ADP vs. QuickBooks vs. Rippling: Payroll and HR comparison 2025

ADP and QuickBooks Payroll are two popular payroll software options, but neither might be right for you.

In this article, I'll break down how they actually perform in real conditions — when you're running payroll minutes before a holiday or scrambling to deliver reports to your accountant. You'll get clear feature-by-feature comparisons of what each platform does well and how Rippling closes the gaps neither can.

Whether you're running a 5-person startup or scaling to 5,000 employees, you'll finish this article knowing exactly which payroll solution fits your business, or whether you should be looking elsewhere entirely.

Quick comparison: ADP vs. QuickBooks vs. Rippling at a glance

Here's a quick peek at the three payroll platforms we'll do a deep dive on:

Methodology: How I reviewed different payroll software

While most payroll software comparisons regurgitate what vendors want you to hear, this analysis digs into what you'll actually experience.

I began with official pricing pages and feature lists to map out how ADP and QuickBooks Payroll handle the fundamentals: payroll runs, benefits enrollment, time tracking, and integrations. But marketing materials only tell half the story. So, I sat through product demonstrations to watch these features operate in real time, documenting every instance where you'd need to pay extra or bolt on another tool to get the job done.

Then came reviewing direct feedback from the people who clock in and out of these platforms daily. I analyzed hundreds of current user reviews across G2 and Capterra, specifically looking for pain points (and praise) that showed up repeatedly. If something appeared in just one review, it didn't make the cut.

What you're about to read is the product of methodically tracking each workflow, step by step, then validating every vendor claim against both documentation and the collective voice of actual users.

Rippling editorial policy: Rippling puts our customers (and prospective customers!) first. The Rippling team is committed to providing information supported by product data, insights, and customer feedback to inform our content.

Features comparison: ADP vs. QuickBooks vs. Rippling

Payroll processing

Payroll is where HR systems either deliver or break down. Let’s see how ADP, QuickBooks Payroll, and Rippling compare.

Rippling

I've watched Rippling turn what used to be multi-hour payroll marathons into 90-second sprints. You're not paying per run, so processing off-cycle bonuses or fixing mistakes doesn't trigger anxiety about budget overruns.

What makes this possible is Rippling's single employee record architecture. Payroll doesn't live in isolation. Instead, it pulls from the same unified data that powers your HR and IT systems. When you approve timecards, adjust benefits elections, or promote someone, payroll sees those changes instantly. No syncing delays or wondering if you caught everything (because Rippling did).

Labor costs also update live across the system, so you can see exactly what you're spending without paying for month-end reports or rebuilding spreadsheets. 

ADP

ADP, one of the old guards of payroll, brings years of payroll industry expertise and tax compliance knowledge to the table. It automatically calculates federal taxes, handles multi-state payroll requirements, and files returns without you needing to track deadlines.

You can run payroll manually when you need control, set it to process automatically, or schedule runs in advance. Employees get flexibility, too: direct deposit, paper checks, or prepaid debit cards. If you'd rather hand off payroll entirely, ADP's PEO service manages payroll transactions and shares the compliance liability.

ADP’s Run product targets businesses under 50 employees, while Workforce Now scales with mid-market companies, typically those under 1,000 employees. The platform also includes onboarding support and regulatory guidance, which matters when you're navigating complex labor costs across multiple states.

QuickBooks

If you're already using QuickBooks accounting software, QuickBooks Online Payroll is an easy option. Payroll expenses post directly to your general ledger without manual data entry, and you can see how labor costs impact your financials in real time. 

QuickBooks also handles automated tax filings for federal, state, and local jurisdictions, and year-end tax forms like W-2s and 1099s come at no extra cost. On Premium and Elite plans, you get a same-day direct deposit. The Elite tier adds tax penalty protection if QuickBooks makes a filing mistake.

The interface is clean and approachable, especially if you've used other Intuit products. Small business owners generally find it easy to process payroll without extensive training.

Payroll processing feature snapshot

My verdict

ADP charges per payroll run, which gets expensive fast if you process bonuses or corrections. QuickBooks offers unlimited runs but lacks comprehensive HR tools beyond basic payroll processing. 

Rippling delivers unlimited runs AND automatically syncs payroll data across your entire workforce system.

Pay 5 or 5,000 people in one workflow

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Tax filing

Every payroll platform handles tax compliance differently. Some focus on accuracy, while a few automate filings end-to-end so finance teams never need to touch a form. Here’s how our three vendors stack up.

Rippling

Rippling calculates, files, and remits federal, state, and local payroll taxes automatically for every single pay run, including complex obligations like garnishment remittances that usually require manual tracking. 

Rippling also auto-handles administrative tasks like registering and maintaining your state and local tax accounts. When an employee relocates from California to Texas, Rippling updates tax withholdings, registers new accounts, and applies the correct local rules without you lifting a finger. 

Year-end forms like W-2s, 1099s, and ACA compliance forms 1094-C and 1095-C are generated and filed automatically at no extra cost to you.

ADP

ADP's tax filing infrastructure reflects decades in the payroll industry. They monitor compliance across jurisdictions and calculate, deduct, and file federal taxes alongside state and local obligations.

ADP can also act as your agent to obtain employment tax account numbers in new jurisdictions, which saves you paperwork when expanding to new states. They prepare year-end tax forms, though you'll often see additional processing fees.

Here's where ADP's approach differs: you're still responsible for timely filing and reviewing submissions before they go out. Tax forms require your review and signature (or authorization for ADP to apply your electronic signature), confirming the information is accurate.

That final verification step means you're the last line of defense. If something slips through, the compliance responsibility ultimately sits with you, not ADP.

QuickBooks

QuickBooks Payroll handles the basics of automated tax filings well: withholding and depositing federal, state, and local taxes. The platform also alerts you to upcoming tax obligations so you're never caught off guard by a deadline.

Year-end forms like W-2s and 1099s are included at no extra cost, which is cleaner than ADP's fee structure. On the Elite plan, you get tax penalty protection that covers up to $25,000 in system-caused filing errors.

One limitation I discovered is that multi-state payroll tax filing requires upgrading to the Elite tier, their most expensive plan. If you're operating in multiple states and on a lower tier, you're handling those filings yourself or paying significantly more.

Tax filing feature snapshot

My verdict

ADP and QuickBooks Payroll both automate tax calculations, but they still add friction to what should be a completely hands-off process. ADP requires you to review and sign off on submissions before they file, making you the final checkpoint. QuickBooks forces you onto the Elite tier for multi-state tax filing to escape manual handling.

Rippling files and remits everything from federal taxes, state registrations, and local obligations, to garnishments, hands-free.

Global payroll

Let's see how Rippling, ADP, and QuickBooks hold up when it's time for global payroll.

Rippling

If you're hiring internationally, Rippling Global Payroll is one of the few platforms that doesn't force you into a patchwork of separate systems. You can pay employees in 10+ countries and contractors in 185+ countries, all within the same payroll run you use for your US team.

Rippling supports every global expansion model. Need to hire in Germany without setting up a legal entity? Rippling's Global Employer of Record service handles compliance, contracts, local benefits, and liability. Already have entities abroad? Run payroll directly through those entities in Rippling. Hiring contractors across Europe and Asia? Pay them all in one workflow alongside your employees.

Again, credit goes to Rippling's single employee data record and unified architecture. When you process payroll, approved time cards, benefits deductions, and job changes sync automatically, no matter where your workers are.

Rippling also automatically calculates and files payroll taxes globally, applying local tax rules, wage laws, overtime regulations, and leave policies based on each jurisdiction. You'll never have to track compliance requirements across countries manually. Ever.

ADP

For businesses with significant scale in specific countries (typically 500+ employees in a single location), ADP GlobalView centralizes payroll data in 140+ countries. For multi-country operations across their broader network, ADP Celergo handles local payroll engines while ADP WorkMarket handles contractors.

ADP also offers international PEO services to handle compliance and local labor laws when you're expanding cross-border without local entities.

As you can already tell, ADP's global capabilities often rely on an aggregator model. The underlying service in each country may run through local partners rather than a single native system. Expect inconsistencies in support quality and data flow.

QuickBooks

QuickBooks is primarily built for domestic, US-based businesses. The moment your business needs extend beyond US borders, QuickBooks offers no path forward.

If you need to pay international employees or contractors, you'll need to integrate with third-party providers, which means more data handoffs than an all-in-one platform like Rippling.

Global payroll feature snapshot

My verdict

ADP covers 140+ countries, but in reality, you're buying separate products for contractors (WorkMarket), single-country scaling (GlobalView), and international operations (Celergo). QuickBooks doesn't even attempt global payroll. You'll have to use third-party integrations to stitch together data, to and from QuickBooks.

If you're expanding across borders (or planning to), Rippling is the only platform here that treats global payroll as a native feature instead of an add-on afterthought.

Time tracking

Here’s how Rippling, ADP, and QuickBooks compete when it comes to tracking hours, managing schedules, and staying compliant.

Rippling

Rippling's time tracking lives natively in the same system as your HR data, which means approved timecards flow directly into payroll without you reconciling hours manually.

The compliance automation is what stands out most to me. Rippling time and attendance software automatically enforces federal, state, and local labor laws based on where each employee works — meal break requirements, overtime thresholds, all of it. When regulations change, the system updates automatically and applies the new rules without requiring you to monitor legislative updates or reconfigure settings.

You get real-time oversight through manager alerts for late punches, no-shows, or missing hours. It also flags errors before you submit payroll, so you're catching duplicate entries or incomplete timecards early instead of fixing them after paychecks go out.

Your employees can clock in through the mobile app, web browser, kiosk mode, or biometric options. GPS tracking and geofencing are available for field teams, and there's even a dimensional time tracking feature that lets you assign hours to specific projects, clients, or job codes.

ADP

ADP's Time and Attendance module connects to payroll and automatically calculates pay based on logged hours. In regions like Australia, ADP tracks rosters and interprets modern awards and penalty rates.

Employees can clock in via mobile devices, web, point-of-sale tablets, or smart time clocks. Their employee self-service portal gives them access to time tracking functions without needing manager intervention for simple tasks.

QuickBooks

QuickBooks handles time tracking through QuickBooks Time. Approved hours flow directly into payroll processing, client invoicing, and job costing.

The mobile app supports geofencing on the Elite plan, which reminds employees to clock in when they arrive at job sites. You can track time by customer and job, making it straightforward to bill accurately for hours worked.

Their time product is nifty, but there's a trade-off: ìt lacks built-in scheduling tools on lower tiers and doesn't offer automated compliance for labor laws. Essentially, QuickBooks focuses on the accounting and invoicing sync rather than HR-specific features like overtime enforcement.

Time tracking feature snapshot

My verdict

With ADP, you’ll need a paid add-on to track hours and connect them to payroll. QuickBooks Time works beautifully if you're already locked into their accounting ecosystem, but it lacks automated labor law compliance. 

With Rippling, Time & Attendance and Scheduling are add-ons, but they’re built natively on the same platform as payroll. That means labor rules are enforced automatically and approved hours sync directly to payroll without any integration friction. It's the only option here that eliminates the work, rather than just digitizing it.

Employee benefits

Here's how our three payroll software handle local and global employee benefits.

Rippling

Rippling's benefits administration is where the single employee record architecture really pays off. When someone enrolls in a new health plan or adjusts their 401(k) contribution, those changes sync with payroll in real time. When open enrollment hits or someone has a qualifying life event, Rippling guides employees through elections and updates everything downstream.

You get access to over 4,000 benefit plans across medical, dental, vision, HSA, FSA, 401(k), life and disability insurance, commuter benefits, and even 529 college savings plans. You can shop, quote, and compare plans directly in the system, which simplifies the research phase that usually means toggling between carrier websites and broker emails.

You also get complete flexibility with how you manage benefits. Bring your own broker if you already have a relationship, or use Rippling's insurance services. 

If you're a smaller team that wants access to enterprise-grade benefits, Rippling PEO extends those options without requiring you to scale to hundreds of employees first.

ADP

ADP provides access to extensive health insurance options and retirement plans through ADP Retirement, which offers 401(k) administration. ADP also includes financial wellness tools through myWisely, giving employees resources beyond standard benefits packages.

ADP handles ACA and COBRA compliance notifications, which cover the regulatory requirements for businesses offering group health plans. You can also bring your own broker if you have an existing relationship, or take advantage of ADP's benefits advisory services.

QuickBooks

QuickBooks Payroll offers benefits administration for 401(k) plans and health insurance packages. The 401(k) features run through Guideline, and health benefits connect via partnerships with Allstate Health Solutions (covering 200+ local and national carriers) and SimplyInsured.

The platform focuses on essentials like medical coverage and retirement savings, which work if your benefits strategy is simple and your team doesn't need specialized options like HSAs, FSAs, commuter benefits, or 529 plans. QuickBooks lacks these flexible benefits entirely, so you'll need separate vendors if employees want those options.

Employee benefits feature snapshot

My verdict

Rippling connects your entire benefits workflow in one system, from comparing thousands of carrier options to automatic payroll deduction syncing, with access to flexible benefits like HSA and FSA (that QuickBooks can't provide) and a unified data architecture (that ADP can't match).

ADP vs. QuickBooks vs. Rippling: Pricing

Rippling

Rippling uses a modular pricing model that lets you pay for exactly what you use. You start with the core HRIS platform at $8 per employee per month, then add payroll, benefits, IT management, or finance modules as your business needs expand.

No long-term contracts are locking you in, and costs scale predictably with headcount. You won't hit hidden fees for off-cycle payroll runs, year-end tax forms, or multi-state filings.

Key pricing:

• Core HRIS: $8 PEPM

• Domestic Payroll: $8 PEPM

• Global Payroll: $32-35 PEPM

• Benefits Administration: $20 PEPM

ADP

ADP doesn't publish pricing. You'll need to contact ADP's sales team for a custom quote based on your company size, selected services, and contract length.

From what I know, their pricing structure typically charges per payroll run rather than a flat monthly fee. Watch for these additional costs:

• Per-run charges for off-cycle payroll (bonuses, corrections)

• ~$12 per employee for year-end W-2 tax forms

• ~$9 per additional state per month

QuickBooks

QuickBooks Payroll uses tiered monthly pricing that combines a base rate with per-employee charges.

Their payroll pricing tiers:

• Core: $50/month + $6.50 per employee

• Premium: $88/month + $10 per employee

• Elite: $134/month + $12 per employee

For a 10-person team, you're looking at roughly $115/month on Core, $188/month on Premium, or $254/month on Elite, before accounting for any promotional discounts Intuit Online Payroll frequently offers (often 50% off for three months or 30% off for 12 months through resellers).

QuickBooks Payroll also bundles payroll with bookkeeping. Their bundled pricing tiers:

• Core + Simple Start: $88/month + $6.50 per employee

• Core + Essentials: $125/month + $6.50 per employee

• Premium + Plus: $203/month + $10 per employee

ADP vs. QuickBooks vs. Rippling: Reviews

Common sentiments

ADP vs. QuickBooks vs. Rippling: Pros and cons

Rippling pros and cons

Rippling pros

• Unified automation: Single employee record syncs HR, payroll, IT, and finance.

• Unlimited payroll runs included: No per-run fees for regular, off-cycle, bonus, or correction payroll; W-2s and 1099s included at no extra cost.

• Scales globally without reimplementation: Add states, countries, entities, or currencies instantly; supports 10+ countries for employees, 185+ for contractors.

• Automates administrative work across modules: Eliminates manual tasks out of the box across all workforce functions.

• 650+ native, bi-directional integrations: Connects seamlessly with Google Workspace, Slack, QuickBooks, and 650+ business apps.

• Fully customizable cross-module reporting: Advanced tools like pivot tables and formulas outperform ADP's reporting capabilities.

• Highly rated for ease of use: 9.6/10 on G2 vs ADP's 8.3 and QuickBooks' 8.7.

• Advanced workflow builder: Triggers actions (not just notifications) across the platform and in third-party apps.

• Fast support with public metrics: 30-second average live chat response time; publicly publishes response and resolution times.

Rippling cons

Initial setup can feel overwhelming due to the platform's breadth. However, implementation support is available, and the long-term ROI is up to 136%.

ADP pros and cons

ADP pros

• Decades of payroll expertise: Deep tax compliance knowledge backed by experience tracking 20,000+ annual regulatory changes.

• Global payroll in 140+ countries: Processes international payroll through GlobalView and Celergo partner network.

• Full outsourcing via PEO/HR services: Can hand off payroll, benefits, and compliance administration.

ADP cons

• Fragmented system from 100+ acquisitions: Siloed modules require manually updating employee data in multiple places; products are often managed by separate teams.

• Clunky automation: Moving employees to new states sometimes requires re-hiring them through a full onboarding workflow.

• Weak reporting tools: No pivot tables, previews, or drill-downs; complex reports require ADP support or professional services.

• Low account-to-account manager ratio: 1:50 for ADP vs 1:10 for Rippling (for a company of roughly 150 employees).

• Dated interface: ADP's platform feels outdated compared to modern HR software like Rippling.

• High setup time: Implementation can be lengthy and resource-intensive.

• Per-run fees and hidden costs: While ADP doesn’t publish exact pricing details, pricing is often charged per employee per pay run (rather than a simple base fee structure), plus added fees for implementation, end-of-year tax filing, and add-on features.

QuickBooks Payroll pros and cons

QuickBooks Payroll pros

• Straightforward interface: Clean, easy-to-navigate design familiar to Intuit users.

• Seamless accounting integration: Payroll expenses flow directly into QuickBooks' general ledger automatically.

• Unlimited payroll runs: No per-run fees, unlike ADP.

• Year-end forms included: W-2s and 1099s provided at no extra cost.

QuickBooks Payroll cons

• Weak HRIS capabilities: No built-in hiring, onboarding, performance management, PTO tracking, or scheduling.

• No global payroll: International hiring requires third-party providers.

• Limited mobile functionality: The QuickBooks mobile app doesn't support full payroll processing for administrators.

Why Rippling is better than ADP and QuickBooks

Payroll doesn't happen in a vacuum. You need to manage benefits enrollments, track time, onboard new hires, provision devices, and stay compliant, all while trying to process accurate paychecks on time.

Rippling simplifies that by bringing HR, Payroll, IT, and Spend together in one place, on a single employee record. Whether you have five employees or 5,000, Rippling scales without forcing you to switch platforms as you grow.

Automated payroll that runs in 90 seconds

Rippling automates payroll runs in as little as 90 seconds, synced with time tracking, benefits, and compliance.

Rippling also automatically calculates and files payroll taxes with federal, state, and local agencies, helping your business maintain compliance without the extra effort. It supports both US and global payroll, so you're paying domestic employees and international contractors in the same workflow without switching systems.

Built-in IT management that ADP and QuickBooks can't match

ADP and QuickBooks focus on payroll, but Rippling goes beyond that. It connects payroll with onboarding, device management, and app access.

When you onboard someone, Rippling automatically creates their accounts in Google Workspace and Slack, ships their laptop pre-configured, and grants app access. When they leave, it revokes everything instantly and triggers device retrieval.

With ADP and QuickBooks, payroll sits disconnected from the rest of employee management. Rippling eliminates those extra steps by unifying your workforce data from the start.

Payroll without the patchwork

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ADP vs. QuickBooks vs. Rippling FAQs