RUN Powered by ADP vs Paychex Flex
We give RUN Powered by ADP and Paychex Flex the same GPA: 2.4 out of 4.0. They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
RUN Powered by ADP
ADP's payroll and HR service for US businesses of 1 to 49 people
Paid
Paychex Flex
Paychex's payroll, tax filing and HR platform, priced by quote
Paid
How we grade them
| 2.4GPARUN Powered by ADPFair | 2.4GPAPaychex FlexFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo price is published: all four packages, Essential to HR Pro, are quoted after a form or a call, so there's no five-person figure to set against Gusto's $79 or ADP's own Roll at $64. W-2 and 1099 forms cost extra on top. | CNo prices are published: Basic, Foundations, Advanced and Complete are each quoted after a form or a call, so there's no five-person figure to compare. Time and attendance and state unemployment service are add-ons on some or all packages. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan or trial. New clients who start payroll by 22 October 2026 get months 4, 5 and 6 free, but you pay for the first three, so it's a discount rather than a trial. | FNo free plan or trial. New clients who sign a one-year deal for Foundations or above by 31 October 2026 pay no payroll fees until April 2027, but that's a contract, not a trial. |
| Features | BPayroll by web, app or a phone call, taxes filed with ADP paying penalties for its own errors, multi-state and multi-company payroll, onboarding, and an HR help desk and hiring tools on the higher packages. The whole job, in steps. | BUnlimited payroll runs, Taxpay filing federal, state and local taxes, checks for missing punches before payday, OSHA and EEO-1 reports, e-signatures and a self-service portal. The whole job, with more HR in the higher packages. |
| Ease of use | A4.92 from about 51,700 App Store ratings, the highest in this category. RUN & DONE repeats a regular payroll without you starting it, and ADP Assist flags likely mistakes before payroll runs. | A4.84 from about 576,000 App Store ratings for the Paychex Flex app, where staff see pay stubs and W-2s. Chat support comes with every package; phone and email agents are add-ons on the lower ones. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with ledger exports to QuickBooks, Xero and Wave and links to Clover, ZipRecruiter and CareerPlug. No desktop app. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with QuickBooks, Xero, Sage Intacct and NetSuite for accounting and When I Work and 7shifts for scheduling. No desktop app. |
| Best for | small firms that want a big name filing their taxes | growing firms that may add benefits or a PEO later |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: RUN Powered by ADP and Paychex Flex. How we grade
Where they differ
- RUN Powered by ADP also covers time tracking.
- Paychex Flex also covers reports.
In commonWebiOSAndroidAI featuresPayroll
At a glance
| RUN Powered by ADP | Paychex Flex | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | Not published | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | ADP, Inc. | Paychex, Inc. |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
RUN Powered by ADP
- US businesses with up to 49 employees that want taxes filed for them
- Owners who want payroll help by phone or chat at any hour
- Small firms that expect to add HR support and hiring tools later
Paychex Flex
- US businesses that want payroll taxes filed by a large provider
- Companies planning to add benefits, 401(k) or a PEO later
- Employers who want staff to find pay stubs and W-2s themselves
Worth knowing
RUN Powered by ADP
- No prices are published: all four packages (Essential, Enhanced, Complete and HR Pro) are quoted after a form or a sales call.
- Producing W-2 and 1099 forms costs extra, and time and attendance, retirement plans and workers' comp are add-ons.
- State unemployment management, garnishment payments and job costing are left out of Essential; the HR help desk starts at Complete.
- RUN covers US payroll in all 50 states; ADP sells other products for larger firms and for payroll in other countries.
Paychex Flex
- No prices are published: Basic, Foundations, Advanced and Complete are each quoted after a form or a sales call.
- Time and attendance, applicant tracking, state unemployment service and job costing are add-ons on some or all packages.
- Online chat support comes with every package; phone and email agents and a dedicated payroll specialist are add-ons on the lower packages.
- The pages read describe US payroll only: federal, state and local tax filing, and W-2 and 1099 forms.
Key features
RUN Powered by ADP
- Payroll by web, app or phone
- Run payroll online, in the mobile app or by calling ADP. RUN & DONE repeats a recurring payroll without you starting it each time.
- Payroll tax filing
- ADP calculates, files, deposits and reconciles payroll taxes, answers tax agencies about them, and pays the penalties if it makes a filing error.
- ADP Assist
- An AI assistant that answers payroll and HR questions, flags likely mistakes before payroll runs and imports hours from an existing timesheet file.
- Multi-state and multi-company payroll
- Pay people who work in more than one state or locality in the same period, and report across several companies.
- HR tools by package
- Electronic onboarding comes with every package. Complete adds an HR help desk and handbook wizard; HR Pro adds CareerPlug hiring and online training.
- General ledger export
- Sends payroll journal entries to QuickBooks, Xero, Wave or Creative Solutions, or to a generic file, without retyping them.
Paychex Flex
- Unlimited payroll runs
- Enter hours, salaries, bonuses and time off, then pay by direct deposit, paper check, pay card or tip disbursement, from a computer or the app.
- Taxpay tax administration
- Calculates, pays and files federal, state and local payroll taxes with the right agencies, and provides W-2s and 1099s online.
- AI checks before payday
- Automations flag missing time punches and other issues before payroll is due, check employee data and handle timesheet entries.
- HR and compliance tools
- Depending on the package: OSHA and EEO-1 compliance reports, document management with e-signatures, HR approval workflows and a custom employee handbook.
- Employee self-service and Perks
- Staff see pay stubs and W-2s in a 24/7 portal and app, and Paychex Flex Perks adds discounts and earned wage access at no extra cost.
- Accounting and time integrations
- Connects to QuickBooks, Xero, Sage Intacct and NetSuite for accounting, and to scheduling apps such as When I Work and 7shifts.
Plans
RUN Powered by ADP
Pricing could not be confirmed. See adp.com.
Paychex Flex
Pricing could not be confirmed. See paychex.com.
Ways to pay less
RUN Powered by ADP
- Other savings
3 months of payroll free
New RUN clients with 1 to 49 employees in the continental US who start payroll by October 22, 2026 get months 4, 5 and 6 of payroll processing free.
Paychex Flex
- Other savings
Free payroll until April 2027
New clients with 1 to 250 employees who sign a one-year agreement for Foundations, Advanced or Complete between October 12 and 31, 2026 pay no payroll fees through April 2027.
