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Most buyers should pick HR Partner.
Choose HR Partner if you want published pricing and defined HR workflows: its Core plan is $104 monthly or $95.33 per month with annual billing, for up to 25 employees and five admins. Choose RUN Powered by ADP if you want to consider ADP’s small-business payroll and HR offering, but ask for plan and add-on costs in writing. ADP lists plans for 1–49 employees, but not prices or RUN-specific feature details. Its “3 Months Free” offer is a promotion, not a published free trial.
01Side by side
| HR Partner | RUN Powered by ADP | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $104/month monthly; $95.33/month annual | Not published |
| Free plan | No; 14-day free trial | No; 3 Months Free promotion |
| Best for | Teams of 20–500 needing cloud HR | Small businesses; plans cover 1–49 employees |
| Core strength | Employee records and HR workflows | Small-business payroll and HR solutions |
| Learning curve | Not published | Not published |
| Integrations/data | Employee records; integrated job boards | RUN-specific details not published |
| Team/seat costs | Core: 25 employees, five admins; larger pricing adjusts | Plans cover 1–49; prices and usage limits unpublished |
| Support | Human support | Not specified |
HR Partner Choose HR Partner if
- Choose HR Partner if you want published starting prices.
- Choose HR Partner if you need employee records and HR workflows.
- Choose HR Partner if a 25-employee Core cap fits.
RUN Powered by ADP Choose RUN Powered by ADP if
- Choose RUN Powered by ADP if you want to consider ADP.
- Choose RUN Powered by ADP if your business has 1–49 employees.
- Choose RUN Powered by ADP if you’ll request written pricing.
02Pricing compared
HR Partner is the more price-transparent option. Its Core plan costs $104 per month, or $95.33 per month with annual billing, for up to 25 employees and five admins. Annual subscribers pay for 11 months instead of 12; invoice or bank-deposit billing costs 12 monthly fees. Extra admins carry an unpublished fee, and pricing changes for larger teams.
ADP does not publish RUN plan prices. It lists Essential Payroll, Enhanced Payroll, Complete Payroll & HR Plus, and HR Pro Payroll & HR for businesses with 1–49 employees, but specific usage limits and costs are not published. ADP advertises “3 Months Free”; that is a promotion, not a published free trial. Time, retirement, workers’ compensation, and health insurance add-on prices are also not published. Get a written quote before comparing total costs.
03Features and depth
HR Partner spells out its HR workflows: employee records for contact details, files, reviews, assets, and renewable documents; job posting and visual applicant tracking; onboarding checklists; leave requests, accruals, approvals, and a shared calendar; performance reviews and goals; and expense claims with receipts submitted through an employee portal. The product is modular, so check which features are included in the plan you’re quoted.
ADP’s small-business lineup includes payroll and HR solutions, plus time and attendance, retirement, health benefits, and workers’ compensation. But the available product information does not say which of those capabilities come with RUN, or how they map to its four payroll and HR plans. That makes a direct feature-by-feature comparison difficult: HR Partner publishes specific HR workflows, while RUN’s specific features and plan inclusions are not described. Ask ADP to identify included features and add-on costs in writing.
04Ease of use and learning curve
HR Partner describes an online employee portal, shared leave calendar, visual applicant tracking, and onboarding checklists. Those workflows give buyers a clearer picture of how routine HR tasks are handled, but the available information does not establish how easy the software is to learn. HR Partner offers a 14-day free trial, no contracts, and human support, so teams can assess fit before committing.
We can’t make the same usability comparison for RUN from the available product details: ADP’s homepage does not describe RUN-specific workflows or its learning curve. Ask for a walkthrough of the exact plan under consideration, including any add-ons, before switching.
Questions people ask
How much does HR Partner cost compared with RUN Powered by ADP?
HR Partner’s Core plan is $104 monthly or $95.33 per month with annual billing, for up to 25 employees and five admins. ADP does not publish RUN plan prices. Its “3 Months Free” promotion is not a published free trial, so request a quote that includes any add-ons.
Does RUN Powered by ADP include the same HR features as HR Partner?
The available ADP product information does not specify RUN’s features or what each plan includes. HR Partner lists employee records, recruitment, onboarding checklists, leave management, performance reviews, and expense claims. Ask ADP to confirm which workflows are included in the specific RUN plan you’re considering.
What are the employee limits for HR Partner and RUN?
HR Partner’s listed Core plan covers up to 25 employees and five admins; pricing adjusts for larger headcounts. ADP lists its four RUN plans for businesses with 1–49 employees, but specific usage limits are not published. Confirm the applicable cap and any overage costs with each vendor.
Does either product offer a free trial?
HR Partner lists a 14-day free trial. ADP advertises a “3 Months Free” promotion, but the available pricing information does not describe it as a free trial. Check the promotion’s eligibility, terms, and any costs after the offer before deciding.