ADP RUN vs Patriot Payroll

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Our analysts compared ADP RUN vs Patriot Payroll based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Payroll Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Product Basics

Like a classic rom-com montage, running a small business means trying on a lot of hats. Processing payroll alone is a complex, time-consuming task. That's where ADP RUN comes in—it's a cloud-based payroll service specifically for small businesses, keeping your payroll processing and HR management out of the horror genre.

When you need to complete multiple tasks without the manpower of larger corporations, ADP RUN (also known as RUN POWERED by ADP) helps you do the job(s).

Here's how:

  • Automating the entire payroll process (including recurring payroll with RUN & DONE).
  • Calculating deductions and withholdings.
  • Self-onboarding employees.
  • Detecting payroll errors.
  • Working on the go with the mobile app.

ADP RUN at a Glance

Price

Starting from $79 monthly (additional $4 per employee).

Deployment Method

Cloud-based.

Business Size

Most suitable for small businesses.

Popular Integrations

QuickBooks, Xero, Tsheets, When I Work, ZipRecruiter.

Customer Service Availability

Live chat agents are available Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. ET. A.V.A. (virtual assistant) is available 24/7.


User Experience

Nearly 90% of users recommend it.

Training

Documentation, videos, live online, webinars and demos.

Mobile App

Yes, 4.9 review score according to Google Play.


Let’s be honest: not everyone is a fast learner. Whether it’s your first time or your hundredth, ADP RUN has step-by-step screens and quick tips for completing tasks.

There’s direct deposit for paying your employees and additional options like Wisely Direct (an ADP-exclusive debit card) and ADPCheck.

Manage everything from your personalized dashboard, including upcoming payrolls, to-dos, payroll history and quick access to all RUN features.

Run powered by ADP is under the ADP umbrella, which earns recognition on our top ten list of the best HR software. Additionally, ADP Workforce Now is in the top five for applicant tracking and recruiting, compensation management, employee self service, and learning management.

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Patriot Payroll is a full-service accounting and payroll software that offers a variety of integrative add-ons to users. The system’s core functions assist with core payroll tasks, while the add-on features enable the system to function as a full HR suite. This web-based payroll solution processes the payment, calculates taxes, creates reports, runs time and attendance and manages invoices.
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$79 Monthly
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Tailored to your specific needs
$21 Monthly
Get a free price quote
Tailored to your specific needs
Small 
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Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile

Product Assistance

Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support

Product Insights

  • Ensure Compliance: Plan for tax season (it’s never too early and let's be honest, everyone dreads it). ADP RUN handles filing and paying your company’s taxes.
  • Manage Overtime: Stay on top of overtime by managing schedules and checking worker classifications. The system comes with support for state unemployment insurance and garnishments.
  • Save Time: Automate payroll and onboarding tasks, kick off off-cycle payrolls, and streamline data entry with convenient worksheets. You can also adjust or correct past payments within the current quarter. The payroll dashboard provides a clear view of all ongoing and past payrolls, with relevant codes highlighted, and shows both in-progress and recently approved payrolls to keep everything organized.
  • Create an Employee Handbook: Keep employees informed about compliance issues and company standards with built-in tools for creating and maintaining employee handbooks (which are viewable online).
  • Go Digital: Reduce physical paperwork by storing company and employee documents digitally via a document vault, which includes a library of templates with best practices.
  • Provide Retirement Planning for Employees: Create retirement plans, including 401(k) and SIMPLE IRA.
  • Offer Employee Self-Service: Let employees access information, from benefits and retirement details to weekly pay stubs.
  • Receive HR Support: Integrate with ADP’s HR solution for expert support, toolkits and training, checkups, and legal assistance. Access resources on healthcare compliance, HR documents, state and federal forms, and pages for tracking employee information.
  • Educate Employees: Provide training courses on topics like sales and sexual harassment.
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  • Accuracy: Define tax settings during the setup process. Calculate taxes automatically along with standard payroll processing, eliminating the chance of human error. Get the system tested and audited regularly.
  • User-Friendly: Guide users through the payroll process, making it easy to use. Take advantage of the free trial to see if it’s a good fit. Adopt it quickly to cut down on lost revenue due to training.
  • Easy-to-Customize: Customize payroll settings and choose from a variety of payment methods. Accommodate many types of business and specific payment structures.
  • Scalability: Adjust pricing and other capabilities to meet the needs of businesses of any size. Users can also cancel any month with a penalty. Allow a company room for growth while ensuring it’s not too expensive.
  • Better Security: Use encryption and systems that are bonded and audited to keep data safe. Ensure data integrity.
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  • Payroll: Check employee hours, adjust details like rates and bonuses, and review the payroll (helping estimate costs for your current pay period). This feature also integrates with general ledgers and exports to Xero and QuickBooks.
  • Insurance: Connects with licensed insurance pros to help pick the right coverage for your business with the ADP Insurance Agency. They've got workers’ comp, auto insurance, BOP, liability insurance and group health insurance. This setup makes it easy to handle premium payments and get certificates of insurance.
  • Mobile Solutions: Securely access the system anytime, anywhere, including clocking in and out with mobile timecards via iOS and Android-ready apps.
  • Hiring and Onboarding: Connect with ZipRecruiter to post jobs, invite candidates, access a resume database and use a wizard to create job descriptions. ADP RUN also includes background check capabilities.
  • Self Onboarding: Let employees fill out paperwork and set up account details, such as direct deposit, before their first day of work.
  • Reporting: View custom reports related to profiles, payroll, PTO and deductions. Arrange report fields with the drag-and-drop functionality and filters help you find what you need faster. Export reports in CSV, PDF or Excel formats.
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  • Payroll Processing: Use payroll with three steps and local, state and federal taxes. Create invoices, see the payment history, pay bills, print records and add employees. Accept payments from credit cards, make and send out estimates, import bank interactions, reconcile accounts and manage documents and receipts. Manage garnishments, PTO and print W-2s.
  • Invoice Management: Create and store invoices as well as setting up recurring invoices, reminders and more.
  • Tax Calculation: Calculate, file and pay taxes. Use the basic subscription package to assist with tax calculations; however, it can’t help filing or paying taxes.
  • Time-Off Tracking: Track time-off balances and activity through the employee portal.
  • Year-End Reports: Generate printable W-2, 940 and 941 documents. File W-2’s and W-3’s electronic.
  • Time and Attendance: Add-on time and attendance services for an additional fee that will enable the system to assist with clock-in and clock-out functionality and allow users to access time cards electronically.
  • Core HR: Add core HR functions to the payroll solution for an additional fee. This add-on allows users to track employment history, census data and share documents with employees.
  • Accounting: Operate cash-based and or accrual accounting. Help accountants with their tasks.
  • Reporting: Download reports in PDF or CSV format in a year-to-date format. Filter by checks, employee, location or totals. See contributions, deductions, earnings, employer payments, hours and withheld taxes. Understand potential issues with a tax liability report.
  • Multiple Devices: Use the program on a variety of devices, including mobile and tablets.
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Product Ranking

#1

among all
Payroll Software

#17

among all
Payroll Software

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Analyst Rating Summary

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Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

ADP RUN
Patriot Payroll
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Benefits Management Dashboard And Reporting Expense Management Mobile Capabilities Payroll And Tax Management Platform Capabilities Security And Compliance Time And Attendance Management 45 40 48 61 88 65 80 44 0 25 50 75 100
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Analyst Ratings for Technical Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

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User Sentiment Summary

Excellent User Sentiment 2835 reviews
Excellent User Sentiment 1898 reviews
90%
of users recommend this product

ADP RUN has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 90% when considering 2835 user reviews from 3 recognized software review sites.

96%
of users recommend this product

Patriot Payroll has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 96% when considering 1898 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

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5.0 (14)
4.6 (1450)
4.8 (358)
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4.8 (1513)
4.5 (779)
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4.3 (606)
4.3 (13)

Awards

ADP RUN stands above the rest by achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating as a User Favorite.

User Favorite Award

Patriot Payroll stands above the rest by achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating as a User Favorite.

User Favorite Award

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Easy to Use: A whopping 88% of users found the design intuitive and user-friendly, including the mobile app. Specifically, the payroll side is noted for its clear presentation.
Excellent Customer Service: 82% of ADP RUN users praise its customer service, particularly the prompt assistance and effective issue resolution through the 24/7 chat feature.
Efficient Reporting: Users enjoy ADP RUN's reporting for ensuring accurate P&L allocation and payroll tracking. The report generator helps tailor payroll reports for seamless integration with accounting files for a more comprehensive overview.
User-Friendly Payroll Processing: Most users find the payroll feature easy and efficient. They appreciate the quick data entry process and fail-safe questions to prevent errors.
24/7 Customer Service: RUN offers phone and online support to ensure the speedy resolution of issues. In reviews, users say customer service is polite, knowledgeable and effective.
Automated Tax Filing: Companies can leave all their taxes to RUN. They don’t have to worry about filing on time. Instead, they can trust experienced professionals to handle it.
Easy to Use: The platform is easy to navigate and use, with a relatively small learning curve.
Multiple Reports: Built-in reports are easy to generate; you can also “favorite” frequent reports to save time. They’re also convenient to view online and export as a PDF or Excel file.
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Excellent Customer Service: Over 90% of users that discussed the support loved the customer service.
Useful Features: Users said the system had good functionality in over 90% of comments that discussed it.
Simple UI: More than 80% of reviewers who talked about the navigation said the solution was easy to use.
Affordable: Commenters felt the price was appropriate in over 80% of the comments that mentioned it.
Fluid Implementation: Over 80% of reviewers that discussed setup felt the implementation process was smooth.
Tax Forms: Users found the tax forms easy to find and fill out in more than 80% of comments that discussed it.
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Limited Timesheets: Some express a desire for a customizable timesheet.
PTO Woes: Users have mixed experiences with ADP RUN's PTO feature. They encounter challenges with managers not receiving timely alerts for PTO requests and being directed to incorrect pages when trying to approve requests. There's a desire for more customization options, particularly in setting PTO features tailored to individual employee needs.
Holiday Time Off: Some users also face difficulties updating company holidays for specific pay classes within the system.
Tax Questions: Some users request additional clarity when setting up earning and deductions tax status in payroll.
Add-Ons Get Expensive: Not all functionalities are available in the main application.
Costly Upgrades: It’s relatively expensive, and upgrading from one tier to the next isn’t always seamless. It’s not the most affordable for companies with many pay cycles per month. Other payroll options offer similar functions and cost less.
Difficult/Limited Functionality: Some issues include: Users can’t edit payroll after submission. No feature for escalating to supervisors. Hard to remove workers hired to cover during vacations. No unlimited payroll runs. No option to create multiple paychecks for one person during the pay cycle.
Implementation Miscommunication: Some reviewers have reported poor communication when working through implementation issues. However, some say that after setup, it’s easy to use, and potential hurdles are worth the trouble.
Slow Phone Customer Service: Customer service is ultimately helpful, but many users get frustrated by long wait times to speak with a rep. After all, any issue regarding money may be a serious one.
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Long Lead Time Direct Deposit Issues: Over 70% of users who talked about direct deposit complained about the long lead time.
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RUN powered by ADP is a popular payroll and HR solution for a range of small businesses, including startups and newer companies needing robust payroll and HR tools (without extensive expertise).Its efficient tools for managing employee records, benefits and compliance help these professionals minimize manual effort. Payroll specialists and accountants or bookkeepers also benefit from ADP RUN's automation and error detection.The main menu and search bar (with shortcuts for common tasks under it) made it easy to find what I was looking for without an annoying amount of redirects or feeling like a game of Where’s Waldo. It’s simple and uncomplicated to view your paystub and when payday is.For admins, the payroll feature seems straightforward. View your pay period, use “Calculate Paycheck” and check dates. Get an overview of payroll either for all employees or sort by things like last name. When you log in and get to the main page, there’s also a convenient reminder(s) section called “Top To-Dos.”For famous document misplacers, there’s a document vault that keeps important info secure and accessible.Onboard fully from your phone, including setting up direct deposit and tax withholdings without waiting for HR to show you how. For me, working remotely makes mobile access a must-have, and ADP RUN checks that box with mobile clocking in and out, viewing company policies, PTO, and pay info. Admins can also fully get payroll done on their phones.If anything seems off, payroll error detection activates a pop-up box asking, “Does this look right?” and gives a brief explanation of potential issues; from there, admins select “Ignore issues” or “Go back and fix.”Run a single report or select a popular report option. View payroll details, liabilities and summaries. Choose your date range and download the report from there (on the app or desktop).Recent reviews cite long wait times over the phone for customer service. When I called the general line, I shared my details and got a specific number to dial. I would prefer direct transfers over calling separate numbers, although this might change once you have a designated contact.Lastly, I've noticed that the cost is higher compared to competitors like Paychex or Workday. Purchasing add-on features “a la carte” affects the cost, which may be frustrating to some users who need more in-depth functionality on a smaller budget.The RUN Powered by ADP® Mobile Payroll app is a free download for mobile devices. With the app, you can complete payroll processing, view reports like payroll liability and access or update employee 1099 info. Additional mobile app features vary depending on Apple or Android devices, such as a chat feature for Androids and pay rate changes on Apple devices.Overall, RUN Powered by ADP is a comprehensive payroll solution for small businesses. Its intuitive design is great for users with little to no experience in most cases. It might be pricier than some alternatives, but most users find the added cost valid, considering its user-friendly interface, payroll automation and mobile app features.

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Patriot Payroll is a straightforward payroll app with some HR core functionality mixed in. Users like its ease of use and felt the support was responsive, understood the problem well and gave them enough resources. The features were well-reviewed, especially the insurance forms and tax filing abilities, making it administratively advantageous. The users loved the implementation process, which they said went smoothly, guided by the knowledgeable support team. Overall, reviewers felt it was within an appropriate price range for its functionality. On the downside, users didn’t like that the direct deposit required four days of lead time for regular ACH funding. This software may be a good option for small businesses looking to bring their payroll online.

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