ADP Workforce Now vs Paylocity (2026): Cost at 100-250
ADP Workforce Now costs an estimated $23-$30 per employee a month; Paylocity costs $18-$22 for payroll and HR. Paylocity's full suite runs $26-$33. At 100 staff that is $2,300-$3,000 against $1,800-$3,300. ADP brings global payroll in 140+ countries; Paylocity brings a stronger employee app.
ADP Workforce Now vs Paylocity: which is better for Enterprise Employee Scheduling teams?
Between 75 and 500 US employees, Paylocity is the better fit when employee adoption matters: its mobile app and Community feed are part of the product, and payroll plus core HR runs an estimated $18 to $22 per employee.
[ADP Workforce Now](/software/adp-workforce-now) is the better fit when you pay people in several countries (ADP Global Payroll covers 140+), want ADP to run payroll and compliance as a service (est. $30 to $50 per employee), or need a vendor with 1.1 million clients behind it.
Don't sign either without a written cap on renewal increases and the implementation fee in the order form; both commonly add 10% to 20% of first-year software for setup. Don't expect to go live in under two months with either.
ADP Workforce Now vs Paylocity: what each tool does
[ADP](/software/adp) Workforce Now is the mid-market HR and payroll platform from ADP, the company that has been processing paychecks since 1949 and now serves over 920,000 clients worldwide.
- Starting price
- ~$23-$30 per employee/mo (est.) (est.)
- Deployment
- Cloud
- Free trial
- No free trial found; demo and quote only
Paylocity is payroll and [HR software](/categories/hr-software) for US companies with roughly 100 to 1,000 employees, including benefits and expense tools.
- Starting price
- ~$18-$22 per employee/mo (est.) (est.)
- Deployment
- Cloud
- Free trial
- No free trial found; demo-led sales
ADP Workforce Now vs Paylocity: side by side
Rows are grouped by the decision they belong to, and a row is marked where the two products answer differently. Rows they answer the same way stay visible: that is an answer too.
| Pricing | ADP Workforce Now | Paylocity |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | ~$23-$30 per employee/mo (est.)Estimated, quote-based | ~$18-$22 per employee/mo (est.)Estimated, quote-based |
| Typical cost | $55K-$72K/yr at 200 employees on Plus (est.)Estimated, quote-based | $26-$33 per employee/mo for full HCM (est.)Estimated, quote-based |
| Billing unit | per employee per month | per employee per month |
| Free trial | No free trial found; demo and quote only | No free trial found; demo-led sales |
| Price transparency | Quote only (range from third-party sources) | Quote only (range from third-party sources) |
Prices verified Sep 2026. Sources: ADP Workforce Now packages page (no prices), ADP Workforce Now: Outsail ADP Workforce Now review 2026 (July 2026), ADP Workforce Now: CostBench ADP Workforce Now (verified June 2026), ADP Workforce Now: Vendr ADP pricing (updated Feb 2026), Paylocity: Outsail, Paylocity cost 2026 (July 2026), Paylocity: Vendr Paylocity pricing (updated Feb 2026), Paylocity pricing page (contact form only).
Full plan tables: ADP Workforce Now pricing, Paylocity pricing.
| Criteria |  ADP Workforce Now |  Paylocity |
|---|---|---|
| Commercials | ||
| Starting priceDiffers | ~$23-$30 per employee/mo (est.) (estimated, quote-based) | ~$18-$22 per employee/mo (est.) (estimated, quote-based) |
| Pricing model | Custom quote | Custom quote |
| Free trialDiffers | No free trial found; demo and quote only | No free trial found; demo-led sales |
| Typical costDiffers | $55K-$72K/yr at 200 employees on Plus (est.) | $26-$33 per employee/mo for full HCM (est.) |
| Who it fits | ||
| Best forDiffers | Mid-market payroll teams running multi-entity or global payroll | Multi-state mid-market employers with complex pay rules |
| Rollout & platform | ||
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud |
| Supported platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android |
ADP Workforce Now vs Paylocity: key differences
Which mid-market platform matches your company
Both sell payroll, HR, benefits and time to companies with 50 to 1,000 employees. They differ on global reach, service options and the employee experience.
- 180 employees, all in the US, high turnover, staff on phones not desks: Paylocity, for its mobile app and Community feed.
- 300 employees with 40 in Canada, the UK and Mexico: ADP Workforce Now plus ADP Global Payroll.
- Lean HR team that wants payroll run for them: ADP Workforce Now with outsourced services (est. $30-$50 per employee), or Paylocity's managed payroll add-on (+$5-$15).
- Finance wants expense cards and approvals in the same vendor: Paylocity, which added spend management with Airbase in 2024. See HR software.
ADP Workforce Now vs Paylocity cost at 100 and 250 employees
| Package (estimated) | 100 employees / mo | 250 employees / mo | One-time setup |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADP Workforce Now ($23-$30) | $2,300-$3,000 | $5,750-$7,500 | 10-20% of first-year software |
| ADP Workforce Now with outsourced services ($30-$50) | $3,000-$5,000 | $7,500-$12,500 | 10-20% of first-year software |
| Paylocity payroll + core HR ($18-$22) | $1,800-$2,200 | $4,500-$5,500 | 10-20% of annual subscription |
| Paylocity full HCM suite ($26-$33) | $2,600-$3,300 | $6,500-$8,250 | 10-20% of annual subscription |
Where ADP Workforce Now and Paylocity separate
| Feature | ADP Workforce Now | Paylocity |
|---|---|---|
| Packages | Select (payroll, HR), Plus (adds benefits), Premium (adds time) | Payroll + core HR, or full HCM with benefits, time, talent, learning |
| Employee experience | Employee self-service | Mobile app plus Community company feed |
| Service model | Client service specialists; optional outsourced payroll and compliance | Assigned account management team; managed payroll add-on |
| Global payroll | 140+ countries and territories | 100+ countries (from Blue Marble) |
| Integrations | ADP Marketplace and APIs | Integration Marketplace with hundreds of partners |
| Finance tools | Not a focus | Spend management from the 2024 Airbase deal |
| Scale | 1.1 million+ clients worldwide | About 44,400 US clients |
| Implementation | 10-14 weeks typical (OutSail) | About 2-3 months typical (OutSail) |
Renewal terms to negotiate
- A written cap on annual increases. OutSail calls 3% to 5% standard for Paylocity; benchmarks report 5% to 8% at ADP.
- Contract length. Paylocity deals commonly run two to three years; longer terms can get the implementation fee waived.
- Renewal notice date, since both renew automatically unless you act.
- Which services cost extra after go-live: dedicated account management at Paylocity, outsourced services at ADP.
- Data export format and timing at exit, including historical pay registers.
Switching between ADP and Paylocity
- 1Sign by early autumn for a January 1 start; both implementations typically take two to three months.
- 2Export year-to-date payroll, deduction and garnishment setups, accrual balances and tax registrations from the old system.
- 3Run at least one parallel payroll and reconcile net pay to the cent before cutover.
- 4Rebuild benefit carrier feeds and the 401(k) connection; these break most often.
- 5Keep read access to the old system until W-2s for the final year are issued.
Reviewers of both vendors report the hardest month is right after implementation, when the project team hands you to ongoing support. Ask who your contact will be in month four.
Recurring ADP Workforce Now and Paylocity complaints
Themes from Trustpilot, TrustRadius, SoftwareFinder and Capterra, checked October 2026.
- Paylocity, hours on hold and slow support (Trustpilot, 1.3/5 from 129 reviews).
- Paylocity, implementation problems such as bad employee records and gaps without an implementation specialist (Trustpilot; TrustRadius).
- Paylocity, charges above the quote and frequent glitches (Trustpilot).
- ADP Workforce Now, confusing reports that are hard to combine into one view (SoftwareFinder).
- ADP Workforce Now, dated interface and slow page loads (Capterra).
- ADP, renewal increases and unexpected fees (Trustpilot; VendorBenchmark).
Related: Paycor vs Paylocity, Rippling vs Paylocity, UKG vs ADP Workforce Now, and BambooHR vs Paylocity.
Frequently asked questions
Is Paylocity cheaper than ADP Workforce Now?
For payroll and core HR, usually. Buyer reports put Paylocity at $18 to $22 per employee per month and ADP Workforce Now at $23 to $30. With benefits, time and talent modules, Paylocity's full suite runs $26 to $33, which overlaps ADP's range. At 250 employees the difference can be $1,000 or more a month either way, so compare itemized quotes.
How long does it take to implement ADP Workforce Now or Paylocity?
Plan for two to three months with either. OutSail reports ADP Workforce Now implementations typically take 10 to 14 weeks from contract, and Paylocity implementations around 2 to 3 months. Both charge implementation fees of roughly 10% to 20% of first-year software. Start no later than September for a January 1 go-live.
Which has the better employee app, ADP or Paylocity?
Paylocity is the one reviewers single out. Its mobile app handles pay stubs, time off, time punches and Community, a built-in company feed for announcements and recognition, which Paylocity describes as an integrated part of its platform. ADP Workforce Now also offers employee self-service; compare both apps with a few employees during demos.
Can Paylocity handle international payroll?
Yes, through its global payroll product, which Paylocity says lets US-based companies pay employees in over 100 countries; it came from the 2021 Blue Marble acquisition. ADP's Global Payroll covers 140+ countries and territories. If international payroll is central rather than a handful of employees, ADP has the longer track record.
Do ADP and Paylocity require multi-year contracts?
Often. OutSail reports Paylocity agreements typically run two to three years, with annual increases commonly capped around 3% to 5% when negotiated. Third-party benchmarks report ADP Workforce Now increases of 5% to 8% a year and auto-renewal. Negotiate the cap, the renewal notice date and the implementation fee before signing.
Is Paylocity a good alternative to ADP?
For US companies of 50 to 1,000 employees, yes; Paylocity serves about 44,400 clients and reports revenue retention above 92%. It suits companies that want HR, payroll, spend management (from its 2024 Airbase acquisition) and an employee app in one system. ADP remains the safer choice for multi-country payroll and fully outsourced payroll administration.