How popular isQuickBooks Payroll?
In September 2026, people searched for QuickBooks Payroll by name about 18,100 times in the United States, an 18.5% decrease from the previous year. These searches made up 5.4% of all United States HR and payroll software for small and midsize business searches, placing QuickBooks Payroll sixth out of ten businesses. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses, QuickBooks Payroll appeared in four of the five answers and was the second most recommended of the ten.
QuickBooks Payroll is the sixth most searched of 10 competitors and the second most recommended in AI answers.
RUN Powered by ADPShare of searches 53%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 6th
GustoShare of searches 11.8%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
BambooHRShare of searches 10.7%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
Patriot SoftwareShare of searches 8.3%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
QuickBooks PayrollShare of searches 5.4%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
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Top HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, QuickBooks Payroll was mentioned in four out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. QuickBooks Payroll is the second most recommended of the ten.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Gusto1st
- QuickBooks Payroll2nd
Rippling3rd- Patriot Software4th
OnPay5th- RUN Powered by ADP6th
Paychex7th
Justworks8th- BambooHR–
HiBob–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Gusto5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- QuickBooks Payroll4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Rippling4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- OnPay3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- RUN Powered by ADP2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Patriot Software2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Paychex2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Justworks1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- BambooHR0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- HiBob0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which small business HR and payroll platform should I use in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best small business HR and payroll platforms in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best small business HR and payroll platform in the US for a midsize team?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“small business payroll software”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best payroll software”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 19, 2026.
Which HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses compete with QuickBooks Payroll?
Share of searches by month for RUN Powered by ADP, Gusto, BambooHR, Patriot Software, OnPay, QuickBooks Payroll, Rippling. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | RUN Powered by ADP | Gusto | BambooHR | Patriot Software | OnPay | QuickBooks Payroll | Rippling | Paychex | Justworks | HiBob |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 50.4% | 13.7% | 12.1% | 6% | 6.6% | 6.2% | 2.3% | 1.8% | 0.63% | 0.27% |
| Nov 2025 | 53.6% | 14.1% | 10.5% | 5.2% | 6.9% | 5.4% | 2.1% | 1.1% | 0.63% | 0.26% |
| Dec 2025 | 55.6% | 12.6% | 8.9% | 6.3% | 7.3% | 5.6% | 2.2% | 0.86% | 0.46% | 0.18% |
| Jan 2026 | 51.1% | 16% | 10% | 7% | 6.7% | 5.1% | 2.4% | 0.92% | 0.52% | 0.21% |
| Feb 2026 | 49.5% | 17.7% | 10% | 6.8% | 6.5% | 5% | 2.6% | 1.1% | 0.56% | 0.24% |
| Mar 2026 | 49% | 18.1% | 9.5% | 7.2% | 6% | 5.7% | 2.7% | 1.1% | 0.57% | 0.27% |
| Apr 2026 | 47.8% | 18% | 10% | 7.4% | 6.3% | 5.9% | 2.6% | 1.1% | 0.58% | 0.27% |
| May 2026 | 49.2% | 16.9% | 10.1% | 7.2% | 6.5% | 6.1% | 2.5% | 0.73% | 0.66% | 0.24% |
| Jun 2026 | 51.7% | 16.2% | 10.1% | 6.7% | 6.5% | 4.9% | 2.4% | 0.67% | 0.64% | 0.24% |
| Jul 2026 | 51.8% | 14% | 10.7% | 6.9% | 6.6% | 6.2% | 2.3% | 0.72% | 0.69% | 0.24% |
| Aug 2026 | 51% | 13.2% | 12.6% | 6.5% | 6.7% | 6.3% | 2.1% | 0.7% | 0.65% | 0.22% |
| Sep 2026 | 53% | 11.8% | 10.7% | 8.3% | 6.9% | 5.4% | 2.4% | 0.73% | 0.65% | 0.25% |
| Rank | Brand | Share of searches | Estimated monthly branded searches | vs prior month | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, held 1st | 53% | 179K | +0.11% | +2 points | |
| 2, held 2nd | 11.8% | 39.9K | -13.9% | -1.4 points | |
| 3, held 3rd | 10.7% | 36.1K | -18.1% | -1.9 points | |
| 4, moved from 5th to 4th | 8.3% | 28K | +22.3% | +1.8 pointsmoved from 5th to 4th | |
| 5, moved from 4th to 5th | 6.9% | 23.5K | 0% | +0.2 pointsmoved from 4th to 5th | |
| 6, held 6th | 5.4% | 18.1K | -18.5% | -1 points | |
| 7, held 7th | 2.4% | 8.1K | +8.9% | +0.3 points | |
| 8, held 8th | 0.73% | 2.5K | 0% | 0 points | |
| 9, held 9th | 0.65% | 2.2K | -3.9% | 0 points | |
| 10, held 10th | 0.25% | 860 | +11.7% | 0 points |
53%
Held 1st. 179K estimated branded searches, +0.11% vs prior month. Share +2 points.
2.
Gusto11.8%
Held 2nd. 39.9K estimated branded searches, -13.9% vs prior month. Share -1.4 points.
3.
BambooHR10.7%
Held 3rd. 36.1K estimated branded searches, -18.1% vs prior month. Share -1.9 points.
8.3%
Moved from 5th to 4th. 28K estimated branded searches, +22.3% vs prior month. Share +1.8 points.
5.
OnPay6.9%
Moved from 4th to 5th. 23.5K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.2 points.
5.4%
Held 6th. 18.1K estimated branded searches, -18.5% vs prior month. Share -1 points.
7.
Rippling2.4%
Held 7th. 8.1K estimated branded searches, +8.9% vs prior month. Share +0.3 points.
8.
Paychex0.73%
Held 8th. 2.5K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.
0.65%
Held 9th. 2.2K estimated branded searches, -3.9% vs prior month. Share 0 points.
10.
HiBob0.25%
Held 10th. 860 estimated branded searches, +11.7% vs prior month. Share 0 points.
Compare popularity between QuickBooks Payroll and its closest rivals
Every comparison with QuickBooks Payroll
11 comparisons
- BambooHR vs QuickBooks Payroll
- Gusto vs QuickBooks Payroll
- OnPay vs QuickBooks Payroll
- Patriot Software vs QuickBooks Payroll
- RUN Powered by ADP vs QuickBooks Payroll
- QuickBooks Payroll vs Square Payroll
- QuickBooks Payroll vs Rippling
- Deel vs QuickBooks Payroll
- Paychex vs QuickBooks Payroll
- Justworks vs QuickBooks Payroll
- HiBob vs QuickBooks Payroll
How has branded search demand for QuickBooks Payroll changed in the United States over the last 12 months?
4 findings
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for QuickBooks Payroll in the United States fell from 22.2K to 18.1K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, QuickBooks Payroll’s share of searches among HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses in the United States decreased from 6.2% to 5.4%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, QuickBooks Payroll’s share of searches among HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses in the United States peaked at 6.3% in August 2026 and was lowest at 4.9% in June 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, QuickBooks Payroll fell from 5th to 6th among HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses in the United States.
How did search popularity change for United States HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses in September 2026?
6 changes
In September 2026, Patriot Software overtook OnPay to rank 4th among HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses in the United States, with 8.3% of the searches.
In September 2026, RUN Powered by ADP gained share of searches among HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses in the United States, from 51% to 53%.
In September 2026, BambooHR lost share of searches among HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses in the United States, from 12.6% to 10.7%.
In September 2026, Gusto lost share of searches among HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses in the United States, from 13.2% to 11.8%.
In September 2026, QuickBooks Payroll lost share of searches among HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses in the United States, from 6.3% to 5.4%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Paychex in the United States fell 60.7% over 12 measured months, from 6.3K to 2.5K in September 2026.
How are QuickBooks Payroll’s branded searches counted?
1 search term
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using QuickBooks Payroll’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.
- quickbooks payroll
Who owns QuickBooks Payroll?
QuickBooks Payroll is owned by 
Intuit. Brandwave does not track any other brands owned by Intuit.
Do you work for QuickBooks Payroll? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.
Where does QuickBooks Payroll compete?
| Competitor set | Rank | Share of searches | Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses | 6th of 10 | 5.4% | Shown above |
| Payroll software | 5th of 9 | 5.8% | Show ranking |
Is QuickBooks Payroll your brand?
Put your own campaigns, spend and outcomes next to this demand line, so you can see which of your marketing lined up with the movements above.