Quick summary
- OfficePortal vs ADP in one line: OfficePortal is an all-in-one HRMS with published prices; ADP is a payroll-first provider that sells time tracking, benefits and performance as add-ons or separate products, by quote.
- OfficePortal Premium costs $4 per user per month billed yearly and covers performance reviews, attendance, leave and payroll.
- ADP doesn't publish prices. Every RUN package for small businesses is quote-only, and independent guides estimate RUN Essential at about $79 a month plus $4 per employee, for payroll alone.
- On ADP RUN, time & attendance and benefits are add-ons, and performance management isn't included.
- Once you reach 50 employees, ADP moves you to a different product, Workforce Now, with a new quote.
Why OfficePortal is the best ADP alternative
OfficePortal is built as one system for growing HR teams. Attendance tracking, the leave management system, performance management and payroll software share one employee record, and every price is on our pricing page.
- Prices you can see. No sales call or custom quote: check the cost for your team size before you talk to anyone.
- Everything in one plan. Premium includes attendance, shift scheduling, leave, performance reviews and payroll, so you don't add modules one by one.
- Start free. The Standard plan is free for up to five users with no time limit.
- One product as you grow. The same system works at every company size, so there's no forced move to a different product at 50 employees.
- Flexible billing. Pay monthly or yearly, and yearly works out cheaper.
- Responsive support. Customers regularly mention OfficePortal's support team as a reason they stay.
- Hands-on onboarding. The OfficePortal team helps with setup, data migration and training.
- Mobile apps. Android and iOS apps for check-ins, leave requests, approvals and reviews.
- Secure and reliable. AES-256 encryption, SOC 2 compliant infrastructure and 99.9% uptime.
OfficePortal vs ADP on attendance, leave and performance
This is where an all-in-one HRMS pulls ahead. OfficePortal tracks attendance through web and biometric check-in, with GPS and selfie check-in available as add-ons, and handles shift scheduling and automated overtime on Premium. Leave policies, approvals, carry forward and encashment run in the same system, so payroll always works from approved records.
Performance is built in too. HR sets up quarterly, half-yearly or annual review cycles, runs self and manager assessments, and tracks goals from company to team to individual, with appraisal outcomes feeding into increment decisions. New to appraisals? Start with our guide to performance reviews.
ADP RUN is built around payroll. Time & attendance is a separate add-on, and performance management isn't part of any RUN package. To get reviews and goals from ADP, you need Workforce Now, its product for companies with 50 or more employees, priced by quote.
OfficePortal vs ADP pricing
OfficePortal publishes its prices; ADP doesn't. Here's how the cost looks at three team sizes, using OfficePortal Premium billed yearly:
- 10 employees: OfficePortal $40 a month, including attendance and performance. ADP RUN Essential is estimated at about $119 a month for payroll alone, before add-ons.
- 50 employees: OfficePortal $200 a month. ADP moves you to Workforce Now, priced by quote.
- 200 employees: OfficePortal $800 a month. ADP Workforce Now, priced by quote.
ADP does advertise promotions, such as up to six months of free payroll for new small-business customers, but there's no permanent free plan.
ADP disadvantages: why companies look for alternatives
- No published pricing. Every RUN package and Workforce Now is quote-only, so you can't compare costs without a sales call.
- Add-ons add up. Time & attendance, health insurance, retirement plans and workers' compensation are sold separately from payroll.
- Extra fees. Reviewers report charges for off-cycle payroll runs, year-end tax forms and account setup that weren't clear up front.
- Support complaints. Customer support is one of the most common complaints in G2 reviews, with long hold times and transfers between departments.
- Upselling. Some reviewers say support calls are used to push extra services.
- No performance management in RUN. Reviews and goals need Workforce Now.
- Different products by size. RUN covers 1 to 49 employees; beyond that you move to Workforce Now, a different product with its own quote.
- No free plan. ADP offers time-limited promotions, not a plan you can keep using for free.
What to look for in an ADP alternative
When you compare ADP alternatives, check for these, and how OfficePortal covers each one:
- Published, predictable pricing, so you know the cost before a sales call. OfficePortal lists every plan on its pricing page.
- HR, attendance, leave, performance and payroll in one system, not a payroll product with modules added on. OfficePortal Premium includes all five.
- One product as you grow, without a forced switch at 50 employees.
- Responsive support and hands-on onboarding, so setup and migration don't stall.
- Mobile access for check-ins, leave requests and approvals. OfficePortal has Android and iOS apps.
- A free way to start, so you can test the system with a small team first.
Is ADP ever the better choice?
Yes, in specific cases. If you want a full-service payroll provider to file payroll taxes across many US states or countries, or you're a large enterprise that wants a payroll bureau to handle everything, ADP's scale is hard to match. For companies that want one affordable system for HR, attendance, leave and performance, with prices they can see up front, OfficePortal is the simpler choice.
How to switch from ADP to OfficePortal
- Export your employee records, pay history and leave balances from your current system.
- Book a demo. The OfficePortal onboarding team helps with setup, data migration and training, and maps your salary structures.
- Check the notice terms in your current ADP agreement so you can plan the switch date.
- Run one month of payroll in parallel before you switch fully.
- Start a pilot team on the free Standard plan, then move to Premium.
Comparing more tools? See how OfficePortal compares with BambooHR, Rippling and others on our HR software alternatives page.