Paycom suits companies that want payroll and HR in one system built on a single database, with automated payroll through Beti and an AI search tool called IWant. ADP suits businesses of almost any size and footprint: RUN for 1 to 49 employees, Workforce Now for 50 to 1,000+, a PEO option, services in more than 140 countries and more than 1,000,000 clients. If you're very small or international, start with ADP; if you're mid-sized and tired of juggling systems, look hard at Paycom.
Both run payroll and HR for employers, but they're organised very differently. I read Paycom's home and Why Paycom pages and ADP's RUN and Workforce Now pages.
Paycom and ADP at a glance
| Paycom | ADP | |
|---|---|---|
| Design | One software on one database | Separate products by company size |
| Small business | Not covered on the pages I read | RUN Powered by ADP, 1 to 49 employees |
| Mid-size and up | Single suite for payroll and HR | Workforce Now, 50 to 1,000+ employees |
| Payroll automation | Beti automated payroll | Tax and compliance help with payroll |
| AI | IWant AI search | Purpose-built AI in Workforce Now |
| Pay benchmarks | Not covered on the pages I read | Data from 39 million+ workers |
| Reach | Not covered on the pages I read | Services in 140+ countries |
Paycom's single-database argument
Paycom's whole pitch rests on one design choice: payroll services and HR tools in a single software built on a single database, with one login and no data re-entry. It says payroll builds itself by pulling data live and catches errors as it goes. Paycom cites a survey it commissioned in which businesses used an average of 6.17 HCM providers, and a commissioned Forrester Total Economic Impact study reporting that labour needed to process payroll fell by 90% and time spent correcting payroll errors fell by 85%. Treat commissioned numbers as the vendor's best case, but the logic of one database is sound.
How ADP sizes itself to your business
ADP sorts its products by headcount. RUN Powered by ADP handles payroll for 1 to 49 employees, with packages that add ZipRecruiter, State Unemployment Insurance and a garnishment payment service, then basic and enhanced HR support. Workforce Now serves 50 to 1,000+ employees in Select, Plus and Premium packages, adding benefits administration and automated time tracking, and it includes compensation benchmarking built on monthly pay data from more than 39 million workers. ADP also offers a PEO and HR outsourcing.
Reach and scale
ADP says more than 1,000,000 clients rely on it and that it provides payroll, global HCM and outsourcing services in more than 140 countries. If you employ people abroad, or expect to, that reach is hard to ignore. The Paycom pages I read focus on automating payroll and HR inside one system rather than on global coverage, so ask directly if you have staff in other countries. Paycom does list a mobile app, Manager on-the-Go for managers and an HR help desk called Ask Here.
What to compare in payroll demos
- How many employees do you have, and how fast are you hiring?
- Do you employ anyone outside your home country?
- How many systems do you re-key employee data into today?
- Do you need a PEO to take on HR compliance?
- Who checks payroll before it's approved?
If you're still mapping your options, my guide to HR software for small businesses covers the wider field, and this piece on outsourcing HR helps if a PEO is on the table.
My advice on Paycom or ADP
If you're a small business with fewer than 50 staff, ADP's RUN is the natural starting point, and its packages let you add HR help as you grow. If you're mid-sized, tired of re-entering the same employee data in several systems and want payroll to run itself, put Paycom on the shortlist and ask to see Beti in action on your own pay rules. If you employ people in several countries, ADP's global reach makes it the safer first call.
Do you make payroll or HR software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place in comparisons like this one.
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Frequently asked questions
What makes Paycom different?
Paycom says it's the only provider offering payroll services and HR tools in a single software built on a single database.
Which ADP product suits a small business?
RUN Powered by ADP is ADP's payroll platform for businesses with 1 to 49 employees.
What is Beti?
Beti is Paycom's automated payroll product, part of its payroll suite.
How many clients does ADP have?
ADP says more than 1,000,000 clients rely on it.
Does Paycom have a mobile app?
Yes. Paycom lists a mobile app, along with Manager on-the-Go for managers and an HR help desk called Ask Here.
Does ADP include salary benchmarks?
Yes. Workforce Now includes compensation benchmarking powered by monthly pay data from more than 39 million workers.
