ADP Workforce Now vs. Square Payroll

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
Square Payroll
Score 6.1 out of 10
N/A
Square Payroll is a payroll solution for hourly employees, from Square headquartered in San Francisco, California.N/A
Pricing
ADP Workforce NowSquare Payroll
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 NowSquare Payroll
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 NowSquare Payroll
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
ADP Workforce NowSquare Payroll
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
7.6
1018 Ratings
3% below category average
Square Payroll
-
Ratings
Employee demographic data8.2899 Ratings00 Ratings
Employment history8.1935 Ratings00 Ratings
Job profiles and administration7.9886 Ratings00 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.7.3913 Ratings00 Ratings
Organizational charting6.6639 Ratings00 Ratings
Organization and location management7.3700 Ratings00 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)7.6645 Ratings00 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
7.9
1030 Ratings
2% below category average
Square Payroll
7.8
6 Ratings
3% below category average
Pay calculation8.6991 Ratings8.96 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors7.1385 Ratings8.65 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment7.8291 Ratings4.44 Ratings
Benefit plan administration8.0795 Ratings9.15 Ratings
Direct deposit files8.7979 Ratings7.06 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management7.8765 Ratings8.94 Ratings
Reimbursement management7.7464 Ratings7.85 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
7.7
841 Ratings
5% below category average
Square Payroll
-
Ratings
Approval workflow7.9763 Ratings00 Ratings
Balance details7.5797 Ratings00 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment7.5645 Ratings00 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
8.0
1011 Ratings
1% below category average
Square Payroll
-
Ratings
View and generate pay and benefit information8.2974 Ratings00 Ratings
Update personal information8.6965 Ratings00 Ratings
View company policy documentation8.1779 Ratings00 Ratings
Employee recognition7.1364 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
Square Payroll
-
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
941 Ratings
7% below category average
Square Payroll
-
Ratings
Report builder7.4924 Ratings00 Ratings
Pre-built reports7.6920 Ratings00 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data6.2547 Ratings00 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
7.1
113 Ratings
12% below category average
Square Payroll
-
Ratings
New hire portal7.5109 Ratings00 Ratings
Manager tracking tools6.689 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance and Goals
Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
7.8
308 Ratings
4% below category average
Square Payroll
-
Ratings
Corporate goal setting7.8237 Ratings00 Ratings
Individual goal setting7.9288 Ratings00 Ratings
Line-of sight-visibility7.5235 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance tracking7.9281 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance Management
Comparison of Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
7.3
399 Ratings
8% below category average
Square Payroll
-
Ratings
Performance plans7.2358 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance improvement plans7.2306 Ratings00 Ratings
Review status tracking7.5363 Ratings00 Ratings
Review reminders7.3375 Ratings00 Ratings
Multiple review frequency7.2310 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
Square Payroll
-
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
6.9
418 Ratings
12% below category average
Square Payroll
-
Ratings
Job Requisition Management7.6363 Ratings00 Ratings
Company Website Posting8.2355 Ratings00 Ratings
Publish to Social Media7.3284 Ratings00 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting7.4318 Ratings00 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention2.38 Ratings00 Ratings
Applicant Tracking7.2359 Ratings00 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts8.1380 Ratings00 Ratings
Best Alternatives
ADP Workforce NowSquare Payroll
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
ADP Workforce NowSquare Payroll
Likelihood to Recommend
8.3
(1085 ratings)
4.7
(8 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
7.4
(82 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Usability
6.2
(78 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Availability
7.3
(14 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
6.4
(13 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
7.0
(462 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
In-Person Training
8.1
(9 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Online Training
5.8
(17 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
6.0
(34 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Configurability
6.4
(10 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
6.1
(8 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
7.5
(747 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 NowSquare Payroll
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
Block, Inc (Square)
Square is an amazing platform to have total control over the payroll of all the employees of a company or a specific sector. This platform has a very good functionality to collect exact information on how long each employee works, that is one of its most outstanding characteristics, because it monitors work schedules and overtime and generates detailed reports on the work time of each employee. Square does not allow to schedule payments, that is one of the main problems, however, I consider that it is a very good option for small and medium-sized companies that are looking for a way to have more exact administrative control over the working hours of all their employees. It is a software that works in the cloud, so all the work information that is collected will remain safe without any risk of loss.
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
Block, Inc (Square)
  • 1099 contractor payments are easy, and they provide you with the IRS filing as part of the service.
  • Direct deposit/debit from your already connected account to the employee.
  • Reporting and management features are simple yet inclusive.
  • Low cost compared to alternative solutions.
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
Block, Inc (Square)
  • It's a bit pricey for larger companies at $5 per person paid per month.
  • Has a bit of a learning curve that seems steeper than necessary
  • reports can be confusing at first
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
Block, Inc (Square)
No answers on this topic
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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Block, Inc (Square)
It could use a mobile-friendly interface. Other than that it's a simple layout and non-cluttered which allows you to get done what you need to get done. No unnecessary dodads or distractions.
Read full review
Reliability and Availability
ADP
ADP outages are very rare
Read full review
Block, Inc (Square)
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
Block, Inc (Square)
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
Block, Inc (Square)
I think they have quick and helpful customer service reps, however, I give them a 9 because I have had to wait on hold for long periods of time before.
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
Block, Inc (Square)
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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Block, Inc (Square)
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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Block, Inc (Square)
No answers on this topic
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
Block, Inc (Square)
I liked patriot, but I found it to be more confusing than Square and took me too much time to setup. I setup Square Payroll in about an hour. I would also say the Square interface made more sense to me. I also like how Square offers more things like benefits, etc. that can be added on.
Read full review
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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Block, Inc (Square)
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
Block, Inc (Square)
  • Square Payroll has dramatically reduced the time it takes to process payroll.
  • We could have a faster payroll with the Square POS integration for commission, but that is not something we've implemented yet.
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