Gusto vs ADP Workforce Now

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Gusto and ADP Workforce Now are both popular choices for HR teams, but they serve different needs. Gusto is best known as a Payroll + HR with strengths in Full-service payroll, Benefits administration. ADP Workforce Now is a HRIS + Payroll that is notable for Full HR suite, Strong payroll.

This breakdown covers Gusto and ADP Workforce Now pricing, strengths, weak spots, and best-fit use cases.

Editor's Take

This is the classic small-business-versus-scale comparison: one is designed for small teams to self-serve, the other for larger organisations with more complex payroll and compliance needs. The price gap reflects that, and so does the setup effort. Decide by your headcount in two years and whether you need dedicated support, not by today's feature list.

Gusto vs ADP Workforce Now: at a glance

Feature	Gusto	ADP Workforce Now
Starting price	$40/mo + $6/employee/mo	Custom
Category	Payroll + HR	HRIS + Payroll
Best for	Small businesses	Mid-size to large
Free trial	Varies / demo	Varies / demo
Payroll included	Yes	Yes

Where Gusto and ADP Workforce Now differ

Payroll processing and tax handling

Gusto focuses on Full-service payroll, Benefits administration, Easy to use. This makes it a strong fit for teams that need Small businesses. ADP Workforce Now, meanwhile, emphasizes Full HR suite, Strong payroll, Benefits administration, which appeals to Mid-size to large.

Ease of use and setup

Both platforms offer modern web interfaces, but Gusto tends to be easier for non-HR admins to pick up quickly. ADP Workforce Now offers more depth, which can require more onboarding.

Pricing model

Gusto starts at $40/mo + $6/employee/mo, while ADP Workforce Now starts at Custom. For most small teams, the total cost will depend on employee count and required add-ons. Always request a quote for exact pricing.

Gusto vs ADP Workforce Now: pros and cons

Gusto vs ADP Workforce Now pricing compared

Gusto Pricing

One publishes, one quotes, so the comparison needs a shared headcount. Gusto lists Simple at $40/mo + $6/employee and Plus at $80/mo + $12/employee; with 30 employees Plus comes to $440/month. ADP does not publish rates, but user reports place it at $10–$25/employee/month, which is a $300 to $750 band for the same headcount, plus $500 to $5,000+ in implementation. Gusto's Plus tier is also the point at which multi-state payroll, PTO management, and time tracking appear, while Premium is quoted and adds HR support and compliance alerts.

ADP Workforce Now Pricing

ADP will not publish rates. User reports put it at $10–$25/employee/month depending on which modules you enable, and implementation fees can range from $500 to $5,000+. Insist on a written quote and ask specifically about year-end processing, W-2 filing, and amendments, because those three charges tend to recur after signature.

Bottom line on pricing: For a 50-employee company, Gusto's total platform cost (including payroll if applicable) is typically around $40/month base + $6/employee/month (Simple plan), while ADP Workforce Now comes in around $Custom quote only (typically $10–$25/employee/month). The gap changes significantly depending on which modules you need and your employee count. Always request written quotes from both before deciding.

Daily user experience

Gusto Easiest payroll setup in the industry — many users complete it in under an hour

ADP Workforce Now Best-in-class payroll and tax filing — ADP handles this for millions of businesses

Where these two diverge in daily use is admin workload. Gusto pushes self-service: employees edit their own records, bank details included, without filing tickets. With ADP Workforce Now, more everyday changes route through an admin first.

Integrations and add-ons

Gusto integrates with: QuickBooks, Xero, BambooHR, Greenhouse, Lever, Slack, Zapier, When I Work

ADP Workforce Now integrates with: QuickBooks, SAP, Oracle, Workday, Salesforce, Microsoft 365, Zapier

Compatibility with your current stack deserves a hard look before any signature. A short audit call with IT usually settles which integrations are genuinely in production versus listed as roadmap. Native integrations fail less and get vendor support; middleware connectors are where sync errors live.

Setup and implementation

Gusto implementation: Gusto has the fastest implementation in the HR/payroll space. Payroll setup can be completed in a day. Benefits enrollment takes 1–2 weeks with broker assistance. The guided setup wizard handles most of the heavy lifting.

ADP Workforce Now implementation: ADP implementation is more involved than BambooHR or Gusto. Expect 4–12 weeks for Workforce Now, with dedicated implementation managers assigned to larger accounts. The complexity increases with each module you add.

Every week of migration work is a week HR is not doing its actual job. A slow Gusto or ADP Workforce Now rollout quietly eats HR capacity through migration and configuration tasks.

Our verdict: Gusto or ADP Workforce Now?

Choose Gusto if:

• You are Small businesses (1–100 employees)
• Easiest payroll setup in the industry — many users complete it in under an hour
• Transparent pricing with no hidden fees
• Best-in-class UI/UX — employees and admins both love using it

Choose ADP Workforce Now if:

• You are Mid-size to large companies (100–1,000+ employees)
• Best-in-class payroll and tax filing — ADP handles this for millions of businesses
• Breadth of features — one platform covers HR, payroll, benefits, time, and talent
• Strong compliance support and audit protection

Running both is a legitimate ending for this comparison. one platform often serves as system of record while the other handles a specialty function. Name the system of record, then let the second tool fill its gaps.

Frequently asked questions