ADP vs Employment Hero: Pricing and Ratings Compared (2026)
Entry prices and free plans as read on each vendor's pricing page, and user ratings as published on review sites, for ADP and Employment Hero side by side. This page compares data; it is not a hands-on review.
On the data: On the data below, Employment Hero leads on higher user rating and lower entry price. We do not name an overall winner for this pair.
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
Based on published vendor pricing and features and on public review data, here's who should pick what:
ADP
Enterprise payroll and HR management
Best for you if:
- • You want industry leader and most established
Employment Hero
All-in-one AI-powered platform for HR, payroll, hiring, and employee experience.
Best for you if:
- • You want reduces time to hire significantly with AI matching and candidate pool
| At a Glance | ADP | Employment Hero |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | From $59/employee/mo, billed monthly RUN (Small Business) plan | From $10/mo, billed monthly HR Essentials plan |
Category | HR & Recruiting Payroll | HR & Recruiting Payroll |
Rating | 4.2/5 G2 4.2 · SourceForge 4.3 12,314 reviews | 4.4/5 G2 4.4 · Capterra 4.4 4,256 reviews |
Free plan | No | No |
Watch out for | Add-on modules for specific features | n/a |
Choose ADP or Employment Hero?
Choose ADP if
- You want industry leader and most established
- You want global payroll expertise
Choose Employment Hero if
- You want reduces time to hire significantly with AI matching and candidate pool
- You want streamlines HR and payroll processes, saving time and reducing errors
- Budget matters ($10/mo, billed monthly vs $59/employee/mo, billed monthly)
In-Depth Analysis
ADP
Enterprise payroll and HR management
ADP's RUN pricing starts at a reasonable $59/month + $4/employee, which is fairly standard for basic payroll services for small businesses.
Watch out
Add-on modules for specific features
Strengths
- Pro: Industry leader and most established
- Pro: Global payroll expertise
- Pro: Strong compliance
- Pro: Comprehensive feature set
- Pro: Reliable and proven
Weaknesses
- Con: Can be expensive
- Con: Complex implementation
- Con: Less modern UX
- Con: Add-on costs add up
Key features
Employment Hero
All-in-one AI-powered platform for HR, payroll, hiring, and employee experience.
Employment Hero's HR Essentials at $10/month and HR Engage at $14/month offer competitive pricing for core HR functionalities.
Strengths
- Pro: Reduces time to hire significantly with AI matching and candidate pool.
- Pro: Streamlines HR and payroll processes, saving time and reducing errors.
- Pro: Offers a comprehensive suite of features in one platform, reducing software sprawl.
- Pro: Provides employee benefits and earned wage access to improve engagement.
- Pro: Offers free hiring tools and access to a large candidate database.
Weaknesses
- Con: Specific pricing details for higher tiers are not immediately transparent.
- Con: May have a learning curve due to the breadth of features offered.
Key features
Plans and prices: ADP vs Employment Hero
| Tool | Plans and prices | Source |
|---|---|---|
| ADP |
| adp.com read Oct 7, 2026 |
| Employment Hero |
| employmenthero.com/pricing read Oct 30, 2026 |
Prices as read on each vendor's own pricing page on the date shown. Plans are listed per tool and are not matched against the other tool's plans: a plan name or price in one column says nothing about the same row in the other. Details on ADP pricing and Employment Hero pricing.
Key Takeaways
ADP
- Choose if you want enterprise payroll and HR management
Employment Hero
- Higher user rating: 4.4/5 vs 4.2/5
- Lower entry price: $10/mo, billed monthly vs $59/employee/mo, billed monthly
What the data shows
On the data below, Employment Hero leads on higher user rating and lower entry price. We do not name an overall winner for this pair.
- Employment Hero has the higher user rating (4.2/5 from 12,314 reviews for ADP, 4.4/5 from 4,256 reviews for Employment Hero).
- Employment Hero has the lower entry price: $10/mo, billed monthly (HR Essentials) against $59/employee/mo, billed monthly (RUN (Small Business)) for ADP.
Criteria: user rating (only above 20 reviews on both sides, gap of 0.2 or more), entry price (only on the same billing basis), free plan. How we rate
Frequently Asked Questions
How do ADP and Employment Hero compare in 2026?
On the data below, Employment Hero leads on higher user rating and lower entry price. We do not name an overall winner for this pair. Employment Hero has the higher user rating (4.2/5 from 12,314 reviews for ADP, 4.4/5 from 4,256 reviews for Employment Hero). Employment Hero has the lower entry price: $10/mo, billed monthly (HR Essentials) against $59/employee/mo, billed monthly (RUN (Small Business)) for ADP.
What are ADP and Employment Hero used for?
ADP: Enterprise payroll and HR management. Employment Hero: All-in-one AI-powered platform for HR, payroll, hiring, and employee experience.
What does ADP cost vs Employment Hero?
ADP's cheapest paid plan is RUN (Small Business) at $59/employee/mo, billed monthly. Employment Hero's cheapest paid plan is HR Essentials at $10/mo, billed monthly. Prices read on the vendors' pricing pages, latest check Oct 30, 2026.
What's the main difference between ADP and Employment Hero?
ADP's main strength: industry leader and most established. Employment Hero's main strength: reduces time to hire significantly with AI matching and candidate pool.