Highlights
- ADP automates payroll by handling tax calculations, deductions, and direct deposits while ensuring compliance with tax laws.
- ADP offers payroll solutions for small businesses (under 50 employees) and larger companies with different service tiers.
- ADP alternatives exist due to high costs, limited customization, inconsistent UI, weak support, and integration issues.
- Top ADP competitors offer diverse HR solutions, including Gusto, Paychex, Rippling, BambooHR, Workday, and UKG Ready.
ADP has been a leader in payroll processing for many years, offering a wide range of tools to streamline payroll operations. But is it the right choice for every business?
In this article, we’ll discuss ADP’s payroll services and compare them with its top ADP competitors to help employers find the best fit.

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What is ADP Payroll Software?
ADP's HR software helps businesses save time by automating tax calculations, deductions, and direct deposit payments. It also ensures compliance with federal, state, and local tax laws while allowing payroll administrators to process payments via phone, web, or mobile app.
ADP offers different payroll solutions based on company size: one for small businesses with up to 49 employees and another for companies with 50 or more. The platform also provides various service tiers, including an "Enhanced Payroll" option that adds garnishment services and unemployment insurance management. Beyond payroll, ADP includes HR tools like time tracking, background checks, onboarding, and benefits administration.
Why Consider an ADP Competitor?
While ADP is popular, it may not fit every business best. Here’s why you might explore ADP alternatives:
- Cost: ADP’s pricing can be too high for small businesses.
- Customization: The platform may not be flexible enough for enterprise needs.
- User Interface: Inconsistencies can arise due to third-party acquisitions.
- Customer Support: Some users find ADP’s support lacking.
- Integration: ADP focuses mainly on payroll, which can lead to integration challenges with other systems.
Fortunately, several ADP alternatives offer solutions that better fit specific business needs: affordability, customization, ease of use, support quality, or seamless system integration.
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7 Best ADP Competitors in USA for Effective HR and Payroll
When exploring ADP competitors, several platforms offer robust features tailored to diverse business needs. Below, we’ve mentioned a detailed ADP competitor analysis, highlighting their key features and pricing structures.
1. Paismo
Paismo is one of the ADP biggest competitors, an all-encompassing HR management platform designed to streamline various human resource functions.
Features:
- Core HR Management: Efficiently manages employee data, organizational structures, and compliance tracking. A centralized HR system streamlines these processes, ensuring data accuracy and facilitating efficient workforce management.
- Performance Tracking: Offer employee performance management metrics, facilitating regular reviews and goal setting. This tool helps to set clear, measurable goals, conduct performance reviews, and implement development plans to address areas for improvement.
- Time and Attendance Management: Automates timesheet, overtime, and attendance patterns. It helps you record work hours, calculate overtime, and analyse attendance trends, reducing manual errors.
- Recruitment: Streamline, organize, and enhance your hiring process so you can concentrate on building great teams. This tool also ensures a consistent and fair evaluation of all candidates, which can lead to better hiring decisions. Additionally, a well-structured process enhances the candidate experience, making your company more attractive to top talent.
- Leave Management: Simplify the process of leave requests, approvals, and balance tracking. By simplifying leave management, employees can quickly request time off and receive timely approvals, which reduces stress and uncertainty.
- Biometric Device: Boost productivity by integrating your attendance machine. Track employee hours, calculate overtime, and streamline payroll processes.
Pricing:
- Standard HR Tech: $2.49 per employee per month.
- + Enterprise: Contact sales for customized solutions.
2. Gusto
Gusto is a cloud-based HR and payroll platform designed to simplify employee management for small and medium-sized businesses in the United States.
Features:
- Payroll Processing: Automates payroll calculations, tax reporting, and direct deposits, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local regulations.
- Employee Onboarding: Offers digital tools for seamless collection of work authorization forms and direct deposit setups.
- Time Tracking: Includes tools for monitoring employee hours and managing paid time off, syncing directly with payroll.
- Compliance Assistance: Automates necessary filings and provides resources to help businesses comply with evolving tax laws and labor regulations.
Pricing:
- Simple: $40 per month plus $6 per person.
- Plus: $80 per month plus $12 per person.
- Premium: $180 per month plus $22 per person.
3. Paychex
Paychex excels as an ADP competitor by offering comprehensive payroll and HR solutions tailored for small to mid-sized businesses with personalized support.
Features:
- Payroll Processing: Automates payroll calculations, tax deductions, and direct deposits.
- Time Tracking: Monitors employee hours, overtime, and attendance.
- Benefits Administration: Manages employee benefits, including health insurance and retirement plans.
- Hiring and Onboarding Tools: Streamlines recruitment processes and new employee onboarding.
- Reporting and Analytics: Provides comprehensive reports on payroll, HR metrics, and compliance.
Pricing:
- Paychex Flex Essentials: $39 per month plus $5 per employee.
- Paychex Flex Select: $47 per month plus $3 per employee.
- Paychex Flex Pro: $95 per month plus $3 per employee.
- Paychex Flex Enterprise: Pricing upon request.
4. Rippling
Rippling is the best platform that unifies HR, IT, and finance data and workflows in a single system, paving the way for time-saving automation.
Features:
- HR Management: Centralizes employee information, onboarding, and offboarding processes.
- IT Asset Management: Manages company devices and software access for employees.
- Finance Operations: Oversees expenses, reimbursements, and financial reporting.
- Automation Capabilities: Automates routine tasks such as onboarding workflows and compliance checks.
Pricing:
- Starting Price: $8 per employee per month.
5. BambooHR
BambooHR specializes in HR functions for small to medium-sized businesses, offering user-friendly interfaces and comprehensive reporting tools.
Features:
- Time Tracking: Records employee hours, manages time-off requests, and ensures accurate payroll.
- Benefits Management: Administers employee benefits programs and open enrollments.
- Hiring and Onboarding: Facilitates applicant tracking, candidate evaluations, and seamless onboarding.
- Performance Management: Conducts performance reviews, sets goals, and tracks progress.
- Reporting Tools: Generates detailed reports on HR metrics, compliance, and employee data.
Pricing:
BambooHR offers customized pricing based on the specific needs and size of the business. Interested parties are encouraged to contact BambooHR directly for a personalized quote.
6. Workday
Workday caters to medium to large enterprises, providing a collection of human capital management tools with strong reporting capabilities and global compliance support.
Features:
- Talent Management: Supports recruitment, learning, and development initiatives.
- Succession Planning: Identifies and develops future leaders within the organization.
- Employee Engagement: Measures and analyzes employee satisfaction and engagement levels.
- Workforce Analytics: Provides insights into workforce trends, performance, and productivity.
- Global Compliance Support: Ensures adherence to international labor laws and regulations.
Pricing:
Workday's pricing is tailored to each organization's requirements and scale. Prospective clients should contact Workday directly to obtain detailed pricing information.
7. UKG Ready
UKG Ready (Ultimate Kronos Group) is an all-in-one HR and payroll HCM software solution for small and medium-sized businesses, utilizing AI tools to enhance employee scheduling, payroll processing, and workforce analytics.
Features:
- AI-Powered Scheduling: Optimizes employee schedules based on demand and availability.
- Time and Attendance Tracking: Monitors work hours, absenteeism, and compliance with labor laws.
- Talent Management: Manages recruitment, performance appraisals, and employee development.
- Compliance Tracking: Keeps abreast of regulatory changes and ensures organizational compliance.
- Workforce Analytics: Delivers real-time data and insights for informed decision-making.
Pricing:
UKG Ready provides pricing details upon request, as costs vary based on the organization's size and specific needs. Interested businesses should reach out to UKG Ready for a customized quote.
Summary
Choosing the right payroll and HR software depends on your business size, budget, and needs. While ADP is a popular choice, it may not be the best fit for everyone due to pricing, flexibility, and integration concerns. Out of all ADP competitors, Paismo offers great features, from timesheet and attendance tracking to employee management tools.
FAQs
Who Are ADP Competitors?
ADP's primary competitors include Paismo, Gusto, Paychex, and Paylocity, all offering business payroll and HR solutions.
Become a part of the Paismo Community
Paismo can help simplify your HR processes. In today's dynamic economic environment, efficient HR and automated payroll management are no longer a luxury but a necessity. Paismo is a comprehensive solution transforming traditional HR complexes into streamlined and automated workflows. Paismo and its paired biometric devices can be used for your business to mark employee attendance and record their timesheets accurately.
Paismo simplifies your tasks with its core HRMS, timesheets, and attendance management, as well as biometric attendance, payroll automation, and leave management system.
Take the first step toward modernizing your HR and payroll processes and explore what Paismo can do for you. Book a demo with our exceptional sales team here.