RUN Powered by ADP vs Payworks

Deel

Rippling

Paylocity

Deel is the only global-first people platform that enables companies to hire, pay, manage, and develop talent in 150+ countries without compliance headaches or third-party dependencies. Deel supports 40,000 customers and 1.5 million workers through a single, scalable global system.

Rippling is a cloud-based workforce management system that helps businesses manage operations across HR, finance, and IT.

One unified platform for HR, Finance, and IT. Connect people, processes, and data. Automate tasks and drive business growth. 

An intuitive interface makes paying your people easy and fast. In addition, AI-enabled tech streamlines your payroll and HR tasks, and flags time-consuming payroll mistakes before they happen. 

Direct Deposit

W-2 Preparation

Self Service Portal

Employee Database

Compliance Management

Wage Garnishment

Benefits Management

401(k) Tracking

Check Printing

Compensation Management

Reviews for RUN Powered by ADP come from a wide variety of industries, including construction (9% of reviewers), medical practice (5%), and non-profit organization management (5%). The most frequent use case for RUN Powered by ADP cited by reviewers is payroll (74% of reviewers).

Users and use cases

Some reviewers find RUN Powered by ADP reasonably priced for its features, and reviewers appreciate its affordability compared to some competitors with discounts. However, some users report escalating costs with add-ons, and reviewers indicate higher-tier plans and extra fees can reduce value for small businesses.

Value for money

RUN Powered by ADP is a payroll solution with key features that include direct deposit, tax compliance, W-2 preparation, payroll management, payroll reporting, and more.

RUN Powered by ADP

Web-based

iPhone

Android

Windows

Chromebook

iPad

Paychex Flex

Gusto

SurePayroll

QuickBooks Payroll

Square Payroll

Paycor

Paycom

BambooHR

Auris

Asure

TriNet HR Plus

Basic

Cumbersome password processes

77% of reviewers feel negative about Password Management, reporting frequent frustrations with password resets, strict requirements, and account lockouts. Reviewers indicate that forgetting passwords often leads to lengthy recovery processes, sometimes requiring administrator or customer support intervention. They mention that the inability to reuse previous passwords, frequent forced changes, and lack of convenient prompts add to the inconvenience. Users say these issues disrupt access, create extra work, and make it difficult for employees to log in, especially if they don’t use the system regularly.

Inconsistent email communication

president

they Dont comunicate with customers, the have a sales team that wont reply to emails or take for ever to reach back about key problems or issues, i was a customer for adp in the roll, platform and was changing to run from adp, all of sudden my account was terminated with no explanation what so ever, for a whole week i was trying to reach support to see where my account was, they never gave me answers nothing, that is was in implementation, reach out to that department and they said it was terminated because i didnt run payroll!!

50% of reviewers feel negative about Email Notifications, noting issues with delayed or missing email verifications, lack of timely responses from support, and confusing or redundant notifications. Reviewers indicate that important updates or alerts sometimes fail to reach them promptly, complicating account management and payroll processes. They mention difficulties in reaching the same support representative via email and inconsistent communication during account setup or problem resolution. Users say these challenges hinder effective communication and create uncertainty about important account activities.

Slow and frustrating phone support

50% of reviewers feel negative about Phone Support, describing long wait times, repeated transfers, and difficulty reaching knowledgeable representatives. Reviewers say resolving issues often requires multiple calls and callbacks, which is inconvenient and time-consuming. They express frustration with the lack of dedicated support contacts and the need to rely on call centers. Users mention that employees cannot directly access support for account problems, and frequent sales calls add to their dissatisfaction with the phone support experience.

Pay stub accessibility issues

Manager

I just wish that the pay stubs would automatically download when you click on them sometimes it won't do right

40% of reviewers feel negative about Pay Stubs, reporting difficulties accessing, downloading, or viewing pay statements. Reviewers indicate that the pay stub feature can be confusing, with formats that are not intuitive and problems retrieving past statements. They mention that employees often struggle to access their pay stubs, especially through the mobile app, and that manual processes for reprinting or correcting pay stubs are cumbersome. Users say these issues create extra work and can delay employees receiving important payroll information.

Recurring technical glitches

57% of reviewers feel negative about Bugs and Issues, citing problems such as system glitches, confusing layouts, and occasional outages. Reviewers report experiencing error messages, slow performance, and screens freezing, which disrupt their workflow. They mention that finding certain features or data fields can be time-consuming due to complex menus and jargon. Users also express frustration with unresolved technical problems, inconsistent customer support responses, and the need to log into multiple services, which collectively hinder efficient use of the platform.

Efficient time and cost management

Executive Director

I thought ADP was only for large companies, but well worth the investment to save me lots of time.

92% of reviewers feel positive about Time and Cost Savings, noting that the software streamlines processes like onboarding, payroll, and compliance, reducing manual effort and minimizing errors. Reviewers say features such as direct deposit, automated W-2 handling, and HR templates save significant time for both administrators and employees. They appreciate the efficiency gains, faster task completion, and resource savings, which help their businesses operate more smoothly and cost-effectively. Users indicate that the platform is a worthwhile investment for reducing administrative workload.

Convenient mobile functionality

93% of reviewers feel positive about Mobile Access, highlighting the convenience of accessing the platform from smartphones, tablets, and computers. Reviewers appreciate being able to check accounts, process payroll, and manage information on the go. They find the mobile app responsive, easy to use, and helpful for saving time and energy. Users indicate that mobile access allows them to stay productive outside the office and manage tasks remotely, which is particularly valuable for busy professionals and those working from multiple locations.

Seamless site navigation

88% of reviewers feel positive about Navigation, stating that the site is easy to move through, with clear menus, intuitive dashboards, and accessible reports. Reviewers appreciate being able to find information quickly, whether it’s payroll data, time off, or reports. They mention that the layout is well-organized, making it simple to switch between tasks and locate features. Users value the consistent design across devices and the ability to learn the system quickly, even if they don’t use it frequently.

Intuitive and user-friendly

Office manager 

Overall ADP run has allowed us to spend time on our business as when working with ADP the system is easy to use.

92% of reviewers feel positive about Ease of Use, emphasizing that the software is straightforward, simple to operate, and requires minimal training. Reviewers say the platform is intuitive, with clear prompts and self-explanatory steps, making it accessible even for those without technical backgrounds. They appreciate being able to complete tasks quickly, manage time and payroll efficiently, and handle paperwork with ease. Users mention that the interface is designed to minimize errors and that the software helps them focus on their business rather than administrative tasks.

Flexible payroll management

HR Generalist

It made it easy to add new employees, manage payroll, and can integrate with a large variety of other systems, like Xero, for accounting, retirement, etc.

86% of reviewers feel positive about Payroll, noting that they can process payroll on their own schedule, access detailed reports, and make adjustments easily. Reviewers appreciate being able to onboard new employees, manage payroll from anywhere, and use features like direct deposit and PTO tracking. They find the platform intuitive for running payroll, generating reports, and integrating with other systems. Users indicate that customer support is helpful when needed, and they value the ability to handle payroll tasks quickly and efficiently, which is especially beneficial for small businesses and growing teams.

Owner

The convenience of running payroll or checking paystubs from a phone also the ability to automate tax filings and direct deposits saves a lot of manual entry time.

General Manager and Owner

The primary reason we switched over to RUN by ADP was for compliance purposes. When payroll runs being able to easily track sick time, vacation time, worker's comp, and retirement with a few clicks has saved our company hours of work each week at a great price.

Tax Advisor

It streamlines payroll, tax filings, and compliance in one place, making it easy to manage payroll accurately while saving time and reducing stress for both employers and employees.

I have had pleasant interactions from the beginning with ADP representatives. When we were initially getting it set up, the woman who essentially trained me was above and beyond my expectations for kindness, and knowledgeability. Since then, ADP has been there at 3am on a Thursday when I forgot to run payroll to help make sure my employees still get paid by Friday, they've provided compliance trainings and posters for my employees to make sure we're operating within state mandates and requirements, and they have allowed me to streamline my payroll processes and make them more efficient with the convince of generating specific and recurring reports.

The platform also does a good job handling payroll calculations, tax withholdings, and filing, which reduces administrative burden and gives peace of mind when things are being handled correctly.

Administrative Assistant

We believe it saves us hours and hours of time by generating payroll, educating us on new laws and trends, producing needed reports for tax purposes and other government programs that the cost is well worth it.  

We have 5 hourly employees, some with different pay rates, and the technology allows for a quick payroll entry every 2 weeks.

Agency Director

It simplifies tax calculations, direct deposits, and quarterly/annual filings, which helps reduce errors and saves time.

owner

The payroll management process for my clients is user-friendly, the implementation procedures are outstanding, and the pricing structures are notably flexible. When clients or we, as partners, require customer service, the response is consistently prompt and effective.

Tax filings and compliance feel much less stressful because the system walks you through what needs to be done. Although I had a small issue at the beginning with direct deposits being sent as paper checks, customer support handled it quickly and professionally. Since then, everything has run smoothly and reliably.

President

I have everything in one place- payroll, training, time and attendance, pay as you go WC insurance, tax filings, onboarding and off boarding.

The only Con about using the platform is the bank processing is delayed on holidays so you have to process payroll before your normal processing dates.

Controller

We had to add another state to ADP and I was not able to do it on my own I had to reach out and wait for someone to set it up for me. If we hire an employee from another state, I'd like to be able to add our company information myself.

The way they can make their paystubs and W-2's electronic, while also viewing their weekly payroll information all from their phone is a game changer.

Accountant

Too many login portals, employees, administrators, and accountants, and I found my login in employee sections rather than the accountant section, can't tell which one the use, and poor guiding in that area.

Managing Principal

RUN Powered by ADP delivers the structure, functionality, and support I need with confidence. While my previous provider was adequate, the overall functionality, scalability, and personalized support ADP offers clearly distinguish it from competitors. Since making the switch, I have already recommended ADP to a colleague in my industry and fully expect to continue doing so.

Finance and Administrative Manager

One aspect that could be improved in RUN Powered by ADP is the navigation menu on the left side of the screen. While it’s helpful that the platform offers so many features and tools, the number of options in the menu can sometimes feel overwhelming.

In general, it’s a solid payroll solution that supports compliance, organization, and smooth payroll management for busy administrative teams.

It is hard to have my staff underneath me access it as it shows payroll numbers and if it was able to protect that information to log in to put in payroll would be great too.

It offers useful tools for small businesses and provides a straightforward way to manage payroll and reporting in one system.

It’s particularly strong in compliance, accuracy, and peace of mind for small businesses. While it may not be the most modern or flexible platform on the market, it remains a solid choice for organizations that prioritize reliability over customization and advanced features.

CEO and physical therapist

They’ve helped me after hours many times with a wide range of tasks from inputting one time overrides to sorting out FICA repayments to staff on work visa.

I especially appreciate the automation features and employee self-service access for pay stubs and tax documents. While there are occasional limitations with reporting customization and sometimes longer customer service wait times, the system overall is dependable and easy to use once you’re familiar with it.

RUN does not allow this and merges hours together if there is less than 5 hours between any clock in and clock out. As I grow, I am not sure I can continue using RUN as this particular issue is becoming very time consuming to manage.

Office Manager

Overall, RUN supported operational consistency, scalability, and compliance, allowing our team to focus more on project execution and financial oversight rather than payroll administration.

Knowing I have professionals to answer questions about Human Resources and payroll allows me to focus on the parts of my business that generate revenue.

Human Resources Manager

RUN Powered by ADP offers strong value for money, particularly for small to mid-sized organizations that need reliable payroll processing with built-in tax compliance.

How easy is to process payroll, that adp will file taxes in my behalf, Its intuitive interface and seamless payroll integration saved time and reduced errors.

Some features and resources can be difficult to find, especially for users without full HR permissions, and certain tools (like handbook customization or compliance-related content) could be clearer and easier to understand.

Secretary Treasurer

We needed to streamline our payroll, and this proved to be the best way to stay compliant while ensuring accurate deductions and record-keeping.

Reliable payroll processing and easy access to reports and employee information. How intuitive the platform is, even for small business owners without an HR background.

For users who only need the core payroll functions, the long list of menu items can make it a little harder to quickly find the most commonly used sections.

You can simply input your employees time and it calculates everything for you even time for overtime options and vacation.

The different logins for all the ADP and the checkup calls I received are rather bugging for a busy contractor that already receives too many calls.

Co-founder

This could have not only got me in a lot of trouble for doing it out of compliance initially, (which was the only way your system allowed) - it certainly resulted in a lot of extra overhead costs for ADP to need to correct the situation on the back-end - and my time as well.

Owner and CEO

I like that our financial planner can easily access the retirement funds and can help us manage that portion of our employee benefits package.

One draw back to using ADP pertains to 401K. They charge higher maintenance fees than other payroll companies and also require you to have multiple logins (1 for company account, 1 for personal account, and one for 401K account.

ADP is a great payroll platform and has kept my payroll processing simple and efficient, so I do not have to spend a lot of time processing payroll for my employees.

Chief Operating Officer

The system is reliable, and it is helpful having payroll processing, tax filings, and employee records all in one place.

Mobile Detailer

RUN Powered by ADP is a dependable, time-saving payroll solution that makes running payroll simple and stress-free.

ADP team help me out sort issue it’s my taxes  I mess up and that reason as small business I decided having ADP where all deadlines meet if need any help the team goes above and beyond .

Overall, ADP has streamlined our back-office operations and allowed us to focus more on growing and managing our business rather than getting caught up in administrative tasks.

Overall, the platform runs reliably with minimal bugs or issues and provides a dependable way to manage payroll for a small business.

Vice President Operations

RUN Powered by ADP is a solid payroll platform, though the onboarding experience could be improved to better support new clients during critical first runs.

General Manager

The ability to handle Time Tracking and Attendance alongside payroll in one system makes my life so much easier.

It seems like many employees have worked for companies that use them at this point as well, so there's a lot of familiarity with how to navigate their systems. And all of that scale hasn't translated into a major increase in price which we really appreciate as a small business.

HR Consultant

I also find the custom reporting page difficult to navigate and not very user friendly, which makes creating or adjusting reports more time consuming than it should be.

Admin

The platform simplifies payroll processing with a clear, intuitive layout and helpful reminders, making it easy to stay on schedule.

The only minor friction we’ve experienced is with the initial process implementation phase, setting up payroll took a bit of time as we experienced delays from the DOR, though nothing that disrupted operations.

Director of Admin.

RUN Powered by ADP is a highly effective and reliable solution for small businesses that need a streamlined, all-in-one platform for payroll and basic HR functions.

Payroll Management

Reviewers feel that RUN Powered by ADP’s payroll management aspect is user-friendly, intuitive, and time-saving. Users report that RUN Powered by ADP allows for easy payroll changes, employee self-service updates, and digital access to paystubs and calendars. They say the system simplifies weekly or bi-weekly payroll, integrates with products like ClockShark, and streamlines administrative tasks. Some users mention occasional customer service delays or interface issues, but overall find payroll management straightforward. Of the 23 RUN Powered by ADP users who gave detailed accounts of their use of Payroll Management, 96% rated this feature as important or highly important.

Tax Management

Training and Learning Curve

Vacation and Leave Tracking

Ease of Use

Time Clock Integration

Phone Support

Pricing

Small Business Solutions

Reporting

Small Business

Freelancers

Large Enterprises

Mid-size Business

ADP Workforce Now

ADP Workforce Now is a cloud-based human capital management, talent management, and benefits software built for midsized and large businesses.

Canadian-owned and operated, Payworks is a leader in workforce management solutions, that helps businesses manage payroll, time and absence, and human resource operations from coast to coast.

Payworks

UKG Pro

QuickBooks Online

Payworks has leveled up me productivity when submitting payroll, and has allowed me to focus my time and energy into other aspects of my business.

Integrations such as ROE processing, CRA payments, T4 filing, Warnings, and a stellar service department makes payroll a great tool box.

Managing Director

Robust payroll platform that works seamlessly in tandem with Chamber Benefits and can allows for easy cost accounting between Departments

Accounting and Payroll

I dislike that some of the drop down menus cannot be accessed by "smart search" of putting in the first two or three letters of a name, you have to scroll through one at a time.

The payroll register could print better so a full employee stub is in one page vs sometimes splitting up into two pages

Operating and Finance Officer

Running reports, filing T4's and ROE's are processed with ease and transmitted electronically which saves time.

Engineer III

I love being able to access my pay stubs and tax documents (like T4s) instantly without having to contact HR.

Bookkeeper

My only complaint would be that I have a bunch of clients using Payworks and I have a different service rep for each client

my experience has been great for all the companies I have using this service, I happily move all my clients with payroll to this service

Controler

Set up an employee, and the paperwork that I still need to go through, all the documentation, and bank information.

HR and Office Manager

Pay roll ease of use, to process my payroll for 4 different companies is very easy. And I can switch between the companies easily.

The additional upgrades were not necessary and I found that I need to click more to get what I need.

At the beginning, I found it a bit difficult to navigate the sidebar and figure out where everything was.

CONTROLLER

SOMETIMES A DELAY WHEN CONTACTING CUSTOMER SERVICE LIKE THE FACT IT IS IN THE CENTRAL TIME

I can process payroll offsite so the web base is perfect.

Director

One suggest that we had was to include the ability to download the basic payroll reports, with one lick but as individual files, rather than all in one document.  

The summary at the end of the register is useful in balancing to other company reports.

HR Manager

The reporting functions are cumbersome and not easy to determine how to set parameters.

The simplicity of the system and the service provided by the Payworks team is what I like best about Payworks

I can get someone on the phone pretty quickly during working hours, and they can usually solve my problem in a few minutes.

Partner

They even take care of the CRA remittances for me too!

Payroll Specialist

I like the interface, the ease of data entry, the help centre, and most importantly, the customer service.

RUN Powered by ADP vs Payworks Comparison (2026)

RUN Powered by ADP

Payworks

Overview

Video & Screenshots

Pricing

User reviews

Key features

Integrations

Alternatives