G2 Data Reveals 90% Surge in Payroll Software Reviews Amid Global 2026 Pay Transparency Deadlines
New market analysis identifies RemotePeople, Employment Hero, and Keka as top-trending products in Payroll & HR Tech category.
CHICAGO, Feb. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- G2, the world's largest and most trusted software marketplace, recorded over 30,000 new reviews in its Payroll Software category in the past 12 months, a 90% increase. RemotePeople, Employment Hero, and Keka lead the category in review growth and buyer engagement, according to G2 data. This represents the largest year-over-year growth in the category's history and signals a fundamental shift in how organizations approach payroll technology.
The surge in reviews mirrors rising pressure on global employers preparing to meet new 2026 regulatory expectations. These include pay transparency mandates, audit-ready reporting, and real-time compensation visibility. To help buyers navigate this high-growth category, G2's Market Movers series spotlights the three products showing the most momentum.
What is driving the 90% growth in Payroll software reviews?
The EU Pay Transparency Directive 2023/970, effective June 2026, requires employers with 100+ employees to publish pay gap data — a mandate likely driving the category's growth on G2. These regulations will bring the EU into closer alignment to other nations, like the United States, where 16 states have already enacted pay transparency laws, as of January 2026, according to Paycor's 2026 Pay Transparency Report.
Meeting these transparency requirements demands payroll systems capable of stronger pay equity functionality and reporting. Products in the Payroll Software category are increasingly integrating with HRIS, time tracking, and benefits administration systems to enable better workforce management.
Who are the January 2026 Payroll Software Market Movers?
According to G2's proprietary buyer behavior data — including review volume, profile views, and unique buyer intent signals — the top three products in the Payroll Software category as of January 2026 are:
- Description: An international recruitment agency and Employer of Record (EOR) that simplifies global hiring for companies looking to expand their global workforce without establishing local entities. RemotePeople's EOR model also handles multi-jurisdiction pay reporting — key for transparency.
- G2 Rating: 4.9/5 based on 96 reviews (188% increase year over year)
- G2 Page Views: 24,900 (3314% increase year over year)
- Description: An Employment Operating System offering an end-to-end system that makes employment easier by bundling payroll, HR, benefits, and recruitment.
- G2 Rating: 4.3/5 based on 760 reviews (548% increase year over year)
- G2 Page Views: 12,500+ (17% increase year over year)
- Description: A global People and Project Operations Platform designed for growing businesses to align teams, drive performance, and streamline HR, payroll, and project delivery. Keka's real-time dashboards also support audit-ready compensation disclosure.
- G2 Rating: 4.5/5 rating based on 1,849 reviews (59% increase year over year)
- G2 Page Views: 12,500+ (16% increase year over year)
How does G2 identify trending software?
G2 ranks Market Movers using a weighted average of review volume, profile traffic, and verified Buyer Intent signals from the past year. Beyond momentum, G2's latest data also reveals critical performance benchmarks for the trending payroll sector:
- Rapid ROI: Products identified as Market Movers in this category are delivering value quickly, with RemotePeople leading at an average of 4.8 months to ROI.
- High user adoption: Keka leads the group in daily utility, with 92% of reviewers reporting they use the platform every day.
- Customer loyalty: RemotePeople achieved a near-perfect Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 98, significantly outperforming the broader category benchmark.
"As pay transparency expands, payroll platforms are expected to deliver greater accuracy, visibility, and compliance at scale," Inia Debnath, G2's Market Research Analyst covering the Payroll software category. "Buyers are gravitating toward solutions that can adapt quickly to regulatory change, integrate seamlessly with broader HR systems, and provide real-time insights into compensation and workforce costs. This shift is driving increased engagement and faster innovation across the payroll software market."
What are the overall Payroll Software category benchmarks for 2026?
- Total listings on G2: 611 products
- Annual reviews: Over 30,000 (90% increase YoY)
- Leading indicators: Trending products average significantly higher NPS than category benchmarks, driven by ease of compliance setup
About G2
G2 is the world's largest and most trusted software marketplace. More than 100 million people annually — including employees at all Fortune 500 companies — use G2 to make smarter software decisions based on authentic peer reviews. Thousands of software companies partner with G2 to build their reputation and grow their business — including Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoom, and Adobe. To learn more about where you go for software, visit www.g2.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
SOURCE G2
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