QuickBooks Payroll vs ADP Workforce Now

by Gralio Feb 02, 2025

QuickBooks Payroll and ADP Workforce Now cater to different business sizes and needs. QuickBooks Payroll excels in its integration with QuickBooks accounting and affordability for smaller businesses. ADP Workforce Now offers a broader range of features, particularly in HR and talent management, making it a better fit for larger businesses with more complex requirements.

At Gralio.ai we help to simplify your decision-making process by offering detailed, side-by-side software comparisons like this one, to help you confidently choose the tool that aligns with your business goals.

This comparison was created by analysing 5780 reviews and 60 websites, saving 1 day, 8 hours, 36 minutes of reading.

Logo of QuickBooks Payroll
QuickBooks Payroll
Logo of ADP Workforce Now
ADP Workforce Now

About

QuickBooks Payroll is a cloud-based payroll software designed for small to medium-sized businesses in the USA. It aims to simplify payroll processing with features like automated tax calculations and filings, direct deposit, and integrated time tracking. QuickBooks Payroll also offers additional tools like HR support, workers' compensation administration, and health benefits options. It stands out with its tax penalty protection, promising to cover penalties incurred due to errors within the software.
ADP Workforce Now is a comprehensive HR software suite designed for mid-sized companies (50-5,000 employees). This cloud-based platform combines core HR functions like payroll, benefits, and talent management into a single, easy-to-use system. ADP Workforce Now helps businesses streamline HR processes, improve compliance, and make better decisions with data-driven insights. It also offers a mobile app for convenient employee and manager self-service.

Summary

Main difference
QuickBooks Payroll is a better choice for small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the US seeking an integrated solution with QuickBooks accounting software for payroll, basic HR, and tax penalty protection. ADP Workforce Now is better suited for mid-sized to large businesses needing robust HR management, talent management, and comprehensive reporting, along with payroll.

Relative strengths of QuickBooks Payroll (compared to ADP Workforce Now)

  • Strong integration with QuickBooks accounting software, simplifying financial management.

  • Tax penalty protection, offering peace of mind against potential tax errors.

  • Affordable pricing for smaller businesses with basic needs.

Relative weaknesses of QuickBooks Payroll (compared to ADP Workforce Now)

  • Limited HR and talent management capabilities compared to ADP.

  • Less comprehensive reporting options.

  • Customer support quality is reportedly inconsistent.

Who should use QuickBooks Payroll VS. ADP Workforce Now

QuickBooks Payroll simplifies payroll for SMBs. It automates taxes, offers direct deposit, and integrates with QuickBooks accounting. Users praise its ease of use and automation but dislike inconsistent support and limited paystub customization. Best for US-based SMBs needing integrated payroll and accounting.

ADP Workforce Now is a comprehensive HR suite ideal for mid-sized businesses. Users praise its user-friendly interface and robust reporting capabilities, enabling streamlined HR tasks and data-driven decisions. However, some users have noted long customer support wait times and occasional technical glitches. Despite these drawbacks, ADP Workforce Now remains a popular choice for businesses seeking a comprehensive HR solution.

  • Ideal for small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the USA.

  • Suitable for most industries, including Healthcare, Finance, Retail, and more.

  • Best fit for mid-sized companies (50-5,000 employees).

  • Suitable for various industries, including Healthcare, Finance, Retail, and Technology.

QuickBooks Payroll and ADP Workforce Now features

Supported
Partially supported
Not supported
Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need
  • HR Management
    Partially supported

    QuickBooks Payroll offers benefits administration and compliance features, but not full hiring and onboarding.

    Supported

    ADP Workforce Now offers comprehensive HR management, covering hiring, onboarding, benefits, and compliance.

  • Payroll
    Supported

    QuickBooks Payroll handles payroll processing, tax calculations, and other related tasks.

    Supported

    ADP Workforce Now handles payroll, tax calculations, and ensures timely payments.

  • Time & Attendance
    Partially supported

    QuickBooks Payroll offers time & attendance features when integrated with QuickBooks Time.

    Supported

    ADP Workforce Now supports time and attendance tracking, automation, and insights.

  • Mobile payroll
    Supported

    QuickBooks Payroll allows employees to access payroll information via a mobile app.

    Supported

    ADP Workforce Now enables employees to access payroll information through its mobile app, allowing them to view pay stubs, W-2s, pay history, and manage direct deposit, tax withholdings, and 401k contributions.

  • ADP Integration
    Supported

    QuickBooks Payroll integrates with ADP to import employee data.

    Supported

    ADP Workforce Now supports importing employee data for payroll and other purposes through a structured process involving setup, data mapping, and import templates.

  • Payroll integration
    Partially supported

    Benefit deductions are supported but automatic transfers require integrations.

    Supported

    ADP Workforce Now supports seamless payroll integration with automatic transfer of benefit deductions.

Qualities

  • Value and Pricing Transparency
    -0.5
    Rather negative sentiment
    -0.2
    Neutral sentiment
  • Customer Service
    -0.43
    Rather negative sentiment
    -0.07
    Neutral sentiment
  • Ease of Use
    +0.45
    Rather positive sentiment
    +0.7
    Strongly positive sentiment
  • Reliability and Performance
    +0.13
    Neutral sentiment
    +0.11
    Neutral sentiment
  • Ease of Implementation
    +0.33
    Rather positive sentiment
    +0.09
    Neutral sentiment
  • Scalability
    +1
    Strongly positive sentiment
    +0.67
    Rather positive sentiment
QuickBooks Payroll and ADP Workforce Now Pricing
QuickBooks offers three pricing plans for their payroll and bookkeeping services, each bundled with different QuickBooks Online plans. The prices listed are monthly fees. Each plan can be purchased with a 50% discount for the first three months. Each plan also has an additional fee per employee that is not subject to the discount.
Plans

User sentiment

Rather negative
-0.5

See full Pricing page

No data

User sentiment

Neutral
-0.2

See full Pricing page

QuickBooks Payroll and ADP Workforce Now review insights

5780 reviews analysed from and

Users love

  • Easy to use and set up
  • Automated tax calculations and filings
  • Direct deposit
  • Integrates with QuickBooks Online
  • User-friendly interface for both HR professionals and employees.
  • Comprehensive features streamline HR tasks, such as PTO tracking and benefits management.
  • Robust reporting options with customizable reports for data-driven insights.
  • Seamless integration with other HR systems and tools.

Users dislike

  • Taxable benefits do not show up on employee paystubs
  • Paystubs cannot be altered in any way, missing legal requirements
  • Support is basically non-existent
  • Difficult to edit payroll and employee details aside from very basic aspects
  • Customer support wait times can be long and require navigating through multiple departments.
  • Occasional technical glitches and syncing issues with third-party apps like MakeShift.
  • Limited functionality on the mobile app compared to the desktop version.
  • Sandbox testing environment comes at an additional cost.

QuickBooks Payroll and ADP Workforce Now Ratings

  • G2
    3.8/5
    (65)
  • Capterra
    4.5/5
    (833)
  • G2
    4.1/5
    (2509)
  • Capterra
    4.4/5
    (2373)
  • Glassdoor
    3.9/5
    (21203)

Company health

Employee growth

No data
17% increase in the last year

Web traffic

No data
2% increase in the last quarter

Financing

No data
May 2024 - $9B

How do QuickBooks Payroll's tax penalty protection features compare to ADP's tax filing support?

QuickBooks Payroll emphasizes its tax penalty protection, which covers penalties from errors made *by the software*. ADP Workforce now doesn't offer similar protection, but it does handle tax calculations and filings as part of its comprehensive payroll services. It's unclear from the provided information whether ADP provides support or assistance in case of tax penalties incurred due to user error or other factors outside the software's direct control.

Which product offers better integration with existing accounting software for a mid-sized business?

QuickBooks Payroll offers tighter integration with existing QuickBooks accounting software, making it a better choice for mid-sized businesses already using that ecosystem. While ADP Workforce Now is a comprehensive HR suite, its accounting integration is less emphasized compared to QuickBooks Payroll's direct integration with QuickBooks Online. This direct integration streamlines financial processes and reporting, which can be particularly advantageous for mid-sized businesses.

What are the advantages of QuickBooks Payroll?

QuickBooks Payroll offers integrated time tracking, especially with higher-tier plans, automating time mapping to payroll items for increased accuracy and reduced manual entry. It also provides automated tax calculations and filing, along with a tax penalty protection promise, which can be valuable for businesses concerned about compliance. Furthermore, QuickBooks Payroll integrates seamlessly with QuickBooks Online accounting software, creating a unified financial management solution.

What are the disadvantages of QuickBooks Payroll?

QuickBooks Payroll users report difficulties editing payroll and employee details beyond basic information. They also cite issues with taxable benefits not appearing on paystubs, inflexible paystubs, missing legal requirements, and poor customer support. Additionally, the pricing model, bundling payroll with QuickBooks Online plans, may be undesirable for businesses not needing the accounting software.

Alternatives to QuickBooks Payroll and ADP Workforce Now

Logo of BambooHR
BambooHR
BambooHR is an HR software platform designed for small and medium-sized businesses. It brings together various HR functions like hiring, onboarding, payroll, benefits, and employee data management into one system. This allows for streamlined workflows, automated tasks, and easier access to employee information. BambooHR aims to simplify HR processes, improve data accuracy, and enhance the employee experience. It is used by companies in various industries and boasts features like custom reporting and integrations with other software.
Logo of Rippling
Rippling
Rippling is a comprehensive employee management platform designed for businesses of all sizes. It streamlines and automates various HR, IT, and finance processes, including payroll, benefits, device management, and expense tracking. By centralizing these functions, Rippling aims to simplify employee lifecycle management, reduce administrative burden, and improve operational efficiency for businesses. The platform is particularly valuable for companies with global operations, offering localized solutions for international payroll, benefits, and compliance.
Logo of Gusto
Gusto
Gusto is an all-in-one HR platform designed for small and medium-sized businesses in the USA. It offers payroll, benefits administration, hiring and onboarding tools, and HR management features. Gusto aims to simplify and automate HR processes, ensuring compliance and saving you time. It's known for its user-friendly interface, strong customer satisfaction ratings, and comprehensive feature set.
Logo of SurePayroll
SurePayroll
SurePayroll is a cloud-based payroll software designed for small to midsize businesses, especially those with 1-100 employees. It simplifies payroll processing, tax filing, and offers additional HR solutions like benefits administration and workers' compensation. Key features include automated payroll runs, direct deposit, tax calculations and filing, and access to US-based customer support. SurePayroll aims to be user-friendly and save businesses time and money on payroll management.
Logo of Netchex
Netchex
Netchex is a cloud-based software suite designed for managing human resources tasks. It provides tools for payroll, benefits administration, time and attendance tracking, compliance, and talent management. Primarily targeting mid-sized businesses, Netchex aims to streamline HR processes and improve efficiency through automation and a centralized system.
Logo of Paylocity
Paylocity
Paylocity is a cloud-based HR and payroll software platform designed for mid-sized businesses. It offers a range of features including payroll, benefits administration, talent management, time tracking, and employee experience tools. Paylocity aims to streamline HR tasks, improve employee engagement, and provide data-driven insights for better decision-making. They emphasize strong customer support and a partnership approach to help businesses achieve their goals.

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