ADP is ideal for small businesses because we offer affordable payroll options with plenty of flexibility to accommodate growth. Employers can sign up for only the services they need today and easily add additional features, like timekeeping and benefits, whenever they’re ready. Yes, HR is important for any size organization, but the problem for many small businesses is that they lack dedicated resources. All too often, owners, managers and other employees take on HR responsibilities without the necessary training. This type of ad hoc management can lead to costly compliance violations, poor job performance and workplace safety issues. To help avoid such consequences and achieve peace of mind, employers can partner with or outsource HR to trusted experts, like ADP.

The vendors that appear on this list were chosen by subject matter experts on the basis of product quality, wide usage and availability, and positive reputation. By providing feedback on how we can improve, you can earn gift cards and get early access to new features. If you want to learn more about the differences between Gusto and ADP, including a pricing and feature breakdown, check out our in-depth Gusto vs. adp for small business ADP comparison.

Join us for an insightful webinar that will focus on the latest regulations affecting overtime exemptions, employee classification criteria, and the implications for organizations. You’ve invested in your dreams, and now you’re looking for the best value in your payroll and HR solution, too. Get what you need for as little as the cost of a cup of coffee a day. With ADP’s affordable payroll, you only pay for the options you want and nothing more.

Our small business payroll services don’t just ensure employees are paid accurately and on time, because that’s not all you need from a payroll services’ provider. You also need protection from liabilities and demonstration that compliance has been followed. The wrong small business payroll services’ provider could put your company at risk from not following regulatory requirements, which can result in costly fines. ADP helps small businesses navigate today’s complexities including regulatory changes, compliance, audits, employee experience and handling sensitive payroll data. Small businesses may be able to find a competing solution that offers the features they need for a single package price rather than having to pay extra for them. Most small business owners are experts in the products or services that they provide, not paying employees or filing taxes.

• Communicate this purpose authentically to inspire employees, attract customers who resonate with your mission, and differentiate your brand in a meaningful way.
• Adds powerful capabilities on top of payroll, such as garnishment payment service, SUI management, background checks, and job posting through ZipRecruiter®1.
• To keep complexity at bay we make it our job to stay on top of regulations.

Reporting and analysis

Discover our outsourcing solutions for your small business today. Both options can easily handle basic payroll tasks; ADP takes things a step further with options such as auto-scheduled payroll runs and a small business marketing toolkit. On the flip side, Paychex offers business insurance, emergency loans, and transparent pricing that may attract some businesses. However, that just scratches the surface of the differences between ADP and Paychex. ADP has 130+ compatible software integrations for its RUN Powered by ADP solution.

Getting started with payroll is easy

• We also look for the presence of client and employee portals, benefits administration, PTO and time management tools, and many more vital features.
• The reports are great, and the time I save using ADP allows me to focus on growing the business rather than the administrative side.
• The frequency with which you can run payroll depends on your industry and state regulations.
• We offer flexible and scalable payroll outsourcing services, enabling you to scale up your needs and add on HR capabilities too.
• ADP Celergo collects your employee data into a single system of record for up to 140 countries.

Payroll and taxes done for you — accurately, on time and in compliance. Don’t take chances when it comes to ever-changing payroll and HR legislation and regulations. ADP has been able to help us take our attention away from the back-office work and focus on our core product. They really understand the values of small businesses, and they understand how to provide us with the service and the attention that we need.

View All Auto & Transportation

Our exhaustive, 76-point rubric guides the star rating of each payroll provider we review, examining pricing, ease of use, features, customer service, and user reviews. ADP’s comprehensive feature set helped it earn a 4.6/5 star rating in this category. However, ADP’s lack of support for unlimited payroll runs, a DIY payroll tax plan, and broker management features brought its score down. If you’re a small business, payroll is probably one of your least favourite activities. It can be complex, time-consuming, prone to manual errors – not to mention keeping up with compliance regulations.

Small business payroll solutions are usually customisable and scalable, paid per employee per month. This allows you the flexibility to adapt as your business needs change. Whichever model you choose, outsourcing your payroll ensures that your people are paid accurately and on time, while protecting your business from liabilities. At the same time, your employees can view their payslips and manage leave anytime, anywhere via our secure cloud payroll portal software. When rating payroll software, we are looking for very specific qualities. We also look for the presence of client and employee portals, benefits administration, PTO and time management tools, and many more vital features.

Call or chat anytime, or find answers at your fingertips with a robust online help center that makes it easy to search for information like how-to guides and support articles. Perfect for startups and established companies that simply need payroll, taxes, and help with compliance they can trust. Convenient HR and hiring tools also help you grow and manage your team. It can also be frustrating to go into a sales situation and not know if you are getting a great or a mediocre deal. Without transparent pricing, a sales call meant to discuss a demo and relevant questions can seem more like a hard sell.

RUN Powered by ADP®

Employees can view pay history and up to three years of W-2s/1099s, manage ADP retirement accounts and enroll in paperless pay statements. ADP can track, calculate, and report on your labor costs for jobs and projects. It’s now easier to assign costs for invoices, identify profitability, and more. As a small business, we don’t have a full HR/accounting department as there is no need. RUN helps us use our time more efficiently and effectively by providing tools we wouldn’t otherwise have at our fingertips. You’ve got options — choose the RUN Powered by ADP® package that fits your business best.

The ADP Assist feature in the company’s entry-level plan helps businesses save money by automating common payroll tasks and resolving HR, payroll and benefits problems proactively. The ADP Select plan improves your organization’s HR and payroll document management by applying role-based security to files and providing built-in auditing capabilities. Companies that have 50 or more employees and need a full complement of workforce management tools will garner the most value out of ADP’s high-end ADP Premium package. In addition to giving workers the ability to use a mobile app to record their time, the plan provides enhanced scheduling capabilities and tracking of paid time off and time-off accrual.

We research, evaluate, and test each payroll software app that we review at Merchant Maverick, placing special emphasis on key characteristics to generate granular ratings. Merchant Maverick’s final verdict is that ADP is a great payroll program for larger businesses. For small businesses with between one and 49 employees, the bells and whistles aren’t worth the extra cost.

Your ADP for small business payroll questions answered

From the rapid rise of new technologies like generative AI to changing employee expectations and a shifting compliance landscape, small businesses… Our unbiased reviews and content are supported in part by affiliate partnerships, and we adhere to strict guidelines to preserve editorial integrity. The editorial content on this page is not provided by any of the companies mentioned and has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. However, despite ADP’s standing as a solid industry leader, this payroll system may not be appropriate for a small business unless it has plans to grow. The company uses physical and technical security measures to protect its data and users. ADP keeps up with security threats and is transparent about resolution issues and threat statuses.

As a result, you can focus more attention on improving your product or service, growing your customer base, and other initiatives that generate revenue. The cost of small business payroll depends on several factors, including payroll frequency, total number of employees and the specific services that are needed. Most commonly, there is a per-payroll processing fee and an annual base fee. The important thing to remember is that a payroll service may actually save you money when compared to the cost of tax penalties.

This year, HR teams must adapt to a complex, rapidly changing business environment. Read the HR trends guide to know what to be on the lookout for — and what you can do about it. You need comprehensive payroll and HR solutions that empower your people and unlock your teams’ potential.