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Businesses looking for payroll services to automate employee pay, calculate taxes, and organize government compliance can easily become overwhelmed with the number of options in today's marketplace. ADP is a great option. As one of the largest payroll processing platforms in the industry, ADP helps thousands of businesses of all sizes complete payroll each month. In this article, we'll break down ADP's payroll pricing and how it compares to the competition to help you decide if it's right for your business.
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For whom is the ADP indicated?
While many of the payroll processing platforms on the market today are only a few decades old, ADP has been helping human resources (HR) departments for more than 70 years. During this time, the platform has grown into an international provider of cloud-based human capital management solutions such as payroll, compliance, talent, tax and HR services. Today,ADPIs one ofmajor payroll servicesfor small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
ADP Plans and Pricing
ADP offers four payroll service plans. However, the price of each plan is not public. The cost is based on the number of employees and the complexity of the needs. To get a quote, you must complete an ADP pricing form online or speak directly with a sales representative about your company's requirements. According to reports from payroll users, the Essential plan starts at $79 per month plus $4 per employee.
ADP Plans [Compared]
Basic | Improved | Complete | human resources professional | |
---|---|---|---|---|
payroll resources | Direct deposit, new hire reports, W2 and 1099 forms, and tax returns | Direct deposit, new hire reports, W2 and 1099 forms, tax returns, check signing, and state unemployment administration services | Direct deposit, new hire reports, W2 and 1099 forms, tax returns, check signing, and state unemployment administration services | Direct deposit, new hire reports, W2 and 1099 forms, tax returns, check signing, and state unemployment administration services |
HR Resources | ADP Employee Access and New Employee Onboarding | ADP Employee Access, New Employee Onboarding, ZipRecruiter and Background Checks | ADP Employee Access, New Employee Onboarding, ZipRecruiter, Background Check, HR Help Desk, HR Training, HR Forms, and Employee Handbook Wizard | ADP Employee Access, New Employee Onboarding, ZipRecruiter, Background Checks, Enhanced HR Help Desk, Enhanced HR Training, and Enhanced Employee Handbook Wizard |
marketing services | google ads | google ads | google ads | Google Ads, marketing tools and legal assistance |
Basic
The Essential plan is designed for new and established businesses that need basic payroll tools. Basic payroll features include direct deposit, check, and debit card options, W-2 and 1099 creation, new hire reporting, multi-jurisdictional payroll for employees who live in different states, and a general ledger (GL) interface that export journal entries from ADP to QuickBooks, Xero, Creative Solutions, or a generic file without retyping the data.
Human resources tools in the Essential plan include new hire integration and ADP employee access, where employees can view pay history, manage ADP retirement accounts, and enroll in paperless pay statements.
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Improved
ADP's most popular plan is the Enhanced Payroll plan. In addition to all the tools in the Basic plan, the Advanced plan includes more recruiting tools. Background checks are included to verify Social Security numbers, criminal records and current county of residence, as well as check signing for added security and full administration of state unemployment insurance. Users automatically receive up-to-date employment law posters to maintain compliance with posting regulations.
This is an ideal plan for businesses that are constantly hiring employees, as it also includes ZipRecruiter. The leading online job market posts more than 100 job boards to find qualified candidates.
Complete
The Full plan offers all the payroll services of the Advanced plan, as well as basic HR support. Key HR tools included are an employee handbook wizard to help companies create a comprehensive employee handbook based on federal labor laws, comparative salary information to help companies stay competitive in the hiring market , a core library containing thousands of HR templates, including best practice guidelines, essential forms and documents, and related policies, and a suite of HR tools that provide step-by-step guidance for daily resource tasks such as hiring and firing. The plan also includes an HR help desk for live phone and email support.
human resources professional
HR Pro is ADP's highest tier plan. It includes all of the enhanced HR services that ADP has to offer. Along with all the features of the Complete plan, HR Pro includes enhanced employee handbook support to help you create your company's employee handbook, training courses for employers and employees such as workplace harassment, sales, maintenance of human resources records and training for the prevention of sexual harassment and prepaid. legal assistance from ADP partner Upnetic Legal Services. The plan also includes enhanced HR help desk support with a designated team of HR business consultants who are available for questions and timely registrations.
ADP Alternatives
Without question, ADP is one of thebest payroll services for small businesses. However, that doesn't mean it will automatically be ideal for your business. Every business has unique needs when it comes to payroll services. Some of the ADPmainly competitorsare Paychex Flex, Gusto and OnPay.
flexible paymentis an excellent scalable small business payroll service. The Starter plan is a simplified, easy-to-use basic payroll processing platform for businesses that need a simple payroll system. The platform has the flexibility to add more complex services as businesses start to grow.
I likeis another major player in the payroll space. It is a significantly younger company than ADP and was designed with dynamic start-ups and small businesses in mind. Whencompared to ADPGusto shines in the availability of resources per cost. Even Gusto's most basic plan offers wage garnishment, health benefits administration, unemployment insurance, new employee onboarding, and workers' compensation. To get these items on ADP, users need to purchase a more advanced plan or add-ons. Gusto also wins in the integrations category.
While ADP only offers data export to QuickBooks, Xero, Wave, and Creative Solutions, Gusto fully integrates with a host of third-parties including QuickBooks, Xero, FreshBooks, Clover, Shopify, and more. ADP offers W2 and 1099 pay history for up to three years, Gusto offers lifetime access to W2 and pay stubs.
OnPayis an affordable and easy-to-use option for small businesses. We like it because it's affordable, offers unlimited payroll, integrates with the best accounting software, and offers an extensive library of HR resources. This platform is especially ideal for companies that employ a large number of outsourced workers. Payroll software makes it easy to pay contractors by allowing unlimited monthly runs and schedules, automating registrations including 1099-NEC, and providing the ability to pay contractors with just a few clicks.
Conclusion
ADP is a solid option for small businesses looking for a simple payroll processing plan. Its longevity in the industry, coupled with the fact that it remains a market share leader, gives it a credibility that newcomers to the industry lack. However, the fact that ADP is not transparent with its pricing makes it difficult to properly compare it against competing platforms or conclude whether or not the software is worth it.
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frequent questions
What is ADP?
Automatic Data Processing (ADP) is a comprehensive global provider of cloud-based HCM solutions including HR, payroll, talent, time, tax and benefits management. The company started in New Jersey in 1949 and has been a giant in the payroll processing industry for decades.
Who uses ADP?
From small businesses to global enterprises, ADP serves companies in all industries. More than 920,000 customers in 140 countries use ADP for their HR, payroll, talent, and HCM needs.
Is ADP a good small business payroll service?
ADP ranked in Forbes Advisor'sThe 9 Best Small Business Payroll Services in 2023. In addition to being one of the world's largest and most trusted payroll providers, ADP also serves more than 920,000 clients in 140 countries. Small businesses take advantage of the platform's easy-to-use software, customizable plans, and streamlined small business payroll features.
Is ADP reliable?
ADP (legally Automatic Data Processing, Inc.) is trusted by tens of thousands of companies around the world as the world's largest provider of payroll services. Over 80% of Fortune 500 companies use ADP's services and it has been named one of the World's Most Admired Companies by Fortune magazine for the past 15 years.
What is the best payroll company?
The best payroll provider for your business depends on the size and needs of your business. Leading small business payroll services include OnPay, Gusto, and ADP RUN. Traditional businesses offer customizable plans to fit your needs, while platforms designed for startups offer easy pricing and complete packages that you can get up and running in minutes.