SoftwareGlimpse

ADP Workforce Now vs Gusto

Choose Gusto for published US SMB payroll (cluster award). Choose ADP Workforce Now when mid-market tax/compliance payroll+HR is the job and you will take a custom quote. Do not rank them as interchangeable. Compare published pricing, hiring, core HRIS, payroll, scheduling, training, time tracking, integrations, and mobile.

Independently recommendedLast updated Aug 17, 20264 evidence sourcesHow we compare
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ADP Workforce Now logo

ADP Workforce Now

7.3/10

Mid-market payroll + HR (Select / Plus / Premium packaging) — custom PEPM quote; no published seat $. Landscape vs Gusto.

Best for

  • • Mid-market payroll compliance
  • • Select/Plus/Premium package path

No free plan

Visit ADP Workforce Now
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VS

Our verdict

Our verdict

No universal winner

Choose Gusto for published US SMB payroll (cluster award). Choose ADP Workforce Now when mid-market tax/compliance payroll+HR is the job and you will take a custom quote. Do not rank them as interchangeable.

ADP Workforce Now is better for

  • ✓ Hiring workflow
  • ✓ Core HRIS depth
  • ✓ Payroll processing
  • ✓ Scheduling depth

Choose ADP Workforce Now if: Mid-market payroll compliance

Choose Gusto if: Published SMB payroll

See detailed comparison ↓
Gusto logo

Gusto

7.1/10

US SMB payroll + benefits + light HR — Simple from $49/mo + $6/person; Plus $80 + $12; Premium $180 + $22.

Best for

  • • Published SMB payroll
  • • Simple $49 + $6/person

Starting from $49.00/user/mo

No free plan

Visit Gusto
Read review

ADP Workforce Now vs Gusto at a glance

Criterion-level leaders from verified research.

Full scorecard →

Scorecard preview

Criterion leaders based on verified research — open the Scorecard tab for evidence detail.

  • Starting pricingDepends

    ADP Workforce Now

    Gusto

  • Free planDepends

    ADP Workforce Now

    Gusto

  • User / licence minimumDepends

    ADP Workforce Now

    Gusto

  • Hiring workflowADP Workforce Now

    ADP Workforce Now

    Gusto

  • Core HRIS depthADP Workforce Now

    ADP Workforce Now

    Gusto

Which HR software is better for you?

Quick picks based on fit — not a universal ranking.

  • → ADP Workforce Now

    Mid-market payroll compliance

    Pick ADP Workforce Now for Mid-market payroll compliance.

  • → ADP Workforce Now

    Select/Plus/Premium package path

    Pick ADP Workforce Now for Select/Plus/Premium package path.

  • → Gusto

    Published SMB payroll

    Pick Gusto for Published SMB payroll.

  • → Gusto

    Simple $49 + $6/person

    Pick Gusto for Simple $49 + $6/person.

  • → ADP Workforce Now

    Best for hiring workflow

    ADP Workforce Now is the stronger fit for hiring workflow (5/10 vs 4/10). Scores reflect job-cluster fit from vendor documentation, not a lab test of the UI.

  • → ADP Workforce Now

    Best for core hris depth

    ADP Workforce Now is the stronger fit for core HRIS depth (7/10 vs 5/10). Scores reflect job-cluster fit from vendor documentation, not a lab test of the UI.

The biggest differences

Where the products diverge most clearly on verified criteria.

  • Starting pricing

    Depends

    ADP Workforce Now

    Gusto publishes Simple from $49/mo + $6/person. ADP Workforce Now is custom quote (Select / Plus / Premium) with no published PEPM.

    Gusto

    Gusto publishes Simple from $49/mo + $6/person. ADP Workforce Now is custom quote (Select / Plus / Premium) with no published PEPM.

  • Hiring workflow

    ADP Workforce Now wins

    ADP Workforce Now

    ADP Workforce Now is the stronger fit for hiring workflow (5/10 vs 4/10). Scores reflect job-cluster fit from vendor documentation, not a lab test of the UI.

    Gusto

    Trails ADP Workforce Now on this criterion

  • Core HRIS depth

    ADP Workforce Now wins

    ADP Workforce Now

    ADP Workforce Now is the stronger fit for core HRIS depth (7/10 vs 5/10). Scores reflect job-cluster fit from vendor documentation, not a lab test of the UI.

    Gusto

    Trails ADP Workforce Now on this criterion

  • Payroll processing

    ADP Workforce Now wins

    ADP Workforce Now

    ADP Workforce Now is the stronger fit for payroll processing (10/10 vs 9/10). Scores reflect job-cluster fit from vendor documentation, not a lab test of the UI.

    Gusto

    Trails ADP Workforce Now on this criterion

  • Scheduling depth

    ADP Workforce Now wins

    ADP Workforce Now

    ADP Workforce Now is the stronger fit for workforce scheduling (6/10 vs 2/10). Scores reflect job-cluster fit from vendor documentation, not a lab test of the UI.

    Gusto

    Trails ADP Workforce Now on this criterion

  • Training depth

    ADP Workforce Now wins

    ADP Workforce Now

    ADP Workforce Now is the stronger fit for training and SOPs (4/10 vs 2/10). Scores reflect job-cluster fit from vendor documentation, not a lab test of the UI.

    Gusto

    Trails ADP Workforce Now on this criterion

Which should you choose?

Choose ADP Workforce Now if

  • Mid-market payroll compliance
  • Select/Plus/Premium package path

Choose Gusto if

  • Published SMB payroll
  • Simple $49 + $6/person

How we compare

A short look at the comparison process. Full methodology

  1. 1

    Collect

    Collect official product information, pricing, and product evidence.

  2. 2

    Normalize

    Map evidence to the same category evaluation criteria for both products.

  3. 3

    Compare

    Evaluate both products against identical criteria — ties and depends are allowed.

  4. 4

    Explain

    Show why each product wins, loses, or ties, with evidence behind the outcome.

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  • No invented scores or prices
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Affiliate disclosure: some links may be affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Rankings and scores are never based on commission. Full disclosure

Methodology disclosure: scores and recommendations follow SoftwareGlimpse evaluation criteria (version 1.0.0). Affiliate relationships do not determine rankings.

How we recommend: product claims are tied to recorded research where available.

AI-assisted disclosure: drafts may be AI-assisted from approved facts and assessments. Humans approve publishable editorial judgments. AI does not invent live prices or claim hands-on testing.