RUN Powered by ADP vs Paycor
We give RUN Powered by ADP a 2.4 GPA and Paycor a 2.2, out of 4.0. RUN Powered by ADP grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and platforms.
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
Paycor
US payroll and HR software, with published prices under 50 staff
How we grade them
| 2.4GPARUN Powered by ADPFair | 2.2GPAPaycorFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CBasic is $99 a month plus $5 an employee, $124 for five: above Gusto and OnPay at $79 and QuickBooks at $85, though under Deel's $145. Onboarding needs Essential, $184 for five. Setup fees are waived and the first 6 months are 50% off. |
| 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. The 50% off for 6 months is a discount on a paid plan, not a way to try it. |
| 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. | BPayroll with federal and state tax filing and unlimited runs, compliance alerts before payroll, early wage access for staff, onboarding with E-Verify from Essential, and HR advice and analytics on Core. The whole job across its bundles. |
| 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. | B4.53 from about 33,700 App Store ratings for Paycor Mobile, where staff see pay stubs, request time off and enroll in benefits. |
| 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. No desktop app, and the listing names no integrations, though Core adds 401(k) integrations and partner apps handle payroll abroad. |
| Best for | small firms that want a big name filing their taxes | employers under 50 who want HR to grow into |
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 Paycor. How we grade
Where they differ
- RUN Powered by ADP also covers time tracking.
- Paycor also covers reports and expense tracking.
At a glance
| RUN Powered by ADP | Paycor | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | Not published | $99 per month, plus $5 per employee |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | ADP, Inc. | Paycor, Inc. |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | paycor.com |
| 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
Paycor
- US businesses under 50 employees that want to see a price before calling sales
- Employers that want payroll, onboarding and HR advice from one provider
- Hourly teams that want early wage access and a mobile app
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.
Paycor
- Runs US payroll across all 50 states; payroll in other countries comes through partner apps in Paycor's marketplace.
- Prices are published only for businesses under 50 employees; larger ones get a quote from sales.
- The same page lists setup fees of $59 to $199, shown as waived, and a sign-up step with lower per-employee charges than the main table.
- Time tracking, scheduling, benefits administration and recruiting cost extra on top of the bundles.
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.
Paycor
- Payroll and tax filing
- Paycor calculates pay, files federal and state payroll taxes and handles W-2 and 1099 processing, with no limit on payroll runs a month.
- Compliance alerts
- A compliance dashboard flags missing or invalid tax IDs, address problems and direct deposit discrepancies before payroll runs.
- OnDemand Pay
- Employees can draw up to 50% of the wages they have earned before payday, or be paid onto the Paycor Visa card.
- Onboarding and E-Verify
- From Essential, new hires fill in forms, I-9s and tax documents online before their first day and sign documents electronically.
- Paycor Mobile
- Employees view pay stubs and tax forms, request time off, check schedules and enroll in benefits from the iPhone and Android app.
- Add-on modules
- Time and scheduling, benefits administration, recruiting and workers' compensation can be added to any small business bundle.
Plans
RUN Powered by ADP
Pricing could not be confirmed. See adp.com.
Paycor
Basic$99
per month, plus $5 per employee
Payroll with federal and state tax filing, direct deposit, new hire filing, employee self-service, standard reports and OnDemand Pay.
Essential$149
per month, plus $7 per employee
Adds onboarding and E-Verify, the HR Support Center, time-off tracking and labor law posters. The page's sign-up step shows $6 per employee.
Core$199
per month, plus $8 per employee
Shown as COR. Adds on-demand HR advice, Paycor Analytics, 401(k) integrations and wage garnishment payments. The sign-up step shows $7 per employee.
CompleteCustom
Adds Paycor HR, career management, compensation planning and talent development. No price in the main table; the sign-up step shows $199 plus $12 per employee.
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.
Paycor
- Other savings
50% off for the first 6 months
Paycor's small business pricing page offers new customers 50% off for 6 months as a limited-time offer, with some restrictions. Other parts of the page advertise free months of payroll instead.
