ADP Run and QuickBooks Payroll both provide easy-to-use payroll services and comprise worker’s compensation and tax filing management. While comparing ADP Run with QuickBooks Payroll, the key difference is in the Human Resources features.

QuickBooks Payroll focuses on payroll processing with limitless pay runs, however, has restricted HR functionality and works only with Intuit products. While ADP is more flexible with plans, enhanced HR functions, pay cards, and more than 50 software, it is far more expensive.

QuickBooks Payroll vs ADP RUN: A Quick Overview

ADP’s small business services, RUN, also known as ADP RUN, is a personalized payroll service which helps automation of payment, wage calculation, tax filing, and offers users with an option for one-on-one suggestion on payroll management.

It is ideal for scaling businesses, because it is possible to personalize your plans to address more than 50 employees. Not to mention, it is also possible to integrate multiple apps to put all your business operations in one place.

Payroll management for any number of employees and payroll processing for companies with international branches are both possible with Intuit’s QuickBooks Payroll software. It is the greatest international payroll service, available in 240 countries and supporting many currencies.

You’ll also appreciate QuickBooks’s seamless interaction with other Intuit applications if you currently utilize its products. To manage accounting and payroll from one location, QuickBooks Payroll, for instance, interacts with QuickBooks Online for accounting.

See also: What is QuickBooks ADP Payroll Integration & How Does it Work?

How do QuickBooks Payroll and ADP RUN Contribute to Your Business?

Both QuickBooks Payroll and ADP RUN assist with salary payments, tax compliance, wage garnishment, and new hire reporting. Not to mention, they also offer self-service ledger reports, employee portals, and additional features to make payroll smooth for you.

Here are the key differences:

Features	ADP Run	QuickBooks Payroll
Staring Cost	Contact for Quote	USD 22.50+USD 6 for every employee for every month
Payroll	Check Delivery or Direct Deposit Pay by delivery, two-day direct deposit	Check delivery or direct deposit; same day plus next day direct deposit, limitless payroll
Compliance and Tax	Extra cost for Tax Filing	Lower tiers pay for extra state tax filing
Free Trial	Not available	30 Days
Advantage for administration	Present as an add-on for the lower plans	Through Allstate
Time Tracking	Present as an Add-on	Added on higher plans

Advantage for the Administration

ADP’s higher-tiered plan are loaded with administration benefits like worker’s compensation, retirement, and health insurance. Lower plan user can only use administration benefits features by paying for the particular add-on.

But all QuickBooks Payroll users can manage benefits like 401(k) tracking and health insurance through Intuit’s partner.

Payroll

One notable distinction between these leading payroll service providers is that ADP RUN costs users based on the number of payrolls they process, whereas all QuickBooks Payroll plans include unlimited payroll runs. While ADP promises two-day direct deposits, QuickBooks also provides same-day and next-day direct deposits. ADP RUN is missing some functionality from QuickBooks, such as vacation tracking and multicurrency compatibility for overseas payroll.

Compliance and Taxes

Both QuickBooks and ADP RUN automatically files and pay payroll taxes for users, however, for ADP RUN, filing W-2 forms and providing tax forms to employees is an additional expenditure. But users admire that ADP RUN updates you about minimum wage, tax codes, and other payroll compliance and tax regulations.

QuickBooks Payroll determines, pays and files all state and federal payroll taxes for the contractors and employees and not to mention, there is a free-tax filing for one state. You will require to pay USD 12 for every additional state, excluding the QuickBooks Payroll Elite plan that comprises free federal and multi-state tax filing.

Not to mention, if a QuickBooks Payroll Elite user gets a state, local, or federal payroll tax penalty from QuickBooks error, the payroll services fixes it for you and then refunds all the interests and penalties nearly USD 25000.

Time Monitoring

Time tracking tools enable you to plan employee shifts and track their hours. Intuit has QuickBooks Time, a time-tracking app added in QuickBooks Payroll Elite Plans and Premium and it enables other users to integrate with other time tracking apps along with Facebook’s Time Meter.

But, time tracking is only present for ADP RUN users as an add-on.

What is the Cost of ADP RUN in Comparison to QuickBooks Payroll?

Although some users report a beginning price of USD 59 along with USD 4 for every employee every month, ADP does not show the pricing details, hence, you need to get in touch with the sales team for the pricing plans of ADP RUN.

Even though quoted prices is often affordable for selecting the right features you wish and personalizing your package to your specific requirements as a business, the procedure can take up a lot of time and the cost is unpredictable.

QuickBooks Payroll is considered one of the most reasonable payroll services. Its Payroll Core, lowest tier, just costs USD 45 per month. Not to mention, you will receive it for USD 22.50 for the first three month. You also need to pay USD 6 every month for every employee. Some of the other QuickBooks plans include Payroll Elite and Payroll Premium.

For the first three months, Payroll Premium is USD 40 per month plus an additional $8 per employee. But after three months, the fee will increase to USD 80 per month + USD 8 for each employee. Features like time monitoring and an HR support center are included in Premium.

For the first three months, Payroll Elite costs USD 62.50, plus an additional USD 10 per employee each month. But starting next month, the fixed monthly cost will rise to USD 150 plus an additional USD 10 for each employee. Elite comes with even more benefits, such a personal HR counsellor and protection against tax penalties.

Reputation and Customer Reviews

ADP RUN earned more than 4.5 stars for more than 1200 users on G2 and more than 750 on Capterra. QuickBooks, on the other hand earned 3.8 on G2 from around 60 users and 4.5 for more than 800 users on Capterra.

Users of ADP RUN praised how well the payroll application keeps their activities organized by integrating with other software platforms. They also found the interface to be more user-friendly. However, users of ADP reported that they had to wait several minutes to speak with an agent or that their emails were ignored, and that the system was occasionally slow or unresponsive.

While QuickBooks users think that the payroll system is spontaneous, they have protested about the customer assistance, which comprised on long wait times and problems getting the issue fixed. Some of the customers also wanted the interface to be less cluttered and the pricing more reasonable.

Read more: How to Record ADP Payroll in QuickBooks?

What are the Advantages, Disadvantages, and Deciding Factors to Consider while Selecting ADP RUN and QuickBooks Payroll?

Here is the list of the advantages, disadvantages, and deciding factors to consider when choosing QuickBooks Payroll or ADP RUN:

QuickBooks Payroll

Advantages	Disadvantages	Deciding Factor
Integration with QuickBooks Accounting is built-in	Less integrations with QuickBooks Online	Has several reasonable plans starting from USD 45 to USD 125 monthly along with her employee pricing of USD 6 to USD 10 per month
Quick direct deposit on the same or next day	Less Employee benefits	Transparent pricing methods
User-friendly	Fails to integrate with QuickBooks for Mac	Limitless pay runs
Limitless pay runs		Provides online gudies for system set up
		24/7 chat support
		Phone assistance present on weekdays 6:00 am to 6:00 pm. Saturday 6:00 am to 3:00pm. Pacific time

ADP Run

Advantages	Disadvantages	Deciding Factor
Dedicated account manager	Too many features for those looking for a simple payroll	Depending on a quote acquired from bi-weekly payroll, price range vary from $65 to $220 every month along with $3 to $4.50 for every employee monthly cost
Easy customization	Some users complained that it is difficult to use the Online portals	Provides custom quotes based on the frequency of pay runs
Several HR facilities at every plan level	Bad customer service sometimes	Retirement, time-tracking, health insurance and worker compensation present as optional paid add-ons
Mobile app with employee portal		Has included HR tools like training, onboarding, library of HR froms, documents, and policies
		User-friendly with renowned accounting solutions like Xero and Wave

ADP RUN vs QuickBooks Payroll: Best Suited for Which Purpose?

QuickBooks Payroll is Best Suited for:

• Businesses which run limitless payrolls
• Businesses that use Intuit products
• Small and medium-sized businesses with international workers

ADP RUN is Best Suited for:

• Mid-sized and small businesses searching for strong HR tools plus advisors together with automated payroll features
• Those will to personalize their payroll plan
• Businesses that require integration of their payroll system with other applications

Final Words

ADP RUN is the best option if you’re searching for a payroll tool that lets you personalize your payroll package and offer HR and payroll support. QuickBooks Payroll, on the other hand, is a better choice if you’re looking for a platform that’s simpler to use and won’t require as many add-ons for payroll management.

We hope that after reading this entire article, all your queries regarding ADP Run and QuickBooks Payroll is resolved now. We have shared all the crucial information regarding the topic. Still, if you get stuck somewhere or you need professional assistance, you can just connect with Dancing Numbers team via LIVE CHAT.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Which one is Better, ADP RUN or QuickBooks Payroll?

Ans: Depending on your needs, one of these payroll systems may be more effective in processing payroll. QuickBooks Payroll is superior, though, if you’re looking for a payroll platform that functions on its own and doesn’t charge extra for time tracking or benefits administration, especially if you’re on a higher plan.

Q2: Is integration between ADP and QuickBooks possible?

Ans: Yes, ADP makes it possible for a number of third-party programs to integrate smoothly. This implies that if you use ADP for accounting or HR management, you can link with QuickBooks Payroll to process payroll.

Q3: Is Payroll being Phased out by QuickBooks?

Ans: The use of QuickBooks’ payroll service with QuickBooks Desktop versions prior to 2020 has been terminated. Nevertheless, QuickBooks is still offering its payroll services, and you may use it in combination with QuickBooks Accounting and QuickBooks Time.