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Software · head to head

ADP vs TaxAct

ADP logo

ADP

Software

Always Designing for People

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
T

TaxAct

Software

Get your maximum refund, guaranteed

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only TaxAct 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; TaxAct free Edition is limited to eligible filers such as W-2 employees and students; anyone with investment income needs Premier starting at $99.99

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ADP and TaxAct actually diverge.

Attributes where ADP and TaxAct differ
AttributeADPTaxAct
Starting price$29/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb
Founded1949Unknown

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 TaxAct

Nothing recorded that ADP does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

ADP

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

TaxAct

No use cases recorded yet. See the TaxAct review.

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

TaxAct

  • Free Edition is limited to eligible filers such as W-2 employees and students; anyone with investment income needs Premier starting at $99.99
  • Self-Employed tier for gig workers and business owners starts at $109.99, with state filing typically billed as an additional charge

Pricing, plan by plan

ADP

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

TaxAct

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the TaxAct 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 TaxAct if

  • You want to start without paying.
TaxAct review

Questions people ask

Is ADP or TaxAct better?
Neither clearly leads. ADP starts at $29/month and TaxAct at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ADP or TaxAct?
TaxAct has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for ADP and Free for TaxAct.
Does ADP or TaxAct run on more platforms?
ADP runs on Web, Ios, Android. TaxAct runs on Web.
Can I use TaxAct for free?
Yes. TaxAct 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 TaxAct is typically brought in for.
What can ADP do that TaxAct cannot?
ADP covers Payroll, Tax services, HR management, Time & attendance.
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