ADP Workforce Now vs. HRdirect Smart Apps

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
ADP Workforce Now
Score 7.5 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
HRdirect Smart Apps
Score 7.0 out of 10
Small Businesses (1-50 employees)
HRdirect Smart Apps is an HR Management software solution from HRdirect, a a division of ComplyRight, Inc., dedicated to developing and delivering “Solutions for Smart Employers” since 1985. The vendor says HRdirect supports business managers at more than 500,000 locations with essential employee management and compliance tasks. HRdirect Smart Apps aims to help users work efficiently and affordably. The vendor's goal is to simplify complex processes and free employers from compliance…N/A
Pricing
ADP Workforce NowHRdirect Smart Apps
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
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
ADP Workforce NowHRdirect Smart Apps
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoYes
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.NO PER EMPLOYEE PRICING, NO BUNDLED FEATURES. JUST $60 A YEAR PER APP. Simple Pricing, No Matter How You Slice It Only use the Smart Apps that best fit your unique needs and pay the same, low price for each one: just $60 a year. It's easy to add more at any time, too - either as your needs change or as our solutions expand.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
ADP Workforce NowHRdirect Smart Apps
Features
ADP Workforce NowHRdirect Smart Apps
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
7.8
1072 Ratings
4% below category average
HRdirect Smart Apps
10.0
1 Ratings
21% above category average
Employee demographic data8.5947 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Employment history8.3988 Ratings00 Ratings
Job profiles and administration8.2938 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.7.5964 Ratings00 Ratings
Organizational charting7.2676 Ratings00 Ratings
Organization and location management7.6740 Ratings00 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)7.1680 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
8.0
1085 Ratings
2% below category average
HRdirect Smart Apps
-
Ratings
Pay calculation8.91045 Ratings00 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors7.8414 Ratings00 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment8.2336 Ratings00 Ratings
Benefit plan administration7.5825 Ratings00 Ratings
Direct deposit files9.01032 Ratings00 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management7.3813 Ratings00 Ratings
Reimbursement management7.5498 Ratings00 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
8.0
890 Ratings
2% below category average
HRdirect Smart Apps
1.0
1 Ratings
156% below category average
Approval workflow7.7810 Ratings1.01 Ratings
Balance details8.1844 Ratings00 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment8.1686 Ratings00 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
7.8
1064 Ratings
5% below category average
HRdirect Smart Apps
10.0
1 Ratings
20% above category average
View and generate pay and benefit information8.41026 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Update personal information8.51015 Ratings10.01 Ratings
View company policy documentation8.0819 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Employee recognition6.5386 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
29% below category average
HRdirect Smart Apps
-
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
988 Ratings
9% below category average
HRdirect Smart Apps
1.0
1 Ratings
153% below category average
Report builder7.6971 Ratings1.01 Ratings
Pre-built reports7.2966 Ratings1.01 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data5.7575 Ratings00 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
7.3
150 Ratings
9% below category average
HRdirect Smart Apps
1.0
1 Ratings
155% below category average
New hire portal7.6146 Ratings1.01 Ratings
Manager tracking tools6.9118 Ratings1.01 Ratings
Performance and Goals
Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
6.8
335 Ratings
17% below category average
HRdirect Smart Apps
-
Ratings
Corporate goal setting6.9261 Ratings00 Ratings
Individual goal setting6.6313 Ratings00 Ratings
Line-of sight-visibility6.8258 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance tracking7.0308 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance Management
Comparison of Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
6.5
432 Ratings
19% below category average
HRdirect Smart Apps
-
Ratings
Performance plans6.5389 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance improvement plans6.3332 Ratings00 Ratings
Review status tracking6.2392 Ratings00 Ratings
Review reminders7.0408 Ratings00 Ratings
Multiple review frequency6.5341 Ratings00 Ratings
Succession Planning
Comparison of Succession Planning features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
6.0
7 Ratings
26% below category average
HRdirect Smart Apps
-
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
5.7
445 Ratings
31% below category average
HRdirect Smart Apps
-
Ratings
Job Requisition Management7.0389 Ratings00 Ratings
Company Website Posting6.7381 Ratings00 Ratings
Publish to Social Media4.6305 Ratings00 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting6.0341 Ratings00 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention2.38 Ratings00 Ratings
Applicant Tracking6.7384 Ratings00 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts6.9404 Ratings00 Ratings
Best Alternatives
ADP Workforce NowHRdirect Smart Apps
Small Businesses
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.3 out of 10
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.3 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.1 out of 10
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.1 out of 10
Enterprises
PeopleStrong
PeopleStrong
Score 10.0 out of 10
PeopleStrong
PeopleStrong
Score 10.0 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
ADP Workforce NowHRdirect Smart Apps
Likelihood to Recommend
8.0
(1123 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
7.9
(83 ratings)
1.0
(1 ratings)
Usability
2.6
(80 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Availability
7.3
(14 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
6.4
(13 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
6.4
(494 ratings)
1.0
(1 ratings)
In-Person Training
8.2
(9 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Online Training
5.8
(17 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
1.5
(34 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Configurability
6.4
(10 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
6.1
(8 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
7.8
(785 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 NowHRdirect Smart Apps
Likelihood to Recommend
ADP
The ease in which you can process payroll and year end (T4s). Ability to maintain payroll - enter upcoming changes (e.g. pay raises for a certain date) ahead of time. While we don't use it in my current company, in past ones the time & attendance integration with timesheets is fabulous. Our company uses a 3rd party scheduling & timesheet platform which also integrates with one click but is a little more work to maintain time off balances within ADP Workforce Now. We use the 3rd party platform (Evolia) for scheduling and timesheets as the management here wanted the ability to see salaried employees on site, have a chat feature, and some self-management on the employee side with the ability to swap shifts.
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ComplyRight
UPDATE 3/20/2020: I initially gave HRDirect a "0" recommendation due to all the issues we had with the PTO Module. However, since purchasing the Harassment Training Module ($90), this product is the best value for the money and puts us in compliance with mandated requirements. It is easy to use and well-presented. At this point in time, with the issues and frustration level of all our employees, managers, and payroll department, it would be difficult for me to recommend this app as suitable in any scenario. However, should HRdirect fix the issues and get the app to perform as it was originally designed, it would be a great product for a small to medium company that has limited resources yet wants a good product for the money. In our experience, the new hire portal did not appear to be functioning properly; our new hires were not able to access the blank documents. They could see them but not open them (PDFs).
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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
ComplyRight
  • Initially, you were able to see all activity and drill down for details.
  • It was easy-access for all our employees in the 7 states we operate in.
  • It provided tracking for the managers.
  • Payroll had access to all PTO requests.
Read full review
Cons
ADP
  • Customized pre-process payroll reports (Limited on pre-process payroll reports)
  • Labor Allocation (Allocations make payroll reporting very hard to review and find any errors )
  • Recruiting (ATS is very basic)
  • Geofencing (should be able to change shape rather than a circle)
  • Pay Classes (should be able to change at Practitioner level rather than reach out to support)
  • Cookies and Cache have to be cleared on a regular basis
  • Only able to see employee documents/acknowledgements one at a time in the employee file
  • Timecards can only be managed/viewed by 1 person
  • Timeoff emails do not have a link
  • Cost per payroll - not just monthly fee so cost with off cycle payrolls
  • Separate I9 step not needed - during onboarding - 2nd Everify step
  • ADP Workforce Now does not pull in allowances for Houly employees into payroll ONLY Salaried employees
Read full review
ComplyRight
  • HRdirect performed an upgrade in 2019 and that's where things went awry.
  • You could no longer drill down through the calendar to see the details - i.e. Doctor's appointment, illness, childcare issues, vacation, etc.
  • Previous year PTO requests were not archived and you now had to scroll through hundreds of PTO requests to see the most current.
  • Previous PTO requests were listed oldest to most current, resulting in much frustration trying to locate specific ones.
  • The print option was not longer functional.
  • The online help request form was no longer accessible.
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.
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ComplyRight
As previously described, there are too many unresolved issues.
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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.
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ComplyRight
No answers on this topic
Reliability and Availability
ADP
ADP outages are very rare
Read full review
ComplyRight
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
ComplyRight
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
ADP
Kelly La Rosa and Brian McLaughlin have been exceptional partners over the last few years and a tremendous source of support in my role. They are consistently solution‑oriented, highly responsive, and proactive in identifying opportunities to improve our processes. Both regularly brought forward thoughtful recommendations, including suggestions for new ADP products that aligned well with our evolving needs. Their expertise, reliability, and genuine commitment to client success have made a meaningful impact on my work and on our overall experience with ADP.
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ComplyRight
Due to the fact that we were patient for more than 6 months with no resolution in sight, we decided to end our relationship with HRdirect for PTO tracking. 3/20/2020: We have purchased the Harassment Training Module. Excellent product with great value for the money.
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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.
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ComplyRight
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.
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ComplyRight
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.
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ComplyRight
No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
ADP
I also used UltiPro (way back -- it didn't even appear in dropdown). Recommend ADP Workforce Now above all others. Paycor and Paycom were both very clunky. I even helped implement Paycom and could never get it to work how the business needed it to.
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ComplyRight
No answers on this topic
Scalability
ADP
We have several departments that utilize the reporting, utilize the timecards and the system. We also have self service that is nice for all of our employees. This system allows us to designate what each group can see, and what employees can change, or who can clock in and out offsite
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ComplyRight
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.
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ComplyRight
  • Initially, HRdirect was proving to be an excellent tool, and we were getting a quick turnaround on small issues. However, the upgrade messed things up on our accessibility, with no resolution in sight.
  • Harassment training module is excellent.
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

HRdirect Smart Apps Screenshots

Screenshot of EMPLOYEE RECORDS
Smarter, Centralized Employee Management

 - Directory & Records
 - Employee Self-Service
 - Document StorageScreenshot of ATTENDANCE CALENDAR
Take Control of Employee Attendance

 - 12-Month Calendars
 - Absence Code Management
 - Absence NotesScreenshot of I-9 & W-4
Ease the Burden of Completing I-9 and W-4 Forms

 - Onboarding Workflow
 - Guided I-9 & W-4 Forms
 - History & Audit TrackingScreenshot of JOB APPLICATION
Smart Hiring Begins Before the Interview

 - Compliant Questions Library
 - Customizable Application
 - Online Application LinkScreenshot of PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE
Your Guide to an Effective Disciplinary Program

 - Employee Warning Notices
 - Discipline History
 - Action Plan DocumentationScreenshot of TIME OFF REQUEST
Let Employees Handle Time Off Requests for You

 - Employee Time Off Requests
 - Supervisor Approval Workflow
 - Attendance Calendar Sync