Payroll software · November 2026 Edition
ADP Workforce Now vs Gusto
Three of fourteen models named ADP Workforce Now first on the direct prompt; zero named Gusto. ADP Workforce Now was named by twelve of the fourteen models and Gusto by fourteen and ADP Workforce Now carries 23 labels and Gusto 45, so the shares are not directly comparable.
Named in nineteen categories this edition.
Named in twenty-one categories this edition.
First-choice share10%2%Of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts, 0 to 100.
Negative rate0%31%Negative labels as a share of the product's labels, 0 to 100.
Rank in category#3#8A position in a field of 18; printed, not drawn.
Labels2345A count; the two differ.
The two percentage rows are drawn on one 0 to 100 track, ADP Workforce Now reading right to left. Rank and label count are printed, not drawn.Rippling was named alongside these two in twelve of the fourteen direct answers. Rippling vs ADP Workforce Now · Rippling vs Gusto · Patriot Payroll vs ADP Workforce Now
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 payroll software page.
By framing
How many of the fourteen models made each the first choice, per way of asking, and how many argued against it.
ADP Workforce NowFirst choices, of fourteen modelsGusto
Direct301 against Gusto
Paraphrase202 against Gusto
Comparative011
Budget-constrained013 against Gusto
Scale-constrained002 against Gusto
Negative026 against Gusto
Bars are first choices, 0 to 14 each sideModels that argued againstA model can name both, so the two sides of a row do not sum to fourteen.
Every model, every framing
The eighty-four answers behind the chart above, one cell each: where ADP Workforce Now and Gusto stood in it.
| Model | Direct | Paraphrase | Comparative | Budget-constrained | Scale-constrained | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | | | ||||
| GPT-5.4 mini | | | | | | |
| Gemini 3.5 Flash | | | | | | |
| Perplexity Sonar | | | | | ||
| Grok 4.20 | | | | | ||
| 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 | | |
ADP Workforce Now Gusto first choice named as an alternative argued againstblank: not namedEach cell is one answer, ADP Workforce Now on the left and Gusto on the right.The direct prompt
The plain question, one answer per model, grouped by where ADP Workforce Now and Gusto stood in it.
ADP Workforce Now first, Gusto not the choice
3 of 14 modelsGusto was named in the answer but not as the choice, or not at all.Claude Haiku 4.5ADP Workforce Now, Rippling alternatives: Paychex Flex, Paylocity
GPT-5.4 miniADP Workforce Now, Rippling alternatives: Deel, Paychex Flex
Perplexity SonarADP Workforce Now alternatives: Namely, Paycom, Paylocity
Neither was the first choice, one was named
8 of 14 modelsThe answer put something else first and named one of the two as an alternative.Gemini 3.5 FlashRippling alternatives: ADP Workforce Now, Paycom, Paylocity
Grok 4.20Rippling alternatives: ADP Workforce Now, Gusto, Paylocity
DeepSeek V4 FlashRippling alternatives: ADP Workforce Now, Dayforce, Paycom
Kimi K2Paychex Flex, Rippling alternatives: ADP Workforce Now, Dayforce, Paycom
GLM 4.7 FlashXRippling alternatives: ADP Workforce Now, Dayforce, Paylocity, UKG Pro
MiniMax M2.5Rippling alternatives: ADP Workforce Now, Paylocity, Workday
GPT-6 LunaRippling alternatives: ADP Workforce Now, Paylocity, UKG Ready
Muse Glimmer 30Bno first choice alternatives: ADP Workforce Now, Dayforce, Namely, Paycom, Paylocity, Rippling, UKG Pro, Workday
Neither was named
3 of 14 modelsThe answer made no first choice from these two in this category.Mistral SmallUKG Pro, Workday Mid-Market alternatives: Dayforce, Namely, Paycom, Rippling
Llama 4 MaverickNamely alternatives: OnPay, Paychex Flex, Paycor, QuickBooks Payroll
Qwen 3.7 FlashPaylocity, Rippling alternatives: Dayforce, Deel, Paycom
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
The same question asked on behalf of a different buyer. Each standing is computed within its segment and they are never added together. The figures above are the mid-market standing, which is the one the category orders by.
Small business
Gusto leads by fifty-eight points.
Gusto58%#1 of 13ADP Workforce Now0%#– of 13Mid-marketThe figures above
The order flips: ADP Workforce Now leads at mid-market.
ADP Workforce Now10%#3 of 18Gusto2%#8 of 18Enterprise
ADP Workforce Now leads by twenty-six points.
ADP Workforce Now26%#2 of 15Gusto0%#15 of 15What the models said about ADP Workforce Now
Every negative label with a quote, up to three, then the highest-weighted positives, up to three. One of one in this category shown.
“ADP Workforce Now is the default choice for mid-market payroll because it is the safest choice” Claude Haiku 4.5 · direct prompt · first choice
What the models said about Gusto
Every negative label with a quote, up to three, then the highest-weighted positives, up to three. Four of four in this category shown.
“Complaints include unexpected fees, continuing memberships, and downtime where employees aren't paid” Claude Haiku 4.5 · negative prompt · hard negative
“Gusto leads on user experience and integrated benefits (health insurance, 401(k), workers' comp). Best if you want payroll and HR in one place.” Kimi K2 · comparative prompt · first choice
“Under 50 employees (US-based): Look into modern, full-service, transparently-priced platforms like Gusto, OnPay, or Patriot Payroll.” Gemini 3.5 Flash · negative prompt · first choice
“Choose Gusto if you have under 50 domestic US employees and want a modern, affordable, easy-to-use platform with solid basic HR.” Gemini 3.5 Flash · comparative prompt · first choice
Also compared
Rippling vs ADP Workforce NowRippling vs GustoPatriot Payroll vs ADP Workforce NowPatriot Payroll vs GustoADP Workforce Now vs PaylocityADP Workforce Now vs Paychex FlexADP Workforce Now vs PaycomADP Workforce Now vs ADPPaylocity vs GustoPaychex Flex vs GustoPaycom vs GustoADP vs GustoAll twenty-eight head-to-head pages and the full payroll software standing
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.