About
Payroll Watchdog is an independent review site for one narrow problem: the software small and mid-size businesses use to catch payroll fraud. Ghost employees, buddy punching, a spoofed email asking HR to change someone's direct deposit — different schemes, different tools, and picking the wrong one means paying for coverage you don't need while the actual hole stays open.
Who runs this
The site is researched, written, and maintained by Andrew Brayton. It's a one-person editorial operation, which cuts both ways: no committee softening the verdicts, but also no pretense of a big research team. Every listing says when it was last verified, and when something's out of date, the fastest fix is usually a reader telling us.
Why it exists
Researching this category is miserable. Half the vendors hide pricing behind a sales call, and the big review platforms cover every software category at once, so niches like fraud detection get thin, interchangeable summaries. This site goes the other way: cover one vertical, read the pricing pages, note who each tool is actually for — and, just as useful, who it isn't for.
How we make money
Two ways, both disclosed. Some vendor links are affiliate links that pay a commission if you sign up — the commission never changes a score or a ranking. Vendors can also buy clearly-labeled sponsored placements. What's not for sale is the Editor's Pick badge or a better review; the methodology page spells out how scoring works.
Corrections
Spotted a stale price, a feature we got wrong, or a vendor we should cover? Email hello@payrollwatchdog.com. Corrections get made, not argued with.