# Gusto vs Paylocity: which do AI models recommend for payroll software, October 2026

HR AI Recommendation Index, October 2026 Edition, Payroll software. Zero of fourteen models named Gusto first on the direct prompt; one named Paylocity. Page: https://hr-ai-index.com/core/payroll-software/gusto-vs-paylocity/

| | First-choice share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels | Models naming it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gusto | 6% | #6 of 14 | 27% | 49 | 14 of 14 |
| Paylocity | 4% | #7 of 14 | 19% | 31 | 14 of 14 |

## The direct prompt, model by model

- GPT-6 Luna: paylocity first (first choices: Paylocity) (alternatives: ADP Workforce Now, Rippling, UKG Ready)
- Claude Haiku 4.5: neither first, one named (first choices: Paycom) (alternatives: ADP, Deel, G-P, Namely, Paylocity, Rippling)
- GPT-5.4 mini: neither first, one named (first choices: Rippling) (alternatives: ADP Workforce Now, Deel, Paylocity)
- Gemini 3.5 Flash: neither first, one named (first choices: Rippling) (alternatives: ADP Workforce Now, Paycom, Paylocity)
- Perplexity Sonar: neither first, one named (first choices: Rippling) (alternatives: ADP Workforce Now, Paycom, Paylocity)
- Grok 4.1 Fast: neither first, one named (first choices: Rippling) (alternatives: ADP Workforce Now, Deel, Gusto, Paychex Flex, Paycom, Paycor, Paylocity)
- Mistral Small: neither first, one named (first choices: ADP, Rippling) (alternatives: Keka, Paylocity)
- DeepSeek V4 Flash: neither first, one named (first choices: ADP Workforce Now, Rippling) (alternatives: Dayforce, Paycom, Paylocity)
- Qwen 3.7 Flash: neither first, one named (first choices: ADP Workforce Now) (alternatives: Dayforce, Gusto, Paycom)
- Kimi K2: neither first, one named (first choices: Rippling) (alternatives: ADP Workforce Now, Paycom, Paylocity)
- GLM 4.7 FlashX: neither first, one named (first choices: ADP) (alternatives: Dayforce, Gusto, Paycom, Paycor, Paylocity, Rippling)
- Muse Glimmer 30B: neither first, one named (alternatives: ADP Workforce Now, Namely, Paychex Flex, Paycor, Paylocity)
- Llama 4 Maverick: neither named
- MiniMax M2.5: neither named (first choices: ADP Workforce Now, Paycom, Paycor) (alternatives: QuickBooks Payroll)

## What the models said about Gusto

- "Small US business with <500 employees, no HR department: Start with Gusto for simplicity and transparency." (GLM 4.7 FlashX, comparative prompt, first choice)

## What the models said about Paylocity

- "Be cautious with these payroll platforms... Paylocity: Frequent complaints about poor customer service, glitchy platform" (Grok 4.1 Fast, negative prompt, hard negative)
- "Paylocity - Some users have reported subpar customer support and technical issues with the platform." (Llama 4 Maverick, negative prompt, hard negative)
- "Unresponsive customer support ... Glitchy software that's difficult to navigate" (DeepSeek V4 Flash, negative prompt, hard negative)
- "Paylocity: Highly rated for its balance of flexibility, HR tools, and ease of use in the mid-market space." (Qwen 3.7 Flash, scale prompt, first choice)

Share is the count of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts over all fourteen 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.