RUN Powered by ADP vs Patriot Software:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, RUN Powered by ADP had more branded searches than Patriot Software among HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses in the United States. RUN Powered by ADP had about 179,000 branded searches, while Patriot Software had 28,000. RUN Powered by ADP made up 53% of all HR and payroll software for small and midsize business searches we track, and Patriot Software accounted for 8.3%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses, RUN Powered by ADP and Patriot Software each appeared in two of the five answers. RUN Powered by ADP and Patriot Software were each mentioned first in two of the four answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
RUN Powered by ADP, about 6 searches for every 1 for Patriot Software
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 2 of 5 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
Each is named first in 2 of 4 answers.
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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, RUN Powered by ADP was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Patriot Software was mentioned in two out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in both Google AI Overviews. RUN Powered by ADP and Patriot Software were each listed first in two of the four answers that named either.
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.
Is RUN Powered by ADP or Patriot Software more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for RUN Powered by ADP and Patriot Software by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for RUN Powered by ADP, Patriot Software. 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% |
How has the RUN Powered by ADP and Patriot Software comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- RUN Powered by ADP was ahead of Patriot Software in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, RUN Powered by ADP’s share of searches among HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses in the United States moved from 50.4% to 53%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 179K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Patriot Software’s share of searches among HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses in the United States moved from 6% to 8.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 21.4K to 28K.
How did search popularity change for United States HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses in September 2026?
2 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%.
How are branded searches counted?
15 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using RUN Powered by ADP’s and Patriot Software’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.
RUN Powered by ADP
13 branded 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
- run powered by adp
Patriot Software
2 branded search terms
- patriot payroll
- patriot software
Other head-to-heads among HR and payroll software for small and midsize businesses
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