# ADP vs Gusto: which do AI models recommend for payroll software, September 2026

HR AI Recommendation Index, September 2026 Edition, Payroll software. One of twelve models named ADP first on the direct prompt; zero named Gusto. Page: https://hr-ai-index.com/core/payroll-software/adp-vs-gusto/

| | First-choice share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels | Models naming it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADP | 11% | #4 of 13 | 29% | 28 | 11 of 12 |
| Gusto | 4% | #6 of 13 | 13% | 45 | 12 of 12 |

## The direct prompt, model by model

- Qwen 3.7 Flash: adp first (first choices: ADP, Rippling) (alternatives: BambooHR, Gusto, Zenefits)
- Mistral Small: neither first, one named (first choices: Paycom) (alternatives: ADP, Gusto, Paylocity, Rippling)
- Kimi K2: neither first, one named (first choices: Rippling) (alternatives: ADP Workforce Now, Gusto, Paycom)
- Claude Haiku 4.5: neither named (first choices: Rippling) (alternatives: Paycor, Paylocity)
- GPT-5.4 mini: neither named (first choices: Rippling) (alternatives: ADP Global Payroll, ADP Workforce Now / ADP Full Service Payroll, Deel, Paycom)
- Gemini 3.5 Flash: neither named (first choices: Rippling) (alternatives: ADP Workforce Now, Deel, Paylocity)
- Perplexity Sonar: neither named (first choices: Paylocity, Rippling) (alternatives: ADP Workforce Now, Paycom)
- Grok 4.1 Fast: neither named (first choices: Paylocity, Rippling) (alternatives: ADP Workforce Now, Paycom)
- DeepSeek V4 Flash: neither named (first choices: Paylocity) (alternatives: ADP Workforce Now, Paycom, Rippling, UKG Pro)
- Llama 4 Maverick: neither named
- GLM 4.7 FlashX: neither named (first choices: Paylocity, Rippling) (alternatives: ADP Workforce Now, Paycor, UKG Pro, Workday)
- MiniMax M2.5: neither named (first choices: ADP Workforce Now, Paylocity) (alternatives: Rippling, UKG Pro)

## What the models said about ADP

- "legacy/larger enterprise solutions like ADP Workforce Now or standard ADP Payroll Services ... high costs ... poor support accessibility" (Qwen 3.7 Flash, negative prompt, hard negative)
- "Highly recommended for mid-sized companies operating across multiple states... ADP or Paychex are often the top recommendations" (Mistral Small, paraphrase prompt, first choice)
- "Start a demo with ADP if you are risk-averse and prioritize regulatory compliance above all else." (Qwen 3.7 Flash, direct prompt, first choice)
- "Market Leader: ADP holds the largest market share in the payroll software industry" (Mistral Small, comparative prompt, first choice)

## What the models said about Gusto

- "Gusto is the most popular all\u2011round choice for small businesses, offering a polished employee experience and built\u2011in HR/benefits." (GLM 4.7 FlashX, comparative prompt, first choice)
- "the platforms that most consistently earn positive feedback on simplicity and transparent pricing are Gusto (for small businesses)" (DeepSeek V4 Flash, negative prompt, first choice)

Share is the count of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts over all twelve models, for a mid-market B2B company; rank is within the category. Comparisons are drawn for the top eight products in each category. Published under CC BY 4.0; the output is the models' output, and nothing here is a recommendation by the index.