ADP Workforce Now vs. PDS Vista

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
PDS Vista
Score 6.2 out of 10
Enterprise companies (1,001+ employees)
Vista® is a human resource, benefits, payroll, recruiting, and self-service software. Functional elements include recruitment, staffing, position and training management, compliance, and performance and compensation.N/A
Pricing
ADP Workforce NowPDS Vista
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 NowPDS Vista
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
YesYes
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.License pricing is based on the number of full and part-time active employees within bands (e.g. 751-1,000). SaaS pricing is based on PEPM.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
ADP Workforce NowPDS Vista
Considered Both Products
ADP Workforce Now
PDS Vista
Chose PDS Vista
They switched to save money.
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
ADP Workforce NowPDS Vista
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
PDS Vista
7.7
18 Ratings
2% below category average
Employee demographic data8.1903 Ratings9.017 Ratings
Employment history8.2939 Ratings9.018 Ratings
Job profiles and administration8.0890 Ratings9.014 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.7.5917 Ratings7.012 Ratings
Organizational charting6.7643 Ratings7.013 Ratings
Organization and location management7.5704 Ratings7.016 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)7.6648 Ratings6.011 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
PDS Vista
8.0
18 Ratings
0% below category average
Pay calculation8.7995 Ratings8.216 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors7.5389 Ratings7.39 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment7.9294 Ratings00 Ratings
Benefit plan administration7.9798 Ratings8.216 Ratings
Direct deposit files8.7983 Ratings8.217 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management7.9769 Ratings8.213 Ratings
Reimbursement management7.7468 Ratings8.25 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
PDS Vista
8.2
13 Ratings
2% above category average
Approval workflow8.0766 Ratings8.27 Ratings
Balance details7.6800 Ratings8.213 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment7.6648 Ratings8.212 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
PDS Vista
7.1
17 Ratings
13% below category average
View and generate pay and benefit information8.3977 Ratings8.216 Ratings
Update personal information8.6968 Ratings7.314 Ratings
View company policy documentation8.2782 Ratings7.38 Ratings
Employee recognition7.0366 Ratings7.25 Ratings
View job history7.732 Ratings5.84 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
PDS Vista
7.3
7 Ratings
6% below category average
Tracking of all physical assets6.012 Ratings7.37 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
PDS Vista
8.0
16 Ratings
5% above category average
Report builder7.4927 Ratings8.014 Ratings
Pre-built reports7.6923 Ratings8.016 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data6.4550 Ratings8.013 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
7.2
116 Ratings
11% below category average
PDS Vista
7.3
1 Ratings
9% below category average
New hire portal7.6112 Ratings7.31 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
PDS Vista
5.8
2 Ratings
34% below category average
Corporate goal setting7.9240 Ratings5.52 Ratings
Individual goal setting7.9291 Ratings5.52 Ratings
Line-of sight-visibility7.5238 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance tracking7.9284 Ratings6.42 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
PDS Vista
7.3
4 Ratings
8% below category average
Performance plans7.3361 Ratings7.32 Ratings
Performance improvement plans7.2309 Ratings7.31 Ratings
Review status tracking7.5366 Ratings7.32 Ratings
Review reminders7.3378 Ratings7.23 Ratings
Multiple review frequency7.2313 Ratings7.32 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
PDS Vista
3.6
1 Ratings
75% below category average
Create succession plans/pools5.86 Ratings3.61 Ratings
Candidate ranking5.86 Ratings3.61 Ratings
Candidate search6.37 Ratings3.61 Ratings
Candidate development6.26 Ratings3.61 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
PDS Vista
2.5
3 Ratings
102% below category average
Job Requisition Management7.6366 Ratings3.13 Ratings
Company Website Posting8.1358 Ratings3.13 Ratings
Publish to Social Media7.1287 Ratings00 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting7.3321 Ratings00 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention2.38 Ratings1.92 Ratings
Applicant Tracking7.1362 Ratings2.33 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts8.3383 Ratings2.02 Ratings
Best Alternatives
ADP Workforce NowPDS Vista
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 NowPDS Vista
Likelihood to Recommend
8.3
(1089 ratings)
8.0
(23 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
7.3
(82 ratings)
9.1
(7 ratings)
Usability
6.2
(78 ratings)
8.2
(2 ratings)
Availability
7.3
(14 ratings)
9.5
(2 ratings)
Performance
6.4
(13 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
7.1
(463 ratings)
8.2
(3 ratings)
In-Person Training
8.1
(9 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Online Training
5.8
(17 ratings)
9.0
(2 ratings)
Implementation Rating
5.8
(34 ratings)
7.3
(1 ratings)
Configurability
6.4
(10 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
6.1
(8 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
7.5
(751 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 NowPDS Vista
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
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
As Vista HRMS is fully customizable to suit your needs, a company should determine if they have a current employee who can do the work themselves otherwise they will need to consider the additional cost of asking PDS to do the customizations for them. There are additional modules that we aren't currently making use of, but each company should learn about the functionality of each of them as some may be more beneficial than others. When gathering your questions, ask all potential users of the system what they would want to see in an HRMS. We did so before selecting Vista HRMS and we got pages and pages of questions and comments and made sure that each item was addressed beforehand and was something that we would be able to incorporate into the system. You have the option of taking the system in house or being a hosted client. Make sure you figure out what resources your IT department has available. If you have a dedicated administrator who will do all the upgrades and enhancements great, otherwise you may need PDS to help out and having PDS host may be a better option
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
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
  • Vista HRMS is very flexible, it does everything we need for HR, benefits and payroll. It’s user-friendly and intuitive to use, when we roll out new self-service items our employees have no problems and require minimal training or documentation.
  • PDS has excellent customer service and support. We get answers to the majority of our questions and problems quickly, within the day that we call. More complex issues that may require PDS’ technical support are usually addressed within a few days. We were upgrading our production servers to Windows 2012 over a weekend and a key person in our organization was on leave. When we checked with PDS to see what cost would be involved if we needed their help, they said it was included in our regular maintenance, no extra cost.
  • The PDS User’s Conference is an excellent learning opportunity for training on everything Vista does, including using Crystal Reports for custom reporting. You also get to meet and talk to the executive and development staff and have direct input into the future product development.
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
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
  • Typical of any system built for the unknown requirements of hundreds or thousands of customers with varying needs, PDS sometimes doesn't fit our processes precisely out of the box. However, this con is far outweighed by the ability to configure and customize the system.
  • The most significant pet peeve of our users is the necessity for so many clicks to navigate between different areas or the system or to review applicants. These items are being addressed based on feedback from the user community in an upcoming release.
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
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
I feel so invested in Vista HRMS that I don't really want to try other options. I know we as an organization are not using this product to it's full potential and that is just due to us lacking the resources to be able to invest the time into breaking it apart and making it work to the best ability for us. The system works great as is, but there are a lot of implementations we can put into place to help us out even more. For example, we would love to start using Workflow to create more efficiencies. I personally have a very good relationship with our hosted vendor who supports Vista HRMS and can help me with any issues and concerns, this is a big part of the reason that I would renew with this product and continue to be an advocate for Vista HRMS.
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
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
The interface is intuitive, even if it does require some extra clicks to get to where you are going. The screens are consistently designed and formatted. There is a logical flow and organization to the application layout and menuing systems.
Read full review
Reliability and Availability
ADP
ADP outages are very rare
Read full review
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
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
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
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
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
PDS has excellent customer service and support. We get answers to the
majority of our questions and problems quickly, within the day that we
call. More complex issues that may require PDS’ technical support are
usually addressed within a few days
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
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
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
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
The resources and online tools that PDS provide are extremely thorough and helpful in our training and learning.
Read full review
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
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
Ask lots of questions, ensure you fully understand the functionality (particularly history records) and train, train, train the users for correct and complete utilization of the system.
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
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
I've used Peoplesoft HCM in the past. The products have some similarities, but they are marketed to different sized companies, so it's a bit of apples to oranges. Peoplesoft was very complex and challenging to manage and support. Vista HRMS should require fewer technical resources and still provide robust features for HR and Payroll. We selected Vista HRMS because it met the majority of our requirements and was priced to enable us to purchase and implement it within our budget. Also, it's an integrated system (although not truly one system when you count Vista Time) which is an improvement over our current state.
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.
Read full review
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
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
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
  • Positive impact would definitely be self-service for both employees and managers to view and update selected data.
  • Through some analytics our managers are able to track turnover for their site/department by many criteria (length of service, reason, etc) and can view a number of other analytical reports such as headcount and demographics which help them to make informed decisions about their department.
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