How To Choose The Right ADP Payroll Services For Your Business

With nearly 700,000 customers and an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, ADP is a leading payroll and HR service provider. Although ADP works hard to develop customized solutions for small businesses, it’s helpful to determine which plan best aligns with your needs and budget. Read on to explore how ADP software compares across plans.

What Is ADP Run?

ADP Run is a web-based payroll and human resource management application for small businesses with 1-49 employees. Instead of manually inputting employees’ wages, hours, and deductions, ADP payroll services can streamline the process with automatic calculations and payroll runs. ADP also offers a wide range of HR tools and integrations to help small business owners manage operations from one platform. ADP Run has four different plans with variable features.

• Essential Plan
• Enhanced Plan
• Complete Plan
• HR Plus Plan

ADP pricing varies by plan and add-on features. To help determine which ADP Run plan best fits your small business needs, read on for our head-to-head comparison of payroll options.

ADP Software Comparison Of Essential & Enhanced Payroll Features

The Essential and Enhanced plans represent the two lower-cost options for businesses interested in ADP payroll services.

ADP’s Essential plan is best suited for businesses that need standard payroll assistance without any bells and whistles. With minimal HR features, the Essential plan is geared towards small businesses with fewer employees and recruiting needs.

Meanwhile, ADP’s Enhanced plan is ideal for small businesses that want help with compliance and hiring new employees on top of payroll services.

Breakdown Of ADP Essential Payroll Features

The Essential plan covers core payroll functions and some HR basics. The following features are included with an ADP Run Essential plan:

• Automated Payroll: Employers can set up a recurring payroll schedule to run automatically, known as RUN & Done®.
• Direct Deposit, Check, Or Debit Card Payment: Employees can be paid via direct deposit, Wisely pay card, or paychecks delivered to their employer for distribution.
• Tax Filing: ADP calculates and files payroll taxes and handles IRS inquiries on behalf of small business customers. If there’s a filing error, ADP will cover any penalties or fees.
• Electronic Reports: ADP customers can access customized reports on HR, payroll, taxes, and more.
• New-Hire Reporting & Paperwork: When you hire new employees, ADP takes care of state and federal reporting requirements.
• General Ledger Interface: Customers can integrate ADP journal entries with accounting software, such as QuickBooks, Xero, and Wave.
• Mobile App: Employers can run payroll on the go from a user-friendly mobile app.
• Employee Access: Your workers can view their paycheck, paystubs, and up to three years’ worth of tax forms in the ADP portal.
• Employee Discount Program: ADP offers wellness programs and deals on everything from dining to travel and brand-name products.
• HR Newsletter: ADP provides regular tips and advice on HR and employee management.
• 24/7 Customer Support: An ADP customer service representative is available around the clock by phone or live chat.

Breakdown Of ADP Enhanced Payroll Features

Enhanced Payroll is ADP Run’s most popular plan for small businesses. Generally, moving up to this plan will cost $20 to $50 more per month than the Essential plan. This added cost grants access to the following extra features:

• Check Signing: ADP can apply an employer’s signature to checks or direct deposit receipts while maintaining security and fraud protection.
• State Unemployment Insurance: ADP will review charges and audits for each state an employer pays unemployment insurance.
• Poster Compliance: ADP provides Enhanced customers with updated versions of the necessary Federal and state-specific labor law posters.
• ZipRecruiter Subscription: Employers get complimentary access to ZipRecruiter to post jobs and recruit applicants.
• Background Checks: Before hiring new employees, ADP can provide a single-country background check.
• Wage Garnishment Services: ADP payroll services cover any court-mandated deductions, such as child support payments, with the Enhanced plan.

Run ADP Plans For When You Need HR Support

ADP’s top-tier plans include Complete Payroll & HR Plus and HR Pro. Each plan comes with the full range of payroll and HR features within the Essential and Enhanced plans plus much more.

Complete Payroll & HR Plus is best for businesses in need of basic HR support with full-service payroll.

The HR Pro plan is best for mid-size and larger small businesses that require more complex HR features and support. These advanced features would be best utilized by businesses with dedicated HR staff.

Breakdown Of ADP Complete Payroll & HR Plus

Upgrading to ADP’s Complete Payroll & HR Plus plan generally costs between $20 to $50 more, but affords a host of extra employee management features, training tools, and HR resources. Here’s a rundown of the additional features that come with this ADP software.

• HR Training & Toolkits: ADP provides step-by-step guidelines and resources for small businesses to accomplish a range of HR tasks.
• HR HelpDesk: Customers get complimentary access to a dedicated team of HR professionals by email or phone with their HR questions and issues.
• Employee Handbook Wizard: Small businesses can get help creating custom employee handbooks that comply with federal employment laws.
• HR Tracking: ADP’s tracking feature helps businesses track and analyze employee performance and information.
• HR Forms & Documents: The Complete plan gives access to an online database of template HR forms, documents, and policies.
• Job Description Wizard: Hiring managers can take advantage of an online library of more than 300 job titles and descriptions for their business.

Breakdown Of ADP HR Pro

HR Pro represents the most comprehensive and expensive ADP Run plan. This in-depth HR support costs up to $50 more per month than the Complete plan. Let’s take a look at the full list of extra features.

• Employee & Employer Training: ADP offers training on a variety of business and HR topics for employees and employers alike.
• Sexual Harassment & Prevention Training: ADP takes the stress out of staying up to date on training, laws, and policies to handle employee sexual harassment.
• Upnetic Legal Services: The HR Pro plan comes with a mix of free and discounted legal assistance from Upnetic on topics such as taxes, contracts, and workers’ compensation.
• Marketing Tools & Advice: ADP’s partner, Upnetic, is on hand to help businesses grow with marketing strategy and web optimization.
• Enhanced HR HelpDesk Support: Customers can get help from dedicated HR advisors as needed or schedule regular check-ins.
• Enhanced Employee Handbook Support: ADP staff are available to work one-on-one with employers to develop employee handbooks.

Comparing ADP Payroll Services To Other Options

ADP Run has provided customized payroll and HR solutions for thousands of small business customers. With four tiered plans and several add-on features to choose from, ADP payroll services can grow with a business over time.

At the same time, ADP’s extensive software and customer support comes at a premium cost when compared to other payroll providers. If you’re still weighing options, check out our best payroll software guide to find the best fit for your small business.