ADP vs SurePayroll

ADP vs. Gusto

When choosing a payroll service, you want a solution that fits your needs and can grow with you. See how ADP compares to Gusto as you evaluate your options.

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Get these features with ADP, but not with Gusto
Payroll    
24/7 live support (Gusto offers only 5am-5pm PT, Mon.-Fri.) offered not offered
Advanced State Unemployment Insurance management tools (claim responses, benefit payments review, best practices consulting) offered not offered
Native suite of time tracking tools, such as scheduling and physical time clocks offered not offered
Dedicated new client onboarding support for small businesses of all sizes offered not offered
Convenient mobile app for payroll and HR (Gusto only offers mobile access via web/browser) offered not offered
Same day ACH offered not offered
Multi-state payroll, across all bundles offered not offered
Pay employees who work in multiple states or local jurisdictions within a single pay period offered not offered
Two-day processing cycles for all clients (without assigned direct deposit limits) offered not offered
Register with tax agencies in all 50 states (does not require third-party partner) offered not offered
Customer support (option) from payroll provider’s Apple® iOS app offered not offered
Partner app connectors to over 30 leading Point of Sale (POS) solutions offered not offered
Single invoice billing that combines ADP payroll and complementary partner services offered not offered
Over 75 years of payroll experience offered not offered
HR & Business    
Employee handbook wizard, pre-populated for your state/jurisdiction offered not offered
Job postings via ZipRecruiter® offered not offered
Job description wizard offered not offered
Employee discount program for brand-name products and daily essentials offered not offered
Live R&D tax credit consultation to determine credit amount based on your unique business situation offered not offered
Google business profile optimization and digital marketing analytics (provided by third party) offered not offered
Access to free and discounted legal services (provided by third party) offered not offered
 

MEET OUR CLIENTS

With Gusto, I was worried about losing employees because they couldn’t pay their bills. Now that we’ve switched to ADP, my employees get paid on Wednesday first thing in the morning when I run the payroll on Tuesday! The most important thing is knowing that my people don’t have to wonder when their deposits will arrive. That’s payroll’s whole point — ensuring everyone gets paid on time.

See case study

Latifah Bolds Founder, Wrapped N Love Home Care

MEET OUR CLIENTS

We have a small team of remote workers spread out across different states, and we soon realized Gusto wasn’t any help with state filings. State filings are easy with ADP, and payroll is super intuitive. ADP even sends us regular notices about changes in regulations and laws that may affect us.

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Erica Dodds Chief Operating Officer, The Foundation for Climate Restoration

MEET OUR CLIENTS

The difference between Gusto’s customer service experience and ADP’s is night and day. I tried asking people at Gusto my questions about classifying workers, but they wouldn’t give me a specific answer. All I wanted to know was the best practices, but Gusto was zero help. When I asked ADP our worker classification questions, they immediately gave me an answer.

See case study

Will Stewart Operations and Information Technology Manager, WCAPS

See case studies

Join more than 900,000 small business clients who count on ADP for faster, smarter, easier payroll and HR

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User satisfaction ratings

See how customers rated ADP vs. Gusto on TrustRadius, a leading business software review platform, in the categories that matter most.2

TrustRadius Likelihood to recommend RUN 8.4 vs. Gusto 7.1 
TrustRadius Usability RUN 9.3 vs. Gusto 7.9 
TrustRadius Implementation RUN 8.8 vs. Gusto 8.2 
TrustRadius Product Scalability RUN 8.7 vs. Gusto N/A 

Ratings include incentivized reviews.

See the full report

$8,000/yr added value on additional services included only with RUN Powered by ADP.

Get valuable HR tools included only with RUN Powered by ADP®

With RUN's premium HR package option, you will receive features that go above and beyond what you get with other providers. Customers get an average of $8k per year in added value with HR services that help them keep their businesses growing, hire new staff, train their teams, and much more.

  • Access to ZipRecruiter® hiring platform and ADP salary benchmarks
  • Employee assistance program and perks
  • Employee HR training
  • Business and marketing tools
  • Legal assistance from Upnetic Legal Services3

Why ADP is the best alternative to Gusto

Customer Service

Dedicated support when you need it

ADP provides dedicated onboarding support for all new clients as well as 24/7 live support anytime you need it. And with 75 years of experience, we’re an industry leader for a reason — our expertise in navigating legislation and compliance is unmatched.

Gusto’s customer support hours are only 5am-5pm PT, Monday-Friday.

Pricing

Spend less and get more

We know it’s not an easy time to run a small business, so we’re here with the flexible options you need. When you add up the value of HR tools that are included with RUN Powered by ADP, the result is a payroll solution that can actually save you money compared to other providers. Learn about our payroll packages to see which plan fits your business best.

Gusto also offers a variety of payroll plans with pricing based on total number of employees.

Payroll

Set up and run payroll in minutes

Payroll software should be simple and intuitive for all users. ADP’s automated solution makes it easy to process payroll and taxes in minutes from any device, anywhere. And with two-day processing cycles, you can rest easy that your employees are paid quickly.

Gusto offers two-day direct deposit but sometimes with assigned direct deposit limits.

Benefits

Offer the right mix of benefits

Automatic Data Processing Insurance Agency, Inc. (ADPIA®)*, an ADP® affiliate provides easy access to impactful insurance and benefits solutions. Let ADPIA help you explore, secure and manage the right workers’ compensation, business and group health insurance based on your unique needs. In addition, by becoming an ADP payroll client, you may be able to integrate and simplify your insurance and benefits administration.

ADP offers a range of retirement plans** for your workforce to help your employees become retirement ready and prepare for life's financial challenges. We leverage innovative technology to transform time-consuming administrative tasks and provide mobile-enabled solutions that give you and your workforce plan access – virtually anywhere.

Gusto offers workers’ compensation and health insurance, and partners with 3rd party providers to offer retirement plans.

HR Tools

User-friendly technology

With advanced state unemployment insurance management tools, and a free mobile app that puts the tools you need at your fingertips, ADP has the modern, intuitive solutions you need to keep up with the speed of business.

Integration

A long list of third-party integrations

Through the ADP Marketplace, integrates with hundreds of popular business software applications including ERPs, accounting solutions, time-tracking tools, point of sale (POS) systems, productivity platforms and more. You can view the full list here. And by integrating payroll with ADP’s Pay-by-Pay® premium payment program, companies can streamline workers’ compensation premium payments to improve cash flow.4

Gusto’s software also integrates with dozens of popular accounting, time tracking platforms, POS, business operations and expense management solutions.

Top FAQs about ADP vs. Gusto

What makes ADP different?

From our most basic payroll service to our bundled solutions, with ADP, our user-friendly tools help make it easy to run payroll accurately in just a few clicks. Taxes, health benefits and retirement contributions are automatically calculated and deducted. And with more than 70 years of experience, we’re here for you with unmatched customer support, 24/7 when you need it.

How long does it take to get set up and running with ADP?

Once you have a federal employer identification number (EIN), employee tax documents and a business bank account, with ADP, you can process payroll right away. Simply log into your ADP account online and begin setting up your payroll information. To run payroll, start by reviewing all of your employee hours. You can then make any necessary adjustments to account for overtime, add any bonuses earned or add contractor payments, as well. View the demo for RUN Powered by ADP to see how fast and simple payroll can be.

What services are included in pricing?

Since a company's payroll requirements are based on its size as well as on its payroll and HR requirements, ADP offers several affordable options so you only pay for what your company truly needs. Compare packages for your business needs to decide which services fit best.

How easy is it to switch payroll platforms?

While some companies wait until the start of a new quarter or new year, ADP can support your switch anytime. If you’re already processing payroll, having your employee data and required documents ready will help ensure a smooth and efficient transition. Our helpful guidebook, Switching Payroll Providers Made Easy, can also be a resource for switching payroll.

What type of customer support is offered?

ADP helps clients with implementation and answers to payroll issues or questions that arise with fast, friendly and knowledgeable customer service. We offer direct access to certified, experienced payroll professionals available 24/7. Clients can also email questions to the Payroll Center at any time.

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Does your company or employer currently use ADP?

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Looking for a new payroll provider?

Switch to RUN Powered by ADP for easy payroll and 24/7 service.

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1. Information based on ADP internal research and is accurate as of October 1, 2024 and is subject to change.

2. TrustRadius review data from October 8, 2024.

3. Legal services are provided by Upnetic Legal Services powered by Legal Club® (of America), a third-party provider.

*All Insurance insurance products will be offered and sold only through Automatic Data Processing Insurance Company, Inc. (ADPIA), its licensed agents or its licensed insurance partners; 1 ADP Blvd. Roseland, NJ 07068. CA license #0D04044. Licensed in 50 states. All services and plans may not be available in all states with all carriers. ADPIA is an affiliate of ADP, Inc.

ADP, Inc. and its affiliates do not offer investment, tax or legal advice to individuals. Nothing contained in this communication (or website) is intended to be, nor should be construed as, particularized advice or a recommendation or suggestion that you take or not take a particular action. ADP, Inc. and its affiliates are not affiliated with Gusto, Paychex, QuickBooks Payroll or SurePayroll.

ADPIA is a registered trademark of ADP, Inc.