RUN Powered by ADP® vs. QuickBooks Online

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
RUN Powered by ADP®
Score 9.3 out of 10
Small Businesses (1-50 employees)
The RUN Powered by ADP® cloud-based solution is used to pay employees. It also includes HR and hiring tools, as well as benefits, helping small businesses grow and manage their teams.N/A
QuickBooks Online
Score 8.3 out of 10
N/A
QuickBooks Online is a SaaS version of the QuickBooks product. It contains all of the features found in the local version. Higher-priced plans include greater automation, payment management, inventory and time tracking, and analytics features.
$38
per month
Pricing
RUN Powered by ADP®QuickBooks Online
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Simple Start
$38
per month
Essentials
$75
per month
Plus
$115
per month
Advanced
$275
per month
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
RUN Powered by ADP®QuickBooks Online
Free Trial
YesYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoYes
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
RUN Powered by ADP®QuickBooks Online
Considered Both Products
RUN Powered by ADP®
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
I used to use Paychex, but RUN Powered by ADP® helped me with my workers comp tracking in a more efficient way and I am saving money with using RUN Powered by ADP® versus competitors. Their customer service used to be more accessible, but then you started offering 24/7 access, …
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
I've only used ADP products
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
RUN Powered by ADP® blows Paychex Flex out of the water. The ease of using the app and the website is so much better! The detail we are able to see in the payroll section is much improved. Probably the biggest improvement between the two is the customer service. We feel …
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
Far easier to use and obtain information without having to contact the company
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
Have not compared to another company
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
Convenient, easy and provide professional help and access. We used other products offering payroll processing and reporting services, but I like ADP more because it's easy to use, simple to navigate, and have professional assistance available to help when needed and to make …
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
This is my only experience with payroll.
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
Looking at the features offered (even if we don't utilize them all), we felt that RUN Powered by ADP was a better value for us. We liked the idea of having the support of a well-tenured business at our fingertips. Other payroll providers do not have the longevity or the scope …
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
We were recommended to use this service, we had a local person we discussed doing our payroll and she refused and pointed us here, and this has been simple reasonably price and SUPER EASY on me!
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
Both Gusto & QuickBooks payroll are fine options if you only have a few employees all in one location and rarely make any changes. I switched many of my clients from those platforms because of the increase in remote employees working in different states and the lack of support …
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
We chose RUN because our contact at Bank of America suggested it as our best option and we got a discount due to the partnership between Bank of America and ADP
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
RUN Powered by ADP® was recommended by our accountant. Quickbooks really left us owing taxes and a lot of pending items with the IRS. Really hoping RUN Powered by ADP® is more on top of that.
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
Customer service is superior by far! I get very quick assistance and explanations from the RUN Powered by ADP® team each and every time I interact with them.
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
Based on previous experience and my prior knowledge I always go for ADP.
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
RUN Powered by ADP® fixed all our payroll and timekeeping snafus. The process is mainstreamed and integrated. We were assigned a specific account rep for our initial two months who answered every question and tweaked the system to our needs. QuickBooks was challenging to deal …
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
I prefer RUN, it is more user friendly and there is great support.
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
I went from RUN to workforce now and see now that it was a very bad decision. I enjoy not having to do things with regard to inputting new hires, etc. I am hoping RUN can adopt the option of sending an email to new hires that allows them to put their own information in similar …
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
The only other service we used was CertiPay. They handled our payroll services prior to ADP. I do like how when help was needed I was able to email them & I would receive a response immediately. They also ran any reports that I needed for them to run. However, when I would …
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
I selected RUN Powered by ADP®, not just for the payroll features. They gave us great retirement solutions for our employees and also saved us money on our business insurance that we carry including workers comp. They are a complete solution.
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
We used Wells Fargo's payroll service before ADP, and it was good. When ADP acquired that business from Wells Fargo, the process of submitting our payroll became even easier. My sense is that ADP may have the highest degree of HR integration of the payroll systems I have worked …
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
Both seem to have excellent products. I like to have my payroll under 'one roof' as much as possible.
Chose RUN Powered by ADP®
ADP is the largest provider of payroll. It can be expensive if you only have 1-2 employees but as your payroll scales, the costs decrease on a per employee basis. This though is typical for most providers.
QuickBooks Online

No answer on this topic

Features
RUN Powered by ADP®QuickBooks Online
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
RUN Powered by ADP®
8.0
261 Ratings
3% below category average
QuickBooks Online
8.4
81 Ratings
9% above category average
Pay calculation9.1252 Ratings7.572 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors7.376 Ratings00 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment9.3175 Ratings00 Ratings
Benefit plan administration6.8111 Ratings7.033 Ratings
Direct deposit files9.4245 Ratings9.067 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management9.5186 Ratings9.046 Ratings
Reimbursement management5.138 Ratings9.448 Ratings
Customization
Comparison of Customization features of Product A and Product B
RUN Powered by ADP®
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Online
8.3
71 Ratings
8% above category average
API for custom integration00 Ratings8.757 Ratings
Plug-ins00 Ratings8.058 Ratings
Security
Comparison of Security features of Product A and Product B
RUN Powered by ADP®
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Online
9.7
112 Ratings
15% above category average
Single sign-on capability00 Ratings9.684 Ratings
Role-based user permissions00 Ratings9.7106 Ratings
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
RUN Powered by ADP®
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Online
8.2
136 Ratings
4% above category average
Dashboards00 Ratings8.7128 Ratings
Standard reports00 Ratings8.3132 Ratings
Custom reports00 Ratings7.6120 Ratings
General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of Product A and Product B
RUN Powered by ADP®
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Online
8.6
147 Ratings
10% above category average
Accounts payable00 Ratings9.2125 Ratings
Accounts receivable00 Ratings9.4135 Ratings
Cash management00 Ratings8.9123 Ratings
Bank reconciliation00 Ratings9.2141 Ratings
Expense management00 Ratings8.8125 Ratings
Time tracking00 Ratings6.957 Ratings
Fixed asset management00 Ratings8.355 Ratings
Multi-currency support00 Ratings7.024 Ratings
Multi-division support00 Ratings9.245 Ratings
Regulations compliance00 Ratings9.341 Ratings
Electronic tax filing00 Ratings9.468 Ratings
Self-service portal00 Ratings8.869 Ratings
Global Financial Support00 Ratings8.318 Ratings
Primary and Secondary Ledgers00 Ratings8.837 Ratings
Intercompany Accounting00 Ratings8.931 Ratings
Localizations00 Ratings8.323 Ratings
Journals and Reconciliations00 Ratings9.476 Ratings
Enterprise Accounting00 Ratings8.327 Ratings
Configurable Accounting00 Ratings7.940 Ratings
Centralized Rules Framework00 Ratings8.426 Ratings
Standardized Processes00 Ratings8.652 Ratings
Inventory Management
Comparison of Inventory Management features of Product A and Product B
RUN Powered by ADP®
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Online
7.6
49 Ratings
3% above category average
Inventory tracking00 Ratings8.046 Ratings
Automatic reordering00 Ratings7.023 Ratings
Location management00 Ratings8.323 Ratings
Manufacturing module00 Ratings7.018 Ratings
Order Management
Comparison of Order Management features of Product A and Product B
RUN Powered by ADP®
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Online
8.4
90 Ratings
8% above category average
Pricing00 Ratings8.056 Ratings
Order entry00 Ratings8.054 Ratings
Credit card processing00 Ratings8.666 Ratings
Cost of goods sold00 Ratings9.370 Ratings
Order Orchestration00 Ratings8.022 Ratings
End-to-end order visibility00 Ratings9.021 Ratings
Order exception Resolution00 Ratings8.019 Ratings
Best Alternatives
RUN Powered by ADP®QuickBooks Online
Small Businesses
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.5 out of 10
QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
Score 8.9 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.7 out of 10
Zoho Books
Zoho Books
Score 9.0 out of 10
Enterprises
Infor Human Resources
Infor Human Resources
Score 7.1 out of 10
Oracle Fusion Cloud Enterprise Performance Management
Oracle Fusion Cloud Enterprise Performance Management
Score 10.0 out of 10
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User Ratings
RUN Powered by ADP®QuickBooks Online
Likelihood to Recommend
9.0
(328 ratings)
8.8
(165 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.9
(21 ratings)
1.9
(24 ratings)
Usability
9.9
(12 ratings)
8.9
(80 ratings)
Availability
9.1
(7 ratings)
2.0
(5 ratings)
Performance
8.7
(7 ratings)
1.0
(4 ratings)
Support Rating
9.1
(24 ratings)
1.1
(68 ratings)
In-Person Training
9.6
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Online Training
9.6
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
9.9
(10 ratings)
3.0
(6 ratings)
Configurability
8.7
(4 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Ease of integration
9.1
(1 ratings)
1.3
(2 ratings)
Product Scalability
9.1
(8 ratings)
1.0
(2 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
9.4
(3 ratings)
1.0
(2 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
9.1
(4 ratings)
1.0
(2 ratings)
User Testimonials
RUN Powered by ADP®QuickBooks Online
Likelihood to Recommend
ADP
ADP offers a wide range of options beyond just running payroll. We appreciate the flexibility to select options that best suit our company, such as having Workers' Compensation administered through ADP. During the COVID pandemic, our payroll experts and legal team proved invaluable in navigating special pay circumstances. We have also accessed the HR application to navigate and seek advice on how to administer situations that could be tricky. I would say less appropriate would be putting all our eggs in one basket when it comes to employee benefits - we have a dedicated broker team that we have used for nearly 30 years, and we carry our own HSA and POP insurance, and circumstances when we carry compliant coverage from other sources do not translate to our file with ADP.
Read full review
Intuit
I appreciate the ability to auto-generate invoices for recurring transactions, which saves time, as well as the option to set up auto-generated transactions. The report option is super helpful when reviewing information, as you can click to view the details in the report without having to go back and forth.
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Pros
ADP
  • Ease of use of the platform for reporting payroll.
  • Ease of use for employees via the ADP App.
  • Ease of integration of both PayRoll & 401K services.
  • Storage of reports for 3 years.
  • Accuracy of quarterly filings for State Fund collections via payroll.
  • Hours of operation for support are adequate.
  • Additional available services are helpful.
Read full review
Intuit
  • Workflows for accounts payable invoice review are terrific.
  • Bill payment allows you to pay vendors online via ACH or check without having to write a physical check, which reduces admin time.
  • The cloud based login lends well to a remote or hybrid work environment for staff.
  • QuickBooks Online allows you to pre-configure vendors' general ledger expense accounts. This helps with general ledger coding accuracy and consistency.
  • QuickBooks Online integrates with Rippling HRIS, Coast, Capital One, JPMorgan Chase, etc., which lends well to an efficient month-end closing and reduced administrative time.
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Cons
ADP
  • I would like to see a change in the payroll processing so that when you have to save for later, you don't have to reenter all the information you have already entered.
  • Make it easier for the employees to track their used vacation and PTO hours.
Read full review
Intuit
  • The upsells have gotten worse over time and are on every screen in the most awkward positions. I don't need a constant reminder to upgrade, especially on a very old account that's paid thousands over the years.
  • The interface has never been especially intuitive, but I was an old Quicken user and it was somewhat familiar. Over time, it's gotten worse, and in the last 2 years, the program seems to move things more often than I would expect.
  • The software constantly adds features that I don't want and want to turn off, but the interface is so difficult to use that I find myself skipping it. Imagine seeing a message that the system recognized invoices that hadn't been paid so it prepared reminder notices for you that can be sent at the click of a button. Who thinks using canned reminders that you've never seen is a good thing?
  • A lot of functionality seems to derive from connecting your bank accounts to QBO. I don't want Intuit to have an always-on connection to any bank accounts, even checking.
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Likelihood to Renew
ADP
It is much better than the payroll system I used previously. The integrations that RUN has for on-boarding new hires are very convenient when they work properly. It saves a tremendous amount of time being able to email a link to new employees that allows them to enter much of their own demographic information. Payroll feature alerts me when someone's pay is significantly less or more than usual.
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Intuit
It like the product 'right out of the box' and I trust Intuit will continually improve it over the years based on my experience with their desktop products. The large providers of Apps makes customizing the entire package relatively easy and seamless for a wide variety of business types.
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Usability
ADP
I have been using this system for years and they have actually made it easier and easier. The system is always making great upgrades that don't necessarily require any additional information or training. I love when I log in and see a new feature or button that I get to use to make my life easier!
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Intuit
I had very little trouble setting up the program and migrating from our old accounting system. The daily usage is also very intuitive and easy. Anytime we run into minor trouble with the program, there are always tons of help available on YouTube, so we don't even look up the online manual anymore.
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Reliability and Availability
ADP
I don't think I have ever encountered error codes or 404 error screens when trying to access RUN ADP. I run payroll for the company every other week and I have had no issues accessing the website, everything saves and updates when it's needed. Our employees use the app on their phones and they have not had any issues either other than just a basic update of the app occasionally
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Intuit
We have rarely had outages in the last 10 years. I can only recall 2 times in the last 10 years where we were not able to access our client files.
Read full review
Performance
ADP
ADP Run loads a bit slowly at times, once I put in my credentials. However, that said, I think my perception of the time it takes is impacted by our "instant gratification" expectation of being able to get into everything quickly.
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Intuit
Everything process has its bugs lately with the new interface. Nothing has worked smoothly since this all began last month.
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Support Rating
ADP
I appreciated having that issue finally take care of. it was extremely disheartening to see the issue had not been resolved. I also had my employees looking to me and thinking I was not trying to resolve the issue so it reflected poorly on my character. I do not know if i was because of a miscommunication, but nonetheless I was happy it was taken care of
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Intuit
In my experience, most representatives keep me on the phone for hours, literally, for a single issue and then usually cannot resolve it satisfactorily. I have 10 open cases that need resolution and, in my experience, there has been NO follow-up communication on any of them.
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In-Person Training
ADP
they helped up with the 1st payroll after that we were fine - it is very user friendly- they wanted to be sure everything had imported correctly.
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Intuit
No answers on this topic
Online Training
ADP
Our rep was on a zoom with us and one other person from RUN ADP showing us the layout and how to access everything. we mainly use it for payroll and reports so any questions we had they both were insightful and able to help us navigate the site. The training process was a success and we have had any issues since using.
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Intuit
No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
ADP
Make sure there's plenty of time between payrolls for the implementation and be sure to test all the manually inputted fields.
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Intuit
The person in charge of QB needs to be very accurate with record keeping and is recommended to stay on top of tasks. The biggest issue we have is reconciliation, and those issues occur only when too much time has occurred between reconciliations
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Alternatives Considered
ADP
I have looked at both of these products and they both have great services but the support I have received from ADP really keeps me here. My rep is amazing and I honestly have not seen anything on another platform that would make me change at this time.
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Intuit
As a freelance bookkeeper, the Desktop version of QuickBooks Online doesn't allow for ease of access from any device. Having to be on a computer with the software downloaded creates additional work to gain access to all required filings etc. Also, I personally find the linking functionality on the Online version to be much more streamlined and user friendly.
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Scalability
ADP
Every summer, we hire three new college interns who have to be entered into the system. They can enter their information themselves, which takes a load off me. The onboarding is quite straightforward, and today's college kids are techy enough to be able to understand it.
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Intuit
As we have grown along our professional path, we have also expanded our use of QB. The scalability is easy and features seem to be waiting for you until you need them. We have increased profits by over 10x from our first year in business to the current and have yet to find a reason to look elsewhere
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Return on Investment
ADP
  • The costs add up with all the services such as running payroll, adding timekeeping, running background checks, and mailing w-2's.
  • We save money on background checks because the first two are free.
  • We lower risk of employee time, penalties, and lawsuits by allowing RUN Powered by ADP® to handle so much of the payroll such as calculations and tax reporting.
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Intuit
  • QuickBooks has given us a useful portal by which to get an overview of our financials.
  • QuickBooks has given us a relatively easy way to send out invoices quickly and efficiently.
  • Due to the customization limitations on QuickBooks, we've had to get creative in third-party implementations to better represent our brand and to track financials.
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ScreenShots

RUN Powered by ADP® Screenshots

Screenshot of the RUN Dashboard with the business' key info front-and-centerScreenshot of the payroll interfaceScreenshot of access to payroll reports and liability amountsScreenshot of the RUN Powered by ADP mobile app, used to process payroll on the goScreenshot of the ADP mobile app, where employees can access their historical payroll statements and year-end tax documents

QuickBooks Online Screenshots

Screenshot of the accounting and bank transactions interfaceScreenshot of an overview of the accounting inventoryScreenshot of book marksScreenshot of the business tax overviewScreenshot of the customer hubScreenshot of the dashboard