Gusto vs RUN Powered by ADP

Verdict

Gusto is our pick for most trades businesses because it is self-serve, automatically calculates and files payroll taxes, and includes multiple pay rates and domestic contractor payments on every tier.

RUN Powered by ADP is the better choice if you want dedicated new-client onboarding support, a choice of packaged tiers that add HR features, and you're fine getting a custom quote.

Gusto vs RUN Powered by ADP at a glance

Choose Gusto if

• You want to run payroll yourself without an accountant on every cycle, using plan tiers you can read before signing up.

• You pay a mix of employees and contractors, and want contractor payments included rather than negotiated into a quote.

• You want to sign up and start without a sales call.

• You'd rather browse an app directory of roughly a hundred and fifty integrations across accounting, point of sale and time tracking than negotiate a custom integration with a sales rep.

Choose RUN Powered by ADP if

• You want dedicated new-client onboarding support and a provider that says it can switch a business over within a couple of days if needed.

• You expect to add HR, time and attendance, or retirement plan services as the business grows, and want them packaged into a tier rather than added one by one.

• You want built-in error flagging on payroll before you submit it.

• You are comfortable with a sales call and a custom quote instead of published pricing.

Key differences

Payroll and tax filing

Gusto's plans all include unlimited payroll runs, automatic tax filings and payments, and multiple pay rates and schedules on every tier.

ADP's small-business payroll product calculates, files and pays federal, state and local payroll taxes, and adds AI-enabled error flagging to catch mistakes before a payroll run is submitted, plus an autopilot-style recurring payroll option.

Both automate the filing itself. The practical difference is support: Gusto is designed to be run by the owner directly, while ADP's small-business product is built around dedicated onboarding and support during setup and beyond.

HR and support

Gusto layers HR into its plan tiers, with a dedicated service advisor, certified HR experts and performance management available on its top tier.

ADP packages its small-business payroll into four named tiers that add time and attendance, benefits administration, retirement plans, recruiting through a ZipRecruiter integration, and compliance training as you move up.

A trades business that wants a single self-serve tool can grow within Gusto's tiers. One that wants a long-established provider managing more of the HR side, with human support behind it, is closer to what ADP's packaged tiers and onboarding team are built for.

Pricing model

Gusto states its pricing directly on its site, including which features are bundled into each plan and which are add-ons.

ADP's small-business payroll pages present four package names but route pricing to a quote request rather than a public price list.

Neither page states an exact dollar figure appropriate to repeat here; the pricing table on this page has the specific numbers Kitfinch has verified for each vendor.

Support and switching

ADP describes dedicated new-client onboarding support for small businesses of any size, and says switching should never disrupt an existing payroll process.

Gusto's top-tier plan lists "payroll migration and account setup" as a named feature, meaning it also expects to help import prior payroll history for new signups.

If a smooth, supported handoff from your current provider matters most, ask both vendors what happens to your current-year payroll history during the switch before you commit.

Which trades each suits

A solo plumber or small electricians crew that wants to run payroll themselves without a phone call fits Gusto well, especially with contractor payments included on every tier.

An hvac or roofers business that wants a long-established provider, more hands-on onboarding, and packaged HR add-ons as it grows past a handful of employees is closer to what RUN Powered by ADP targets.

A seasonal landscapers business with headcount swings should check how each vendor's per-employee pricing and packaged tiers behave when the crew size changes mid-year, since that materially affects the total cost either way.

Switching between them

ADP publishes a page describing its switching process directly: it says onboarding support is available, some customers are running payroll within a couple of days, and a business can switch at any time rather than waiting for a new quarter.

Gusto lists payroll migration and account setup as part of its top-tier plan, indicating it also supports importing prior payroll data for new customers, though its help pages weren't independently verifiable in this session for an ADP-specific migration path.

Beyond that, no page from either vendor spells out exactly which historical records transfer automatically versus which require manual re-entry, so confirm the specifics with whichever vendor you're switching to before your next filing deadline.

For a comparison of two configurable, quote-based platforms instead, see Paylocity vs Rippling. More payroll options are in Payroll tools.