ADP Workforce Now vs Paylocity
ADP Workforce Now fits payroll/tax compliance depth; Paylocity fits modern mid-market hcm ux.
ADP Workforce Now
Mid-market payroll + HR (Select / Plus / Premium packaging) — custom PEPM quote; no published seat $. Landscape vs Gusto.
Best for
- • Payroll/tax compliance depth
- • Select → Plus → Premium packaging
No free plan
VS
Our verdict
Choose ADP Workforce Now for payroll/tax compliance brand and a named Select/Plus/Premium ladder. Choose Paylocity for a more modern employee Community/Ignite UX. Neither replaces Gusto’s published SMB award.
ADP Workforce Now is better for
- ✓ Payroll processing
Paylocity is better for
- ✓ Hiring workflow
- ✓ Core HRIS depth
- ✓ Training depth
- ✓ Mobile / frontline
Tie
- • Scheduling depth
- • Time tracking depth
- • Integrations
Choose ADP Workforce Now if: Payroll/tax compliance depth
Choose Paylocity if: Modern mid-market HCM UX
Paylocity
US mid-market HR + payroll (+ finance/IT) — custom quote (‘Explore Payroll Pricing’); Ignite AI. Landscape vs Gusto.
Best for
- • Modern mid-market HCM UX
- • Community + Ignite AI
No free plan
Quick verdict
Start here — then dig into the evidence below.
Choose ADP Workforce Now if…
- Payroll/tax compliance depth
- Select → Plus → Premium packaging
- You prioritize payroll processing
Choose Paylocity if…
- Modern mid-market HCM UX
- Community + Ignite AI
- You prioritize hiring workflow
- You prioritize core hris depth
Overall recommendation
Choose ADP Workforce Now for payroll/tax compliance brand and a named Select/Plus/Premium ladder. Choose Paylocity for a more modern employee Community/Ignite UX. Neither replaces Gusto’s published SMB award.
Key trade-off
ADP Workforce Now trades toward payroll processing; Paylocity trades toward hiring workflow.
Winner by category
Only dimensions with researched evidence for this pair.
| Dimension | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Hiring workflow | Paylocity wins | Paylocity is the stronger fit for hiring workflow (5/10 vs 6/10). Scores reflect job-cluster fit from vendor documentation, not a lab test of the UI. |
| Core HRIS depth | Paylocity wins | Paylocity is the stronger fit for core HRIS depth (7/10 vs 8/10). Scores reflect job-cluster fit from vendor documentation, not a lab test of the UI. |
| Payroll processing | ADP Workforce Now wins | 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. |
| Scheduling depth | Tie | ADP Workforce Now and Paylocity are close on workforce scheduling (6/10 vs 6/10). Scores reflect job-cluster fit from vendor documentation, not a lab test of the UI. |
| Training depth | Paylocity wins | Paylocity is the stronger fit for training and SOPs (4/10 vs 5/10). Scores reflect job-cluster fit from vendor documentation, not a lab test of the UI. |
| Time tracking depth | Tie | ADP Workforce Now and Paylocity are close on time tracking (7/10 vs 7/10). Scores reflect job-cluster fit from vendor documentation, not a lab test of the UI. |
| Integrations | Tie | ADP Workforce Now and Paylocity are close on integrations (8/10 vs 8/10). Scores reflect job-cluster fit from vendor documentation, not a lab test of the UI. |
| Mobile / frontline | Paylocity wins | Paylocity is the stronger fit for mobile and frontline use (7/10 vs 8/10). Scores reflect job-cluster fit from vendor documentation, not a lab test of the UI. |
Side-by-side feature matrix
Normalized availability from product research — empty rows are not shown.
Hiring
| Feature | ADP Workforce Now | Paylocity |
|---|---|---|
| Applicant tracking | Moderate | Strong |
| Career site & job boards | Moderate | Moderate |
| Interview scheduling | Moderate | Moderate |
Workforce
| Feature | ADP Workforce Now | Paylocity |
|---|---|---|
| Workforce scheduling | Moderate | Moderate |
| Frontline communications | Moderate | Moderate |
| Time & attendance | Moderate | Strong |
| GPS / geofence clock-in | Moderate | Moderate |
People & payroll
| Feature | ADP Workforce Now | Paylocity |
|---|---|---|
| Core HRIS | Strong | Strong |
| Payroll processing | Strong | Strong |
| Benefits administration | Moderate | Strong |
Training
| Feature | ADP Workforce Now | Paylocity |
|---|---|---|
| SOP / knowledge base | Moderate | Moderate |
| Employee training paths | Moderate | Strong |
| LMS / course commerce | Limited | Limited |
Platform
| Feature | ADP Workforce Now | Paylocity |
|---|---|---|
| HRIS integrations | Strong | Strong |
| Analytics & reporting | Strong | Strong |
| AI assistance | Strong | Strong |
Pricing comparison
Pricing evidence last checked Aug 18, 2026.
ADP Workforce Now
- SelectCustom
- PlusCustom
- PremiumCustom
Paylocity
- Paylocity platformCustom
Research 2026-08-18 from first-party pages. No PEPM invented. Affiliate economics excluded.
Best for
Scenario picks from researched strengths — not a universal ranking.
- → ADP Workforce Now
Payroll/tax compliance depth
Pick ADP Workforce Now for Payroll/tax compliance depth.
- → ADP Workforce Now
Select → Plus → Premium packaging
Pick ADP Workforce Now for Select → Plus → Premium packaging.
- → Paylocity
Modern mid-market HCM UX
Pick Paylocity for Modern mid-market HCM UX.
- → Paylocity
Community + Ignite AI
Pick Paylocity for Community + Ignite AI.
- → ADP Workforce Now
Best for payroll processing
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.
- → Paylocity
Best for hiring workflow
Paylocity is the stronger fit for hiring workflow (5/10 vs 6/10). Scores reflect job-cluster fit from vendor documentation, not a lab test of the UI.
The differences that actually matter
Pair-specific analysis for ADP Workforce Now vs Paylocity — not generic category copy.
Starting pricing
DependsStarting pricing: ADP Workforce Now — Both are custom PEPM quotes with no published USD. ADP names Select / Plus / Premium; Paylocity is a single platform quote.. Paylocity — Both are custom PEPM quotes with no published USD. ADP names Select / Plus / Premium; Paylocity is a single platform quote.. Feature evidence also diverges on Applicant tracking (ADP Workforce Now: Moderate; Paylocity: Strong); Workforce scheduling (ADP Workforce Now: Moderate; Paylocity: Moderate); Time & attendance (ADP Workforce Now: Moderate; Paylocity: Strong).
Hiring workflow
Paylocity aheadOn hiring workflow, Paylocity is ahead. ADP Workforce Now: Trails Paylocity on this criterion. Paylocity: Paylocity is the stronger fit for hiring workflow (5/10 vs 6/10). Scores reflect job-cluster fit from vendor documentation, not a lab test of the UI..
Core HRIS depth
Paylocity aheadOn core hris depth, Paylocity is ahead. ADP Workforce Now: Trails Paylocity on this criterion. Paylocity: Paylocity is the stronger fit for core HRIS depth (7/10 vs 8/10). Scores reflect job-cluster fit from vendor documentation, not a lab test of the UI..
Payroll processing
ADP Workforce Now aheadOn payroll processing, ADP Workforce Now is ahead. 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.. Paylocity: Trails ADP Workforce Now on this criterion.
Scheduling depth
TieADP Workforce Now and Paylocity are close on scheduling depth. ADP Workforce Now and Paylocity are close on workforce scheduling (6/10 vs 6/10). Scores reflect job-cluster fit from vendor documentation, not a lab test of the UI.
Training depth
Paylocity aheadOn training depth, Paylocity is ahead. ADP Workforce Now: Trails Paylocity on this criterion. Paylocity: Paylocity is the stronger fit for training and SOPs (4/10 vs 5/10). Scores reflect job-cluster fit from vendor documentation, not a lab test of the UI..
Pros and cons
Product-specific for this pair — derived from researched outcomes and editorial notes.
ADP Workforce Now
Pros
- Stronger on payroll processing
Cons
- Trails on hiring workflow
- Trails on core hris depth
- Trails on training depth
Paylocity
Pros
- Stronger on hiring workflow
- Stronger on core hris depth
- Stronger on training depth
- Stronger on mobile / frontline
Cons
- Trails on payroll processing
Who should not choose each product
Decision quality improves when we say who should walk away.
Don't choose ADP Workforce Now if…
- You need Paylocity's stronger hiring workflow more than ADP Workforce Now's strengths
- You need Paylocity's stronger core hris depth more than ADP Workforce Now's strengths
- You need Paylocity's stronger training depth more than ADP Workforce Now's strengths
- Your primary fit looks closer to: Modern mid-market HCM UX
Don't choose Paylocity if…
- You need ADP Workforce Now's stronger payroll processing more than Paylocity's strengths
- Your primary fit looks closer to: Payroll/tax compliance depth
- Your primary fit looks closer to: Select → Plus → Premium packaging
Alternatives worth considering
When neither product is the right fit.
US SMB payroll + benefits + light HR — Simple from $49/mo + $6/person; Plus $80 + $12; Premium $180 + $22.
HR + payroll HCM (Paychex-owned since 2025) — custom quote; WISE AI. Landscape vs Gusto / Paylocity.
Unified people platform (HR + payroll + IT/spend) — published SMB floor $8/user/mo plus $40/mo platform fee; modules are quote-stacked.
SMB/mid-market core HRIS with Core/Pro/Elite PEPM tiers — Core from $10/employee/mo above 25 employees, or $250/mo flat floor for smaller teams.
Final verdict
Scenario-level close — not a repeat of the intro.
ADP Workforce Now wins when…
Payroll/tax compliance depth
Paylocity wins when…
Modern mid-market HCM UX
- Payroll/tax compliance depthADP Workforce Now
- Select → Plus → Premium packagingADP Workforce Now
- Modern mid-market HCM UXPaylocity
- Community + Ignite AIPaylocity
Which one should you choose?
Choose ADP Workforce Now if:
- Payroll/tax compliance depth
- Select → Plus → Premium packaging
Choose Paylocity if:
- Modern mid-market HCM UX
- Community + Ignite AI
FAQ
- Is ADP Workforce Now better than Paylocity?
- Choose ADP Workforce Now for payroll/tax compliance brand and a named Select/Plus/Premium ladder. Choose Paylocity for a more modern employee Community/Ignite UX. Neither replaces Gusto’s published SMB award.
- Which HR software fits which team?
- ADP Workforce Now: Payroll/tax compliance depth Paylocity: Modern mid-market HCM UX
- Which is stronger for hiring workflow?
- Paylocity is the stronger fit for hiring workflow (5/10 vs 6/10). Scores reflect job-cluster fit from vendor documentation, not a lab test of the UI.
- Which is stronger for core hris depth?
- Paylocity is the stronger fit for core HRIS depth (7/10 vs 8/10). Scores reflect job-cluster fit from vendor documentation, not a lab test of the UI.
- Which is stronger for payroll processing?
- 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.
- Which is stronger for scheduling depth?
- ADP Workforce Now and Paylocity are close on workforce scheduling (6/10 vs 6/10). Scores reflect job-cluster fit from vendor documentation, not a lab test of the UI.
- Which is stronger for time tracking depth?
- ADP Workforce Now and Paylocity are close on time tracking (7/10 vs 7/10). Scores reflect job-cluster fit from vendor documentation, not a lab test of the UI.
- Which is stronger for training depth?
- Paylocity is the stronger fit for training and SOPs (4/10 vs 5/10). Scores reflect job-cluster fit from vendor documentation, not a lab test of the UI.
- Does ADP Workforce Now or Paylocity have a free plan?
- ADP Workforce Now: No free plan. Paylocity: No free plan.
- How did SoftwareGlimpse compare these products?
- We map both products to the same category criteria, then evaluate trade-offs using verified product, pricing and feature evidence. Affiliate relationships never change outcomes.
- reviewADP Workforce Now review
- reviewPaylocity review
- pricingADP Workforce Now pricing
- pricingPaylocity pricing
- alternativeGusto alternative
- alternativePaycor alternative
- alternativeRippling alternative
- guideWhat Is HR Software?
- guideHow to Choose HR Software
- guideHR Software Pricing Guide
- categoryHR software hub
- finderBest HR software
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Alternatives to consider
Gusto
US SMB payroll + benefits + light HR — Simple from $49/mo + $6/person; Plus $80 + $12; Premium $180 + $22.
Paycor
HR + payroll HCM (Paychex-owned since 2025) — custom quote; WISE AI. Landscape vs Gusto / Paylocity.
Rippling
Unified people platform (HR + payroll + IT/spend) — published SMB floor $8/user/mo plus $40/mo platform fee; modules are quote-stacked.
BambooHR
SMB/mid-market core HRIS with Core/Pro/Elite PEPM tiers — Core from $10/employee/mo above 25 employees, or $250/mo flat floor for smaller teams.
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