ADP Workforce Now vs. CATS Applicant Tracking System

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
ADP Workforce Now
Score 7.8 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
CATS ATS
Score 8.0 out of 10
N/A
CATS is a web-based recruiting software. Users can manage the entire recruiting process including custom job applications, posting jobs, resume parsing, custom recruitment workflows, and generating customized reports. Pricing is tiered per user, per month.
$69
per month
Pricing
ADP Workforce NowCATS Applicant Tracking System
Editions & Modules
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
Annual Pro Plan
$69
per user, per month
Monthly Pro Plan
$99
per user, per month
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
ADP Workforce NowCATS ATS
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
YesNo
Entry-level Setup FeeRequiredNo setup fee
Additional DetailsPlease contact ADP for a product demo and ask about a hands-on "test drive" of Workforce Now.Please visit the CATS pricing page to compare plans and features
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
ADP Workforce NowCATS Applicant Tracking System
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
ADP Workforce NowCATS Applicant Tracking System
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
7.6
1038 Ratings
4% below category average
CATS Applicant Tracking System
-
Ratings
Employee demographic data8.2916 Ratings00 Ratings
Employment history8.3953 Ratings00 Ratings
Job profiles and administration7.9903 Ratings00 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.7.4931 Ratings00 Ratings
Organizational charting6.8651 Ratings00 Ratings
Organization and location management7.6714 Ratings00 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)7.4658 Ratings00 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
7.8
1050 Ratings
3% below category average
CATS Applicant Tracking System
-
Ratings
Pay calculation8.51011 Ratings00 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors7.1395 Ratings00 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment7.8303 Ratings00 Ratings
Benefit plan administration8.0803 Ratings00 Ratings
Direct deposit files8.6999 Ratings00 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management7.7781 Ratings00 Ratings
Reimbursement management7.3476 Ratings00 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
7.7
857 Ratings
5% below category average
CATS Applicant Tracking System
-
Ratings
Approval workflow7.9779 Ratings00 Ratings
Balance details7.6810 Ratings00 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment7.6657 Ratings00 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
7.9
1030 Ratings
3% below category average
CATS Applicant Tracking System
-
Ratings
View and generate pay and benefit information8.2993 Ratings00 Ratings
Update personal information8.5982 Ratings00 Ratings
View company policy documentation8.1793 Ratings00 Ratings
Employee recognition6.9372 Ratings00 Ratings
View job history7.732 Ratings00 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
6.0
12 Ratings
27% below category average
CATS Applicant Tracking System
-
Ratings
Tracking of all physical assets6.012 Ratings00 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
6.9
954 Ratings
10% below category average
CATS Applicant Tracking System
-
Ratings
Report builder7.2937 Ratings00 Ratings
Pre-built reports7.4933 Ratings00 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data6.0556 Ratings00 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
6.9
126 Ratings
15% below category average
CATS Applicant Tracking System
-
Ratings
New hire portal7.3122 Ratings00 Ratings
Manager tracking tools6.599 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance and Goals
Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
7.9
317 Ratings
3% below category average
CATS Applicant Tracking System
-
Ratings
Corporate goal setting8.0245 Ratings00 Ratings
Individual goal setting8.0296 Ratings00 Ratings
Line-of sight-visibility7.7242 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance tracking7.9290 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance Management
Comparison of Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
7.3
410 Ratings
9% below category average
CATS Applicant Tracking System
-
Ratings
Performance plans7.3367 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance improvement plans7.2315 Ratings00 Ratings
Review status tracking7.5371 Ratings00 Ratings
Review reminders7.2387 Ratings00 Ratings
Multiple review frequency7.2321 Ratings00 Ratings
Succession Planning
Comparison of Succession Planning features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
6.0
7 Ratings
28% below category average
CATS Applicant Tracking System
-
Ratings
Create succession plans/pools5.86 Ratings00 Ratings
Candidate ranking5.86 Ratings00 Ratings
Candidate search6.37 Ratings00 Ratings
Candidate development6.26 Ratings00 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
6.7
424 Ratings
16% below category average
CATS Applicant Tracking System
8.2
19 Ratings
3% above category average
Job Requisition Management7.5369 Ratings9.517 Ratings
Company Website Posting8.1360 Ratings9.517 Ratings
Publish to Social Media6.9289 Ratings8.617 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting7.2322 Ratings10.017 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention2.38 Ratings4.618 Ratings
Applicant Tracking7.0364 Ratings7.619 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts8.3385 Ratings9.517 Ratings
Customized Application Form00 Ratings9.518 Ratings
Resume Management00 Ratings8.119 Ratings
Candidate Search00 Ratings6.219 Ratings
Collaboration00 Ratings8.612 Ratings
Task Creation and Delegation00 Ratings8.615 Ratings
Email Templates00 Ratings9.519 Ratings
User Permissions00 Ratings8.517 Ratings
Reporting00 Ratings4.718 Ratings
Best Alternatives
ADP Workforce NowCATS Applicant Tracking System
Small Businesses
Zoho People
Zoho People
Score 9.1 out of 10
Recruit CRM
Recruit CRM
Score 9.3 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
Vibe HCM
Vibe HCM
Score 4.4 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
ADP Workforce NowCATS Applicant Tracking System
Likelihood to Recommend
8.1
(1105 ratings)
8.1
(28 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
7.3
(82 ratings)
8.4
(10 ratings)
Usability
5.1
(79 ratings)
2.7
(1 ratings)
Availability
7.3
(14 ratings)
9.1
(2 ratings)
Performance
6.4
(13 ratings)
5.9
(2 ratings)
Support Rating
6.9
(476 ratings)
4.5
(1 ratings)
In-Person Training
8.2
(9 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Online Training
5.8
(17 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
4.0
(34 ratings)
9.1
(1 ratings)
Configurability
6.4
(10 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
6.1
(8 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
7.4
(766 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
5.2
(8 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
6.1
(8 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
ADP Workforce NowCATS Applicant Tracking System
Likelihood to Recommend
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
CATS Software
It has a great parsing feature and the extension is very helpful. Many ATS systems do not support parsing within LinkedIn...this one does. I was sad to see this option go when we finally transitioned. I would almost keep CATS just for the LinkedIn parsing if I knew I could easily get the information OUT of the system once it was there. A good API/webhook would be great, but sadly the API connections don't work well. Our firm also works with companies with multiple sites all across the US. There was never a way to "nest" a location with a parent company. Because of this, being able to research or report on a true client relationship was not possible. It was a very manual process.
Read full review
Pros
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
CATS Software
  • Simple to implement, SaaS based tool that needs no in-house IT support or resources
  • Customizable reports, labels, fields, applications
  • Affordable
  • No long term contract, month-to-month with ability to cancel anytime
  • Data backups are simple
  • Email directly from the candidate record with response coming into Outlook is easy to configure and creates record and updates status automatically
Read full review
Cons
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.
Read full review
CATS Software
  • I would like to see either an integration with a robust reporting tool that would allow me to design my own custom reports with a data export or more built-in reporting options.
  • Mobile app is currently mostly just a look-up tool. I would like it to have the ability to do more - add tasks, update pipelines, etc.
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
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.
Read full review
CATS Software
Our company has been using it and enjoying the benefits for a few years now. Its a perfect system for our end goal of finding the best candidate effectively and being able to track and write reports on our progress.
Read full review
Usability
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.
Read full review
CATS Software
not recruiter friendly. workflow is not good
Read full review
Reliability and Availability
ADP
ADP outages are very rare
Read full review
CATS Software
No answers on this topic
Performance
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
Read full review
CATS Software
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
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.
Read full review
CATS Software
I've had mixed results with asking for support. Sometimes they gave a quick answer and sometimes my emails were never responded to. Some responses were a single word.
Read full review
In-Person Training
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.
Read full review
CATS Software
No answers on this topic
Online Training
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.
Read full review
CATS Software
No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
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.
Read full review
CATS Software
This is an incredibly easy system to implement. There is no hardware or software required, it's entirely SaaS based. Compared to other systems I've implemented, it's breathtaking. Customization can all be done directly in the tool, there is no need for any involvement of consultants and most of the information you cannot figure out intuitively is covered in the knowledge base
Read full review
Alternatives Considered
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.
Read full review
CATS Software
We used to use Sendouts (prior to it being acquired by Bullhorn) - and it wasn't browser based like CATS so instead of being able to access it from a home computer, laptop, mobile phone, etc. you could only use it on the computer with the software uploaded - which is a hindrance. It also wasn't as customizable as CATS. We picked CATS because it the price was right, it was browser-based, had email-integration, and integrates with social media and job posting services to share your jobs
with the public.
Read full review
Scalability
ADP
We have been able to grow with ADP from just a few hundred employees to over 10,000 so it's actually very scalable for payroll usage. We do not use the benefits and onboarding offerings for most of our employees but they are built to scale easily enough for when our corporate team has over 1,000 FTE.
Read full review
CATS Software
No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
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.
Read full review
CATS Software
  • We went from Excel spreadsheets to using CATS so honestly anything would be an improvement. But CATS has saved tremendous time on an on-going basis in terms of managing the career portal automatically.
  • Being able to log email conversations with the click of a button from Outlook right into CATS has been a time-saver and also has helped numerous times in providing better follow-through to candidates and providing better tracking of candidate interactions and what they have previously said (or not).
Read full review
ScreenShots

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

CATS ATS Screenshots

Screenshot of Easily view candidates, without leaving the job order, using the candidate preview. Even quickly communicate with candidate via SMS without leaving your current screen.Screenshot of Candidate ProfileScreenshot of Add filters to quickly search and narrow down your candidate database.Screenshot of