Brandwave

How popular isBrightPay?

In September 2026, people searched for BrightPay by name about 49,500 times in the United Kingdom, a 49.5% increase from the previous year. These searches made up 66.7% of all United Kingdom payroll software searches, placing BrightPay first out of six brands. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about payroll software, BrightPay appeared in four of the five answers and was the third most recommended of the six.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

BrightPay is the most searched of 6 competitors and the third most recommended in AI answers.

  1. BrightPayShare of searches 66.7%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
  2. IRIS PayrollShare of searches 14.7%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
  3. Sage PayrollShare of searches 13.3%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
  4. XeroShare of searches 2.2%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
  5. QuickBooks OnlineShare of searches 1.8%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th

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Top payroll software in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, BrightPay was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. BrightPay is the third most recommended of the six.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Sage Payroll1st
  2. Xero2nd
  3. BrightPay3rd
  4. Moneysoft4th
  5. QuickBooks Online5th
  6. IRIS Payroll–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Sage Payroll5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Xero5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • QuickBooks Online5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • BrightPay4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Moneysoft3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • IRIS Payroll0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about payroll software

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United Kingdom on October 22, 2026.

Which payroll software compete with BrightPay?

BrightPay against payroll software in the United Kingdom, by month

Share of searches by month for BrightPay, IRIS Payroll, Sage Payroll, Xero. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthBrightPayIRIS PayrollSage PayrollXeroQuickBooks OnlineMoneysoft
Oct 202557.2%18.6%17.1%2.8%1.5%2.8%
Nov 202559.5%16.2%17.8%2.9%1.3%2.3%
Dec 202562.4%16.6%15.3%2.5%1.4%1.9%
Jan 202662.1%16.5%15.2%2.9%1.3%2%
Feb 202656.8%18.5%17%3.3%1.7%2.7%
Mar 202664.8%14.7%13%3.1%1.3%3.1%
Apr 202671.8%10.9%11.7%1.8%0.97%2.8%
May 202668.2%14.8%11.2%2.2%0.99%2.6%
Jun 202667.4%14.8%13.5%1.8%0.8%1.8%
Jul 202667.4%17.7%11%1.8%0.8%1.4%
Aug 202669.3%15.1%11.3%1.8%1.2%1.2%
Sep 202666.7%14.7%13.3%2.2%1.8%1.3%

  1. 1.BrightPay

    66.7%

    Held 1st. 49.5K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -2.6 points.

  2. 2.IRIS Payroll

    14.7%

    Held 2nd. 10.9K estimated branded searches, +1.1% vs prior month. Share -0.4 points.

  3. 3.Sage Payroll

    13.3%

    Held 3rd. 9.9K estimated branded searches, +22.2% vs prior month. Share +2 points.

  4. 4.Xero

    2.2%

    Held 4th. 1.6K estimated branded searches, +23.1% vs prior month. Share +0.3 points.

  5. 5.QuickBooks Online

    1.8%

    Moved from 6th to 5th. 1.3K estimated branded searches, +47.7% vs prior month. Share +0.5 points.

  6. 6.Moneysoft

    1.3%

    Moved from 5th to 6th. 1K estimated branded searches, +13.6% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.

Compare popularity between BrightPay and its closest rivals

Every comparison with BrightPay

5 comparisons

How has branded search demand for BrightPay changed in the United Kingdom over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for BrightPay in the United Kingdom rose from 33.1K to 49.5K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, BrightPay’s share of searches among payroll software in the United Kingdom increased from 57.2% to 66.7%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, BrightPay’s share of searches among payroll software in the United Kingdom peaked at 71.8% in April 2026 and was lowest at 56.8% in February 2026.

How did search popularity change for United Kingdom payroll software in September 2026?

4 changes

  1. In September 2026, QuickBooks Online overtook Moneysoft to rank 5th among payroll software in the United Kingdom, with 1.8% of the searches.

  2. In September 2026, Sage Payroll gained share of searches among payroll software in the United Kingdom, from 11.3% to 13.3%.

  3. In September 2026, BrightPay lost share of searches among payroll software in the United Kingdom, from 69.3% to 66.7%.

  4. Estimated monthly branded searches for Moneysoft in the United Kingdom fell 37.5% over 12 measured months, from 1.6K to 1K in September 2026.

How are BrightPay’s branded searches counted?

1 search term

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using BrightPay’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for this branded term can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

  • brightpay

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How the Brand Demand Index is measured

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