Roll by ADP vs SurePayroll
We give Roll by ADP a 2.8 GPA and SurePayroll a 2.4, out of 4.0. Roll by ADP grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Roll by ADP
Chat-based payroll app for very small US businesses
SurePayroll
Online payroll for small US businesses and household employers
How we grade them
| 2.8GPARoll by ADPGood | 2.4GPASurePayrollFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BOne plan at $39 a month plus $5 a worker, $64 for five, inside the cheapest quarter of this category. Time tracking, the AI assistant and QuickBooks Online sync are all in that price; only same-day deposit costs extra. | BNo Tax Filing is $20 a month plus $4 an employee, $40 for five, inside the cheapest quarter of this category. Full Service, which files taxes, is $64 for five. Year-end forms add $50 plus $5 a form, and multi-state is $9.99 a month. |
| Free plan and trial | C3 months free for new US clients, counted from when company setup is done. That's the longest trial in this category, but it's a trial, not a free plan. | FNo free plan or trial. New customers get every other month free in their first year, which is a good deal, but it's a discount on a paid plan, not a trial. |
| Features | CPayroll by typing requests in a chat, W-2 and 1099 workers, taxes paid, timekeeping and AI error checks. It does payroll fully, but it's a smaller job: the pricing page lists no HR, benefits administration or higher tiers. | CPayroll done fully: unlimited and automatic runs, employees and contractors together, tax filing on Full Service and a household plan for nannies. A smaller job, though, with no HR tools beyond paid employment-law help. |
| Ease of use | A4.7 from about 2,900 App Store ratings. You type what you want done, and workers on fixed hours or pay can be paid automatically. | A4.7 from about 6,100 App Store ratings for the employer app, where owners run payroll and check reports. Staff get their own app for pay stubs. |
| Platforms and integrations | BiPhone, Android and web, plus QuickBooks Online. It's built for phones, though: the desktop view opens by scanning a code from the app. No desktop app. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with apps for owners and for staff. No desktop app, and accounting sync is a $4.99-a-month add-on rather than built in. |
| Best for | owners who want to run payroll from a phone chat | tiny businesses and families paying a nanny |
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: Roll by ADP and SurePayroll. How we grade
Price against what you get
Roll by ADP starts at $39 a month and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. SurePayroll starts at $20 a month and scores 3.0.
They score the same, and SurePayroll starts $19 a month lower. Of the other payroll services on the chart, 1 scores higher than Roll by ADP for less, and none scores higher than SurePayroll for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Roll by ADP starts at $39 per month, plus $5 per worker paid. SurePayroll starts at $20 per month, plus $4 per employee.
- Roll by ADP also covers time tracking.
- SurePayroll also covers reports.
At a glance
| Roll by ADP | SurePayroll | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Paid |
| Starts at | $39 per month, plus $5 per worker paid | $20 per month, plus $4 per employee |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 3 months free for new US clients, starting once company setup is complete | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | ADP, Inc. | SurePayroll, Inc. |
| Price read from | rollbyadp.com | surepayroll.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Roll by ADP
- Owners with a few employees who want to run payroll from a phone
- Businesses paying both W-2 employees and 1099 contractors
- Teams spread across several US states
SurePayroll
- Small US businesses with a handful of employees
- Families paying a nanny, caregiver or housekeeper
- Owners who want to run payroll from a phone
Worth knowing
Roll by ADP
- Runs payroll in the US only, though workers may live and work in different states.
- Built for phones: the desktop view is opened by scanning a code from the mobile app.
- Same-day direct deposit costs a per-transaction fee on top of the monthly price.
- One plan only: the pricing page lists no HR, benefits administration or higher tiers.
SurePayroll
- Runs US payroll; the first state is included, multi-state payroll is $9.99 a month and local taxes carry a separate fee.
- Year-end W-2 and 1099-NEC forms are billed once a year at $50 plus $5 per form.
- Accounting sync is $4.99 a month, time clock import from $5 a month plus $3 per employee, and employment law help from $30 a month.
- Household employers buy a separate Nanny & Household plan at $39 a month, including one employee, marked down from $45.
Key features
Roll by ADP
- Payroll by chat
- Owners run payroll, hire workers and change pay by typing requests in a chat, with off-cycle payments for bonuses and final pay.
- Taxes calculated and paid
- Roll calculates, deducts and pays payroll taxes, files 1099-NEC forms, and delivers W-2s and 1099s to workers in the app each January.
- Next-day and same-day deposit
- Direct deposits arrive about 24 hours after payroll is submitted, and same-day deposit is available for a per-transaction fee.
- AI assistant and error checks
- A generative AI assistant answers payroll and HR questions and suggests savings, and AI-driven checks look for errors before payroll runs.
- Automatic payroll and time tracking
- Workers with fixed hours or pay can be paid automatically, and timekeeping is included for W-2 and 1099 workers.
- Employee app
- Employees are invited to their own version of the app to see pay summaries, download paystubs and tax forms, and update bank details.
SurePayroll
- Unlimited and automatic payroll
- Every plan includes unlimited payroll runs, and payroll can be scheduled to run on its own on the chosen pay dates.
- Tax filing on Full Service
- Full Service calculates, files and deposits federal, state and local payroll taxes and gives access to Forms 940, 941, W-2 and 1099.
- Free 2-day direct deposit
- Direct deposit with a two-day lead time is included, and pay stubs and reports stay available online at any hour.
- Employees and contractors
- W-2 employees and 1099 contractors are paid in the same payroll, with multiple pay rates, bonuses and new hire reporting.
- Employer and employee apps
- Owners run payroll and review reports from the SurePayroll app, and employees see their own pay stubs and account details in theirs.
- Household payroll
- A separate Nanny & Household plan files household payroll taxes and prepares Schedule H and W-2 forms for families.
Plans
Roll by ADP
Roll$39
per month, plus $5 per worker paid
Unlimited payroll for W-2 employees and 1099 contractors, tax filing and payment, time tracking, the AI assistant and QuickBooks Online sync.
SurePayroll
No Tax Filing$20
per month, plus $4 per employee
The Full Service features, except that you file and deposit all payroll taxes yourself.
Full Service$29
per month, plus $7 per employee
Payroll taxes filed and deposited, unlimited payroll runs, free 2-day direct deposit and W-2 and 1099 workers. The first state is included.
Ways to pay less
Roll by ADP
No public discounts listed.
SurePayroll
- Other savings
Every other month free for the first year
New customers get every alternating month free during their first 12 months, which SurePayroll advertises as 6 free months. Terms apply.
