Is ADP worth the price?
ADP's RUN pricing starts at a reasonable $59/month + $4/employee, which is fairly standard for basic payroll services for small businesses.
However, the lack of transparent pricing for their Workforce Now and Vantage HCM solutions makes it difficult to assess overall value for mid-market and enterprise clients, often indicating higher custom costs. This structure is best for small businesses needing straightforward payroll, while larger organizations should prepare for significant custom quotes.
Pricing Plans
RUN (Small Business)
$59/month
+ $4/employee
- Payroll processing
- Tax filing
- Direct deposit
- New hire reporting
- Basic HR
Workforce Now
Custom
Mid-market
- Full HCM suite
- Talent management
- Benefits admin
- Time tracking
- Analytics
Vantage HCM
Custom
Enterprise
- Global payroll
- Advanced analytics
- Strategic HCM
- Custom workflows
- Dedicated support
Hidden Costs & Gotchas
Per-employee fees for RUN tier
Custom quotes for advanced tiers
Potential setup fees for new accounts
Add-on modules for specific features
Which Plan Do You Need?
Small businesses needing basic payroll
Companies prioritizing compliance
Organizations scaling HR operations
How ADP Compares to Competitors
Compared to Gusto, which offers a Core plan at $40/month + $6/person, ADP's RUN is slightly more expensive at $59/month + $4/employee for similar basic features. For mid-market, competitors like Paychex Flex often provide more transparent tiered pricing, whereas ADP's custom quotes for Workforce Now and Vantage can lead to higher, less predictable costs.
ADP Pricing FAQ
How much does ADP cost?
ADP starts at $59/month on the RUN (Small Business) plan.
Does ADP have a free plan?
ADP does not offer a permanent free plan. Paid plans are required from day one.
Is there a cheaper alternative to ADP?
Yes. Popular alternatives to ADP include Namely, Breathe HR, Workable, NetSuite. Free alternatives include Breathe HR, Odoo. Compare them side-by-side on Toolradar.
Cheaper alternatives to ADP
Direct competitors with similar features. Many offer free tiers or lower per-seat pricing.
