | 1.7% | 0.39% | 0.39% | 0.35% | 0.06% |
| Nov 2025 | 34.6% | 28.3% | 12.9% | 6.9% | 6.5% | 5.7% | 2.4% | 1.6% | 0.47% | 0.33% | 0.22% | 0.09% |
| Dec 2025 | 31.1% | 31.4% | 11.6% | 7.6% | 6.7% | 6.3% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 0.42% | 0.27% | 0.15% | 0.07% |
| Jan 2026 | 33.9% | 28% | 12.8% | 6.8% | 6.5% | 5.6% | 2.9% | 2.5% | 0.45% | 0.31% | 0.25% | 0.06% |
| Feb 2026 | 33.2% | 27.5% | 12.5% | 6.6% | 7.2% | 6.7% | 2.9% | 2.4% | 0.45% | 0.29% | 0.24% | 0.11% |
| Mar 2026 | 30.8% | 29.1% | 13.2% | 7% | 7.6% | 5.8% | 3.1% | 1.7% | 0.6% | 0.48% | 0.44% | 0.12% |
| Apr 2026 | 33.8% | 27.2% | 12.3% | 8% | 7.1% | 5.5% | 2.8% | 1.9% | 0.55% | 0.37% | 0.25% | 0.13% |
| May 2026 | 33.2% | 26.6% | 14.8% | 6.4% | 6.6% | 6.5% | 2.8% | 1.9% | 0.41% | 0.29% | 0.23% | 0.16% |
| Jun 2026 | 31.1% | 29.6% | 13.4% | 7.1% | 6.9% | 7.2% | 2.5% | 1.3% | 0.32% | 0.25% | 0.24% | 0.11% |
| Jul 2026 | 33.1% | 26.6% | 14.8% | 7.9% | 6.1% | 6.5% | 2.8% | 1.3% | 0.35% | 0.28% | 0.22% | 0.1% |
| Aug 2026 | 34.3% | 26.4% | 14.7% | 6.4% | 6.1% | 6.5% | 2.8% | 1.9% | 0.44% | 0.35% | 0.2% | 0.12% |
| Sep 2026 | 32.7% | 26% | 14.5% | 9.4% | 7% | 5.2% | 2.7% | 1.4% | 0.42% | 0.23% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
How has the PayHero and Smartly comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- PayHero was ahead of Smartly in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, PayHero’s share of searches among payroll and rostering software in New Zealand moved from 35.4% to 32.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 27.3K to 22.8K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Smartly’s share of searches among payroll and rostering software in New Zealand moved from 5.6% to 7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 4.3K to 4.9K.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand payroll and rostering software in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Smartly overtook PaySauce to rank 5th among payroll and rostering software in New Zealand, with 7% of the searches.
In September 2026, PayHero lost share of searches among payroll and rostering software in New Zealand, from 34.3% to 32.7%.
How are branded searches counted?
9 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using PayHero’s and Smartly’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 payroll and rostering software
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.