ADP VS QuickBooks Payroll

Choosing between ADP vs. QuickBooks Payroll? Both ADP and QuickBooks Payroll offer full-service payroll, can grow with your small business, and feature HR integrations.

Despite the similarities between QuickBooks Payroll and ADP, the two payroll software options differ in pricing, payroll limits, add-on services, and much more. So when it comes to choosing between QuickBooks Payroll or ADP, your business’s unique needs will be the deciding factor.

Let’s dive into the biggest difference first.

ADP VS QuickBooks Payroll At A Glance

The biggest difference between ADP and QuickBooks Online Payroll is that ADP is more customizable and has more features than QuickBooks Online Payroll. However, QuickBooks Online Payroll offers faster payroll processing, a direct integration with the QuickBooks Online software suite, and unlimited payroll runs, which could make the software significantly more affordable for businesses that run payroll frequently.

However, compared to ADP, Intuit Online has received more negative reviews, especially regarding customer service. That being said, both software earn a spot on our list of the best small business payroll software, so in this payroll software battle, businesses are likely going to have to pick and choose what is most important to them as a company.

Some of these specifics might help, so let’s dive into how the biggest pros and cons of both ADP and QuickBooks Payroll compare.

Where ADP Wins

ADP takes the cake when it comes to advanced features and customizability. The company also offers multiple ADP pricing plans catering to diverse business needs, even including a PEO option, so businesses posed for growth can benefit highly from ADP.

When compared specifically to QuickBooks, APD has:

Where ADP Falls Short

The biggest area where ADp falls short is the lack of transparent pricing. Customer complaints mention frustration with hidden fees and undisclosed pricing for its various plans. It’s also worth noting that some customers have taken issue with difficulties terminating their contracts, which could be a huge factor for small businesses.

All in all, ADP’s main drawbacks include:

Since small businesses negotiate custom deals with ADP, they have been known to be accommodating with integration requests from their customers.

Where QuickBooks Payroll Wins

QuickBooks is well-known in the small business sphere for its accounting software. Now accounting and payroll can go hand in hand for QuickBooks Online users who purchase QuickBooks Online Payroll (also known as Intuit Online Payroll). This accounting focus is a huge advantage over ADP for business owners who want to manage these two elements of their business together.

QuickBooks also has a better pricing model than ADP — not only is QuickBooks Payroll actually transparent about their pricing, the company uses a SaaS model, meaning customers are not locked into any contracts and can terminate their service at any time.

The main areas where QuickBooks wins over ADP include:

Where QuickBooks Payroll Falls Short

The biggest downfall of QuickBooks Payroll (and most QuickBooks products in general) is the company’s customer support. While we have seen the customer support improve from years past, the company still has a long way to go to undo a reputation of negative customer support experiences.

Other downsides of QuickBooks include:

You’ll notice this is a small list of drawbacks to ADP, which is worth noting.

ADP VS QuickBooks Payroll Pricing Comparison

Intuit Online Payroll’s transparent pricing lets small businesses easily compare the cost of all three plans, which range from $50/month + $6/month per employee to $130/month + $11/month per employee.

Intuit Payroll’s pricing structure of a set monthly rate plus a flat fee per employee also makes it easy to project a long-term budget. ADP does not disclose its pricing information; you have to contact ADP’s sales team to get a custom quote for your business.

On ADP’s website, getting pricing for any of the ADP Run plans requires entering your business’s name, zip code, number of employees, and a contact email.

The bottom line is that ADP does not make it easy to compare pricing. Both ADP and QuickBooks offer multiple pricing tiers for different business sizes and needs, but QuickBooks Online is more transparent, and its costs and fees are easier to plan for. However, many businesses are happy customers of ADP, so it may be worth contacting ADP to get a quote.

ADP VS QuickBooks Payroll Features Comparison

Only ADP Features

• The ability to run payroll by phone if desired
• More customizable benefits administration options
• Niche employee benefits like financial wellness services & tuition reimbursement
• ZipRecruiter integration with background check capabilities

Only QuickBooks Payroll Features

• Unlimited payroll runs for contractors and employees
• A dedicated customer support representative on the Premium & Elite plan
• A direct QuickBooks integration
• Access to QuickBooks’ suite of direct payment processing and lending services

Learn more about each company’s complete feature set offering in our full ADP review and QuickBooks Payroll review.