ADP payroll pricing: what RUN Powered by ADP costs in 2026
We may earn a commission when you sign up through some links on this page. Commissions never change our scores or the order of our lists. How we make money.
ADP does not publish prices for RUN Powered by ADP: all four packages show only a "Get pricing" button on ADP's product page (checked October 16, 2026). Reviews based on user reports (Tech.co, January 2026; Eightx, June 2026) estimate the entry Essential package at about $79 a month plus $4 per employee, which would be $119 a month for 10 employees. ADP has not confirmed these figures.
ADP is offering three months of free payroll processing to new RUN clients with 1 to 49 employees who sign the sales order and start payroll by October 22, 2026. The one ADP payroll product with a public price is the separate Roll by ADP app: $39 a month plus $5 per employee.
ADP RUN (RUN Powered by ADP) is ADP's payroll service for small businesses: ADP calculates pay, pays employees and files federal, state and local payroll taxes, with four quote-priced packages that add HR support.
On this page
- ADP payroll at a glance
- ADP RUN packages and what ADP says each one includes
- What ADP payroll costs for 5, 10 and 25 employees (estimates)
- Fees outside the quote and what Essential leaves out
- ADP's 3 months free offer: the terms
- ADP's tax filing guarantee: what it covers and excludes
- Contract, cancellation and W-2 access after you leave
- 2026 payroll tax calendar for a late-year start
- ADP support hours
- What ADP customers say
- How we score ADP RUN
- Who ADP fits, and who should pick something else
ADP payroll at a glance
- Published price
- Noneevery RUN package is quote only, checked Oct 16, 2026
- Best-supported estimate
- $79 + $4 per employeeEssential, per month, user reports, Jan to Jun 2026
- To cancel
- 30 days' written noticeRUN terms, Sec. 12.A
- Our score
- 32/100payroll category
What is ADP payroll? ADP sells several payroll products. For small businesses the main one is RUN Powered by ADP, sold in four packages. ADP also offers Roll by ADP, a self-serve app with a published price, and ADP TotalSource, a PEO priced by quote. This page covers RUN and Roll. For TotalSource, see the best PEO companies compared.
Because ADP quotes every RUN package, the only way to know your price is to ask. Use the estimates below to judge whether the quote you get is high. Our scores follow our published scoring method.
ADP RUN packages and what ADP says each one includes
| Package | ADP's description | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Essential Payroll | Payroll, taxes and help with compliance | Quote only (estimate below) |
| Enhanced Payroll ("Most Popular") | Adds ZipRecruiter, State Unemployment Insurance service and garnishment payment service | Quote only |
| Complete Payroll & HR+ | Everything in Enhanced plus basic HR support | Quote only |
| HR Pro Payroll & HR | Everything in Complete plus enhanced HR support and perks | Quote only |
| Roll by ADP (separate app) | Unlimited payroll runs, tax calculation and filing, W-2 and 1099 pay, time tracking, live chat, all 50 states, QuickBooks Online integration | $39/mo + $5 per employee |
Source: ADP RUN product page and rollbyadp.com pricing page, checked Oct 16, 2026. ADP's compare-packages page could not be loaded, so no feature grid was available.
Roll by ADP offers a three-month free trial and no long-term contract. Its page metadata still says $29 a month, but the visible pricing section says $39; we use $39.
What ADP payroll costs for 5, 10 and 25 employees (estimates)
None of the RUN figures below come from ADP. They are third-party estimates, and they disagree.
| Source and figure | 5 employees | 10 employees | 25 employees |
|---|---|---|---|
| RUN Essential estimate: $79/mo + $4 per employee (Tech.co, updated Jan 7, 2026; Eightx, Jun 18, 2026; both from user reports) | $79 + (5 × $4) = $99/mo | $79 + (10 × $4) = $119/mo | $79 + (25 × $4) = $179/mo |
| RUN Essential quote: $49 base + $2.50 per employee per weekly pay run (Fit Small Business, May 22, 2025, more than a year old) | $49 base, plus 5 × $2.50 = $12.50 per run | $49 base, plus 10 × $2.50 = $25 per run | $49 base, plus 25 × $2.50 = $62.50 per run |
| Roll by ADP, published: $39/mo + $5 per employee | $39 + (5 × $5) = $64/mo | $39 + (10 × $5) = $89/mo | $39 + (25 × $5) = $164/mo |
Sources: Tech.co, Eightx and Fit Small Business (estimates, dates shown); rollbyadp.com pricing (published), all checked Oct 16, 2026. Our arithmetic.
The two RUN estimates point to very different bills. At the Tech.co figure, 10 employees cost $119 × 12 = $1,428 a year. Our research does not show whether the Fit Small Business $49 base is charged monthly or per run. With a monthly base and $2.50 per employee on each of 52 weekly runs, the same team would cost ($49 × 12) + (10 × $2.50 × 52) = $588 + $1,300 = $1,888 a year; if the base were also charged on every run, ($49 + $25) × 52 = $3,848. The same article also shows a $42.20 base. Gusto, a competitor, repeats the $79 plus $4 figure in an August 2026 guide and notes ADP has not confirmed it.
Eightx guesses each higher RUN package costs 20% to 40% more than the one below; we found no credible dollar estimate for Enhanced, Complete or HR Pro. For quote-only and published providers side by side, see payroll service costs compared.
Ask the ADP rep for the base fee, the per-employee fee, whether either is charged per pay run or per month, and every one-time fee, in writing. Then compare against a published price like Gusto Simple at $109 a month for 10 (Gusto vs ADP).
Fees outside the quote and what Essential leaves out
- Setup fee: ADP does not publish one for RUN. Ask whether your quote includes one.
- Billed extras: ADP's promo terms list items that sit outside standard payroll processing: non-payroll services, pass-through costs, courier and delivery fees (including off-cycle runs), hardware, and penalties and interest. The free months do not cover them, so if you use them they are billed.
- State unemployment and garnishment services: named in Enhanced, not Essential.
- HR support: starts at Complete.
- State registration: not stated. ADP's terms expect you to supply your tax ID numbers, and penalties caused by late ID numbers are excluded from its guarantee.
- Price rises: the RUN terms let ADP raise base fees after the first six months with 30 days' notice.
Buyers report both. A Trustpilot reviewer wrote "I just was increased by more than 10% without any notice" despite a promised one-year freeze (October 1, 2026), and another said "They charge you for things you never even signed up for" (June 7, 2026) (Trustpilot).
ADP's 3 months free offer: the terms
ADP's product page advertises "Get 3 months FREE" for new small business payroll clients. The terms page (checked October 16, 2026) sets these rules:
- You must complete, sign and submit the sales order and start processing payroll by October 22, 2026.
- 1 to 49 employees, fees paid by direct debit, new RUN clients in the continental US only.
- You must run payroll for three consecutive months and stay in good standing.
- The free months arrive as invoice credits on months 4, 5 and 6. You must keep the same bundle, payroll frequency and discount level.
- Covers standard payroll processing only. Excludes non-payroll services, pass-through costs, courier and delivery fees, hardware, penalties and interest. Cannot be combined with other offers.
If your quote matched the $119 a month estimate for 10 employees, the credits would be worth 3 × $119 = $357. You pay full price for months 1 to 3, and the credits do not reduce the fees listed as excluded.
ADP's tax filing guarantee: what it covers and excludes
Section 11.A of the RUN terms (effective February 12, 2026) says ADP reimburses "any penalty imposed against You as a result of an error or omission made by ADP in performing the Tax Filing Services." Interest is covered only when it is "assessed against You as a result of ADP holding Your tax funds past the applicable due date."
Excluded: periods before ADP started your payroll, penalties caused by late receipt of your tax ID numbers, and errors from inaccurate data you supplied.
Section 11.C caps ADP's total liability each calendar year at "the average charge for one payroll processing." The text does not make clear whether that cap also limits penalty reimbursement. If a large penalty is your worry, ask ADP to confirm in writing how 11.A and 11.C interact.
One reviewer said a misfiled Form 941 meant "the IRS took over $31000.00 from my ERC refund" (October 5, 2026, Trustpilot). For other providers' guarantees, QuickBooks Elite pays penalties and interest up to $25,000 a year, and Gusto pays penalties if you give notice 30 days before the deadline (Gusto vs ADP).
Contract, cancellation and W-2 access after you leave
- Notice: either side may end the agreement "on at least thirty (30) days prior written notice" (Sec. 12.A). You owe all invoiced fees (12.B).
- Renewal: the agreement auto-renews "based on your processing cycle and frequency."
- Records: after termination ADP "may keep Your payroll reports and tax forms for a period of time" (14.A), with no period stated. Document Vault downloads stay open for "a limited amount of time." I-9 access ends on the termination date.
- Employees: ADP may keep employee access to their pay records (Sec. 10).
Billing after cancellation is a repeat complaint: "We tried to cancel our account months ago and they continued charging our bank account" (September 30, 2026), with similar reports on September 23 and 26, 2026, including promised fee waivers sent to collections (Trustpilot). Send notice in writing at least 30 days before your last payroll, keep the confirmation, download I-9s and every tax form before the termination date, and check the final invoice line by line.
2026 payroll tax calendar for a late-year start
If you start with ADP to catch the October 22 offer, your first filings land in the fourth quarter. These are the IRS due dates, not ADP processing cutoffs, which come earlier.
| Form | Period | Due date |
|---|---|---|
| Form 941 | Q3 2026 | Nov 2, 2026 (Oct 31 is a Saturday) |
| Form 941 | Q4 2026 | Feb 1, 2027 |
| Form 940 | 2026 | Feb 1, 2027 (Feb 10 if all FUTA tax was deposited on time) |
| Forms W-2 and W-3 | 2026 | Feb 1, 2027, to SSA and employees |
| Form 1099-NEC | 2026 | Feb 1, 2027 |
Source: IRS employment tax due dates and 2026 W-2 instructions, checked Oct 2026.
A mid-quarter switch means two providers touch the same quarter. Give ADP your year-to-date payroll so the Q4 941 and W-2s are complete, and confirm who files the quarter's state wage report. A missed report can raise your state unemployment rate: one Hacker News commenter said theirs "went from 0.8% to 12.75%" after a switch (HN). Check your state's rates on 2026 SUTA rates by state.
ADP support hours
ADP's RUN page promises 24/7 support, by phone at 1-844-227-5237 and by chat. It does not publish hours per channel.
Support is the most common ADP complaint in our research. Trustpilot reviewers wrote "Their Customer Support is non-existent" (October 7, 2026) and "almost impossible to talk to a human being" (September 23, 2026), and another complained of frequent unwanted sales contact (September 18, 2026) (Trustpilot).
What ADP customers say
RUN Powered by ADP has 4.7 out of 5 from 6,579 reviews on G2. ADP's Trustpilot page has 1.2 out of 5 from 3,126 reviews, but it covers every ADP product, not only RUN (Trustpilot, both seen October 16, 2026). That is the widest G2 to Trustpilot gap of any payroll provider we track.
- No reachable support: very common (Trustpilot, October 8, October 7, September 23 and September 22, 2026).
- Billing after cancellation: several reports (September 30, 26 and 23, 2026).
- Price increases: despite a promised freeze (October 1, 2026).
- Tax filing error: a misfiled 941 (October 5, 2026).
On the positive side, a reply in a small business forum thread (started September 2022, replies to 2025) said ADP is better for complex payroll or 100+ employees (forum thread).
How we score ADP RUN
ADP RUN scores 32 out of 100, against 69 for Gusto and 25 for Paychex. Most of the gap comes from what ADP does not publish: no price (0 of 25 points, because we do not score third-party estimates) and exit terms that need written notice. Its tax filing coverage scores well. The score measures published terms, prices and complaints, not how well RUN runs day to day.
| Criterion | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Price transparency and cost for 10 employees | 0 of 25 | ADP publishes no RUN price: all four packages show only 'Get pricing' (checked Oct 16 2026), so no 10-employee cost can be computed; the Tech.co user-report estimate of $79 + $4 per employee (Jan 2026) is not an ADP figure and is not scored. |
| Tax filing coverage and guarantee | 14 of 20 | States it files federal, state and local taxes in all 50 states but expects you to supply state ID numbers (8 of 10); RUN terms Sec. 11.A reimburse penalties from ADP errors and interest only when ADP held your tax funds late, and Sec. 11.C caps yearly liability at one average payroll charge (6 of 10). |
| Features | 4 of 20 | Multi-state filing is stated (2) and ZipRecruiter comes with the Enhanced package (2); contractor pay, time tracking and benefits access are not published on the pages we checked (0 each). |
| Contract and exit terms | 6 of 15 | Cancellation needs at least 30 days' prior written notice (2); ADP 'may keep' reports and tax forms for an unstated period and I-9 access ends at termination (2); the agreement auto-renews, base fees can rise after six months, and setup fees are not published (2). |
| Support access | 7 of 10 | Phone (1-844-227-5237) and chat (4); the product page claims 24/7 support but publishes no hours by channel (3). |
| Documented complaint patterns | 1 of 10 | Trustpilot 1.2 from 3,126 reviews covering all ADP products (0 of 4); unreachable support (very common), billing after cancellation, a price rise despite a promised freeze (several each) and a misfiled 941 (once) leave 1 of 6. |
Source: HRPricing payroll scores, checked Oct 17, 2026, from published terms, prices and documented complaints. Full method: how we score payroll providers.
Who ADP fits, and who should pick something else
ADP RUN
Fits a business that wants a large provider with phone support, may grow past 50 people, and plans to add HR services or move to a PEO later. Get the quote in writing and compare it with the estimates above.
How the score adds up
- Price0/25
- Tax filing14/20
- Features4/20
- Contract and exit6/15
- Support7/10
- Complaints record1/10
What works
- Penalty reimbursement for ADP errors
- Four packages from payroll only to HR Pro
- Promo worth three months of processing
- Roll by ADP has a public price
Watch out for
- No published RUN prices
- 30 days' written notice to cancel; auto-renews
- Base fees can rise after six months
- Liability cap of one average payroll charge a year
Pick something else if:
- You want a price you can see before a sales call: compare Gusto vs ADP (Gusto Simple is $109 a month for 10).
- You are choosing between the two big quote-only providers: see ADP vs Paychex.
- You want payroll inside an HR and IT platform: see Rippling vs ADP.
More options are on ADP alternatives, and the ranked list is in best payroll software for small businesses.
Bottom line: ADP keeps RUN prices private. User reports suggest about $119 a month for 10 employees on Essential, but a May 2025 quote implies more on weekly payroll. Get every fee in writing, and remember the 30-day written notice when you want to leave.
Frequently asked questions
How much does ADP charge for payroll?
What is ADP payroll?
Is ADP's 3 months free payroll offer real?
Does ADP pay payroll tax penalties if it makes a mistake?
How do I cancel ADP payroll?
Can I get my W-2s from ADP after I cancel?
Sources (15)
- ADP: RUN Powered by ADP product page (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- ADP: Three Free Months Offer terms (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- ADP: RUN Powered by ADP terms of service (effective Feb 12, 2026) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- ADP: Roll by ADP pricing (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- ADP: PEO: what is the cost of a PEO (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Tech.co: ADP pricing guide (estimate, updated Jan 7, 2026) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Eightx: How much does ADP cost (estimate, Jun 18, 2026) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Fit Small Business: ADP RUN review (quote, updated May 22, 2025) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Gusto (competitor): ADP pricing guide (Aug 2, 2026) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- IRS: Employment tax due dates (checked Oct 2026)
- IRS: Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3 (2026) (checked Oct 2026)
- Trustpilot: ADP reviews (seen Oct 16, 2026)
- G2: RUN Powered by ADP reviews (seen Oct 16, 2026)
- Hacker News: Comment on SUTA rate after switching providers (seen Oct 16, 2026)
- Footballguys forum: Best payroll for small business (seen Oct 16, 2026)
This page is general information, not tax, legal or accounting advice. Rules and rates change, so check the official source linked above before you file or sign a contract. Read our disclaimer.