Softwr

Software · head to head

ADP vs Zendesk

ADP logo

ADP

Software

Always Designing for People

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zendesk logo

Zendesk

Software

Champions of customer service

From
$19/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: ADP no pricing is published; every quote is custom and driven by employee count and which services are taken; Zendesk aI agents operate on per-resolution billing; customers pay only when an AI agent successfully resolves a ticket without escalation
  • They diverge on capability: ADP covers Payroll, Zendesk covers Ticket management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ADP and Zendesk actually diverge.

Attributes where ADP and Zendesk differ
AttributeADPZendesk
Starting price$29/month$19/month
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb
Founded19492007

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), 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 Zendesk

  • Ticket management
  • Omnichannel support
  • Knowledge base
  • Live chat
  • Call center
  • Analytics & reporting
  • Automation
  • Customer satisfaction

What people use each for

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

ADP

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

Zendesk

  • Help desk and ticketing system managementnot ADP
  • Omnichannel customer supportnot ADP
  • Knowledge base and self-service portalsnot ADP
  • AI-assisted customer servicenot 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

Zendesk

  • AI agents operate on per-resolution billing; customers pay only when an AI agent successfully resolves a ticket without escalation
  • Copilot and Contact Center features available as separate add-ons at £50+/agent/month
  • Advanced routing, workforce engagement, and approval workflows limited to Enterprise tier
  • Highest tier requires sales consultation and custom pricing

Pricing, plan by plan

ADP

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

Zendesk

$19/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Zendesk 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 Zendesk if

  • You need ticket management.
  • You also want omnichannel support.
Zendesk review

Questions people ask

Is ADP or Zendesk better?
Neither clearly leads. ADP starts at $29/month and Zendesk at $19/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ADP or Zendesk?
ADP starts at $29/month and Zendesk at $19/month.
Does ADP or Zendesk run on more platforms?
ADP runs on Web, Ios, Android. Zendesk runs on Web.
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 Zendesk is typically brought in for.
What can ADP do that Zendesk cannot?
ADP covers Payroll, Tax services, HR management, Time & attendance. Zendesk covers Ticket management, Omnichannel support, Knowledge base, Live chat.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on ADP

More on Zendesk

Keep looking

Other head to heads