ADP Workforce Now vs. QuickBooks Desktop Premier

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
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
QuickBooks Desktop Premier
Score 8.2 out of 10
N/A
QuickBooks Desktop Premier is an installed version of QuickBooks for general business, contractors, manufacturing and warehouse accounting, as well as nonprofits, professional services, and retail.N/A
Pricing
ADP Workforce NowQuickBooks Desktop Premier
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 NowQuickBooks Desktop Premier
Free Trial
NoNo
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.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
ADP Workforce NowQuickBooks Desktop Premier
Considered Both Products
ADP Workforce Now
Chose ADP Workforce Now
It's much more interactive. The reports are fabulous, especially when you can call and have them custom create whatever you may need.
Chose ADP Workforce Now
Clients chose ADP workforce NOW and required specialist for implementation and ADP provided referal
Chose ADP Workforce Now
I've used Quick Books for payroll in the past and it was very difficult to navigate and I was unsure of the results. That is the only other payroll product I've used other than ADP and I've been doing payroll for over 15 years.
Chose ADP Workforce Now
PayChoice - Customer support is horrible. At least the customer service people try to solve your problem. At Paychoice, they simply ignore you.

With ADP, the issue with updates losing data has to be managed. Randomly, Direct Deposit information is lost, Vacation and PTO …
QuickBooks Desktop Premier

No answer on this topic

Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
ADP Workforce NowQuickBooks Desktop Premier
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
7.7
1022 Ratings
2% below category average
QuickBooks Desktop Premier
-
Ratings
Employee demographic data8.1903 Ratings00 Ratings
Employment history8.2939 Ratings00 Ratings
Job profiles and administration8.0890 Ratings00 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.7.5917 Ratings00 Ratings
Organizational charting6.7643 Ratings00 Ratings
Organization and location management7.5704 Ratings00 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)7.6648 Ratings00 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
8.0
1034 Ratings
0% below category average
QuickBooks Desktop Premier
8.9
47 Ratings
17% above category average
Pay calculation8.7995 Ratings7.046 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors7.5389 Ratings00 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment7.9294 Ratings00 Ratings
Benefit plan administration7.9798 Ratings10.020 Ratings
Direct deposit files8.7983 Ratings8.036 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management7.9769 Ratings9.927 Ratings
Reimbursement management7.7468 Ratings9.529 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
7.7
844 Ratings
5% below category average
QuickBooks Desktop Premier
-
Ratings
Approval workflow8.0766 Ratings00 Ratings
Balance details7.6800 Ratings00 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment7.6648 Ratings00 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
8.0
1014 Ratings
1% below category average
QuickBooks Desktop Premier
-
Ratings
View and generate pay and benefit information8.3977 Ratings00 Ratings
Update personal information8.6968 Ratings00 Ratings
View company policy documentation8.2782 Ratings00 Ratings
Employee recognition7.0366 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
25% below category average
QuickBooks Desktop Premier
-
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
7.1
944 Ratings
7% below category average
QuickBooks Desktop Premier
-
Ratings
Report builder7.4927 Ratings00 Ratings
Pre-built reports7.6923 Ratings00 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data6.4550 Ratings00 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
7.2
116 Ratings
11% below category average
QuickBooks Desktop Premier
-
Ratings
New hire portal7.6112 Ratings00 Ratings
Manager tracking tools6.892 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance and Goals
Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
7.8
311 Ratings
4% below category average
QuickBooks Desktop Premier
-
Ratings
Corporate goal setting7.9240 Ratings00 Ratings
Individual goal setting7.9291 Ratings00 Ratings
Line-of sight-visibility7.5238 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance tracking7.9284 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance Management
Comparison of Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
7.3
402 Ratings
8% below category average
QuickBooks Desktop Premier
-
Ratings
Performance plans7.3361 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance improvement plans7.3309 Ratings00 Ratings
Review status tracking7.5366 Ratings00 Ratings
Review reminders7.3378 Ratings00 Ratings
Multiple review frequency7.2313 Ratings00 Ratings
Succession Planning
Comparison of Succession Planning features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
6.0
7 Ratings
27% below category average
QuickBooks Desktop Premier
-
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
6.8
421 Ratings
13% below category average
QuickBooks Desktop Premier
-
Ratings
Job Requisition Management7.6366 Ratings00 Ratings
Company Website Posting8.1358 Ratings00 Ratings
Publish to Social Media7.1287 Ratings00 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting7.3321 Ratings00 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention2.38 Ratings00 Ratings
Applicant Tracking7.1362 Ratings00 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts8.3383 Ratings00 Ratings
Customization
Comparison of Customization features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Desktop Premier
1.3
20 Ratings
138% below category average
API for custom integration00 Ratings1.315 Ratings
Plug-ins00 Ratings1.320 Ratings
Security
Comparison of Security features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Desktop Premier
7.4
49 Ratings
8% below category average
Single sign-on capability00 Ratings4.943 Ratings
Role-based user permissions00 Ratings10.040 Ratings
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Desktop Premier
6.8
57 Ratings
11% below category average
Dashboards00 Ratings4.948 Ratings
Standard reports00 Ratings7.856 Ratings
Custom reports00 Ratings7.854 Ratings
General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Desktop Premier
7.1
60 Ratings
4% below category average
Accounts payable00 Ratings7.058 Ratings
Accounts receivable00 Ratings7.059 Ratings
Cash management00 Ratings8.054 Ratings
Bank reconciliation00 Ratings8.057 Ratings
Expense management00 Ratings6.156 Ratings
Time tracking00 Ratings5.028 Ratings
Fixed asset management00 Ratings5.139 Ratings
Multi-currency support00 Ratings9.018 Ratings
Multi-division support00 Ratings7.033 Ratings
Regulations compliance00 Ratings1.819 Ratings
Electronic tax filing00 Ratings10.028 Ratings
Self-service portal00 Ratings8.017 Ratings
Global Financial Support00 Ratings9.03 Ratings
Primary and Secondary Ledgers00 Ratings7.06 Ratings
Intercompany Accounting00 Ratings9.08 Ratings
Localizations00 Ratings5.01 Ratings
Journals and Reconciliations00 Ratings7.014 Ratings
Enterprise Accounting00 Ratings9.05 Ratings
Configurable Accounting00 Ratings7.16 Ratings
Centralized Rules Framework00 Ratings9.93 Ratings
Standardized Processes00 Ratings4.37 Ratings
Inventory Management
Comparison of Inventory Management features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Desktop Premier
2.9
36 Ratings
83% below category average
Inventory tracking00 Ratings1.735 Ratings
Automatic reordering00 Ratings1.015 Ratings
Location management00 Ratings8.019 Ratings
Manufacturing module00 Ratings1.017 Ratings
Order Management
Comparison of Order Management features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Desktop Premier
7.0
38 Ratings
5% below category average
Pricing00 Ratings10.030 Ratings
Order entry00 Ratings10.031 Ratings
Credit card processing00 Ratings7.027 Ratings
Cost of goods sold00 Ratings6.334 Ratings
Order Orchestration00 Ratings10.03 Ratings
End-to-end order visibility00 Ratings1.04 Ratings
Order exception Resolution00 Ratings5.01 Ratings
Best Alternatives
ADP Workforce NowQuickBooks Desktop Premier
Small Businesses
Patriot Software
Patriot Software
Score 9.0 out of 10
QuickBooks Self-Employed
QuickBooks Self-Employed
Score 9.2 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.5 out of 10
Accounting Seed
Accounting Seed
Score 8.3 out of 10
Enterprises
Infor Human Resources
Infor Human Resources
Score 7.3 out of 10
Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP
Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP
Score 8.1 out of 10
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User Ratings
ADP Workforce NowQuickBooks Desktop Premier
Likelihood to Recommend
8.3
(1089 ratings)
3.0
(63 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
7.3
(82 ratings)
1.3
(12 ratings)
Usability
6.2
(78 ratings)
7.0
(14 ratings)
Availability
7.3
(14 ratings)
8.9
(5 ratings)
Performance
6.4
(13 ratings)
5.7
(4 ratings)
Support Rating
7.1
(463 ratings)
1.1
(12 ratings)
In-Person Training
8.1
(9 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Online Training
5.8
(17 ratings)
1.0
(1 ratings)
Implementation Rating
5.8
(34 ratings)
7.2
(7 ratings)
Configurability
6.4
(10 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Ease of integration
6.1
(8 ratings)
7.0
(1 ratings)
Product Scalability
7.5
(751 ratings)
6.2
(4 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
5.2
(8 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
6.1
(8 ratings)
7.0
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
ADP Workforce NowQuickBooks Desktop Premier
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
Intuit
QuickBooks Premier is not well suited to manufacturing industries, as it cannot handle the complicated inventory requirements of raw materials, work in process, and finished goods. Retailers and Wholesalers can use QuickBooks Premier as long as they have an add-on inventory tracking program or Point of Sale system that integrates with QuickBooks. Likewise, restaurants would need specialized restaurant software that integrates with QuickBooks Premier. Non-profits can use QuickBooks Premier non-profit edition, but if they use fund accounting, it will require some complicated work-arounds. QuickBooks Premier is well-suited to most construction trades, personal and professional services providers, small retailers, and rental property owners.
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
Intuit
  • The program is easy to learn and use. We can train our clients' personnel how to use the program with out difficulty.
  • It is easy for clients to generate bills and manage accounts receivable.
  • It is easy to manage accounts payable and allows clients to pay their bills electronically.
  • Transactions can be imported electronically for credit card and banking transactions.
  • It is easy to reconcile bank and credit card accounts.
  • We can import data generated by QuickBooks into our tax and accounting software.
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.
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Intuit
  • I would like to be able to choose how i want to view accounts receivable aging. I would like some flexibility to sort and choose how to present the data.
  • For a seasoned accountant, I would like to see some of the restrictive controls that are in place for novices to be able to be relaxed so that I can easily make some entries and adjust some balances that ordinarily a regular user would not be able to do.
  • I would like to see an easy way to clear old outstanding checks that need to be reversed without affecting prior balances/history.
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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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Intuit
Because we have been extremely happy with the product and our organization tends to be creatures of habit. We rarely leave a product that works this well for the latest and greatest. Typically we follow the "if it's not broken, don't fix it rule". While QB does make changes we typically just roll with it. If we do find something we don't like we work through it until we fully understand its functionality.
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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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Intuit
QuickBooks is an amazing tool that provides all of the necessary features needed to run the finances of a company. I would like for QuickBooks to provide better resources for training. There are many features that go unused because of lack of knowledge. Procore offers chatting and calls on their platform and they make it easy and accessible to get answers and solutions.
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Reliability and Availability
ADP
ADP outages are very rare
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Intuit
This is very reliable software, the desktop version is fast. If there is a problem, it is most likely on your own hardware!
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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
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Intuit
It takes forever to load.
Read full review
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.
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Intuit
This is an awesome product and the support team is very knowledgeable. The product is mature, so there are not a lot of bugs and the support team really solves problems quickly. Usually it is a user error issue, but the support desk helps me out. I love the fact that it is US based support.
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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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Intuit
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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Intuit
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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Intuit
It is important to do your research. There are tutorial videos online that could help new user of this accounting system. These tutorials are straightforward and easily understandable.
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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.
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Intuit
QuickBooks Premier handles most of my business functions efficiently in one package. It is not my "everything." I use Replicon for time rather than QuickBooks. I don't want my WIP data interfering with my accounting. I use PaySimple for it's web interface and back office processing. I don't have security issues since I don't have any credit card data in my possession. With today's identity theft environment, I have to protect myself as much as I can. Not having credit card data in my accounting software lets me sleep much better at night. Quicken will do basic accounting but does not have all the double entry accounting systems contained in QuickBooks. QuickBooks Online does much of the basic business functions but I don't like the pricing structure. As a professional accountant, that is very important to me. Bill.com provided a good service but the ability of QuickBooks to add bills and receipts to transactions makes it redundant.
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Scalability
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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Intuit
They're getting better. Still room for improvement.
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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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Intuit
  • Since our financials are kept very up to date, it helps us compare our financial results to prior years and it is used for our internal goal setting.
  • Due to the accountant copy function, we are able to provide better service since our clients are not waiting on us to fix historical data. They can continue their operations uninterrupted.
  • The import feature certainly speeds up the process of accounting for our payroll. As previously mentioned, it takes about a minute to do our entries for payroll and check them.
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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