Paylocity vs ADP Workforce Now

Paylocity6.8/10

ADP Workforce Now6.5/10

Scored in HCM Software

The short answer

Both sell by quote. Paylocity charges a base fee plus per-employee fees that depend on headcount and products, and runs HR, payroll, time, benefits, expenses and corporate cards on one platform for small businesses to enterprises.

By LeadChange Research TeamUpdated Nov 8, 2026Based on 17 sources, most recently checked Nov 11, 2026

Paylocity

Best for: US employers wanting payroll, HR, time, benefits and finance from one vendor

Choose Paylocity if

You want earned wage access: On Demand Payment sends same-day funds for requests made by 2 PM CT.
You want expenses, corporate cards and AP automation with payroll.
You connect many systems: Paylocity lists 435 integrations, an OAuth2 API and webhooks.
You need SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO 27001 stated by the vendor.

What Paylocity costs Alternatives to Paylocity

ADP Workforce Now

Best for: Midsize and large US employers that want payroll and HR in one suite

Choose ADP Workforce Now if

You want to add benefits administration (Plus) and time and attendance (Premium) as you grow.
You run off-cycle payments often, at no additional cost.
You want AI-guided retro pay and explanations of pay changes.
You want benefits enrollment with eligibility guidance for employees.

ADP Workforce Now pricing ADP Workforce Now alternatives

LeadChange Score: editorial assessment based on public information.

Key differences

Where Paylocity and ADP Workforce Now differ (5)
Attribute	Paylocity	ADP Workforce Now
Pricing model	Base fee + per employee1	Quote only2
Best for	Small businesses, mid-market companies, enterprises3	Mid-market companies, enterprises4
Support channels	Phone, Email, PEAK Knowledge Base (in-product)5	Client service specialists, Dedicated service experts (enterprise), ADP Professional Services, Phone sales line 800-225-52376
Founded	19977	19498
Headquarters	Schaumburg, Illinois, US1	Roseland, New Jersey, US8

Show 6 attributes where they are the same

Where they are the same (6)
Attribute	Paylocity	ADP Workforce Now
Price transparency	Quote only9	Quote only6
Contract term	Custom1	Custom8
Mobile apps	iOS, Android, Apple Watch10	11
API	12	13
Automatic tax filing	14	15
Ownership	Publicly traded1	Publicly traded8

Analysis by dimension

Pricing. Neither publishes prices. Paylocity charges implementation fees and bills W-2 preparation and time clocks separately; ADP sells API consulting hours for a fee.

Capabilities. Both cover payroll, HR, benefits, time and talent. Paylocity adds global payroll, expense management, corporate cards, procurement and headcount planning.

Integrations. Paylocity lists 435 integrations, including Greenhouse, Checkr and Indeed, with an OAuth2 API and webhooks. ADP Workforce Now offers an API through ADP API Central, with paid consulting hours.

Fit and support. Paylocity supports by phone and email from 6:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Central, Monday to Friday. ADP lists dedicated service experts for enterprise clients and ADP Professional Services.

Security. Paylocity states SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO 27001 and supports SAML single sign-on. ADP names no certification on the Workforce Now pages we reviewed.

Neither one?

Dayforce

Dayforce has the highest LeadChange Score in HCM Software after excluding these two (6.5/10).

Dayforce review

More Paylocity comparisons

More ADP Workforce Now comparisons

Frequently asked questions

Is Paylocity or ADP cheaper?

Neither publishes a price. Paylocity’s fee is a base plus per-employee charges that grow with the number of products, plus implementation fees; compare written quotes for the same modules and headcount.

What are the downsides of Paylocity?

Paylocity is less suited to buyers who want a published price or weekend support: it quotes every client and supports Monday to Friday. Implementation fees, W-2 preparation and time clocks are billed separately.

Who is Paylocity’s biggest competitor?

In our HCM category, Paylocity sits next to ADP Workforce Now, Paycom, Paycor, UKG Pro and Workday HCM. Against ADP Workforce Now, Paylocity adds finance tools such as expenses and corporate cards.

Does Paylocity or ADP Workforce Now offer earned wage access?

Paylocity does: On Demand Payment sends same-day funds for requests made by 2 PM CT. ADP lists off-cycle payments at no additional cost on Workforce Now.

Does Paylocity guarantee its payroll tax filings?

Paylocity publishes no guarantee terms on its tax services page; it files federal, state and local taxes as an IRS Registered Reporting Agent in all 50 states. ADP files payroll taxes for Workforce Now clients. Ask each for its error terms in writing.

Do Paylocity and ADP Workforce Now have mobile apps?

Yes. Paylocity has iOS, Android and Apple Watch apps; ADP offers mobile apps for Workforce Now, plus a Time Kiosk app for clock-ins.

Is Paylocity or ADP Workforce Now more secure?

Paylocity states SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 (unverified for ADP Workforce Now). ADP Workforce Now states GDPR (unverified for Paylocity).

How this page was made

What it is built from
30 verified facts, each checked against the vendor's own pages or another primary source, most recently on Nov 11, 2026.
Method
Scored and compared with the LeadChange methodology, version 1.5. Read the methodology
Independent review
Not reviewed yet by our independent reviewer. How we review
Hands-on testing
We have not tested either product hands-on: this page uses public information only.
Who made it
The LeadChange Research Team, following a written research process. No named expert has reviewed this page. About us
Independence and errors
Who pays us never changes a score or a rank. If something here is wrong, tell us and we correct it publicly. Request a correction

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Paylocity vs ADP Workforce Now

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Sources

The 17 pages this page's facts come from, with the day we last checked each one. The numbers beside the figures above link here.

Quotes from the sources

U.S. SEC (Paylocity Form 10-K) Paylocity annual report, fiscal 2026 (SEC filing)“Recurring fees for each client generally include a base fee in addition to a fee based on the number of client employees and the number of products a client uses.” “As of June 30, 2026, our corporate headquarters occupied approximately 272,000 square feet in Schaumburg, Illinois under leases with final expiration in October 2032.”
ADP adp.com/what-we-offer/products/adp-workforce-now/compare-options.aspx“Select … All-in-one payroll and HR software suite … Get Pricing … Plus … Everything in Select … Get Pricing … Premium … Everything in Plus … Get Pricing”
Paylocity paylocity.com“Small Business 1-99 employees Learn more Midsize Business 100-499 employees Learn more Enterprise 500+ employees”
ADP adp.com/what-we-offer/payroll/payroll-for-50-1000-plus-employees.aspx“Free up time to focus on strategy with a partner you can trust to tackle the payroll details for businesses with more than 50 employees.”
Paylocity paylocity.com/contact/client-support/administrator-support
ADP adp.com/what-we-offer/products/adp-workforce-now.aspx“Support – Get fast, reliable answers from client service specialists who understand your needs … Support your enterprise with an HCM platform designed to scale, provide workforce insights and deliver ongoing support from dedicated service experts.” “Three packages. One powerful central hub for your HR ecosystem. … Select … Get Pricing … Plus … Get Pricing … Premium … Get Pricing”
Paylocity paylocity.com/company/about-us“Since 1997, we’ve been partnering with organizations to create workplaces where employees thrive, and businesses excel.”
ADP sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/8670/000000867026000030/adp-20260630.htm“In 1949, our founders established ADP with a simple, innovative idea: help clients focus on their business by solving their payroll challenges.” “its corporate headquarters in Roseland, New Jersey”
Paylocity paylocity.com/pricing“Want to Learn More About Paylocity's Pricing? Contact us and explore our flexible pricing plans that fit your needs. Request Pricing”
Paylocity paylocity.com/products/capabilities/mobile“To download Paylocity's HR & payroll Mobile App, simply visit your device's app store … Apple Watch and access your most-used features, like timesheets, and schedules from anywhere.”
ADP apps.adp.com/en-US/apps/406528/adp-workforce-now-next-generation-time-and-attendance/features“Device: Employees can use their mobile phones or turn a shared tablet into a timeclock with the Time Kiosk app.”
Paylocity developer.paylocity.com/integrations/docs/getting-started“Paylocity offers access to APIs that allow customers and partners to access desired data quickly and securely for building integrations.”
ADP adp.com/what-we-offer/integrations/api-central.aspx“ADP API specialists are available to guide you through your development efforts including API selection and best practices to help drive your project to completion.”
Paylocity paylocity.com/who-we-serve/multi-state-payroll“Automated federal, state, and local tax filings, ensuring accuracy and reducing administrative burden.”
ADP adp.com/what-we-offer/payroll/payroll-software.aspx“Just right for growing organizations, ADP Workforce Now® includes: Automated payroll Payroll tax filing and compliance Mobile access”
Paylocity paylocity.com/company/protecting-our-clients“We engage reputable audit firms who perform annual independent attestations for SOC 1 and SOC 2 Type II, which cover controls related to financial reporting, security, confidentiality, and availability.” “We are ISO 27001:2022 certified.”
ADP adp.com/privacy.aspx“ADP has adopted Binding Corporate Rules (BCR) for processing Client employee data and business contact data.”