Payroll & Benefits · head to head
Paychex Flex vs ADP Workforce Now

Paychex Flex
Payroll & Benefits
Payroll and HR solutions that grow with you
- From
- $39/month
- Rated
- -

ADP Workforce Now
Payroll & Benefits
All-in-one HR, payroll, talent, and benefits
- From
- $23/employee per month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Paychex Flex paychex publishes no rate card for Paychex Flex: the payroll page names the Select, Pro and Enterprise packages but gives no per employee fee, no base monthly fee and no setup fee; ADP Workforce Now pricing not publicly available, making budget comparison difficult
- They diverge on capability: Paychex Flex covers HR Services, ADP Workforce Now covers HR Management.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Paychex Flex and ADP Workforce Now actually diverge.
| Attribute | Paychex Flex | ADP Workforce Now |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $39/month | $23/employee per month |
| Pricing model | quote | Unknown |
| Platforms | Web, Ios, Android | Web, Mobile |
| Founded | 1971 | 1949 |
Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Payroll & Benefits).
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 Paychex Flex
- HR Services
- Retirement Services
- Sage
- Google Workspace
Only in ADP Workforce Now
- HR Management
- Talent Management
- Salesforce
- Slack
Both cover
- Payroll Processing
- Tax Administration
- Benefits Administration
- Time and Attendance
- QuickBooks
- Xero
- Microsoft 365
- Web support
- Ios support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Paychex Flex
- Running payroll and filing payroll taxes for small and mid sized US businessesnot ADP Workforce Now
- Combining payroll with benefits administration and HR services from one vendornot ADP Workforce Now
- Handling multi state payroll compliance and year end tax formsnot ADP Workforce Now
ADP Workforce Now
No use cases recorded yet. See the ADP Workforce Now review.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Paychex Flex
- Paychex publishes no rate card for Paychex Flex: the payroll page names the Select, Pro and Enterprise packages but gives no per employee fee, no base monthly fee and no setup fee
- Pricing is obtained only by requesting a quote or calling sales
- Product capability is split across three packages, so features are tied to a tier whose price is not disclosed
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
Pricing, plan by plan
Paychex Flex
$39/month- Essentials$39/month
- Payroll Processing
- Tax Services
- Direct Deposit
- Select$undefined/month
- All Essentials features
- HR Administration
- Onboarding
ADP Workforce Now
$23/employee per monthNo published plan breakdown. See the ADP Workforce Now review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Paychex Flex if
- You need hr services.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want retirement services.
Choose ADP Workforce Now if
- You need hr management.
- You work on Web, Mobile.
- You also want talent management.
Questions people ask
- Is Paychex Flex or ADP Workforce Now better?
- Neither clearly leads. Paychex Flex starts at $39/month and ADP Workforce Now at $23/employee per month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Paychex Flex or ADP Workforce Now?
- Paychex Flex starts at $39/month and ADP Workforce Now at $23/employee per month.
- Does Paychex Flex or ADP Workforce Now run on more platforms?
- Paychex Flex runs on Web, Ios, Android. ADP Workforce Now runs on Web, Mobile.
- What is Paychex Flex best used for?
- Paychex Flex is most often used for running payroll and filing payroll taxes for small and mid sized us businesses, combining payroll with benefits administration and hr services from one vendor, handling multi state payroll compliance and year end tax forms. Of those, running payroll and filing payroll taxes for small and mid sized us businesses and combining payroll with benefits administration and hr services from one vendor are not what ADP Workforce Now is typically brought in for.
- What can Paychex Flex do that ADP Workforce Now cannot?
- Paychex Flex covers HR Services, Retirement Services, Sage, Google Workspace. ADP Workforce Now covers HR Management, Talent Management, Salesforce, Slack. Both handle Payroll Processing, Tax Administration, Benefits Administration, Time and Attendance.
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.
SourceADP 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.
SourceADP 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.
SourceADP 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.
SourceRelated pages
More on Paychex Flex
More on ADP Workforce Now
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