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Most buyers should pick Deputy.
Choose Deputy for published entry pricing and shift-work controls: Lite starts at $5 per user monthly, with a $30 monthly invoice minimum on monthly Lite, Core, and Pro plans. Choose RUN if ADP is the required provider, but its pricing and RUN-specific inclusions are not published; ask for plan and add-on costs in writing. Neither lists a free plan, and trial availability is not published. Deputy payroll costs extra where available: $8 per user monthly plus a $49 monthly base fee.
01Side by side
| RUN Powered by ADP | Deputy | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Not published | $5/user/month for Lite |
| Free plan | No free plan listed | No free plan listed |
| Best for | Small businesses seeking ADP payroll and HR | Teams managing shift work and schedules |
| Core strength | Small-business payroll lineup; RUN details unspecified | Scheduling, timekeeping, and labor compliance |
| Learning curve | Not published | Not published |
| Integrations/data | RUN integrations not specified | Sends approved timesheets to Paycor |
| Team/seat costs | 1–49 employees; prices and overages unpublished | $5–$9/user/month; monthly plans have $30 minimum |
| Support | Review score 5/5; plan support details unpublished | Pro includes 24/7 live chat |
RUN Powered by ADP Choose RUN Powered by ADP if
- Choose RUN Powered by ADP if you specifically want ADP.
- Choose RUN if you want a small-business payroll lineup.
- Choose RUN if you’ll request plan and add-on costs before switching.
Deputy Choose Deputy if
- Choose Deputy if you need scheduling and timekeeping for shift teams.
- Choose Deputy if published per-user pricing matters.
- Choose Deputy if Paycor timesheet handoff fits your payroll workflow.
02Pricing compared
Deputy is easier to price. It lists Lite at $5, Core at $6.50, and Pro at $9 per user per month. Annual billing saves 10%, but the pricing page does not publish annual rates and says annual plans are charged upfront. Monthly Lite, Core, and Pro have a $30 minimum invoice. ADP does not publish prices for RUN’s Essential Payroll, Enhanced Payroll, Complete Payroll & HR Plus, or HR Pro Payroll & HR plans; each is listed for businesses with 1–49 employees. ADP advertises “3 Months Free,” but that is not a published free-trial offer. Neither product lists a free plan, and trial availability is not published. Deputy payroll costs extra: $8 per user monthly plus a $49 monthly base fee, available on annual Core and Pro plans in the US. Fees vary by business size. Ask ADP for plan and add-on costs in writing before comparing totals.
03Features and depth
Deputy’s published feature set is centered on shift work: scheduling, shift swaps, timekeeping, timesheets, leave and availability, and labor-compliance calculations for pay rates, overtime, breaks, and premium pay. Core adds auto-scheduling, demand forecasting, timesheet auto-approval, and wage and labor budgets. Pro adds SSO, a sandbox, 24/7 live chat, Analytics+, and Messaging+. Deputy says approved timesheets can be sent to Paycor in one click; payroll is a separate add-on in the US, not an included scheduling feature.
ADP’s homepage places RUN within a wider small-business lineup that includes payroll, HR, time and attendance, retirement, health benefits, and workers’ compensation. But it does not specify which of those capabilities come with each RUN plan. The four plan names are published, while their specific inclusions and usage limits are not. So Deputy offers more feature detail for a shift-work comparison; with RUN, confirm the exact package and add-on costs rather than assuming the broader ADP lineup is included.
04Ease of use and learning curve
The available product information does not establish which service is easier to learn. Deputy publishes a more detailed workflow—from scheduling and timekeeping to timesheets and compliance—along with plan differences, so buyers can see more of what they would need to configure. ADP lists four RUN plans but does not publish their specific inclusions or usage limits in the published material. That makes it harder to judge the setup required before getting a quote.
For either product, ask about onboarding, support, and the work needed to set up schedules, payroll, and compliance rules. The published sources do not publish those details for RUN, and they do not give a direct learning-curve comparison.
Questions people ask
What is an ADP Run?
RUN Powered by ADP is ADP’s small-business payroll and HR offering. ADP’s homepage places it within a broader lineup that also lists time and attendance, retirement, health benefits, and workers’ compensation. The available information does not specify which features come with each RUN plan.
How can I speak with an actual person at ADP?
The published ADP information does not publish a specific phone number, contact route, or support hours for RUN buyers. We can’t confirm the best way to reach a person from these sources. Ask ADP directly for a sales or support contact, and get any plan and add-on pricing in writing.
Is ADP or Workday better?
The available information covers RUN Powered by ADP and Deputy, not Workday, so it does not support a direct ADP-versus-Workday verdict. For RUN versus Deputy, Deputy publishes per-user prices and shift-work features; RUN’s pricing and plan-specific inclusions are not published on the vendor's site.
Is ADP Workforce Now considered an HRIS?
The published ADP information does not describe Workforce Now or classify it as an HRIS. It identifies RUN as ADP’s small-business offering and says the broader ADP lineup includes payroll, HR, time, benefits, and workforce services. Check ADP’s current product documentation for Workforce Now’s scope.