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Most buyers should pick APS.
Choose APS if you want published per-employee rates and payroll, attendance, or HR bundled plans: listed prices run $6–$14 per employee monthly, plus a $50 base fee and a $416.67 monthly minimum. Choose ADP Workforce Now if you need its broad payroll and HR offering for midsize-to-enterprise organizations, but its pricing and seat limits are not published on the vendor's site. APS is easier to price-check; neither product lists a free plan.
01Side by side
| ADP Workforce Now | APS | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Pricing not published | $6/employee/month, plus $50 base; $416.67 minimum |
| Free plan | No free plan listed | No free plan |
| Best for | Midsize-to-enterprise; generally 50–999+ employees | Small, midsize, and growing businesses |
| Core strength | Payroll, HR, talent, benefits, workforce management | Payroll, HR, attendance, recruiting, onboarding |
| Learning curve | Not published | Guided implementation and training |
| Integrations/data | Not listed on homepage | Workforce insights; some integrations cost extra |
| Team/seat costs | Seat limits and overages not published | Per-employee pricing; $416.67 monthly minimum |
| Support | Not specified | Dedicated customer support and expert tax team |
ADP Workforce Now Choose ADP Workforce Now if
- Choose ADP Workforce Now for payroll and HR across business sizes.
- Choose ADP Workforce Now for benefits administration at midsize or large businesses.
- Choose ADP Workforce Now for talent solutions at midsize businesses.
APS Choose APS if
- Choose APS if published per-employee pricing matters.
- Choose APS if you need attendance bundled with payroll.
- Choose APS if guided implementation and employee self-service matter.
02Pricing compared
APS is easier to price-check: its pricing page lists $6 per employee monthly for Payroll, $10 for Payroll + Attendance, and $14 for Payroll + HR + Attendance. Each plan also has a $50 monthly base fee, and the minimum bill is $416.67 per month. Annual prices are not published, and some add-on prices are also undisclosed.
ADP Workforce Now’s Select, Plus, and Premium plan prices and seat limits are not published on the vendor's site. The plans are generally targeted at organizations with 50 to 999+ employees, but that range is not a published seat cap. Neither product lists a free plan. For a buyer comparing budgets before a sales call, APS provides more to work with; ADP requires a quote.
03Features and depth
APS bundles payroll with increasingly broad capabilities. Its Payroll plan lists tax filings and payments, direct deposit, paycards, customer support, and on-demand pay. Payroll + Attendance adds scheduling, geofencing and geotracking, and time calculations. Payroll + HR + Attendance adds recruiting and onboarding, document management with e-signature, and benefits and COBRA administration. APS also lists core HR, workforce insights, employee self-service, and guided implementation.
ADP’s homepage describes payroll and HR solutions across business sizes, but does not specifically describe Workforce Now in the published information. It lists time and attendance for small and midsize businesses, workforce management for large businesses, talent for midsize businesses, and benefits administration for midsize and large businesses. That suggests a broad menu, but the available details do not establish which features come with each Workforce Now plan. APS gives clearer plan-level feature distinctions; ADP’s configuration needs confirmation.
04Ease of use and learning curve
APS lists guided implementation, employee self-service, training, and customer support, which gives buyers some visibility into setup and ongoing help. The published information does not describe its interface or how much work implementation requires, so we can’t call it easier to use based on those offerings alone.
For ADP Workforce Now, the published material does not detail implementation, training, or support. Its undisclosed plan pricing and seat limits also make it harder to assess fit before contacting sales. Buyers should ask both vendors to confirm implementation steps, support coverage, and which features are included in the quoted plan.
Questions people ask
What is ADP Payroll software?
ADP offers payroll and HR solutions for businesses of different sizes. The published information describes payroll for small, midsize, and large businesses, but ADP’s homepage does not specifically describe Workforce Now or publish its pricing. Confirm the product’s exact scope and quote with ADP.
How do I check my payroll on ADP?
The published information does not include steps for checking payroll in ADP or specify which Workforce Now screens employees use. Ask your ADP administrator for account-specific instructions, or check ADP’s product documentation for the version your employer uses.
Who is a competitor to ADP?
APS is one alternative for buyers comparing payroll and HR software. Its listed plans range from payroll to bundles that add attendance, recruiting, onboarding, and benefits administration. APS publishes per-employee monthly rates, while ADP Workforce Now pricing is not published on the vendor's site.
Are Workforce and ADP the same company?
ADP is the company; ADP Workforce Now is the product named in this comparison. APS is a separate provider of payroll and human capital management software. The published material does not give further corporate details about either company.