ADP Alternatives: 10 Payroll and HR Tools Compared (2026)

ADP Alternatives: 10 Payroll and HR Tools Compared for 2026

Short answer: If you want a published price and no sales call, start with OnPay ($49/mo + $6/worker, multi-state included) or Gusto ($49/mo + $6/person for one state). The cheapest full-service option is Patriot ($37/mo + $5/worker). Need a PEO for better benefits? Justworks. Mid-size and want a single HCM suite with a rep? Paylocity or Paycom. HR, IT, and payroll on one record: Rippling. People in other countries: Deel.

ADP doesn't publish prices. RUN Powered by ADP, the small business product, comes in four packages (Essential Payroll, Enhanced Payroll, Complete Payroll & HR+, and HR Pro Payroll & HR), and every one of them has a "Get pricing" button where the price should be. ADP Workforce Now, the mid-market product, works the same way with its Select, Plus, and Premium packages. Right now ADP is advertising up to six months of free payroll on RUN, with terms on the page.

That's the main reason people search for alternatives. You can't compare a quote you haven't received yet against a number you can read, and the quote often depends on the add-ons and contract terms you negotiate.

Ten alternatives below. Every price comes from the vendor's own pricing page, checked in October 2026. When a vendor only quotes, we say so instead of guessing.

Comparing more payroll tools? Our Gusto alternatives breakdown goes deeper on small business payroll. For the HR side, see BambooHR alternatives, and for big-company HCM, the Workday alternatives guide.

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TL;DR: Quick Picks for 2026

Need	Top pick	Price
Published price, multi-state included	OnPay	$49/mo + $6/worker
Easiest payroll for a one-state team	Gusto	$49/mo + $6/person
Lowest full-service price	Patriot Payroll	$37/mo + $5/worker
Already on QuickBooks	QuickBooks Payroll	$50/mo + $7/employee
PEO benefits for a small team	Justworks	Payroll $50/mo + $8/employee, PEO from $79/employee
Like ADP, with a different rep	Paychex Flex	Quote only
Mid-size, all-in-one HCM	Paylocity	Quote only
Mid-size, employees enter their own data	Paycom	Quote only
HR, IT, and payroll on one record	Rippling	From $8/employee/mo + base fee
Team in several countries	Deel	Contractors $49/mo, EOR $599/employee/mo

What ADP Actually Does Well

ADP is the default for a reason. It runs payroll for tiny shops and for enterprises, so you won't outgrow it. RUN covers payroll, taxes, and compliance help on the base package, and the higher packages add things like state unemployment insurance management, garnishment payments, ZipRecruiter, and HR support. When you need a person on the phone who has seen your exact tax notice before, ADP usually has one.

It also scales up cleanly. Moving from RUN to Workforce Now keeps you in the same company, and that matters to finance teams who hate migrations.

So the case for leaving is narrow. It comes down to price you can see, contract terms, and whether you need something ADP's packages don't bundle the way you want.

When to Leave ADP

1. You want a price before a sales call. OnPay, Gusto, Patriot, QuickBooks, and Justworks all publish theirs.
2. Your renewal quote went up. With quote-only pricing, the only lever is a competing quote. Get two.
3. You want pooled health benefits. A PEO like Justworks puts you in a larger group for health plans.
4. Onboarding means laptops and app logins too. Rippling ties HR to IT provisioning.
5. You hire abroad. Deel's contractor and EOR prices are on its pricing page.

1. OnPay

The closest thing to "ADP RUN with the price printed on it."

Strengths:

• One plan, Payroll Essentials: $49/month + $6 per paid worker
• Federal, state, and local tax filings, W-2s, 1099s, and year-end filings included
• Unlimited pay runs and workers in as many states as you need, no tier jump
• Phone, chat, and email support; no implementation fees

Weaknesses:

• HR is an add-on ($15/month + $2/worker), as is time tracking ($15 + $4/worker)
• Smaller integration library than ADP
• No PEO option

Pricing: $49/month + $6/worker. For 20 people: $169/month.

Best for: 5 to 50 person teams across more than one state that want a fixed, readable bill.

2. Gusto

The friendliest payroll product for small US teams.

Strengths:

• Simple: $49/month + $6/person, one state
• Plus: $80/month + $12/person, adds multi-state payroll, time tracking, and scheduling
• Premium: $180/month + $22/person, adds a named advisor, HR guidance, and compliance tools
• Unlimited payrolls, tax filings, and Payroll on AutoPilot on every plan; no contracts

Weaknesses:

• Multi-state needs Plus, which nearly doubles the per-person cost
• State tax registration is an add-on priced by state
• Less hands-on support than an ADP rep unless you pay for Premium

Pricing: 20 people on Simple: $169/month. On Plus: $320/month.

Best for: Single-state companies under 50 people that want payroll their team will actually like using.

3. Patriot Payroll

The cheapest full-service payroll with a published price.

Strengths:

• Full Service Payroll: $37/month + $5 per worker paid, with federal, state, and local filings
• Basic Payroll: $17/month + $4 per worker if you file taxes yourself
• Year-end filings at no extra fee
• Time & Attendance and HR add-ons at $6/month + $2/employee each

Weaknesses:

• Plain interface with fewer automations
• No benefits brokerage of its own (integrations only)
• Check the FAQ on extra state filing costs before you sign

Pricing: Full Service for 20 people: $137/month. New accounts get 30 days free plus 50% off for three months right now.

Best for: Cost-first owners who want payroll handled and don't care how it looks.

4. QuickBooks Payroll

Payroll now sold as QuickBooks Workforce, built to sit next to your books.

Strengths:

• Workforce Payroll: $50/month + $7/employee, full-service payroll, auto payroll, 1099 e-file, next-day direct deposit
• Workforce Premium: $88/month + $13/employee, adds time tracking, same-day deposit, hiring, onboarding, and an expert setup review
• Workforce Elite: $134/month + $17/employee, adds tax penalty protection, performance management, and a personal HR advisor
• 50% off for three months at the time we checked

Weaknesses:

• Makes the most sense if QuickBooks is already your accounting tool
• Promo pricing ends after three months
• HR features sit on the upper tiers

Pricing: 20 employees on Workforce Payroll: $190/month at regular price.

Best for: Businesses whose accountant already lives in QuickBooks.

5. Justworks

Payroll software with a clean path into a PEO.

Strengths:

• Payroll: $50/month + $8/employee, with multi-state payroll, HR tools, onboarding, and PTO management
• PEO Basic: $79/employee/month, no base fee, adds 24/7 support, HR consulting, and 401(k)
• PEO Plus: $124/employee/month adds medical, dental, and vision administration plus HSA/FSA
• EOR at $599/employee/month; international contractors $39/month each

Weaknesses:

• Payroll plan skips org chart, custom reporting, and performance integrations
• PEO tiers cost a lot more than payroll alone
• Time tracking is $8/employee on top

Pricing: 20 people on Payroll: $210/month. On PEO Basic: $1,580/month.

Best for: Small US companies that want better group health benefits without leaving the vendor that runs payroll.

6. Paychex Flex

ADP's oldest rival, with a similar sales-led model.

Strengths:

• Payroll, time and attendance, benefits, insurance, HR services, and a PEO from one company
• Separate sales lines for payroll and for HR services and PEO, so you talk to someone who knows that product
• Scales from very small businesses up to mid-size

Weaknesses:

• Quote only. The page sends you to "Request Pricing"
• Promo terms are detailed: eligible new clients can get up to six free months through April 2027, and the value gets clawed back if you terminate early
• You'll negotiate the same way you did with ADP

Pricing: Quote only.

Best for: Owners who like the ADP model (a rep, a phone number, one big vendor) and want a competing quote.

7. Paylocity

An HCM suite for mid-size companies, covering HR, finance, and IT.

Strengths:

• Payroll with 30+ payroll audits and automatic alerts, plus global payroll support for 100+ countries
• Time collection via mobile, web, kiosk, or time clock, with geofenced clock-in and shift swaps
• Talent tools: pulse surveys, 360 feedback, compensation management, and 600+ pre-built learning classes
• A social collaboration hub and recognition tools aimed at employee engagement

Weaknesses:

• Quote only. The pricing page is a demo request form
• More system than a 15-person company needs
• Implementation takes real time

Pricing: Quote only.

Best for: 50 to 1,000 person companies replacing ADP Workforce Now with a single suite.

8. Paycom

One database for payroll, HR, time, and talent.

Strengths:

• Every client buys a "Core" set, then adds modules for payroll, talent acquisition, time and labor, and more
• Beti automated payroll and an employee-first data entry model, which Paycom pitches as fewer payroll errors
• Payroll tax management and filing, general ledger, and garnishment administration in the payroll modules
• Single system means no syncing between vendors

Weaknesses:

• Quote only. Pricing "depends on the tools you need"
• Built for mid-size and up, so small teams will find it heavy
• You're buying into one vendor for everything

Pricing: Quote only.

Best for: Mid-size employers that want fewer payroll corrections and are happy to go all-in on one platform.

9. Rippling

HR, IT, and payroll on one employee record.

Strengths:

• Onboarding can set up payroll, app accounts, and devices in one flow
• Modular: HRIS, payroll, benefits, time, device management, identity, expense management, and more
• Global payroll, EOR, and contractor payments if you expand
• The pricing page says plans start at $8 per employee per month, plus a monthly base fee

Weaknesses:

• That $8 is a starting point. Real totals depend on the modules you pick, and the page routes you to a quote
• Modules add up fast
• More setup than OnPay or Gusto

Pricing: From $8/employee/month plus a base fee; full price by quote.

Best for: 50 to 1,000 person companies tired of running HR and IT onboarding as separate checklists. If Rippling is the one you're weighing, our Rippling alternatives comparison covers what else does HR plus IT.

10. Deel

For when payroll means people in several countries.

Strengths:

• Contractors from $49/month each
• EOR from $599/employee/month; US PEO from $125/employee/month
• Recruiting tools from $14 per worker per month
• Prices are on the page, which is rare in this category

Weaknesses:

• Overkill for a US-only team
• Best value when you use several Deel products together
• Global payroll pricing still needs a demo

Pricing: Contractors $49/month, EOR $599/employee/month, US PEO $125/employee/month.

Best for: Distributed teams hiring contractors or full-time staff outside the US.

Recommendation by Profile

You	Pick
Want a published price, 2+ states	OnPay
One state, under 50 people	Gusto Simple
Lowest bill, one state	Patriot Full Service
Books in QuickBooks	QuickBooks Workforce
Want PEO health benefits	Justworks PEO
Like the ADP model, want a second quote	Paychex Flex
50 to 1,000 people, want one HCM suite	Paylocity or Paycom
Want HR and IT onboarding in one flow	Rippling
Hiring outside the US	Deel
Happy with your ADP rep and renewal	Stay put
Building an internal HR tool	HR Dashboard Kit for the UI, plus a payroll provider above

Pricing at a Glance (20 Employees, Monthly)

List prices from each vendor's page, before promos, taxes, and add-ons.

Product	Basis	Monthly (20 people)
ADP RUN (all four packages)	Quote only	Quote only
ADP Workforce Now	Quote only	Quote only
OnPay	$49 + $6/worker	$169
Gusto Simple (one state)	$49 + $6/person	$169
Gusto Plus	$80 + $12/person	$320
Patriot Full Service	$37 + $5/worker	$137
Patriot Basic (you file taxes)	$17 + $4/worker	$97
QuickBooks Workforce Payroll	$50 + $7/employee	$190
QuickBooks Workforce Premium	$88 + $13/employee	$348
Justworks Payroll	$50 + $8/employee	$210
Justworks PEO Basic	$79/employee	$1,580
Deel US PEO	$125/employee	$2,500
Rippling	From $8/employee + base fee	Quote for the full number
Paychex Flex, Paylocity, Paycom	Quote only	Quote only

Bring this table to your ADP renewal. Even if you stay, a written OnPay or Gusto number gives your rep something concrete to match.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does ADP cost in 2026?

ADP doesn't publish prices. RUN Powered by ADP has four packages (Essential, Enhanced, Complete Payroll & HR+, and HR Pro), and Workforce Now has Select, Plus, and Premium. All of them are quote only. ADP is currently advertising up to six months of free payroll on RUN for new clients, with terms on its site.

What is the cheapest alternative to ADP?

Patriot Full Service at $37/month + $5/worker, which includes federal, state, and local tax filing. For 20 people that's $137/month. If you'll file taxes yourself, Patriot Basic is $17 + $4.

Is Gusto better than ADP?

For a single-state team under 50 people, Gusto is easier to price and easier to use: $49/month + $6/person on Simple, no contract. ADP pulls ahead when you want a dedicated rep, heavier HR services, or room to grow past a few hundred people without switching vendors.

Is Paychex cheaper than ADP?

There's no way to tell from the outside. Both are quote only. Get written quotes from both for the same headcount and the same features, then compare against OnPay or Gusto's published price.

How do I switch from ADP without messing up taxes?

Switch at the start of a quarter (January is cleanest), export year-to-date payroll and tax history before you cancel, check your ADP contract for notice periods, and run one parallel payroll with the new provider. Budget two to four weeks for a 20-person company.

The Honest Take

ADP is a safe choice. The product works, the compliance coverage is deep, and there's a person to call. The friction is that you can't see what it costs until you're in a sales conversation.

Leave when something specific changes. You want a readable bill: OnPay or Gusto. You want the lowest bill: Patriot. You live in QuickBooks: QuickBooks Workforce. You want better benefits: Justworks. You're mid-size and want one suite: Paylocity or Paycom. HR plus IT: Rippling. Hires abroad: Deel. And if you're building your own HR software, start from UI you own and plug one of these in for the payroll math.