QuickBooks Online vs Xero:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Xero had more branded searches than QuickBooks Online among payroll software in the United Kingdom. Xero had about 1,600 branded searches, while QuickBooks Online had 1,300. Xero made up 2.2% of all payroll software searches we track, and QuickBooks Online accounted for 1.8%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about payroll software, both QuickBooks Online and Xero appeared in all five answers. Xero was mentioned before QuickBooks Online in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Xero, about 23% more searches than QuickBooks Online
Who does AI mention more?
Both are mentioned in every answer we collected.
Who does AI recommend more?
Xero, named ahead of QuickBooks Online in every answer
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Top payroll software in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, both QuickBooks Online and Xero showed up in all five answers. Xero was listed before QuickBooks Online in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Sage Payroll1st- Xero2nd
BrightPay3rd
Moneysoft4th
QuickBooks Online5th
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
Asked ChatGPT
“Which payroll software should my small business use in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best payroll software platforms in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best payroll software in the UK for a small business with ten employees?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“payroll software”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“payroll software uk”
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.
Is QuickBooks Online or Xero more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for QuickBooks Online and Xero by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six payroll software we track, month by month, from searches in United Kingdom.
Share of searches by month for Xero, QuickBooks Online. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | BrightPay | IRIS Payroll | Sage Payroll | Xero | QuickBooks Online | Moneysoft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 57.2% | 18.6% | 17.1% | 2.8% | 1.5% | 2.8% |
| Nov 2025 | 59.5% | 16.2% | 17.8% | 2.9% | 1.3% | 2.3% |
| Dec 2025 | 62.4% | 16.6% | 15.3% | 2.5% | 1.4% | 1.9% |
| Jan 2026 | 62.1% | 16.5% | 15.2% | 2.9% | 1.3% | 2% |
| Feb 2026 | 56.8% | 18.5% | 17% | 3.3% | 1.7% | 2.7% |
| Mar 2026 | 64.8% | 14.7% | 13% | 3.1% | 1.3% | 3.1% |
| Apr 2026 | 71.8% | 10.9% | 11.7% | 1.8% | 0.97% | 2.8% |
| May 2026 | 68.2% | 14.8% | 11.2% | 2.2% | 0.99% | 2.6% |
| Jun 2026 | 67.4% | 14.8% | 13.5% | 1.8% | 0.8% | 1.8% |
| Jul 2026 | 67.4% | 17.7% | 11% | 1.8% | 0.8% | 1.4% |
| Aug 2026 | 69.3% | 15.1% | 11.3% | 1.8% | 1.2% | 1.2% |
| Sep 2026 | 66.7% | 14.7% | 13.3% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 1.3% |
How has the QuickBooks Online and Xero comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Xero was ahead of QuickBooks Online in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, QuickBooks Online’s share of searches among payroll software in the United Kingdom moved from 1.5% to 1.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 880 to 1.3K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Xero’s share of searches among payroll software in the United Kingdom moved from 2.8% to 2.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 1.6K.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom payroll software in September 2026?
1 change
In September 2026, QuickBooks Online overtook Moneysoft to rank 5th among payroll software in the United Kingdom, with 1.8% of the searches.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using QuickBooks Online’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.
QuickBooks Online
1 branded search term
- quickbooks payroll
Xero
1 branded search term
- xero payroll
Other head-to-heads among payroll software
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