Leader
29Heralded Score, range 17–56
The most visible HR and payroll tools in United Kingdom, October 2026
Most cited source
9citations
From ChatGPT
Where engines disagree most
1/4engines put it in their top three
Top three on Google AI Overviews, not on Google AI Mode, Gemini and ChatGPT
Brands
| Rank | Brand | Rank change | Heralded Score All | AI | Search | Score trend | Mentioned | Recommended | By engine | Mentioned by | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | New entry | 29 , range 17–56 | 36#3 | 16#5 | 29
| 16% | 12% | None | First reading | |
| 2 | | New entry | 29 , range 20–58 | 39#2 | 11#10 | 29
| 20% | 12% | None | First reading | |
| 3 | | New entry | 27 , range 17–56 | 36#4 | 12#8 | 27
| 19% | 8% | None | First reading | |
| 4 | | New entry | 25 , range 20–57 | 39#1 | 1= #45 | 25
| 19% | 12% | None | First reading | |
| 5 | | New entry | 24 , range 9–53 | 32#6 | 9#11 | 24
| 17% | 4% | None | First reading | |
| 6 | | New entry | 23 , range 6–51 | 29#8 | 14#7 | 23
| 13% | 4% | None | First reading | |
| 7 | | New entry | 22 , range 10–53 | 33#5 | 4= #25 | 22
| 16% | 6% | None | First reading | |
| 8 | | New entry | 21 , range 6–51 | 31#7 | 5= #23 | 21
| 15% | 2% | None | First reading | |
| 9 | | New entry | 18 , range 5–51 | 28#9 | 0= #49 | 18
| 10% | 6% | None | First reading | |
| 10 | | New entry | 16 , range 4–50 | 19#11 | 11#9 | 16
| 9% | 5% | None | First reading |
“=” marks brands whose score ranges overlap, so the test cannot separate them. Every brand named in at least three answers is ranked. AI and Search give each brand’s score and rank on that side alone. By engine has one dot per engine (ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Gemini and Google AI Mode), darker the more often it names the brand.
Most cited sources
| Rank | Source | Type | Cited in | Engines | Pages cited | Brands its pages mention |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | | Vendor site | 3.3% | 1 of 4 | 1 | Not read |
| 12 | | Vendor site | 3.3% | 1 of 4 | 2 | Not read |
| 13 | | Vendor site | 1.7% | 1 of 4 | 2 | Not read |
| 14 | | Vendor site | 3.3% | 1 of 4 | 2 | Not read |
| 15 | | Vendor site | 3.3% | 2 of 4 | 2 | Not read |
| 16 | | Vendor site | 3.3% | 1 of 4 | 2 | Not read |
| 17 | | Vendor site | 1.7% | 1 of 4 | 2 | Not read |
| 18 | | Vendor site | 1.7% | 1 of 4 | 1 | Not read |
| 19 | | Vendor site | 1.7% | 1 of 4 | 1 | Not read |
| 20 | | Vendor site | 1.7% | 1 of 4 | 1 | Not read |
Questions asked
| Question | Language | Most recommended |
|---|---|---|
| What’s the best HR and payroll software for small businesses? | English | |
| How can a small business manage employees and payroll? | English | No brand recommended |
| How can a small business calculate employee payroll? | English | No brand recommended |
| How can I keep track of leave and days worked? | English | |
| HR software vs. spreadsheets for payroll at a small business | English | |
| Manual personnel management vs. HR software for midsize companies | English | No brand recommended |
| What are some alternatives to using spreadsheets to track employees? | English | |
| What are some alternatives to calculating payroll manually for a small business? | English | |
| I own a business with 10 employees. How can I manage payroll and time off? | English | |
| I lead an HR team and need time tracking for 200 employees. What are my options? | English | |
Each engine's top three
Google AI Mode
- 1
Xero Payroll
- = 2
FreeAgent
- = 2
PayFit
Gemini
Google AI Overviews
- 1
QuickBooks Payroll
- 2
Sage HR
- 3
Gusto
ChatGPT
Related leaderboards
Method
Each leaderboard ranks brands on two sides. AI is how ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Overviews and Google AI Mode answer the board's buyer questions. Search is Google's top 10 results for the keywords behind those questions. All combines the two, where Search is measured.
For the AI side, each month Heralded asks every engine the same buyer questions, twice each, and reads every answer. An answer counts 0 for a brand it leaves out, 50 for a brand it names and 100 for a brand it recommends, and the Heralded Score is built from those. A brand named in at least three answers gets a score and a place.