Find out how these two payroll providers compare when it comes to pricing and features, including the latest ratings and reviews:
Small businesses and industry experts have shared their payroll software insight and advice.
See how OnPay and Paychex Flex stack up.
Customer review data on this page is all from G2.com. Links and additional resources.
A great payroll provider will give you everything you need, without any hidden fees. See the breakdown of payroll costs you can expect from Run by ADP vs Paychex Flex to get a clearer picture of which features are included — and what comes at an extra cost.
| Run by ADP | Paychex Flex | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| Base Price | No published price. Negotiate with sales. Price is per pay run, not monthly. | No published price. Negotiate with sales. Price is per pay run, not monthly. |
| Per worker cost | No published price. Negotiate with sales. Price is per pay run, not monthly. | No published price. Negotiate with sales. Price is per pay run, not monthly. |
| Full-service payroll | ||
| Automated federal, state, and local tax filings and payments | Included | Included |
| Unlimited pay runs | Additional fees | Additional fees |
| Multi-state payroll | Additional fees | Additional fees |
| Edit or cancel a pay run | Additional fees | Additional fees |
| Multiple pay rates and schedules | Included | Included |
| Garnishments | Included | Included |
| Accounting and time tracking integrations | Included | Additional fees for some integrations |
| New hire reporting | Additional fees | Included |
| Year-end filings, W-2s, and 1099s | Additional fees | Additional fees |
| Onboarding and Employee Self-Service | ||
| Employee self-onboarding | Included | Additional fees |
| Employee self-service portal | Included | Included |
| Document e-sign for I-9s and W-4s | Included | Additional fees |
| Send and sign offer letters electronically | Additional fees | Not available |
| Employee lifetime account access | Not available | Not available |
| HR and Team Management | ||
| Manage and track time off | Additional fees | Included |
| Org charts | Additional fees | Additional fees |
| Document storage and audits | Additional fees | Additional fees |
| Custom onboarding workflows | Not available | Additional fees |
| Benefits and Compliance | ||
| Medical, dental, and vision plans | Additional fees | Additional fees |
| Integrated workers’ comp plans | Additional fees | Additional fees |
| Integrated 401(k) plan | Additional fees | Additional fees |
| Reporting and Usability | ||
| Payroll and employee reports | Included | Included |
| Real-time reporting filters | Not available | Not available |
| Custom report designer | Not available | Additional fees |
| Customer support | ||
| Setup and data migration | Additional fees | Additional fees |
| Expert phone support | Included | Included |
| Chat support | Not available | Included |
| Accuracy guarantee | Not available | Not available |
*Based on 2023 client survey
97% say OnPay
saves them time
93% say OnPay is
easy to set up
94% say OnPay
gives them flexibility
Try OnPay out yourself to see how easy payroll and HR can be. To get started, just share a few basic details about your business. Our team of pros will set everything up and import your employees’ information for you.
Bottom line, payroll and HR software should simplify your business operations so you can focus on what you do best. Every business has unique needs, so choosing the right provider will make all the difference in how much time — and money — you can save. As you’re considering ADP and Paychex, here are a few areas to explore to make sure you get everything you need.
Any good payroll provider should handle the essentials, like automating payroll taxes and letting you pay workers by direct deposit or check. A great service will go even further by giving you unlimited monthly pay runs, multi-state payroll, and year-end filings, W-2s, and 1099s — at no additional cost.
Any good payroll provider should handle the essentials, like automating payroll taxes and letting you pay workers by direct deposit or check. A great service will go even further by giving you unlimited monthly pay runs, multi-state payroll, and year-end filings, W-2s, and 1099s — at no additional cost.
Your payroll provider should help you simplify hiring and people management with employee self-service and onboarding, e-signing of documents like the W-4, and by taking care of state new hire reporting on your behalf. They should also be able to handle integrated workers’ comp to help you stay compliant with local regulations.
ADP Run and Paychex Flex can support most of these requirements, but it will come at a premium. With some other providers, all of this is included at no additional cost.
Check to see if available payroll reports will give you easy visibility into all of the details of your employment expenses. Dynamic in-app reporting (with no exports required) can really help speed things up — but not all payroll services offer this.
Providers like ADP and Paychex offer payroll reports, but the functionality is limited. To really see information your way, you’ll have to spend extra time exporting the data. There are some providers that offer built-in report designers that let you customize and filter the data in real time, right in the app.
If you’ve paid workers before, you likely have some employee and prior wage data that you’ll need moved over when you switch payroll providers. See if the provider you’re considering will simplify the process by taking care of data migration for you. You should also be able to reach a real expert if you ever have questions or need help.
Both Paychex Flex and ADP Run will charge an additional fee if you want them to handle the setup for you — whereas some providers take care of this for no extra cost. You also may have to pay extra if you want extended support hours.
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