RUN Powered by ADP® vs. ADP Workforce Now

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
RUN Powered by ADP®
Score 8.5 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
ADP Workforce Now
Score 8.0 out of 10
Mid-Size Companies (51-1,000 employees)
ADP Workforce Now is a cloud-based HR platform for mid-sized businesses. It features customizable modules of various HR services that businesses can tailor to their specific needs, as well as regulatory monitoring and alerts to help businesses remain compliant.N/A
Pricing
RUN Powered by ADP®ADP Workforce Now
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Essential
Contact sales team
Enhanced
Contact sales team
Complete
Contact sales team
HR Pro
Contact sales team
Payroll Essentials
Contact sales team
HR Plus
Contact sales team
Hiring Advantage
Contact sales team
Performance Plus
Contact sales team
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
RUN Powered by ADP®ADP Workforce Now
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoYes
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeRequired
Additional DetailsPlease contact ADP for a product demo and ask about a hands-on "test drive" of Workforce Now.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
RUN Powered by ADP®ADP Workforce Now
Considered Both Products
RUN Powered by ADP®
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
Run is much easier to implement and maintain than Workforce Now, especially if you don't have a dedicated payroll manager. If you do have a dedicated payroll and HR department there are more advanced features in Workforce Now. We returned from Workforce Now to RUN because of …
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
I prefer Run to QuickBooks in all aspects except price. However, the quality of the ADP product is worth the premium if the customer can afford it. Run is very comparable to Workforce Now in its core function but is obviously less robust in terms of functionality.
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
ADP Run is above and beyond easier for small businesses. ADP Workforce Now is a great product but fits bigger companies. RUN is more payroll on demand, as it can run payroll the day before with a very short processing time. Connects the GL to your accounting software for …
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®
The above systems are more in depth and more pricey [than RUN Powered by ADP]. If you need a more basic system and to not spend a lot of money than RUN is better. Also, it is better for smaller companies. Workforce Now at times include EZ Labor Manger.
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
I went from RUN to workforce now and see now that it was a very bad decision. I enjoy not having to do things with regard to inputting new hires, etc. I am hoping RUN can adopt the option of sending an email to new hires that allows them to put their own information in similar …
ADP Workforce Now
Chose ADP Workforce Now
ADP Workforce Now [has] more features and [is] easier to use [than] RUN Powered by ADP.
Chose ADP Workforce Now
We loved RUN Powered by ADP, but it was no longer compatible with how big the company was. We currently use and love Monday and Slack. QuickBooks Time is very important to our company, especially construction because it allows GPS tracking of employees. 7shifts is great for …
Chose ADP Workforce Now
The main benefit of ADP Workforce Now was combining payroll and time and attendance into one platform.
Chose ADP Workforce Now
We used to use an ADP product that allowed us to keep the data on a local hard drive. That product was phased out. We were assigned to Workforce Now.

Chose ADP Workforce Now
Kronos has a HUGE learning curve. Basically I had to BUILD out the workflows before I could implement. ADP already has the shell built so it is much easier to just customize your work flow instead of building it from scratch. I appreciate the ease of ADP. I felt like I needed …
Chose ADP Workforce Now
At the present time, we are very happy with ADP Workforce Now and have no intentions of going to another payroll system.
Chose ADP Workforce Now
Workforce Now is so much more robust than the other two. Workforce Now is an all-around solution for HR and Payroll, while the other two were mostly focused on the act of getting people paid. Workforce Now allows us to not only pay people, but also improve our business and …
Top Pros
Top Cons
TrustRadius Insights
RUN Powered by ADP®ADP Workforce Now
Highlights

TrustRadius
Research Team Insight
Published

ADP Run is payroll management software designed to work well for companies with 50 or fewer employees. ADP Workforce Now is HR management software designed to provide robust HR management features for larger enterprises.

Features

ADP Run and ADP Workforce Now both contain basic payroll and HR management features, but there are a few key differences between the two. ADP Run is designed to provide essential HR features for small businesses, this includes payroll processing, tax filing, new-hire onboarding, and employee self-service. ADP Run does not contain features that aren’t offered by ADP Workforce Now.

ADP Workforce Now is a more fully-featured HR Management Software built with large businesses in mind. It includes time and labor and benefits analytics that aren’t available in ADP Run. ADP Workforce Now also includes various add-ons that can be purchased to add features such as retirement planning.

Pricing

ADP Run offers 4 packages, all of which are priced depending on the company. The basic package offers essential payroll features. The Enhanced package adds features like wage garnishments and integration with Ziprecruiter. The Complete package includes HR features like employee handbooks, document storage, and HR training tools. Lastly, the HR Pro package includes features like legal assistance and business tools/advice.

ADP Workforce Now’s pricing is dependent on the business. Quotes are available from the vendor. Additional features for Workday can be purchased as individual add-ons at any time.

Features
RUN Powered by ADP®ADP Workforce Now
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
RUN Powered by ADP®
8.3
206 Ratings
0% above category average
ADP Workforce Now
8.0
1034 Ratings
0% below category average
Pay calculation9.4199 Ratings8.7995 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors7.960 Ratings7.5389 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment8.8129 Ratings7.9294 Ratings
Benefit plan administration8.185 Ratings7.9798 Ratings
Direct deposit files9.5192 Ratings8.7983 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management9.3148 Ratings7.9769 Ratings
Reimbursement management5.138 Ratings7.7468 Ratings
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
RUN Powered by ADP®
-
Ratings
ADP Workforce Now
7.7
1022 Ratings
2% below category average
Employee demographic data00 Ratings8.1903 Ratings
Employment history00 Ratings8.2939 Ratings
Job profiles and administration00 Ratings8.0890 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.00 Ratings7.5917 Ratings
Organizational charting00 Ratings6.7643 Ratings
Organization and location management00 Ratings7.5704 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)00 Ratings7.6648 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
RUN Powered by ADP®
-
Ratings
ADP Workforce Now
7.7
844 Ratings
5% below category average
Approval workflow00 Ratings8.0766 Ratings
Balance details00 Ratings7.6800 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment00 Ratings7.6648 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
RUN Powered by ADP®
-
Ratings
ADP Workforce Now
8.0
1014 Ratings
1% below category average
View and generate pay and benefit information00 Ratings8.3977 Ratings
Update personal information00 Ratings8.6968 Ratings
View company policy documentation00 Ratings8.2782 Ratings
Employee recognition00 Ratings7.0366 Ratings
View job history00 Ratings7.732 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
RUN Powered by ADP®
-
Ratings
ADP Workforce Now
6.0
12 Ratings
25% below category average
Tracking of all physical assets00 Ratings6.012 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
RUN Powered by ADP®
-
Ratings
ADP Workforce Now
7.1
944 Ratings
7% below category average
Report builder00 Ratings7.4927 Ratings
Pre-built reports00 Ratings7.6923 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data00 Ratings6.4550 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
RUN Powered by ADP®
-
Ratings
ADP Workforce Now
7.2
116 Ratings
11% below category average
New hire portal00 Ratings7.6112 Ratings
Manager tracking tools00 Ratings6.892 Ratings
Performance and Goals
Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Product A and Product B
RUN Powered by ADP®
-
Ratings
ADP Workforce Now
7.8
311 Ratings
4% below category average
Corporate goal setting00 Ratings7.9240 Ratings
Individual goal setting00 Ratings7.9291 Ratings
Line-of sight-visibility00 Ratings7.5238 Ratings
Performance tracking00 Ratings7.8284 Ratings
Performance Management
Comparison of Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
RUN Powered by ADP®
-
Ratings
ADP Workforce Now
7.3
402 Ratings
8% below category average
Performance plans00 Ratings7.3361 Ratings
Performance improvement plans00 Ratings7.2309 Ratings
Review status tracking00 Ratings7.5366 Ratings
Review reminders00 Ratings7.3378 Ratings
Multiple review frequency00 Ratings7.2313 Ratings
Succession Planning
Comparison of Succession Planning features of Product A and Product B
RUN Powered by ADP®
-
Ratings
ADP Workforce Now
6.0
7 Ratings
27% below category average
Create succession plans/pools00 Ratings5.86 Ratings
Candidate ranking00 Ratings5.86 Ratings
Candidate search00 Ratings6.37 Ratings
Candidate development00 Ratings6.26 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
RUN Powered by ADP®
-
Ratings
ADP Workforce Now
6.8
421 Ratings
13% below category average
Job Requisition Management00 Ratings7.6366 Ratings
Company Website Posting00 Ratings8.1358 Ratings
Publish to Social Media00 Ratings7.1287 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting00 Ratings7.3321 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention00 Ratings2.38 Ratings
Applicant Tracking00 Ratings7.1362 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts00 Ratings8.3383 Ratings
Best Alternatives
RUN Powered by ADP®ADP Workforce Now
Small Businesses
Patriot Software
Patriot Software
Score 9.0 out of 10
Patriot Software
Patriot Software
Score 9.0 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.5 out of 10
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.5 out of 10
Enterprises
Infor Human Resources
Infor Human Resources
Score 7.3 out of 10
Infor Human Resources
Infor Human Resources
Score 7.3 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
RUN Powered by ADP®ADP Workforce Now
Likelihood to Recommend
8.5
(272 ratings)
8.3
(1089 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.8
(19 ratings)
7.4
(82 ratings)
Usability
9.8
(12 ratings)
6.2
(78 ratings)
Availability
9.2
(6 ratings)
7.3
(14 ratings)
Performance
8.3
(6 ratings)
6.4
(13 ratings)
Support Rating
8.4
(22 ratings)
7.1
(463 ratings)
In-Person Training
9.6
(2 ratings)
8.1
(9 ratings)
Online Training
9.6
(2 ratings)
5.8
(17 ratings)
Implementation Rating
9.3
(9 ratings)
5.9
(34 ratings)
Configurability
8.2
(4 ratings)
6.4
(10 ratings)
Ease of integration
9.1
(1 ratings)
6.1
(8 ratings)
Product Scalability
9.0
(7 ratings)
7.5
(751 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
9.4
(3 ratings)
5.2
(8 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
8.1
(4 ratings)
6.1
(8 ratings)
User Testimonials
RUN Powered by ADP®ADP Workforce Now
Likelihood to Recommend
ADP
When we hire remote workers, living in other states, RUN Powered by ADP has been supportive and an excellent resource. We know we can contact them with questions and they will set us in the right direction. From how to get set up in other states (with specific contact information) to general questions, they've been great.
Read full review
ADP
If you are looking to automate processes and have the system handle administrative, boring tasks this is the system for you. They are continuing to evolve and are coming out with improvements constantly. Have a suggestion on an improvement they will listen and consider implementing.
Read full review
Pros
ADP
  • Once set up RUN is simple enough for non-accountants to feel comfortable navigating
  • RUN provides ample notifications to ensure payroll is processed in time for employees to receive their pay checks on schedule.
  • RUN does a great job of making sure all state and federal reporting is taken care of
Read full review
ADP
  • HRIS that is personalized for the employee and addresses DE&I needs.
  • Payroll, of course! The system addresses all needs, such as deductions, additional pay, premium OT, and shift differentials.
  • Onboarding is an excellent way to stay in compliance and have all documents completed.
  • Tax and Banking and resolution to any issues.
Read full review
Cons
ADP
  • Being a small company and as a designated owner, the employee who processes payroll is the only person that gets the notification that payroll is submitted. As the "Owner," it would be best if the "owner" could also get a copy of the processing of payroll. I have to log in to review what was actually submitted...so if incorrect and I miss checking immediately, an employee could be paid incorrectly.
  • The PTO / vacation accrual product does not have the ability to provide a "liability" report of what the accrual balances owed are. I started using the product only to find out that a liability report was not available, nor could it be created.
  • Employee change form is only available after payroll is submitted. It would be more helpful to have the change form available before submission so any potential incorrect changes could be identified before running a final payroll.
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ADP
  • I would like it if better communication was sent out about new product updates. Sometimes, I go into a screen and things are different and I have to relearn it on the fly.
  • Editing the mobile app - I would like it if what is shown on the desktop version was automatically on the app. WAY more of my employees use the app, but I put the most important information on the desktop version because it is easier to update.
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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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ADP
Due to the lack of support from the sales and service center we are looking at other options outside of ADP. Again it is a good system, it just lacks the support it deserves from the company employees. It is just unimaginable that you will need to reach out to a service provider several times for the same issue and not get it resolved.
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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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ADP
I would give it a 10 however I do not like when ADP does facelifts in Workforce Now which does not add any value other than having to relearn navigation. I am also not a big fan of being forced to refer to the Bridge. We have Google which gives the same results. If I understood the answer I would not contact our Account Rep.
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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.
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ADP
ADP outages are very rare
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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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ADP
Overall, I think the functionality of the program works pretty well. Sometimes, certain browsers do not work well for the policy function of ADP, but that is the only issue thus far
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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.
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ADP
I have contacted support multiple times and have always been happy with the results. ADP's support staff is always helpful and makes easy work of solving problems. I love my Payroll Account Manager, as well as my Enhanced Time Account Manager.
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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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ADP
In-person training was pretty good - I think this significantly depends on the trainer. Our trainer was really good and showed what ADP can do - but I know that all trainers are not the same - and this truly makes such as difference. Overall, our training went pretty well.
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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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ADP
At the time training was not as expansive as it is now. If it could go wrong it did for me so the process was difficult and lengthy. I needed to have more in person walkthroughs of things to ensure the transition was done correctly. Not sure what else I can say, we were part of the initial move to Workforce Now when it was introduced.
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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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ADP
Either assign more than one specialist to the implementation process, or assign less clients to the implementation specialist. The process requires attention to detail and the ability to test and re-test as well as verify the information. It also requires a lot of back and forth between the client ant the implementation specialist, so they need to be readily available during the whole implementation process.
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Alternatives Considered
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 addressed and it would go unanswered for WEEKS. This was extremely frustration as while it may not have been pressing at the time, but due to the length of time, it can grow into a snowballing effect.
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ADP
Although this SAS takes longer to perform the everyday functions related to payroll and HR data input, the difference in this software and our previous software is like night and day. We were on a very old server platform and had too many issues with continuous need for backup.
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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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ADP
It handles very well with very sensitive data of a company especially of employees. Even provides HR services regarding recruitment services like recruitment, providing notification, even handles increment cycle of employee, any awards achieved by employees. All of this services are handled by them in very efficient way.
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Return on Investment
ADP
  • Our client list tripled in less than two years because current clients spoke positively of ADP
  • Since our client list tripled, so did our revenue which was a tremendous increase
  • ADP is one of the best in the market so when we're selling the payroll package to potential clients, they usually know who ADP is and they already have positive ideas about it
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ADP
  • ADP WorkforceNow has provided a positive ROI for our company. It has saved me countless hours in the time I used to spend preparing reports, managing benefits, and annual enrollment, recruitment tracking, and much more.
  • The integration with Payscale has allowed our company to take every position in our organization and benchmark it to industries and job titles. This has allowed us to be more competitive on recruitment and retention.
  • We have used the new DE&I dashboard to provide valuable information on the landscape of our workforce, as well as areas of our organization that may not be as diverse.
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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

ADP Workforce Now Screenshots

Screenshot of ADP Workforce Now: a simple and complete human capital management solutionScreenshot of Benchmarking by ADP DataCloud: an application with an extensive data set ... available to ADP Workforce Now clientsScreenshot of ADP Workforce Now clients can equip their employees with the ADP Mobile self-service app