RUN Powered by ADP® vs. Gusto

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
Gusto
Score 8.9 out of 10
N/A
Gusto offers payroll, benefits and compliance capabilities. Gusto is scaled for small to mid-sized businesses, and emphasizes an easy to use interface.
$49
per month
Pricing
RUN Powered by ADP®Gusto
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Simple: A streamlined set of automatic payroll features and benefits integrations
$49/month + $6/mo per person
per month
Plus: Comprehensive payroll, benefits, and HR tools for employers building a great place to work
$80/month + $12/mo per person
per month
Premium: Scalable payroll and benefits, expert HR, and dedicated support for the complex needs of growing teams
$180/month + $22/mo per person
per month
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
RUN Powered by ADP®Gusto
Free Trial
YesYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoYes
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsGusto offers three pricing plans for payroll, benefits, and HR.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
RUN Powered by ADP®Gusto
Considered Both Products
RUN Powered by ADP®
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
Customer service much better. Gusto based in CA so they were hard to reach due to different time zone and very difficult to get live person on phone. They wanted to do most communications through email and I don’t have 24 hours to wait for a response.
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
Both Gusto & QuickBooks payroll are fine options if you only have a few employees all in one location and rarely make any changes. I switched many of my clients from those platforms because of the increase in remote employees working in different states and the lack of support …
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
I miss many aspects of Gusto, including the new hire/new employee onboarding process and issuance of a formal offer; as well as the employee vaults within the system. But there are a lot of benefits of ADP, including automation.
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
Cheaper than the other options.
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
RUN Powered by ADP® is miles easier than any other system that we have used. The cost is better, the reporting is better, and the user interface is much simpler. The search bar is a HUGE timesaver.
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
The payroll side of RUN is pretty similarly useful as other products, but the HR side is definitely more useful. I appreciate the ability to talk with a rep about specific questions and the fact that there are so many articles, webinars, and podcasts available.
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
I haven't worked within either system, I just know ADP was more informative on the intro call and had the lower per payroll rates, so I chose ADP.
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
Customer service is superior by far! I get very quick assistance and explanations from the RUN Powered by ADP® team each and every time I interact with them.
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
I've used Intuit, Gusto & Paychex. Whenever I can, I refer clients to use RUN Powered by ADP payroll because of their easy payroll processing and the 24hrs service they provide.
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
Run was established before I joined the team over a year ago so I did not pick the system. I have looking into other options but have not made the move from ADP as of yet. We will be reconsidering our options this year and may choose another provider like Gusto.
Gusto
Chose Gusto
Gusto has a glitch-free on-boarding process that surpasses all of the other systems that I have ever tried and used. Rippling is the only other platform that comes close to the Gusto online experience, but Rippling has its PEO/behind-the-scenes legacy system glitches, and it's …
Chose Gusto
This system allowed us to approve payroll online, which was an improvement from the prior ADP system where we had to call in via phone to dictate hours and pay for employees. But, RUN was clunky, and seemed cobbled together. It was also expensive for what it provided. Also, I …
Chose Gusto
Comparable prices are overall with other payroll service companies. I can't do all the complicated payrolls like a few others, but overall good to work with 90% of our clients.
Chose Gusto
There are three major concerns for me. Ease of use; how easy is it to perform the payroll. Most systems are competitive here. Tax compliance; how well do they handle tax filings and tax payments. Here Gusto needs to improve a little. Payments are timely and so is reporting, …
Chose Gusto
Gusto is better than IOP because Gusto files payroll returns and pays payroll taxes automatically. IOP also does not have a good support feature. Gusto is better than ADP because they are more responsive and have a better and more extensive website.
Chose Gusto
Gusto was by far the most user-friendly and easy to use. QBO was a close second, but I believe Gusto is better priced for small businesses.
Features
RUN Powered by ADP®Gusto
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
RUN Powered by ADP®
8.4
304 Ratings
2% above category average
Gusto
9.0
562 Ratings
9% above category average
Pay calculation9.5295 Ratings9.4539 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors8.788 Ratings8.58 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment9.2214 Ratings00 Ratings
Benefit plan administration7.9136 Ratings8.7389 Ratings
Direct deposit files9.6287 Ratings9.3545 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management8.9222 Ratings9.0419 Ratings
Reimbursement management5.138 Ratings9.1159 Ratings
Best Alternatives
RUN Powered by ADP®Gusto
Small Businesses
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.5 out of 10
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.5 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
Infor Human Resources
Infor Human Resources
Score 7.1 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
RUN Powered by ADP®Gusto
Likelihood to Recommend
9.0
(353 ratings)
8.8
(562 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.1
(26 ratings)
10.0
(12 ratings)
Usability
8.9
(17 ratings)
9.4
(386 ratings)
Availability
9.4
(9 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
9.2
(9 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
8.3
(30 ratings)
1.3
(26 ratings)
In-Person Training
10.0
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Online Training
10.0
(3 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
10.0
(13 ratings)
9.1
(2 ratings)
Configurability
8.9
(6 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
10.0
(3 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
9.4
(10 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
9.5
(5 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
9.9
(6 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
RUN Powered by ADP®Gusto
Likelihood to Recommend
ADP
RUN is perfect for the small company that has just a handful of employees and with not a lot of payroll knowledge. However if you have very complicated PTO policies, multiple company groups or more then one location with a shared FEIN RUN Powered by ADP® still does a great job but you would want to consider a different ADP platform. Also if you want a great workers compensation policy I would suggest trying ADP work comp pay as you go. As this gets calculated with every payroll so no additional reporting anywhere. Another great integrated product is the retirement packages that are offered again ADP handles all of the setup and payments with no additional work on the clients end of things.
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Gusto
Gusto is a great fit for small teams and startups that want a simple, reliable way to run payroll, manage tax filings, and give CPAs access without constant micromanagement. It’s especially useful for founders who need something that “just works.” The human support has been excellent—especially when forwarding confusing IRS mail.
That said, it’s a bit less intuitive when it comes to benefits and compliance for fully remote companies. For example, labor law poster distribution isn’t streamlined for digital teams, and setting up benefits felt more complex than it needed to be. Still, I’d recommend Gusto to any startup looking to get payroll right from day one.
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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.
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Gusto
  • Gusto really kills it on the simplicity. The app and website are very clear and straightforward.
  • Gusto also does a great job at being easy to navigate, visually pleasing, and logically posed.
  • Gusto communicates very clearly and provides just the right amount of communication.
  • Gusto makes the onboarding process very easy. I recently started at a new company and the process of filling out the necessary documents, filling out forms, and getting my benefit information input was soooooo easy!
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Cons
ADP
  • I would like to see a change in the payroll processing so that when you have to save for later, you don't have to reenter all the information you have already entered.
  • Make it easier for the employees to track their used vacation and PTO hours.
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Gusto
  • Adding in previous time manually could be more accessible.
  • Notifications for when employees manually change hours.
  • We should allow 1099 users to use the mobile app instead of restricting them to the website, especially since they can just log into the full website on their mobile device.
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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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Gusto
Unless they break it, I'm never leaving. It's just too easy. Gusto is also really affordable, and for what I pay, it's worth having the historical record within the system. I like that I can go back and pull up W2's for year's past. This sort of easy access reporting, has been helpful especially when getting reports for PPP loans.
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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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Gusto
The overall platform and its speed of response are amazing. I would recommend this to any other business owner for ease of use and reliability. Email reminders are great if I’m super busy and have forgotten a few tasks. The price point compared to local payroll service is hands down a huge win.
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Reliability and Availability
ADP
I don't think I have ever encountered error codes or 404 error screens when trying to access RUN ADP. I run payroll for the company every other week and I have had no issues accessing the website, everything saves and updates when it's needed. Our employees use the app on their phones and they have not had any issues either other than just a basic update of the app occasionally
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Gusto
No answers on this topic
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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Gusto
No answers on this topic
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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Gusto
Gusto's customer service has really deteriorated lately and they seem to have really changed their focus. It used to be when you called you were routed to an individual who knew about payroll, benefits, reporting, etc. but now you get someone who seems to have not received the correct training. My last call about a dismissal payroll took me over an hour of my time and the person still could not help me and finally transferred me to someone else.
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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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Gusto
No answers on this topic
Online Training
ADP
Our rep was on a zoom with us and one other person from RUN ADP showing us the layout and how to access everything. we mainly use it for payroll and reports so any questions we had they both were insightful and able to help us navigate the site. The training process was a success and we have had any issues since using.
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Gusto
No answers on this topic
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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Gusto
Reach out to support immediately if you are having trouble setting up Gusto. Rather than being confused and trying to figure it out yourself, it's much better to talk to someone who knows what they are doing. Save yourself time and frustration and reach out to support
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Alternatives Considered
ADP
I switched from Quickbooks Online Payroll to RUN Powered by ADP®. RUN Powered by ADP® provided amazing support for set-up and transferring over information. In addition, their support continues to be fantastic after three years. I can reach out to them any time I have a question and know I will receive prompt and helpful support. This was my primary reason for switching! But since using RUN Powered by ADP® I have come to appreciate the automatic tax filing and garnishment payments. They save me a lot of time! My state passed a paid sick leave law this year. RUN Powered by ADP® kept me informed of how those regulations affected my payroll. They offered personal support to adjust to the new policies.
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Gusto
It's been a while since I used QuickBooks for payroll, but it doesn't even come close to it. Gusto is infinitely easier, allowing for employee time tracking, handling calculations and payments of payroll and payroll taxes, managing regulatory compliance in the background, and more. I had a lot of moments using QuickBooks Payroll where I thought, "Am I even doing this right?" — it felt like you had to have additional knowledge of HR regulations in your state to do everything correctly. Gusto has it ALL handled so you can focus your time on higher-impact tasks in your business.
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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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Gusto
No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
ADP
  • The costs add up with all the services such as running payroll, adding timekeeping, running background checks, and mailing w-2's.
  • We save money on background checks because the first two are free.
  • We lower risk of employee time, penalties, and lawsuits by allowing RUN Powered by ADP® to handle so much of the payroll such as calculations and tax reporting.
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Gusto
  • For me, it is hard to quantify payroll software as having an ROI. It does save quite a bit of time per pay period, so perhaps we could assign a theoretical number to an employee taking that time. I'd say, at the least, it saves 30-60 minutes a pay period compared to a more difficult-to-use payroll software.
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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

Gusto Screenshots

Screenshot of Gusto's automated payrollScreenshot of the time-off tracking interfaceScreenshot of the source of truth for HR data