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Software · head to head

ADP vs Slack

ADP logo

ADP

Software

Always Designing for People

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Slack logo

Slack

Software

Where work happens

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Slack has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: ADP no pricing is published; every quote is custom and driven by employee count and which services are taken; Slack 90-day message history limit on free plan results in important conversations disappearing
  • They diverge on capability: ADP covers Payroll, Slack covers Channels.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ADP and Slack actually diverge.

Attributes where ADP and Slack differ
AttributeADPSlack
Starting price$29/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux
Founded19492009

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in ADP

  • Payroll
  • Tax services
  • HR management
  • Time & attendance
  • Benefits administration
  • QuickBooks
  • Sage
  • Oracle

Only in Slack

  • Channels
  • Direct messaging
  • Voice & video calls
  • Screen sharing
  • File sharing
  • Search
  • Workflow builder
  • Slack Connect

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

ADP

  • Payroll processing and tax filingnot Slack
  • HR administration and employee recordsnot Slack
  • Time and attendance trackingnot Slack
  • Benefits administrationnot Slack
  • Talent management on the mid-market and enterprise productsnot Slack

Slack

  • Team communicationnot ADP
  • Project coordinationnot ADP
  • Customer supportnot ADP
  • Remote worknot ADP
  • Cross-functional collaborationnot ADP

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

ADP

  • No pricing is published; every quote is custom and driven by employee count and which services are taken
  • Split into three separate products by company size, RUN for 1 to 49 employees, Workforce Now for 50 and above, and Lyric HCM for enterprise, so growing across a threshold means changing product rather than plan

Slack

  • 90-day message history limit on free plan results in important conversations disappearing
  • Per-user pricing becomes expensive quickly for larger teams
  • Notification overload with 78% of employees feeling overwhelmed by notifications
  • Mobile app performance issues including lag and slow syncing
  • Huddles limited to 50 people and cannot be recorded
  • Requires dedicated video conferencing service for formal meetings and webinars

Pricing, plan by plan

ADP

$29/month
  • Essential$79/month
    • Payroll
    • Tax filing
    • Direct deposit
  • Enhanced$139/month
    • HR tools
    • Background checks
    • Job posting

Slack

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Slack review.

Which should you pick?

Choose ADP if

  • You need payroll.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want tax services.
ADP review

Choose Slack if

  • You need channels.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux.
  • You also want direct messaging.
Slack review

Questions people ask

Is ADP or Slack better?
Neither clearly leads. ADP starts at $29/month and Slack at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ADP or Slack?
Slack has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for ADP and Free for Slack.
Does ADP or Slack run on more platforms?
ADP runs on Web, Ios, Android. Slack runs on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux.
Can I use Slack for free?
Yes. Slack has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. ADP starts at $29/month.
What is ADP best used for?
ADP is most often used for payroll processing and tax filing, hr administration and employee records, time and attendance tracking, benefits administration. Of those, payroll processing and tax filing and hr administration and employee records are not what Slack is typically brought in for.
What can ADP do that Slack cannot?
ADP covers Payroll, Tax services, HR management, Time & attendance. Slack covers Channels, Direct messaging, Voice & video calls, Screen sharing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Slack: Does Slack have a free plan?

Yes, Slack offers a free plan indefinitely with no credit card required. Free users get 90-day message history, up to 10 app integrations, and 1:1 huddles.

Source
Slack: What are Slack's pricing plans?

Slack offers Free, Pro ($7.25/user/month with annual billing), Business+ ($12.50/user/month), and Enterprise Grid (custom pricing). Monthly billing costs approximately 20% more than annual.

Source
Slack: Does Slack support offline use?

Slack is a cloud-based platform and does not support robust offline work. Internet connectivity is required to access messages and collaborate.

Source
Slack: What integrations does Slack support?

Slack integrates with 43+ apps on average per team, including Google Drive, ChatGPT, Vercel, Asana, GitHub, and many others through their app marketplace.

Source
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Related pages

More on ADP

More on Slack

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