Payactiv vs Branch
One of fourteen models named Payactiv first on the direct prompt; zero named Branch. Payactiv was named by fourteen of the fourteen models and Branch by thirteen and Payactiv carries 51 labels and Branch 22, so the shares are not directly comparable.
Named in two categories this edition.
Named in two categories this edition.
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; every quote names the model and the prompt it came from. Both figures come from the earned wage access page.
By framing
PayactivFirst choices, of fourteen modelsBranch
Across every category in the October 2026 Edition, Payactiv and Branch were named in the same answer sixty-four times, of the 192 answers naming Payactiv and the 69 naming Branch. In those answers Branch took the first choice three times and Payactiv six.
Every model, every framing
| Model | Direct | Paraphrase | Comparative | Budget-constrained | Scale-constrained | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | | | | | ||
| GPT-5.4 mini | | | | |||
| Gemini 3.5 Flash | | | | | ||
| Perplexity Sonar | | |||||
| Grok 4.1 Fast | | | | | | |
| Mistral Small | | |||||
| DeepSeek V4 Flash | | | | | ||
| Llama 4 Maverick | | |||||
| Qwen 3.7 Flash | | | | | ||
| Kimi K2 | | | | | ||
| GLM 4.7 FlashX | | | ||||
| MiniMax M2.5 | | | ||||
| GPT-6 Luna | | | | |||
| Muse Glimmer 30B | | |
Payactiv Branch first choice named as an alternative argued againstblank: not namedEach cell is one answer, Payactiv on the left and Branch on the right.The direct prompt
Payactiv first, Branch not the choice
1 of 14 modelsBranch was named in the answer but not as the choice, or not at all.Neither was the first choice, one was named
9 of 14 modelsThe answer put something else first and named one of the two as an alternative.Neither was named
4 of 14 modelsThe answer made no first choice from these two in this category.Bold names in an answer are the products the judge labeled a first choice; a model naming several gives each of them that label. The full answer text for every row is in the record.
By buyer segment
Payactiv0%#5 of 7Branch0%#7 of 7Payactiv4%#4 of 10Branch4%#6 of 10What the models said about Payactiv
Every negative label with a quote, up to three, then the highest-weighted positives, up to three. Six of eight in this category shown.
“A long-standing player in the space that faces criticism for aggressive collection tactics on debts.” Qwen 3.7 Flash · negative prompt · hard negative
“exercise extreme caution with: EarnIn, MoneyLion, DailyPay, Empower, and PayActiv” DeepSeek V4 Flash · negative prompt · hard negative
“Avoid enterprise-focused ones like DailyPay or Payactiv if budget-tight” Grok 4.1 Fast · budget prompt · hard negative
“Start with Payactiv or Tapcheck for mid-market B2B—they balance cost, reviews, and fit without enterprise complexity.” Grok 4.1 Fast · direct prompt · first choice
“stick with employer‑integrated options (e.g., DailyPay, Payactiv, Branch Core)” MiniMax M2.5 · negative prompt · first choice
“such as DailyPay or Payactiv), it is generally safer than direct-to-consumer apps” Gemini 3.5 Flash · negative prompt · first choice
What the models said about Branch
Every negative label with a quote, up to three, then the highest-weighted positives, up to three. Five of five in this category shown.
“Branch (especially the “Flex”/direct‑to‑consumer model) | • Poor customer‑service reviews” MiniMax M2.5 · negative prompt · hard negative
“Core access may be conditional on switching banking to the Branch app; higher fees for withdrawals outside the Branch ecosystem” DeepSeek V4 Flash · comparative prompt · soft negative
“Branch stands out as the best option because: 1. Completely free for employers with no hidden costs” Kimi K2 · budget prompt · first choice
“For a company with a very limited benefits budget, I’d start with Branch.” GPT-6 Luna · budget prompt · first choice
“Choose DailyPay or Branch if: You are a large employer looking for a reliable, scalable solution” GLM 4.7 FlashX · comparative prompt · alternative
Comparisons are drawn for the top eight products in each category, each against each. The output is the models' output; nothing here is a recommendation by the index.