RUN Powered by ADP® vs. BambooHR®

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
RUN Powered by ADP®
Score 9.1 out of 10
Small Businesses (1-50 employees)
The RUN Powered by ADP® cloud-based solution is used to pay employees. It also includes HR and hiring tools, as well as benefits, helping small businesses grow and manage their teams.N/A
BambooHR®
Score 8.2 out of 10
N/A
BambooHR is an cloud-based human resources solution that provides onboarding, payroll, and benefits management. It also offers automated time-off management and employee self-service.
$250
per month (minimum price for 25 employees or fewer)
Pricing
RUN Powered by ADP®BambooHR®
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Core
$10
per month per user
Pro
Contact Sales
per month
Elite
Contact Sales
per month
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
RUN Powered by ADP®BambooHR®
Free Trial
YesYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoYes
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeOptional
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
RUN Powered by ADP®BambooHR®
Considered Both Products
RUN Powered by ADP®
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
We switched from RUN Powered by ADP® to Paylocity as we think it is more feature rich with document management, automatic onboarding with a work flow that we design and meets our needs and automatic I-9 reporting.
BambooHR®
Chose BambooHR®
When reviewing which HRIS to go with, BambooHR came out on top for a few reasons. One was the cost compared to others and what you get for that cost. It saved the company money versus what we had, including Lever, ADP, Calamari, etc., and condensed it into one system. Next, the …
Chose BambooHR®
Although there are many products in the marketplace, there is no perfect system. BambooHR is the most economical HRIS for a small business, start-up, or business that has never had HR software. BambooHR was selected for its affordable functionality. However, if they continue …
Features
RUN Powered by ADP®BambooHR®
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
RUN Powered by ADP®
8.4
324 Ratings
2% above category average
BambooHR®
7.3
162 Ratings
11% below category average
Pay calculation9.5314 Ratings7.9118 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors8.597 Ratings6.888 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment9.2227 Ratings7.088 Ratings
Benefit plan administration7.9145 Ratings6.7125 Ratings
Direct deposit files9.6305 Ratings7.9121 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management9.0237 Ratings7.8132 Ratings
Reimbursement management5.138 Ratings7.078 Ratings
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
RUN Powered by ADP®
-
Ratings
BambooHR®
7.8
242 Ratings
4% below category average
Employee demographic data00 Ratings8.2218 Ratings
Employment history00 Ratings8.1222 Ratings
Job profiles and administration00 Ratings7.9216 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.00 Ratings7.6206 Ratings
Organizational charting00 Ratings7.1223 Ratings
Organization and location management00 Ratings7.9213 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)00 Ratings7.5126 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
RUN Powered by ADP®
-
Ratings
BambooHR®
8.5
208 Ratings
4% above category average
Approval workflow00 Ratings8.3202 Ratings
Balance details00 Ratings8.2193 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment00 Ratings9.1128 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
RUN Powered by ADP®
-
Ratings
BambooHR®
8.4
235 Ratings
2% above category average
View and generate pay and benefit information00 Ratings8.4155 Ratings
Update personal information00 Ratings8.8231 Ratings
View company policy documentation00 Ratings8.3203 Ratings
Employee recognition00 Ratings8.1149 Ratings
View job history00 Ratings8.6222 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
RUN Powered by ADP®
-
Ratings
BambooHR®
8.7
73 Ratings
9% above category average
Tracking of all physical assets00 Ratings8.773 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
RUN Powered by ADP®
-
Ratings
BambooHR®
7.0
201 Ratings
8% below category average
Report builder00 Ratings7.2195 Ratings
Pre-built reports00 Ratings7.3193 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data00 Ratings6.6139 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
RUN Powered by ADP®
-
Ratings
BambooHR®
7.9
201 Ratings
1% below category average
New hire portal00 Ratings8.3193 Ratings
Manager tracking tools00 Ratings7.6180 Ratings
Performance and Goals
Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Product A and Product B
RUN Powered by ADP®
-
Ratings
BambooHR®
7.9
131 Ratings
2% below category average
Corporate goal setting00 Ratings7.295 Ratings
Individual goal setting00 Ratings7.9125 Ratings
Line-of sight-visibility00 Ratings8.968 Ratings
Performance tracking00 Ratings7.6119 Ratings
Performance Management
Comparison of Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
RUN Powered by ADP®
-
Ratings
BambooHR®
7.8
148 Ratings
1% below category average
Performance plans00 Ratings7.3135 Ratings
Performance improvement plans00 Ratings7.3114 Ratings
Review status tracking00 Ratings8.496 Ratings
Review reminders00 Ratings8.1100 Ratings
Multiple review frequency00 Ratings7.9128 Ratings
Succession Planning
Comparison of Succession Planning features of Product A and Product B
RUN Powered by ADP®
-
Ratings
BambooHR®
8.5
80 Ratings
9% above category average
Create succession plans/pools00 Ratings8.045 Ratings
Candidate ranking00 Ratings8.766 Ratings
Candidate search00 Ratings8.667 Ratings
Candidate development00 Ratings8.958 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
RUN Powered by ADP®
-
Ratings
BambooHR®
8.1
170 Ratings
5% above category average
Job Requisition Management00 Ratings8.1131 Ratings
Company Website Posting00 Ratings8.1139 Ratings
Publish to Social Media00 Ratings9.090 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting00 Ratings7.7136 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention00 Ratings7.487 Ratings
Applicant Tracking00 Ratings8.4155 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts00 Ratings8.3161 Ratings
Best Alternatives
RUN Powered by ADP®BambooHR®
Small Businesses
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.4 out of 10
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.4 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.7 out of 10
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.7 out of 10
Enterprises
Infor Human Resources
Infor Human Resources
Score 7.1 out of 10
PeopleStrong
PeopleStrong
Score 9.9 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
RUN Powered by ADP®BambooHR®
Likelihood to Recommend
9.1
(393 ratings)
8.3
(248 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.2
(35 ratings)
9.7
(17 ratings)
Usability
9.0
(24 ratings)
8.5
(175 ratings)
Availability
9.5
(12 ratings)
9.3
(5 ratings)
Performance
9.6
(12 ratings)
8.7
(5 ratings)
Support Rating
8.4
(36 ratings)
8.1
(138 ratings)
In-Person Training
7.8
(7 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Online Training
9.3
(5 ratings)
9.2
(4 ratings)
Implementation Rating
8.9
(20 ratings)
8.6
(6 ratings)
Configurability
7.6
(9 ratings)
8.6
(4 ratings)
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
-
(0 ratings)
8.4
(3 ratings)
Ease of integration
10.0
(4 ratings)
9.6
(2 ratings)
Product Scalability
8.5
(13 ratings)
8.9
(5 ratings)
Professional Services
-
(0 ratings)
9.2
(2 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
9.7
(8 ratings)
8.9
(4 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
9.7
(9 ratings)
9.1
(4 ratings)
User Testimonials
RUN Powered by ADP®BambooHR®
Likelihood to Recommend
ADP
RUN Powered by ADP® is well suited for providing year-end reports needed by our CPA for year-end and tax reporting purposes. Reports are easy to find and easy to export. RUN Powered by ADP® is well suited for finding earnings information when assessing budgeting information for the company as it relates to salaries, benefits, etc...
Read full review
BambooHR
I think if you're a small organization and you're trying to get out of paper, this is a really good first step to doing that. I've heard from other people that are in larger organizations where they have thousands of employees that there may be better platforms, but for smaller organization it's awesome.
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Pros
ADP
  • Payroll - special categories, pay circumstances, and tracking.
  • Onboarding - the ease of getting your team in the know.
  • Workers Compensation - not having to do the reconciliation!
  • State specific mandatory training for our staff - done through the APP!
  • Record keeping - tracking PLAWA, Vacations.
  • The many ways you can stay connected - the Podcasts, Advisory Circle, and webinars are fabulous.
Read full review
BambooHR
  • Recruiting- communications are easy for both the internal team and candidates
  • Onboarding- the onboarding tasks are great. I love being able to attach documents as well as delay sending out tasks
  • Communication- the employee community is a great tool to keep our communications clean and organized. I love that we now have insight as to who has viewed the comms
Read full review
Cons
ADP
  • Provide users with forms to complete so clients can have a smooth and easy onboarding process
  • Have a description page allowing users to review report properties prior to accessing them
  • Show the client's company number on the bottom/top of the payroll screens so that it is always accessible
Read full review
BambooHR
  • BambooHR® has moved their offerings to a tiered package approach that groups features together at different tier and price levels. To gain access to a specific feature, you may need to upgrade to a whole new tier that includes additional features you may not be interested in. I would prefer being able to add-on one specific feature when needed.
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Likelihood to Renew
ADP
It is much better than the payroll system I used previously. The integrations that RUN has for on-boarding new hires are very convenient when they work properly. It saves a tremendous amount of time being able to email a link to new employees that allows them to enter much of their own demographic information. Payroll feature alerts me when someone's pay is significantly less or more than usual.
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BambooHR
There's nothing wrong with this platform. I would recommend it to any business starting with more than 10 employees. I will continue to use the program for as long as I need to, hoping they continue being tremendous and finding other ways to incorporate more technology.
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Usability
ADP
I have been using this system for years and they have actually made it easier and easier. The system is always making great upgrades that don't necessarily require any additional information or training. I love when I log in and see a new feature or button that I get to use to make my life easier!
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BambooHR
It's clear and well appointed with prompts on where to go for each category of information it holds. The user has limited access based on a need to know/job related basis. It has a clear help option with the ability to chat, email or read documentation on how to do something.
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Reliability and Availability
ADP
We've had very little issue with RUN availability, only a couple times there were outages when least expected which occurred on our actual payroll due date
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BambooHR
Yes, there is a huge team in the back of the online platform or it looks like it because I have never been left without an answer when I have a question or waiting from a response on my chat .... There must be a huge team, this is so great and I always seem to have someone that is very knowledgeable too. So many times in the past I had to leave with customer service that would connect you with someone else because of the expertise, here everyone seems to be some kind of an expert in the HR function.
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Performance
ADP
ADP Run loads a bit slowly at times, once I put in my credentials. However, that said, I think my perception of the time it takes is impacted by our "instant gratification" expectation of being able to get into everything quickly.
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BambooHR
I love BambooHR. Reports are easy to run and download and it usually covers any types of requests I get from the management team. You get excel or .csv downloads/reports and it is fast and simple, not too crowded so it is easy to read through. We don't integrate the tool yet but again, soon we will. we just did not had the time to utilize it yet but that's the plan.
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Support Rating
ADP
I appreciated having that issue finally take care of. it was extremely disheartening to see the issue had not been resolved. I also had my employees looking to me and thinking I was not trying to resolve the issue so it reflected poorly on my character. I do not know if i was because of a miscommunication, but nonetheless I was happy it was taken care of
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BambooHR
10/10. The absolute best. I never dread contacting support. I know the team will be quick and helpful. It is so easy, that sometimes I skip straight to contacting support instead of trying to find help articles. They are faster than me trying to figure it out on my own!
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In-Person Training
ADP
they helped up with the 1st payroll after that we were fine - it is very user friendly- they wanted to be sure everything had imported correctly.
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BambooHR
I didn't have in-person training besides teaching my managers how to use the program. However, I couldn't omit this question (maybe a system glitch).
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Online Training
ADP
very easy to learn i think it took maybe one payroll to have it down and we were up and running
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BambooHR
As far as I can recall, everything went well with doing it online and got questions answered. Was thankful to work with a dummy file to get used to some practices prior to getting our own domain within bamboo to then place our personnel information in the system, this helped a lot!
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Implementation Rating
ADP
Make sure there's plenty of time between payrolls for the implementation and be sure to test all the manually inputted fields.
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BambooHR
BambooHR's initial implementation team was amazing. We loved having a dedicated person we could call, email or speak to during the entire process. I feel that's so important when you are new to a software. Our process was time consuming, but well worth the final product.
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Alternatives Considered
ADP
Customer service was my biggest reason for moving, plus integrating our 401k with ADP. There are features on Paychex that I missed initially but have learned to navigate around and do not notice it as much now. We have only been on since January 1, 2025.
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BambooHR
BambooHR® was able to provide excellent value for money when compared to the other options we looked at when we carried out a review of them. A previous member of the team had also used BambooHR® at another company and rated them highly which influenced our decision greatly. The demo also showed BambooHR® was able to carry out all of the tasks we were looking for
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Contract Terms and Pricing Model
ADP
No answers on this topic
BambooHR
Since my organization has dropped with employees, I always find ways to reduce costs. I thought there would be a cheaper option, but I was glad that my package included a lot for the price, and downgrading would cost more. The rep could have let me downgraded and taken me to a higher package. I am thankful that didn't happen.
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Scalability
ADP
Every summer, we hire three new college interns who have to be entered into the system. They can enter their information themselves, which takes a load off me. The onboarding is quite straightforward, and today's college kids are techy enough to be able to understand it.
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BambooHR
There is so much you can do with this platform, it is incredible and so welcoming. We don't utilize it 100% yet just because we are growing and the HR team has not been able to concentrate on other areas offered to us but but we will soon. Which is also why we got the product, specifically because what BambooHR can do to help us meet our growing business needs.
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Professional Services
ADP
No answers on this topic
BambooHR
VERY professional!
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Return on Investment
ADP
  • When we were a Wholesale account we tried to bring every client over to RUN Powered by ADP® payroll which added directly to our bottom line.
  • When we moved to a different payroll provider they were so bad at most things payroll and cost us money which had us coming back to RUN Powered by ADP®'s trusted platform bringing all of our clients with us.
  • When we decided to discontinue the payroll portion of our business which had nothing to do with RUN Powered by ADP®. ADP still paid us a small commission for all of our clients that transitioned from wholesale to retail. That is unheard of for other payroll platforms.
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BambooHR
  • Time Savings: Automating onboarding, payroll, and employee record management has cut HR admin time by up to 30%, allowing teams to focus on strategic initiatives instead of paperwork.
  • Improved Onboarding: Streamlined workflows have cut onboarding time by nearly 50%, ensuring new hires are productive faster, reducing turnover risk in the critical first months.
  • - Enhanced Informational Clarity: Centralized employee data means fewer errors and faster access to essential information, reducing compliance risks and increasing accuracy in reporting.
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ScreenShots

RUN Powered by ADP® Screenshots

Screenshot of the RUN Dashboard with the business' key info front-and-centerScreenshot of the payroll interfaceScreenshot of access to payroll reports and liability amountsScreenshot of the RUN Powered by ADP mobile app, used to process payroll on the goScreenshot of the ADP mobile app, where employees can access their historical payroll statements and year-end tax documents

BambooHR® Screenshots

Screenshot of the Job Info tabScreenshot of Onboarding TasksScreenshot of a New Hire PacketScreenshot of an Employee Performance ReportScreenshot of Employee Satisfaction (eNPS®)Screenshot of Open Enrollment