Paycor vs. ADP payroll software

Price: published plans versus quotes

Paycor lists prices for businesses under 50 employees, as of October 2026:

• Basic: $99 a month plus $5 per employee, $59 setup
• Essential: $149 plus $6 per employee, $99 setup
• Complete: $199 plus $7 per employee, $199 setup
• HCM: $199 plus $12 per employee

A 25 person company pays $224 a month on Basic before promotions. Paycor’s current offer is 50% off for six months, a free month and waived setup, but the promotion terms include a 13-month commitment with credits charged back if you cancel early. The pricing page also shows a second set of bundle prices, so confirm your plan on the order form.

ADP does not publish prices for RUN or Workforce Now. You get a number through its online pricing tool or a sales call. Its current offer gives new RUN clients with 1 to 49 employees three months of free standard payroll processing, credited in months four to six, if they sign and start by October 22, 2026 (offer as listed October 2026), pay fees by Direct Debit and keep the same package for three months. The credit does not cover non-payroll services, delivery or off-cycle fees.

Ask each for the price after promotions end. That is the number you will pay from year two.

Features and room to grow

Paycor is an HR software suite. Every small business plan includes unlimited payroll runs and tax filing; higher plans add onboarding, time off tracking, HR tools, analytics and performance features. Time and scheduling, benefits administration, recruiting and workers’ comp are add-ons.

ADP splits its products by size. RUN covers 1 to 49 employees, with Enhanced adding state unemployment insurance management, garnishment payments and ZipRecruiter, and the top two packages adding HR support. ADP Workforce Now serves midsize and larger employers. ADP also pays workers in more than 140 countries, so a company planning to hire abroad can stay with one vendor.

That is the main structural difference. Paycor serves U.S. companies from small to several hundred employees and now sits inside Paychex, which offers a PEO and outsourced HR through its own brand. ADP covers a wider range under one name, from a five person shop to a multinational.

Both create and file year-end W-2s and 1099s. Remember that the IRS holds the employer responsible for payroll taxes even when a provider makes the deposits, so check your EFTPS account to confirm payments.

Support and reputation

Both companies hold an A+ rating from the BBB. ADP has been accredited since 2017 and shows 879 complaints in the last three years. Paycor’s BBB profile is listed as “Paycor A Paychex Company,” accredited since 2011, and shares its complaint record with Paychex.

On Trustpilot, Paycor rates 1.6 out of 5 from 166 reviews and ADP rates 1.2 out of 5 from 3,127 reviews. ADP replies to 94% of negative reviews. The complaints overlap: slow support, billing surprises and setup problems for Paycor; hold times, login and identity verification loops, and fees that continued after cancelling for ADP.

ADP also appears in the CFPB complaint database, with 614 complaints from October 2023 to October 2026. Most involve its prepaid pay cards and accounts, not payroll software itself. We found no CFPB complaints for Paycor.

Employee apps rate well: ADP Mobile Solutions has 4.7 out of 5 from about 4.46 million App Store ratings, and Paycor Mobile has 4.5 from about 33,700. ADP’s owner app, RUN, rates 4.9.

With either vendor, get your support level, implementation plan and cancellation terms in writing.

Which one fits your business

Under 10 employees. Paycor’s $99 base fee is a large share of a small payroll. ADP RUN Essential may quote lower, and published-price services like OnPay or Gusto often cost less than either.

10 to 49 employees. This is where the two compete most directly. Paycor gives you a published benchmark and more HR software on the Complete and HCM plans. ADP RUN gives you a free payroll offer and a larger support organization. Get both quotes, ask for the year-two price, and compare like for like, including time tracking and benefits administration, which cost extra on Paycor.

50 to several hundred employees. Both quote. Paycor is known for analytics and HR features for this size, while ADP Workforce Now is the larger platform with more third-party integrations and international reach.

Hiring outside the U.S. ADP is the stronger fit because it already pays workers in more than 140 countries.

Want a PEO. Neither Paycor nor ADP RUN is a PEO. ADP sells a separate PEO product, ADP TotalSource, and Paycor’s owner Paychex sells Paychex HR PEO.