In today’s fast-paced corporate world, businesses constantly seek ways to streamline their workforce management processes. ADP Workforce Now is a well-known player in the HR and payroll software market, but, with the increasing demand for more specialized and customizable solutions, numerous ADP competitors have emerged.

In this article, we’ll explore some of the top alternatives to ADP and discuss their unique advantages to help you pick the right solution.

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Article Roadmap

• Top ADP Competitors
  • Rippling
  • Paylocity
  • Workday HCM
  • Paycor
  • Paycom
• ADP Features
• Next Steps

Top ADP Competitors

Workers now switch jobs an average of 5.7 times in their careers, and 49% of them plan to look for a new job in 2023. It’s no wonder that improving the employee experience is a top priority for 47% of HR leaders.

The right payroll and HR management software allows you to create better hiring processes, pay workers adequately and build their skills for long-term career advancement. As a result, you can find and retain employees better, giving them a workplace they feel more invested in.

The software also addresses compliance concerns by helping you abide by local, state and federal laws, a challenge for 49% of organizations.

While ADP Workforce Now is a leading product in the fast-growing HRMS software industry, there are similar solutions to consider if you’re planning to replace your software with a new one.

Here’s our list of the top ADP competitors and their capabilities to help you find a suitable alternative:

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Rippling

Rippling is a workforce management platform designed for small and medium businesses. Its features include analytical reporting and graphs, online document management, time and expense tracking, workflow automation and benefits administration. The solution also offers a mobile app that employees can use to view and manage pay stubs, request time off and access company documentation.

Generate real-time data reports to evaluate organizational performance. Source

Highest Rated Features According to Our Data

• Security and Compliance — 97
• Benefits Management — 94
• Native Integrations and Extensibility — 89
• Payroll and Tax Management — 85
• Platform Capabilities — 83

Top Benefits

• Streamline Compliance: The system automatically calculates payroll taxes and files them with the right federal, state and local agencies, reducing administrative hassles. It includes W2s, W4s, 1099s and new hire filing and automates all compliance-related work.
• Improve Accessibility: The solution’s document management feature allows you to digitally send, sign and store offer letters, employee handbooks, severance agreements and other important paperwork on a central platform.
• Expand Capabilities: It integrates with over 500 third-party apps including Slack, Brex and Proxy to help you set up new hires, issue corporate cards, control employees’ door access and automate manual tasks with the App Shop.

Primary Features

• Time and Attendance: Allow employees to clock in and out using a tablet kiosk, on the mobile app or computer. Approve hours and instantly sync them with payroll, review time cards right inside each pay run and create custom rules and logic to monitor overtime or missed breaks.
• Expense Management: Reimburse employees and contractors for corporate expenses and pay them in their local currency. Build automated workflows to monitor spending activity and send trigger actions, like when a team’s spend grows. Sync expenses to your general ledger, categorize each expense’s fields and audit and review them collectively.
• Ledger Mapping: Create custom policies that sync payroll and expense data to your general ledger and automatically categorize each account’s fields.

Limitations

• Mobile app doesn’t support benefits.
• Only administrators can access the payroll calendar.

Features Not Fully Supported According to Our Data

• Automated Reminders — Supported with partner integrations
• Mobile Expense Management — Not supported
• Deduction Codes — Not supported

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Paylocity

Paylocity is an all-in-one payroll solution that allows you to automate and execute core processes such as talent acquisition, expense reimbursements and labor management.

It includes security measures like data encryption, real-time backups and network firewalls, and also offers an iOS and Android-compatible mobile app.

Access multiple HR and payroll management functionalities centrally. Source

Highest Rated Features According to Our Data

• Dashboard and Reporting — 100
• Expense Management — 100
• Time and Attendance Management — 100
• Payroll and Tax Management — 98
• Benefits Management — 89

Top Benefits

• Simplify Onboarding: The portal centralizes all onboarding information like contact details, withholding forms and employee handbooks to simplify the induction process for new hires.
• Ensure Compliance: You can easily train users on compliance topics and assess them regularly to stay updated on compliance laws.
• Meet Employee Needs: Employees can use services like FSAs, HSAs, TMAs and COBRA supplement standard plans with complementary programs to meet specific needs.

Primary Features

• Data Reporting: Generate real-time data reports to get insights into demographic information, utilization, employee performance, headcount, labor costs and more.
• Third-Party Integrations: Connects with partner solutions in multiple categories including single sign-on (SSO) and ERP. Exchange data between multiple systems and improve platform capabilities by integrating with apps like Alight, Benepass and Clarity.
• Time and Labor Management: Allow workers to clock in and out via the mobile app. Enable managers to set geofencing rules that ensure accurate clock-punching and create and adjust schedules without manually correcting payroll data.

Limitations

• Limited reporting customization.
• Glitchy timecard adjustments.

Features Not Fully Supported According to Our Data

• Rebranding — Not supported
• Accounting Software Integration — Not supported
• Workers Compensation — Supported with partner integrations

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Workday HCM

Workday HCM is a SaaS solution that manages all aspects of the employee lifecycle in a single HRMS. It allows organizations to operate globally, run payroll, administer benefits, manage talent and facilitate learning. The software also offers audit tools, built-in security capabilities and a mobile app for flexible access.

Access all work-related tools and functionalities on a personal dashboard. Source

Highest Rated Features According to Our Data

• Dashboard and Reporting — 100
• Security and Compliance — 100
• Payroll and Tax Management — 96
• Native Integrations and Extensibility — 96
• Time and Attendance Management — 90

Top Benefits

• Generate Better Insights: You can use advanced reporting and analytics tools to view critical KPIs in the form of graphs, charts, benchmarking reports and more. It allows you to promote employee growth and make better decisions for the future.
• Manage Staffing Needs: You can use a smart calendar to manage time off, track absences and analyze carryovers, all from a single location.
• Improve Hiring Decisions: The solution lets you easily view talent acquisition data on a central dashboard. It also lets you use benchmarking and compensation comparisons to create effective offers and compare your company’s performance with competitors.

Primary Features

• Learning Management System: Create, deliver and track various training materials including multidisciplinary courses, question banks, video tutorials and reference articles on an all-in-one LMS suite. Build assessments, track learner progress, generate data reports, gamify learning elements and more.
• Marketplace: Connect your software with third-party apps such as LinkedIn Learning, Humanity and Salesforce Worker to streamline key operations like case management, hiring and training and applicant management.
• Compensation Management: Create compensation programs to meet varying employee needs. Allow staff members to access total rewards statements, combine compensation components from regular pay to merit, bonus, and stock and use configurations to define awards.

Limitations

• Doesn’t support private cloud HR software deployments.
• Limited customization options.

Features Not Fully Supported According to Our Data

• Benefits Plan Recommendation — Not supported
• Mobile Collaboration — Supported with partner integrations
• 94x Series Forms — Supported with partner integrations

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Paycor

Paycor is an HR system designed for small and medium-sized businesses. It assists with various HR tasks, including hiring, learning and development, time tracking and payroll. The solution can be customized to benefit specific needs for various business sectors such as food service, healthcare, manufacturing and professional services.

Create and manage multiple schedules to make smart staffing decisions. Source

Highest Rated Features According to Our Data

• Benefits Management — 100
• Security and Compliance — 100
• Payroll and Tax Management — 93
• Platform Capabilities —91
• Time and Attendance Management — 90

Top Benefits

• Improve Engagement: You can provide employees more control over their pace of learning with a combination of online and offline classrooms along with social capabilities.
• Streamline Data Entry: The solution allows you to upload applicant data on the system and streamline payroll tracking. You can automatically import data, modify data fields and eliminate duplicate entries from a single location.
• Centralize HR: Easily log in to multiple systems from a single platform using SSO to avoid switching between systems and simplify data-sharing.

Primary Features

• Time and Attendance: Allow employees to punch in and request time off from their mobile devices. Get complete visibility into employee working hours to classify jobs, control labor expenses and provide health benefits.
• Scheduling: Create, manage and communicate employee schedules and allow employees to view and receive real-time updates about them. Approve staffing changes and align job-based qualifications with relevant departments or positions.
• Expense Management: Review, reimburse and report on employee expenses from a single platform. Generate data reports to monitor cashflows and allow employees to submit and track expenses on the mobile app.

Limitations

• Slow reporting.
• Poor integration between payroll and time and attendance, and benefits modules.

Features Not Fully Supported According to Our Data

• Tax Credits — Supported with partner integrations
• Digital Signatures — Supported with partner integrations
• Blackout Dates — Not supported

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Paycom

Paycom is an HR and payroll management solution that streamlines a variety of tasks involved in managing and retaining talent. Key software features include expense management, compensation budgeting, scheduling and labor allocation. Employees can easily place time off requests, view earning statements, access onboarding resources and do more on the mobile app.

Track employees’ working hours and activity in real time. Source

Highest Rated Features According to Our Data

• Dashboard and Reporting — 100
• Security and Compliance — 100
• Expense Management — 100
• Payroll and Tax Management — 92
• Platform Capabilities — 87

Top Benefits

• Ensure Compliance: You can use built-in automation tools to ensure compliance with regulatory and legislative guidelines and prevent legal issues.
• Enhance Security: The software offers features like multi-level user logins with customized access, a 24/7 security command center and 256-bit encryption technology to protect sensitive company and employee data.
• Consolidate Workflows: You can easily access a variety of software functionalities through the platform interface and complete key HR tasks without leaving the system.

Primary Features

• Applicant Tracking System (ATS): Build customizable databases to view applicant information and track candidates at each step of the application process. Allow managers to look up and categorize applicants using specific information such as degree, skill sets, job roles, employment history and more.
• Job Posting: Enable managers to post available positions to several job boards and build insightful reports based on recruitment data to determine the impact of their hiring processes.
• Compensation Management: Define budgets, track employees’ compensation history, set up commission structures, award bonuses and integrate with payroll to compensate employees adequately without exceeding your budget.

Limitations

• Lengthy login process.
• Difficult transition between client and employee access.

Features Not Fully Supported According to Our Data

• Autoschedule Reports — Not supported
• Automated Reminders — Supported with partner integrations
• Mobile Expense Management — Not supported

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ADP Features

Here are some standout ADP Workforce Now features to look for while evaluating similar options:

• Tax Management and Compliance: You can electronically deduct and file federal, state and local taxes. The solution also offers support for local and country-specific compliance requirements, including fair scheduling ordinances, work-and-rest laws, company policies and union agreements.
• Mobile App: The solution’s mobile app allows you to access pay and tax information, view and edit schedules, approve timesheets and manage benefits. Employees can easily punch in, request time off or let you know they’re running late from their mobile devices.
• Integrations: You can easily integrate your payroll and tax, human resources and benefits management systems with third-party applications.
• Scheduling: Create schedules to monitor staffing needs, assign shifts to employees and share and swap shifts. The solution provides complete visibility into the number of hours worked, earned hours, overtime and other analytics to help balance the budget.
• Digital Record Keeping: You can store confidential company data securely in the cloud, upload data in batches and easily search and audit information to save time.

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Next Steps

Though ADP has established itself as a leading HR software provider, you have an abundance of options when it comes to finding comparable software for your specific needs. From customizable HR workflows to advanced analytics and reporting, the competitors we’ve discussed offer innovative solutions that help you to stay ahead in today’s competitive market.

Ready for the next step? Check out our free comparison report for detailed insights into leading payroll software and how they stack up.

So, did we cover all the top solutions? Why do you want to switch from ADP to something new? Share your thoughts in the comments below!