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Payroll · head to head

ADP Workforce Now vs BambooHR

ADP Workforce Now logo

ADP Workforce Now

Payroll

All-in-one HR, payroll, talent, and benefits

From
$23/employee per month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
BambooHR logo

BambooHR

HR

HR software with heart

From
$10/month per employee
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: ADP Workforce Now pricing not publicly available, making budget comparison difficult; BambooHR organisations of 25 or fewer employees pay a flat rate starting at $250 a month, so a very small team pays far more per head than the listed per-employee price
  • They diverge on capability: ADP Workforce Now covers Payroll Processing, BambooHR covers Employee database.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ADP Workforce Now and BambooHR actually diverge.

Attributes where ADP Workforce Now and BambooHR differ
AttributeADP Workforce NowBambooHR
Starting price$23/employee per month$10/month per employee
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsWeb, MobileWeb, Ios, Android, Api
CategoryPayrollHR
Founded19492008

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Workforce Now

  • Payroll Processing
  • Tax Administration
  • HR Management
  • Benefits Administration
  • Time and Attendance
  • Talent Management
  • Xero
  • Salesforce

Only in BambooHR

  • Employee database
  • Time-off management
  • Benefits tracking
  • Performance reviews
  • Onboarding
  • Reporting & analytics
  • Mobile access
  • Document management

Both cover

  • QuickBooks
  • Microsoft 365
  • Slack

What people use each for

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

ADP Workforce Now

  • Processing payroll and tax compliance for 1 in 6 U.S. workersnot BambooHR
  • Managing time tracking and labor cost forecasting across locationsnot BambooHR
  • Coordinating benefits administration and retirement plan compliancenot BambooHR
  • Running distributed hiring workflows for enterprises with global teamsnot BambooHR

BambooHR

  • HR system of record with employee data and documentsnot ADP Workforce Now
  • Time off tracking and approvalsnot ADP Workforce Now
  • Applicant tracking and onboardingnot ADP Workforce Now
  • Performance reviews and 1:1s on the Pro tiernot ADP Workforce Now
  • Compensation planning and benchmarking on Elitenot ADP Workforce Now

Where each one falls short

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

ADP Workforce Now

  • Pricing not publicly available, making budget comparison difficult
  • Additional modules increase per-employee cost significantly
  • Requires minimum 50 employees, not suitable for small businesses
  • Setup fees of $2,000 or more for additional modules

BambooHR

  • Organisations of 25 or fewer employees pay a flat rate starting at $250 a month, so a very small team pays far more per head than the listed per-employee price
  • Per-employee pricing starts at 26 employees, from $10 on Core
  • Performance management, 360 reviews and recognition all require Pro at $17 per employee per month
  • Compensation management, salary benchmarking and advanced analytics are Elite only at $25 per employee per month
  • Compliance training is rationed by tier, at 1 course on Core against 300 on Elite

Pricing, plan by plan

ADP Workforce Now

$23/employee per month

No published plan breakdown. See the ADP Workforce Now review.

BambooHR

$10/month per employee

No published plan breakdown. See the BambooHR review.

Which should you pick?

Choose ADP Workforce Now if

  • You need payroll processing.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want tax administration.
ADP Workforce Now review

Choose BambooHR if

  • You need employee database.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want time-off management.
BambooHR review

Questions people ask

Is ADP Workforce Now or BambooHR better?
Neither clearly leads. ADP Workforce Now starts at $23/employee per month and BambooHR at $10/month per employee, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ADP Workforce Now or BambooHR?
ADP Workforce Now starts at $23/employee per month and BambooHR at $10/month per employee.
Does ADP Workforce Now or BambooHR run on more platforms?
ADP Workforce Now runs on Web, Mobile. BambooHR runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
What is ADP Workforce Now best used for?
ADP Workforce Now is most often used for processing payroll and tax compliance for 1 in 6 u.s. workers, managing time tracking and labor cost forecasting across locations, coordinating benefits administration and retirement plan compliance, running distributed hiring workflows for enterprises with global teams. Of those, processing payroll and tax compliance for 1 in 6 u.s. workers and managing time tracking and labor cost forecasting across locations are not what BambooHR is typically brought in for.
What can ADP Workforce Now do that BambooHR cannot?
ADP Workforce Now covers Payroll Processing, Tax Administration, HR Management, Benefits Administration. BambooHR covers Employee database, Time-off management, Benefits tracking, Performance reviews. Both handle QuickBooks, Microsoft 365, Slack.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ADP Workforce Now: How much does ADP Workforce Now cost?

ADP Workforce Now pricing starts around $23 to $30 per employee per month as base cost. Additional modules like recruiting cost extra, typically $3 per employee per month plus $2,000 setup fee.

Source
BambooHR: Does BambooHR offer a free trial?

Yes, BambooHR offers a free trial available at bamboohr.com/signup/.

Source
ADP Workforce Now: What payroll features does ADP Workforce Now include?

ADP Workforce Now includes payroll processing, benefits administration, time and attendance tracking, compliance management, and AI-powered anomaly detection that flags potential payroll errors before processing.

Source
BambooHR: How is BambooHR pricing calculated?

Pricing varies depending on the number of employees at your organization and the features you select. Contact BambooHR at 1-866-387-9595 for a free price quote specific to your company size.

Source
ADP Workforce Now: Does ADP Workforce Now integrate with other systems?

Yes, ADP Workforce Now integrates with Workday through Flexspring connectors for near-real-time data sharing. Employee benefits, new hire data, and payroll information sync automatically between systems.

Source
BambooHR: Is payroll included in the core plan?

Payroll and time tracking are offered as separate add-on solutions, not included in the base HR modules. The payroll add-on provides seamless data flow, comprehensive reporting, full-service tax filing, and dedicated customer support.

Source
ADP Workforce Now: Who is ADP Workforce Now suitable for?

ADP Workforce Now is built for organizations with 50 or more employees seeking comprehensive payroll and HR management with enterprise-grade features.

Source
BambooHR: In which countries can I use BambooHR?

BambooHR is available in 150+ countries worldwide.

Source
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