RUN Powered by ADP® vs. Paychex Flex

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
RUN Powered by ADP®
Score 8.7 out of 10
Small Businesses (1-50 employees)
RUN powered by ADP is a benefits administration and payroll platform for small businesses with light additional HR features. It runs on a cloud-based platform with mobile accessibility.N/A
Paychex Flex
Score 6.5 out of 10
N/A
Paychex Flex, of Paychex' Online Payroll Services, is a cloud-based human resource management and payroll platform. Paychex offers core and specialized services, and scales to meet the needs of small businesses, SMBs, and large enterprises.
$59
per month/+$4 per employee
Pricing
RUN Powered by ADP®Paychex Flex
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Paychex Go
$59
per month/+$4 per employee
Paychex Flex Service
Contact sales team
Paychex Flex Enterprise
Contact sales team
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
RUN Powered by ADP®Paychex Flex
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeRequired
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
RUN Powered by ADP®Paychex Flex
Considered Both Products
RUN Powered by ADP®
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
I am very familiar with Paychex Flex and what this platform lacks and does well. I cannot say I am anywhere near as familiar with RUN Powered by ADP and cannot offer a true response. However, I believe from what I've seen and used so far, RUN has far more capabilities and will …
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
We switched from using Paychex Flex to ADP Run back in 2019. We were very unhappy with the services that they were providing. We couldn't be happier now that we are with ADP Run. They are very helpful and willing to answer questions and take calls whenever we need them. We love …
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
I like being able to enter payroll online and not have to talk to anyone on the phone like I did with Paychex Flex. I work in a business where my phone rings often and majority of my business is conducted over the phone, so it is nice to be able to do payroll online while …
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
While Paychex Flex was a decent payroll processing product, the customer service support was terrible. We were unable to reach our assigned payroll support team member constantly. If we had issues that were not pressing, we would send a quick email to get insight or to be …
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
RUN Powered by ADP® is much better than Paychex Flex. We used to have to run payroll via phone every time.
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
RUN Powered by ADP® blows Paychex Flex out of the water. The ease of using the app and the website is so much better! The detail we are able to see in the payroll section is much improved. Probably the biggest improvement between the two is the customer service. We feel …
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
We've previously used Paychex Flex, RUN Powered by ADP®, INFINITI HR then back to RUN Powered by ADP®. Paychex created huge nightmares with taxation. Switched to RUN Powered by ADP® when current Controller/payroll person came on board because she had retired from ADP MAS after …
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®
I have looked at both of these products and they both have great services but the support I have received from ADP really keeps me here. My rep is amazing and I honestly have not seen anything on another platform that would make me change at this time.
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
RUN Powered by ADP® is quicker and easier to navigate and understand, with fewer hoops to jump through when needing to complete a task. RUN Powered by ADP® also allows to faster help when needed to get you back on track and not falling behind.
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
Far easier to use and obtain information without having to contact the company
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
I used to use Paychex, but RUN Powered by ADP® helped me with my workers comp tracking in a more efficient way and I am saving money with using RUN Powered by ADP® versus competitors.
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
Looking at the features offered (even if we don't utilize them all), we felt that RUN Powered by ADP was a better value for us. We liked the idea of having the support of a well-tenured business at our fingertips. Other payroll providers do not have the longevity or the scope …
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
ADP is more user friendly overall. ADP also sets you up for success with their training portal, the Bridge, online communities, and often provides training based on your organizations individual needs. ADP really tries to build you up for success.
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
ADP is very predictable in their cost and services. I did not see this beeing the case with Paychex as their cost increased without notice and constant attempt at selling other services.
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®
ADP was more cost-effective for our business. It was also more secure than other options.
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
Our account with paychex was much more of an HR solution. We had an HR contact and they would direct me to other departments as needed. With paychex I have one number and often have to explain my question to multiple people until I get to the right person. Once I get to the …
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
We were originally with Paychex. They did a fine job for us, and we were satisfied with their service. It seemed that our account rep was changing about two to three times a year. We'd always have to become familiar with our new rep. One of my credit union members was an …
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
Paychex was more transparent but Run is cheaper.
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
ADP hasn't messed up a check yet so that's good.
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 is much more user-friendly and access is much easier online/mobile. We selected RUN based on these comparisons.
Paychex Flex
Chose Paychex Flex
Honestly, when I assumed the role of administering our payroll, I almost immediately switched from ADP to Paychex because of my familiarity with Paychex. A previous Office Administrator had used Paychex for years, and their successor for some reason left Paychex and started …
Chose Paychex Flex
The ADP software is similar, but the customer service provided by Paychex is why they are better. I get answers from my Payroll Specialist in minutes, not days like ADP.
Chose Paychex Flex
ADP is more user friendly and the customer service is better than Paychex Flex. The sales rep. marketed Paychex Flex as being just like RUN but they still need to grow by leaps and bounds to catch up to RUN's reports, interface, and customer service.
Chose Paychex Flex
I find it easier to find what I'm looking for in Paychex Flex (better user interface).
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
RUN Powered by ADP®Paychex Flex
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
RUN Powered by ADP®
8.1
233 Ratings
1% below category average
Paychex Flex
8.4
297 Ratings
4% above category average
Pay calculation9.4225 Ratings8.9280 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors7.467 Ratings00 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment8.9152 Ratings8.3141 Ratings
Benefit plan administration7.698 Ratings7.2163 Ratings
Direct deposit files9.5217 Ratings9.1279 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management9.3169 Ratings8.4199 Ratings
Reimbursement management5.138 Ratings8.8110 Ratings
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
RUN Powered by ADP®
-
Ratings
Paychex Flex
6.8
255 Ratings
15% below category average
Employee demographic data00 Ratings8.0204 Ratings
Employment history00 Ratings8.4228 Ratings
Job profiles and administration00 Ratings7.4163 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.00 Ratings7.2160 Ratings
Organizational charting00 Ratings1.01 Ratings
Organization and location management00 Ratings7.9145 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)00 Ratings8.1136 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
RUN Powered by ADP®
-
Ratings
Paychex Flex
7.0
149 Ratings
15% below category average
Approval workflow00 Ratings6.3106 Ratings
Balance details00 Ratings7.4141 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment00 Ratings7.3115 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
RUN Powered by ADP®
-
Ratings
Paychex Flex
8.6
256 Ratings
5% above category average
View and generate pay and benefit information00 Ratings8.6234 Ratings
Update personal information00 Ratings9.1246 Ratings
View company policy documentation00 Ratings8.1114 Ratings
View job history00 Ratings8.7174 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
RUN Powered by ADP®
-
Ratings
Paychex Flex
7.5
41 Ratings
5% below category average
Tracking of all physical assets00 Ratings7.541 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
RUN Powered by ADP®
-
Ratings
Paychex Flex
5.9
168 Ratings
25% below category average
Report builder00 Ratings5.9138 Ratings
Pre-built reports00 Ratings7.0158 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data00 Ratings4.785 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
RUN Powered by ADP®
-
Ratings
Paychex Flex
7.7
164 Ratings
4% below category average
New hire portal00 Ratings8.0157 Ratings
Manager tracking tools00 Ratings7.4101 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
RUN Powered by ADP®
-
Ratings
Paychex Flex
8.3
61 Ratings
6% above category average
Job Requisition Management00 Ratings9.633 Ratings
Company Website Posting00 Ratings9.831 Ratings
Publish to Social Media00 Ratings6.424 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting00 Ratings6.431 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention00 Ratings7.930 Ratings
Applicant Tracking00 Ratings8.835 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts00 Ratings9.255 Ratings
Best Alternatives
RUN Powered by ADP®Paychex Flex
Small Businesses
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.2 out of 10
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.2 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.6 out of 10
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.6 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®Paychex Flex
Likelihood to Recommend
8.7
(300 ratings)
7.7
(307 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.8
(21 ratings)
9.0
(42 ratings)
Usability
9.8
(12 ratings)
7.9
(249 ratings)
Availability
9.2
(7 ratings)
8.6
(11 ratings)
Performance
8.5
(7 ratings)
8.4
(11 ratings)
Support Rating
8.4
(24 ratings)
7.7
(254 ratings)
In-Person Training
9.6
(2 ratings)
4.5
(1 ratings)
Online Training
9.6
(2 ratings)
7.5
(4 ratings)
Implementation Rating
9.6
(10 ratings)
8.2
(12 ratings)
Configurability
8.3
(4 ratings)
7.5
(8 ratings)
Ease of integration
9.1
(1 ratings)
9.1
(3 ratings)
Product Scalability
9.1
(8 ratings)
9.2
(11 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
9.4
(3 ratings)
8.9
(31 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
8.8
(4 ratings)
9.2
(32 ratings)
User Testimonials
RUN Powered by ADP®Paychex Flex
Likelihood to Recommend
ADP
I think RUN Powered by ADP® is suitable for any business - large or small - it takes the workload and tax issues off of already burdened small business owners. With my package, I can also post job openings, have access to HR assistance and I also swear by Pay by Pay for Workers Comp.
Read full review
Paychex, Inc.
It's better for larger businesses (50+) with various types of pay structures. Employees need to be comfortable with technology to take advantage of the self-service features. I've struggled with the default in the state tax section; extra steps must be taken when an employee lives in a different state than they work, and we don't know where they live until after completing their profile. So we have to go into the system and make the corrections, then notify the employee to go in and complete the state-specific withholding forms and follow up to confirm they do so.
Read full review
Pros
ADP
  • Has experts who are knowledgeable in all payroll related needs
  • Allows you to quickly and easily make changes to individual employee data
  • Is easy to use anywhere you are - whether on their mobile app or website
  • Has several products that work well together - a one stop provider
Read full review
Paychex, Inc.
  • It provides a well account of Retirement Plan Account Information.
  • Alerts are sent to email when there is new information to access.
  • Employee access both online and thru app.
  • Paperless options.
  • Easy and quick access to paystubs and tax forms.
  • Easy employee retirement management.
Read full review
Cons
ADP
  • I would love to see a "frequently performed action" button
  • I would also like to see the most recent things done on last sign on for example
  • I would also like to see tips and tricks to navigating through RUN Powered by ADP®
Read full review
Paychex, Inc.
  • When it comes to audit reports, Paychex Flex could improve on helping clients locate the correct reports for audit purposes more easily
  • When a client receives a discount, it would be helpful if the discount were automatically provided each year, or if the Paychex rep proactively reached out to the client first, versus the client having to call and request that the discount continue.
  • It would be helpful if the invoice was emailed to the client versus the client logging in to access invoices.
Read full review
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.
Read full review
Paychex, Inc.
Overall I like the features that Paychex Flex offers. I am sure that there are other features that I am unaware of, so I am excited to see if there is more that Flex is capable of to make my job easier. The basic features are really user friendly and easy to access. If there ever is an issue customer service is great
Read full review
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!
Read full review
Paychex, Inc.
Some things could be streamlined. For example, we could do custom options for the "add items" tab which has so many options that we never use. "Medical Pay" could be something that the system remembers for the applicable employees. Salaried employees' salaries should definitely be auto-filled. Overall the system works well but I think it could be improved to be easier to use and read.
Read full review
Reliability and Availability
ADP
I have never had an instance of an outage. It is always available as I have added data while travelling, on weekends, and in after work hours. Retrieving pdf's is also available at any time for employees and benefit participants.
Read full review
Paychex, Inc.
We have not experienced any difficulties with unplanned outages. Notifications are always made for outages, and they do not effect normal business operations.
Read full review
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.
Read full review
Paychex, Inc.
Unless there is lag time within the internet, the Paychex Flex website loads exceptional fast, pages load quickly and reports that I need to print or download load quickly. If I need to create a specialized report, once I complete it I receive an e-mail telling me my report is ready to be downloaded. Changing between web pages is fast as well.
Read full review
Support Rating
ADP
At times it takes a few minutes to reach someone and sometimes the ADP automated voice prompt does not recognize my name when I say it. Also, sometimes I am forwarded to different departments and I have to explain my issue 2 or 3 times. It is hard to know whether it is an ADP Run/payroll processing issue versus an ADP Time and Attendance issue. Over the last year or so that I have called ADP, sometimes I am left on hold for a very long time.
Read full review
Paychex, Inc.
Our dedicated representative is one of the main reasons we are sticking with Paychex Flex. If it were not for this person, other platforms could provide the same/similar functionality. It is the ability to speak with someone that understands our business and is willing to get questions answered in a timely fashion that keeps us with Paychex Flex.
Read full review
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.
Read full review
Paychex, Inc.
We did online training only
Read full review
Online Training
ADP
very easy to learn i think it took maybe one payroll to have it down and we were up and running
Read full review
Paychex, Inc.
It was easy to understand and follow along. I do like the informational videos that we can utilize before we opt to call in for customer service support. It has made a difference since sometimes that resolves the issue I may have had and saved myself a phone call to Paychex support.
Read full review
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.
Read full review
Paychex, Inc.
Implementation was very smooth. The most cumbersome task was entering the current employees into the system during initial set up, but Paychex staff handled most of that and verified against prior system reports as well as internal reports provided to ensure 100% accuracy.
Read full review
Alternatives Considered
ADP
RUN Powered by ADP® is quicker and easier to navigate and understand, with fewer hoops to jump through when needing to complete a task. RUN Powered by ADP® also allows to faster help when needed to get you back on track and not falling behind.
Read full review
Paychex, Inc.
We still use QB Desktop Pro to maintain a Check Register / Overall Balance for the company, but once having tried QB Payroll Online for about 3 months prior to finding Paychex Flex I can tell you that there's just no comparison. QB online is VERY EXPENSIVE and not so user-friendly. I hated every minute of those 6 payrolls we ran through QB online.
Read full review
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.
Read full review
Paychex, Inc.
I generally do payroll at the office, however I have had to go remote due to internet issues and also had to take payroll on vacation with me. Very easy to log in wherever you are and manage your TAA and payroll
Read full review
Return on Investment
ADP
  • The payroll tax service eliminates the exposure penalties if we do them and make a mistake.
  • Do not have to reconcile the Payroll Bank Account for the the checks issued to employees. We just need to reconcile the transaction from ADP for tax and net check amounts.
  • The history of employees is kept on the ADP portal, and we do not have to manage to keep that updated.
  • Employees can access their records, saving us time not having to look up things for them.
Read full review
Paychex, Inc.
  • I do not believe we have saved anything additionally. The time we've had to spend to get things to hopefully work is sad. This is the reason we've had to turn off all extra "products" of Paychex Flex. Time and Attendance is horrible. Benefits management is horrible. The user experience is horrible.
  • One thing I do not understand is why are updates for states, cities, counties, school districts, etc. not automatically updated? Should we not get a big red flag if we have an employee living/working, being paid in CA, but they aren't set up for CA sick time? If it is required to be on the paycheck stub to show the balance of the sick time, why would we not be notified that we are out of compliance?
Read full review
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

Paychex Flex Screenshots

Screenshot of Screenshot of Screenshot of