The RUN Powered by ADP Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about RUN Powered by ADP in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
RUN Powered by ADP
The Insider’s Guide
ADP's payroll and HR service for US businesses of 1 to 49 people
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among payroll services, read from RUN Powered by ADP’s own pages.
Made by ADP, Inc. · checked Oct 17, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from RUN Powered by ADP’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on RUN Powered by ADP’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 6 of the 18 other payroll services we grade
RUN Powered by ADP is ADP's payroll service for small US businesses. It runs payroll from the web, a phone app or a phone call, then files and pays federal, state and local payroll taxes. Four packages add state unemployment management, garnishment payments, an HR help desk and hiring tools in steps, and every price is quoted by ADP's sales team.
To get you started, here are 7 things to know about RUN Powered by ADP, taken from its own pages and our grades.
The catch is that there's no price on the page, so you'll talk to sales before you know what it costs.
- 1
Best for small firms that want a big name filing their taxes
Its app has the best rating in this category.
- 2
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android.
- 3
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.
- 4
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.
- 5
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.
- 6
A 2.4 GPA, above 6 of 18
That is against the other payroll services we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 7
Keep it
To replace RUN Powered by ADP you would be making payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
RUN Powered by ADP at a glance
- Pricing
- Paid
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android
- Made by
- ADP, Inc.
- Category
- Payroll
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
- Store rating
- 4.9 on the App Store, 51,735 ratings
The report card
Best for small firms that want a big name filing their taxes
RUN is ADP's payroll for businesses of 1 to 49 people, and it does the lot: taxes filed, payroll by app or by phone, HR help on the bigger packages. Its app has the best rating in this category. The catch is that there's no price on the page, so you'll talk to sales before you know what it costs.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | No 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. |
| Free plan and trial | F | No 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. |
| Features | B | Payroll 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. |
| Ease of use | A | 4.92 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. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, iPhone and Android, with ledger exports to QuickBooks, Xero and Wave and links to Clover, ZipRecruiter and CareerPlug. No desktop app. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who RUN Powered by ADP is for
- Great if you'd rather run payroll with a phone call than learn new software
- Handy when you expect to add an HR help desk and hiring tools later on
- Good for owners who want ADP on the hook for its own filing mistakes
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want to see a price before speaking to a salesperson
- Tight if you're on Essential and have wage garnishments or state unemployment to manage
- Not for you if you want a published price from ADP: its Roll app is $39 a month plus $5 a person
Good to know
Good for
- 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
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
RUN Powered by ADP's current pricing could not be confirmed from its own site.
We could not confirm RUN Powered by ADP’s current prices from its own site, so this guide lists no plans. adp.com has them.
Ways to pay less
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.
Stated on adp.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: Web, iOS and Android
ADP's payroll and HR service for US businesses of 1 to 49 people. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, time tracking, payroll.
Web, iPhone and Android, with ledger exports to QuickBooks, Xero and Wave and links to Clover, ZipRecruiter and CareerPlug.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- QuickBooks
- Xero
- Wave
- Clover
- ZipRecruiter
- CareerPlug
RUN Powered by ADP is made by ADP, Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
6/18
Other payroll services it is graded above
RUN Powered by ADP's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 6 of the 18 other payroll services we grade, and level with 9.
It stands best on ease of use (A, above 9 of 18) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 19 payroll services we grade, cut by the letter each got. RUN Powered by ADP’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 1 of 18
- FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 18
- BFeaturesAbove 6 of 18
- AEase of useAbove 9 of 18
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 2 of 18
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace RUN Powered by ADP you would be making payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
What you could make
- Time tracking: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- Payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It plugs into other products, QuickBooks, Xero and Wave among them.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. RUN Powered by ADP’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Paychex Flex, Gusto, QuickBooks Workforce, OnPay and Roll by ADP
The 5 tools RUN Powered by ADP is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Paychex Flex
Paid
Paychex's payroll, tax filing and HR platform, priced by quote.
- RUN Powered by ADP also covers time tracking.
- Paychex Flex also covers reports.
- 2.4GPA
Gusto
From $49/mo
Payroll and HR for small businesses, with apps for owners and staff.
- Gusto also covers expense tracking.
- 2.4GPA
QuickBooks Workforce
Free trial · from $50/mo
Intuit's payroll and HR service, sold alone or with QuickBooks.
- 2.6GPA
OnPay
Free trial · from $49/mo
US payroll with published prices, plus HR and time add-ons.
- OnPay also covers reports.
- 2.8GPA
Roll by ADP
Free trial · from $39/mo
Chat-based payroll app for very small US businesses.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is RUN Powered by ADP free?
No. RUN Powered by ADP is a paid product.
What platforms does RUN Powered by ADP work on?
RUN Powered by ADP is available on Web, iOS and Android.
Does RUN Powered by ADP offer any discounts?
RUN Powered by ADP publicly lists the following: 3 months of payroll free.
How is RUN Powered by ADP rated?
RUN Powered by ADP's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.9 out of 5 from 51,735 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 17, 2026.
Does RUN Powered by ADP have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. RUN Powered by ADP is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does RUN Powered by ADP have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. RUN Powered by ADP is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is RUN Powered by ADP open source?
RUN Powered by ADP is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 17, 2026.
What does RUN Powered by ADP integrate with?
RUN Powered by ADP's listing names QuickBooks, Xero, Wave, Clover, ZipRecruiter and CareerPlug.
Who makes RUN Powered by ADP?
RUN Powered by ADP is made by ADP, Inc.
What are the alternatives to RUN Powered by ADP?
The closest alternatives to RUN Powered by ADP in our directory are Paychex Flex, Gusto, QuickBooks Workforce, OnPay and Roll by ADP.
How does RUN Powered by ADP compare with other payroll services?
RUN Powered by ADP's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 6 of the 18 other payroll services we grade, and level with 9.
Could I make my own version of RUN Powered by ADP?
To replace RUN Powered by ADP you would be making payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from RUN Powered by ADP’s own pages on Oct 17, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 17, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from ADP's own pages on 17 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by ADP, Inc. Prices change, so check adp.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
1,858
Tools graded, in 46 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
1,858
tools graded
46
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- RUN Powered by ADP, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/adp-run
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "RUN Powered by ADP: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 17, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/adp-run
Know someone choosing between payroll services?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/adp-run/guide
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See our other guides
The best-graded payroll services after RUN Powered by ADP, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Payroll Insider's GuideEvery one of the 19 payroll services we grade, compared
- Roll by ADP Insider's GuideChat-based payroll app for very small US businesses2.8 GPA
- OnPay Insider's GuideUS payroll with published prices, plus HR and time add-ons2.6 GPA
- Patriot Payroll Insider's GuideLow-cost online payroll for small US businesses2.6 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what RUN Powered by ADP’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. RUN Powered by ADP is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by ADP, Inc. Prices and plans change: check adp.com before you buy.