Heartland Payroll vs. ADP Payroll
Heartland vs. RUN Powered by ADP®: A comparison of payroll solutions for small businesses
Finding the best payroll software for your business can be overwhelming. That’s why we’ve created this comparison between two leading payroll solutions — Heartland Payroll Solutions, Inc. and RUN Powered by ADP®.
Handing out cash on payday sounds simple, which might be why so many employers start out managing payroll in-house. But as complicated considerations arise, like withholding wage garnishments, providing health insurance and juggling tax forms, it’s no wonder small business owners see outsourcing to a full-service payroll provider as an attractive and cost-effective option.
There’s no shortage of payroll providers. Finding the best payroll software to fit your payroll needs can feel overwhelming — and finding the wrong one can cost you time, money and considerable frustration. That’s why we’ve created this comparison between two payroll solutions: Heartland Payroll Solutions Inc. and RUN Powered by ADP®.
Read on to learn:
Key payroll features and add-ons offered by Heartland and RUN Powered by ADP®
How their payroll solutions differ
Why you might choose one small business payroll provider over the other
How to get in touch with Heartland for a quote
A few quick notes before we dive in:
Each company provides functionality for small businesses so robust that we couldn’t possibly cover all the details with just one blog. Instead, our goal is to provide an overview of what we see as the most essential features a payroll system should offer small businesses. For more information on any solution, visit these providers’ websites.
We’ll refer to Heartland Payroll Solutions Inc. as simply Heartland and RUN Powered by ADP® as RUN for simplicity throughout the rest of the piece.
Explore features and functionality
Packages and pricing models
Similarities
Heartland and RUN both sell tiered packages with set groups of features that increase in price as they move from basic functionality into full-service payroll solutions. As of October 2023, RUN’s four packages start with Essential and level up to Enhanced, Complete and HR Pro. Heartland's three plans are Essentials, Advanced and Complete.
Differences
One of the most significant differences between offerings is the size of business they’re optimized to serve. RUN primarily serves startups and small businesses with between one and 49 employees. If customers grow beyond that threshold, they would need to opt into one of ADP®'s other offerings for mid-sized business or enterprise organizations.
Heartland can support small businesses through the mid-market range of 250 employees. Heartland does not offer an enterprise payroll software solution.
Another key differentiator is the product suite of each company. ADP® is a legacy payroll processor with payroll-related add-on services for businesses of all sizes. Heartland Payroll Solutions Inc. has a more limited payroll scope. If you’re interested in managing payments, point of sale and payroll with one provider, though, Heartland Payment Systems, LLC offers a variety of POS and payments solutions that work for small businesses up to enterprises.
Heartland Payment Systems, LLC lists base prices for its three product families (Payroll+HR, POS and Payments+) on its website. Pricing for RUN’s payroll packages isn’t available on its website, and estimates listed on software review sites range widely. You’ll need to contact an ADP® sales representative for pricing information to get an accurate quote.
These comparisons are based on information available on adp.com as of October 2023. Pricing and features of ADP, Heartland Payroll Solutions Inc. and Heartland Payment Systems, LLC (a Global Payments company) products are subject to change.
Payroll processing and tax management
Similarities
As of October 2023, RUN and Heartland both provide cloud-based payroll processing and full-service tax management for US business owners. Both can tackle calculating wages, overtime and bonuses for hourly, salaried and contract workers. Users of both systems can access their functionality 24/7 via one payroll platform and can provide staff with a self-service online and app-based employee portal to access pay stubs, 1099s or W-2s.
New hire reporting and employee payments via paycards and direct deposit are also included in both providers’ Essential(s) offerings.
Naturally, both providers integrate with popular accounting software like QuickBooks® and QuickBooks® Online — so your payroll and bookkeeping are always in sync.
Finally, both providers offer tax filing in all of their plans, meaning they calculate and file payroll taxes on your behalf. This includes deposits, reconciliations and even responding to inquiries from tax agencies.
Differences
Heartland offers physical checks as an employee payment option in the Essentials plan. Garnishment support is also available within this plan. RUN customers must upgrade from the Essential to Enhanced (or higher) package to access garnishment payment services, check signing, stuffing and secure checks.
RUN includes a few human resources-related features in its Essential package, including an employee access portal, new hire onboarding and support for running background checks.
Heartland users get digital new hire onboarding and employee self-service with the Essentials plans, but would need to upgrade to the Advanced plan for candidate screening and background checks (additional fees may also apply).
One of the biggest differences between the providers, though, comes down to support. All Heartland customers, regardless of plan, have access to email and phone support from a dedicated team of specialists. Email and phone support for RUN users is available as part of its HR Help Desk — a feature only available to Complete and HR Pro plan customers.
These comparisons are based on information available on adp.com as of October 2023. Pricing and features of ADP, Heartland Payroll Solutions Inc. and Heartland Payment Systems, LLC (a Global Payments company) products are subject to change.
Applicant tracking and onboarding
Similarities
As of October 2023, both Heartland and RUN offer self-service onboarding to save time and minimize errors.
New hires can complete onboarding on their own time, meaning they can start work on day one without having a pile of paperwork to complete. Business owners also benefit by having documents securely stored in a cloud-based system in the event of a future inquiry.
Digital onboarding is also popular with business owners because they can send onboarding packets via email in seconds, including Forms I-9, W-4, direct deposit information, customized documents like employee handbooks, signature requests for policy documents and more.
Differences
Heartland’s Advanced plan includes further hiring services by giving business owners access to robust applicant tracking tools. Users can review job applications, schedule interviews, rank candidates, send offer letters and run candidate screening and background checks all in one place. Heartland customers can also include specific questions that will flag candidates and new hires who may be eligible for Work Opportunity Tax Credits. RUN users who want comparable applicant tracking features will need to upgrade to ADP® HR Pro, the highest package of the four tiers.
While both companies offer options for posting jobs online, the details differ. RUN users on the Enhanced plan and above can share job postings on ZipRecruiter®. As part of Heartland’s Advanced plan, business owners can post unlimited jobs and promote them on sites like Indeed, Monster and CareerBuilder (some additional fees may apply).
These comparisons are based on information available on adp.com as of October 2023. Pricing and features of both ADP and Heartland (a Global Payments company) products are subject to change.
Employee time management
Similarities
There are plenty of popular third-party time tracking solutions on the market. Fortunately, both of these providers are integration-friendly. As of October 2023, employee time management is treated as an add-on by both providers, meaning you won’t find it listed in any of the plans or packages, but it can be added for an additional cost. This is also true of benefits administration services. For Heartland, this includes ACA reporting as well.
Differences
Heartland offers an in-house time and attendance solution with features like payroll budgeting, shift coverage, a variety of punching options, labor distribution and time off accruals (like state-mandated sick leave programs). RUN offers time tracking integrations, but as of October 2023, doesn’t have a solution of its own. RUN users interested in a time and attendance solution within the broader ADP® solution set would need to look into Timekeeping Plus Scheduling.
This may not be a make-or-break detail for many. Still, it could be a deciding factor for those searching for specific time and attendance functionality like geo-fencing or continuous tracking.
Ready to find out all that Heartland can do for you?
Key takeaways
At the end of the day, it’s all about your specific business needs. Nonprofits will naturally be focusing on different features than nightclubs. But to summarize in broad strokes, here are some important facts in each area:
Processing, HR and tax management
Business owners in need of garnishment support and check security, signing and stuffing at the lowest, most affordable plan level may want to consider Heartland. An upgrade to a mid-tier plan would be required to reach this feature parity on RUN.
Business owners who want access to live, human support with any package may be a better fit for Heartland. If you’re planning on upgrading to RUN’s Complete plan or HR Pro anyway, you will get the same type of live support.
Applicant tracking and onboarding
Businesses looking for a solution to review applications, schedule interviews, rank candidates, send offer letters and run candidate screening and background checks all from one place at a mid-tier package may find Heartland to be the best fit.
Businesses who need to post jobs via ZipRecruiter® may be good candidates for RUN.
Employee time management
Business owners who already have a third-party time tracking solution they like might consider any of RUN’s three packages once they’ve confirmed an integration is supported.
Business owners who prefer an all-in-one solution from one provider over having multiple partners providing different services may be intrigued by Heartland.
In summary
Small businesses with under 50 employees — and no plans to go above that threshold — can use either Heartland or RUN. If a business is nearing the 50-employee point, they may want to consider using Heartland so they don’t have to switch to a new solution once they cross it.
Businesses looking to use a single provider for their payroll, point of sale and payment processing needs should consider Heartland, as ADP® does not offer products outside of payroll and HR.
Drop us a line
As you’ve likely noticed, there’s a sea of information about different solutions and payroll providers. Even in this blog, we covered just a fraction of what Heartland and RUN Powered by ADP® can do.
Talking it through with an expert can help. If you would like to learn more about Heartland’s payroll technology or just ask a few no-pressure questions, contact us today. We would love to learn more about your business and how we can help you thrive!
Disclaimer: The information used for the comparison between Heartland products and ADP are based on what was readily available at a specific point in time, and the information may change in the future. Prospective clients are advised to research products independently for the most current information.
Heartland is the point of sale, payments and payroll solution of choice for entrepreneurs that need human-centered technology to sell more, keep customers coming back and spend less time in the back office. Nearly 1,000,000 businesses trust us to guide them through market changes and technology challenges, so they can stay competitive and focus on building remarkable businesses instead of managing the daily grind. Learn more at heartland.us
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