ADP VS QuickBooks Payroll Comparison

Finding a payroll service that aligns with how you run your business is important. How and when you plan to process payroll will have different implications when it comes to choosing between ADP vs. Intuit Online Payroll.

With Intuit Online Payroll, you can take advantage of unlimited payroll runs for contractors and employees. To streamline the process, users can schedule pay dates according to set pay scales and employee timesheets or hours. Alternatively, payroll can be run on the fly online or via a mobile app if needed. Processing takes just a matter of minutes, and if you choose to pay by direct deposit, it’ll clear in less than 24 hours.

On the other hand, ADP charges a fee every time you run payroll. This cost can rise quickly for small businesses running multiple or frequent payroll schedules. It’s not all bad news, though — ADP makes it easy to set up individual pay rates and enroll employees to automate payroll runs. Also, ADP lets users run payroll online, by phone call, and through a mobile payroll app.

Intuit Online customers can manage their employees’ health benefits and 401(k) contributions on any of the three plans. However, integrating payroll services with companies besides SimplyInsured may require extra work in terms of record keeping.

ADP’s two highest-tiered plans — Complete and HR Plus — automatically come with benefits administration. Small businesses with the Essential or Enhanced plan must pay additional fees for this service. Customization is a major perk with ADP, and this extends to benefits administration too.

Besides retirement and health care, ADP can support more niche offerings, such as financial wellness services, tuition reimbursement, and tuition reimbursement.

In addition to taking care of basic payroll functions, both software apps integrate some level of HR tools.

Intuit Online’s most basic Core Plan does not have HR functions beyond benefits administration. However, the Premium Plan can help small businesses ensure they’re in compliance with state and federal labor laws. Their HR support center also provides resources on best practices for hiring, measuring performance, and onboarding employees.

Upgrading to the Intuit Online Elite Plan grants access to a certified HR advisor through Mammoth.

Meanwhile, ADP Run has HR features available on three of its four plans. Moving up a step from the Essential Plan to the Enhanced Plan delivers a ZipRecruiter subscription and background check capabilities. ADP’s Complete and HR Pro Plans tack on even more features and resources, including training and access to a designated team of advisors through its HR HelpDesk.

Finding payroll software that you feel comfortable using is also important for a time-saving tool. Fortunately, both Intuit Online Payroll and ADP are well-organized and intuitive for employers and employees. However, the two payroll software apps differ in getting small businesses set up and ready to run payroll.

If you’re already experienced with QuickBooks accounting products, Intuit Online’s user interface will feel very familiar. Customers with the Core Plan can speak with a QuickBooks representative to get Intuit Online up and running. Meanwhile, designated advisors and experts can take a more hands-on approach to getting small businesses situated if they have a Premium or Elite Plan.

In the case of ADP, customers may work with a company representative to work through the payroll set-up process. This support also comes with tutorials and informational resources to guide customers through utilizing ADP Run’s various features

When evaluating ADP vs. Intuit Online Payroll for your small business, it can be helpful to consider how each software app integrates with other products you use for sales, accounting, and more.

The Intuit Online Payroll service can integrate with over 750 other business applications. Examples include point of sale (POS) products like Square and PayPal, as well as TSheets for time tracking and Expensify for managing expenses.

ADP can be combined with many major accounting programs, such as QuickBooks and Wave, as well as many attendance and enterprise resource applications. Since small businesses negotiate custom deals with ADP, they have been known to be accommodating with integration requests from their customers.

Both QuickBooks and ADP offer great payroll services. QuickBooks Payroll is better for existing QuickBooks Online users, while ADP is better for business owners who don’t use QuickBooks Online.

While ADP and Intuit are both big names in the payroll scene, ADP and Intuit are not the same things — they are two separate companies.

ADP Run is compatible with QuickBooks Online. If you are an existing QuickBooks Online user who would prefer the customer service and features of ADP, then you can easily integrate your QuickBooks Online and ADP accounts.

QuickBooks Online is cheaper if you need unlimited pay runs. QuickBooks doesn’t charge for each pay run, while ADP does, but there’s no way to know if ADP or QuickBooks has a cheaper monthly cost because ADP pricing is based on custom quotes that match your specific business. QuickBooks is more transparent with its pricing than ADP, but ADP may be more affordable for some businesses.

After May 31st, 2023, QuickBooks will discontinue payroll services for QuickBooks Desktop versions 2020 and below. All other QuickBooks payroll products will continue to have access to the software’s payroll services.

ADP is a human resources and payroll software solution and does not support bookkeeping. However, ADP offers several third-party integrations with major bookkeeping software solutions, such as QuickBooks, Xero, Sage Accounting, Wave, and more.