---
title: "HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses in United States: Which are searched most?"
description: "Compare HR, payroll, and people-management software sold to small and midsize businesses, measured through worldwide English-language branded search demand. Share of Search among RUN Powered by ADP, Gusto, BambooHR, Rippling, Paychex, Justworks and HiBob, the HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses Brandwave compares in United States, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time."
canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/us/categories/us-smb-hr-and-payroll-software"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses in United States: Which are searched most?

Compare HR, payroll, and people-management software sold to small and midsize businesses, measured through worldwide English-language branded search demand. Share of Search among RUN Powered by ADP, Gusto, BambooHR, Rippling, Paychex, Justworks and HiBob, the HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses Brandwave compares in United States, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.

## Key facts

- **Competitive set**: HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses
- **Market**: United States
- **Brands compared**: 7
- **Month measured**: Sep 2026
- **Highest Share of Search**: RUN Powered by ADP, 78.5%

## Which brand is most popular in search among HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses in United States?

- In September 2026, RUN Powered by ADP was the most searched among HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses in United States, with an estimated 327K branded searches and 78.5% estimated Share of Search within this set.
- Gusto is in 2nd place, 68.9 percentage points behind at 9.6% Share of Search.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, RUN Powered by ADP’s estimated Share of Search among HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses in United States increased from 75% to 78.5%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Gusto’s estimated Share of Search among HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses in United States decreased from 11.2% to 9.6%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, BambooHR’s estimated Share of Search among HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses in United States decreased from 9.8% to 8.7%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Paychex’s estimated Share of Search among HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses in United States decreased from 1.4% to 0.59%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, RUN Powered by ADP’s estimated Share of Search among HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses in United States peaked at 80.1% in December 2025 and was lowest at 72.8% in April 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Gusto’s estimated Share of Search among HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses in United States peaked at 15.2% in March 2026 and was lowest at 9.6% in September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, BambooHR’s estimated Share of Search among HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses in United States peaked at 10.2% in August 2026 and was lowest at 7% in December 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Rippling, Justworks and HiBob held steady: their estimated Share of Search among HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses in United States each moved less than 0.5 percentage points.

## Compare search popularity between leading brands

- [RUN Powered by ADP vs Gusto: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/adp-run-vs-gusto): 78.5% against 9.6% Share of Search.
- [RUN Powered by ADP vs BambooHR: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/adp-run-vs-bamboohr): 78.5% against 8.7% Share of Search.
- [Gusto vs BambooHR: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/bamboohr-vs-gusto): 9.6% against 8.7% Share of Search.

## How did search popularity change for United States HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses in September 2026?

- In September 2026, RUN Powered by ADP gained estimated Share of Search among HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses in United States, from 76% to 78.5%.
- In September 2026, BambooHR lost estimated Share of Search among HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses in United States, from 10.2% to 8.7%.
- In September 2026, Gusto lost estimated Share of Search among HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses in United States, from 10.8% to 9.6%.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Paychex in United States fell 60.7% over 12 measured months, from 6.3K to 2.5K in September 2026.

## Share of Search ranking

| Rank | Brand | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | Change vs prior month | Owned by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | RUN Powered by ADP | 78.5% | 327K | +0.1% | ADP |
| 2 | Gusto | 9.6% | 39.9K | -13.9% | Gusto |
| 3 | BambooHR | 8.7% | 36.1K | -18.1% | BambooHR |
| 4 | Rippling | 1.9% | 8.1K | +8.9% | Rippling |
| 5 | Paychex | 0.59% | 2.5K | 0.0% | Paychex |
| 6 | Justworks | 0.53% | 2.2K | -3.9% | Justworks |
| 7 | HiBob | 0.21% | 860 | +11.7% | HiBob |

## Historical estimated branded-search demand

| Month | Brand | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 2025 | RUN Powered by ADP | 327K | 75% | 1 |
| Oct 2025 | Gusto | 48.8K | 11.2% | 2 |
| Oct 2025 | BambooHR | 42.9K | 9.8% | 3 |
| Oct 2025 | Rippling | 8.1K | 1.9% | 4 |
| Oct 2025 | Paychex | 6.3K | 1.4% | 5 |
| Oct 2025 | Justworks | 2.2K | 0.51% | 6 |
| Oct 2025 | HiBob | 950 | 0.22% | 7 |
| Nov 2025 | RUN Powered by ADP | 327K | 77.3% | 1 |
| Nov 2025 | Gusto | 47.1K | 11.1% | 2 |
| Nov 2025 | BambooHR | 35.2K | 8.3% | 3 |
| Nov 2025 | Rippling | 7.2K | 1.7% | 4 |
| Nov 2025 | Paychex | 3.8K | 0.89% | 5 |
| Nov 2025 | Justworks | 2.1K | 0.5% | 6 |
| Nov 2025 | HiBob | 860 | 0.2% | 7 |
| Dec 2025 | RUN Powered by ADP | 400K | 80.1% | 1 |
| Dec 2025 | Gusto | 49.7K | 10% | 2 |
| Dec 2025 | BambooHR | 35.1K | 7% | 3 |
| Dec 2025 | Rippling | 8.6K | 1.7% | 4 |
| Dec 2025 | Paychex | 3.4K | 0.68% | 5 |
| Dec 2025 | Justworks | 1.8K | 0.37% | 6 |
| Dec 2025 | HiBob | 690 | 0.14% | 7 |
| Jan 2026 | RUN Powered by ADP | 402K | 75.5% | 1 |
| Jan 2026 | Gusto | 69.2K | 13% | 2 |
| Jan 2026 | BambooHR | 43.4K | 8.2% | 3 |
| Jan 2026 | Rippling | 10.3K | 1.9% | 4 |
| Jan 2026 | Paychex | 4K | 0.75% | 5 |
| Jan 2026 | Justworks | 2.3K | 0.43% | 6 |
| Jan 2026 | HiBob | 890 | 0.17% | 7 |
| Feb 2026 | RUN Powered by ADP | 329K | 73.7% | 1 |
| Feb 2026 | Gusto | 64.7K | 14.5% | 2 |
| Feb 2026 | BambooHR | 36.5K | 8.2% | 3 |
| Feb 2026 | Rippling | 9.4K | 2.1% | 4 |
| Feb 2026 | Paychex | 4K | 0.89% | 5 |
| Feb 2026 | Justworks | 2.1K | 0.46% | 6 |
| Feb 2026 | HiBob | 870 | 0.2% | 7 |
| Mar 2026 | RUN Powered by ADP | 340K | 73% | 1 |
| Mar 2026 | Gusto | 71K | 15.2% | 2 |
| Mar 2026 | BambooHR | 37K | 8% | 3 |
| Mar 2026 | Rippling | 10.4K | 2.2% | 4 |
| Mar 2026 | Paychex | 4.2K | 0.9% | 5 |
| Mar 2026 | Justworks | 2.2K | 0.48% | 6 |
| Mar 2026 | HiBob | 1.1K | 0.23% | 7 |
| Apr 2026 | RUN Powered by ADP | 328K | 72.8% | 1 |
| Apr 2026 | Gusto | 67.8K | 15% | 2 |
| Apr 2026 | BambooHR | 37.5K | 8.3% | 3 |
| Apr 2026 | Rippling | 9.7K | 2.2% | 4 |
| Apr 2026 | Paychex | 4.3K | 0.95% | 5 |
| Apr 2026 | Justworks | 2.2K | 0.48% | 6 |
| Apr 2026 | HiBob | 1K | 0.23% | 7 |
| May 2026 | RUN Powered by ADP | 327K | 74.3% | 1 |
| May 2026 | Gusto | 61.4K | 14% | 2 |
| May 2026 | BambooHR | 36.7K | 8.3% | 3 |
| May 2026 | Rippling | 9K | 2.1% | 4 |
| May 2026 | Paychex | 2.7K | 0.61% | 5 |
| May 2026 | Justworks | 2.4K | 0.55% | 6 |
| May 2026 | HiBob | 880 | 0.2% | 7 |
| Jun 2026 | RUN Powered by ADP | 338K | 75.3% | 1 |
| Jun 2026 | Gusto | 59.5K | 13.3% | 2 |
| Jun 2026 | BambooHR | 37K | 8.2% | 3 |
| Jun 2026 | Rippling | 8.8K | 1.9% | 4 |
| Jun 2026 | Paychex | 2.5K | 0.55% | 5 |
| Jun 2026 | Justworks | 2.4K | 0.52% | 6 |
| Jun 2026 | HiBob | 880 | 0.2% | 7 |
| Jul 2026 | RUN Powered by ADP | 334K | 76.5% | 1 |
| Jul 2026 | Gusto | 50.1K | 11.5% | 2 |
| Jul 2026 | BambooHR | 38.2K | 8.8% | 3 |
| Jul 2026 | Rippling | 8.2K | 1.9% | 4 |
| Jul 2026 | Paychex | 2.6K | 0.59% | 5 |
| Jul 2026 | Justworks | 2.5K | 0.56% | 6 |
| Jul 2026 | HiBob | 850 | 0.19% | 7 |
| Aug 2026 | RUN Powered by ADP | 327K | 76% | 1 |
| Aug 2026 | Gusto | 46.4K | 10.8% | 2 |
| Aug 2026 | BambooHR | 44K | 10.2% | 3 |
| Aug 2026 | Rippling | 7.4K | 1.7% | 4 |
| Aug 2026 | Paychex | 2.5K | 0.57% | 5 |
| Aug 2026 | Justworks | 2.3K | 0.53% | 6 |
| Aug 2026 | HiBob | 770 | 0.18% | 7 |
| Sep 2026 | RUN Powered by ADP | 327K | 78.5% | 1 |
| Sep 2026 | Gusto | 39.9K | 9.6% | 2 |
| Sep 2026 | BambooHR | 36.1K | 8.7% | 3 |
| Sep 2026 | Rippling | 8.1K | 1.9% | 4 |
| Sep 2026 | Paychex | 2.5K | 0.59% | 5 |
| Sep 2026 | Justworks | 2.2K | 0.53% | 6 |
| Sep 2026 | HiBob | 860 | 0.21% | 7 |

## What is being compared

- **BambooHR**: Measured on the search terms “bamboo hr”, “bamboo hr app”, “bamboo hr payroll”, “bamboo hr software”, “bamboo hr system”, “bamboohr app”, “bamboohr applicant tracking”, “bamboohr applicant tracking system”, “bamboohr hris”, “bamboohr integrations”, “bamboohr payroll”, “bamboohr performance management”, “bamboohrcom”, “hris bamboo” and “performance management bamboohr”, summed into one figure.
- **Gusto**: Measured on the search terms “gusto accounting software”, “gusto app”, “gusto benefits”, “gusto company”, “gusto contractor”, “gusto embedded payroll”, “gusto for payroll”, “gusto hr”, “gusto hr software”, “gusto international contractors”, “gusto pay”, “gusto paycheck”, “gusto payment”, “gusto payroll”, “gusto payroll app”, “gusto payroll company”, “gusto payroll processing”, “gusto payroll provider”, “gusto payroll services”, “gusto payroll software”, “gusto payroll solutions”, “gusto payroll system”, “gusto platform”, “gusto software”, “gusto time clock”, “gusto time tracking”, “gusto timetracking” and “gusto zen payroll”, summed into one figure.
- **HiBob**: Measured on the search terms “bob hr”, “hibob app”, “hibob company”, “hibob demo”, “hibob hr”, “hibob hr software”, “hibob hr system”, “hibob hris”, “hibob integrations”, “hibob onboarding”, “hibob payroll”, “hibob performance management” and “hibob platform”, summed into one figure.
- **Justworks**: Measured on the search terms “justworks 401k”, “justworks app”, “justworks company”, “justworks hr”, “justworks payroll”, “justworks peo”, “justworks time tracking” and “peo justworks”, summed into one figure.
- **Paychex**: Measured on the search terms “paychex hr”, “paychex payroll” and “paychex payroll services”, summed into one figure.
- **Rippling**: Measured on the search terms “rippling app”, “rippling apps”, “rippling eor”, “rippling hr”, “rippling hr software”, “rippling it”, “rippling payroll”, “rippling peo” and “rippling software”, summed into one figure.
- **RUN Powered by ADP**: Measured on the search terms “adp on the run”, “adp payroll run payroll”, “adp run adp”, “adp run app”, “adp run payroll”, “adp run payroll adp”, “adp run payroll app”, “adp run powered by adp”, “run adp”, “run adp employer”, “run payroll adp”, “run payroll adp run” and “run powered by adp”, summed into one figure.

- [BambooHR](/demand/us/brands/bamboohr)
- [Gusto](/demand/us/brands/gusto)
- [HiBob](/demand/us/brands/hibob)
- [Justworks](/demand/us/brands/justworks)
- [Paychex](/demand/us/brands/paychex)
- [Rippling](/demand/us/brands/rippling)
- [RUN Powered by ADP](/demand/us/brands/adp-run)

## Methodology

- [How is branded search demand measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which brand is most popular in search among HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses in United States?

In September 2026, RUN Powered by ADP was the most searched among HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses in United States, with an estimated 327K branded searches and 78.5% estimated Share of Search within this set.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses in United States: Which are searched most?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/us/categories/us-smb-hr-and-payroll-software

This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/us/categories/us-smb-hr-and-payroll-software. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.