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CompareBolto vs ADP

Don’t change systems every time you grow.

ADP splits payroll across products by company size. See how Bolto compares for product, compliance, global hiring, and recruiting, and what a move from ADP involves.

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ADP logoADP
ProductOne system as you growRUN, Workforce Now, TotalSource, Lyric HCM
Tax noticesHandled for youSupport with IRS inquiries
Global hiringEOR in 150+ countriesServices in 140+ countries
RecruitingManaged recruiters, AI sourcingRecruiting tools in RUN

<1 week

Time to complete most migrations

150+

Countries covered by Global EOR

190+

Countries for instant contractor payouts

48–72 hrs

To a first recruiting shortlist

Where ADP gets in the way

What teams run into with ADP, and how Bolto handles it.

01 · ADP

Grow past 49 employees and you change products.

ADP’s homepage sends teams to different products by headcount: RUN for 1 to 49 employees, Workforce Now for 50 to 999, and Lyric HCM for 1,000 or more. A professional employer organization (PEO), TotalSource, sits alongside them.

ADP has served customers since 1949, and its lineup shows it. Each step up in size is a different product to learn, configure, and move your data into.

One system from your first hire to your thousandth.

  • Launch, Scale, and Enterprise run on the same system
  • Payroll, tax and compliance, benefits, global HR, and recruiting share one set of employee records.
  • No re-implementation when headcount, states, or entities grow

02 · ADP

Tax notices still land on your desk.

ADP says RUN files federal, state, and local payroll taxes and offers support with IRS inquiries. Support means your team is still the one reading each agency notice and working out what to do.

State registrations, unemployment accounts, and amendments are where small teams lose the most time.

Bolto’s agents and experts take the notice.

  • State tax and unemployment accounts set up and kept current
  • Notices and amendments handled for you
  • Federal, state, and local filings, plus W-2 and 1099 filing

03 · ADP

Hiring abroad is a separate project.

ADP provides payroll and HR services in more than 140 countries. Its PEO, TotalSource, is built on co-employment, where ADP takes on certain employer responsibilities for your US team, which is a different thing from employing someone abroad without a local entity.

Employing a person in a new country usually means a new provider, new contracts, and a new set of records.

Employ and pay people anywhere, from the same records.

  • Global EOR in 150+ countries, with no local entity
  • Instant contractor payouts in 190+ countries
  • Employees, contractors, and US payroll in one system

04 · ADP

Recruiting is a tool, not a team.

RUN includes recruiting and onboarding tools, and TotalSource includes applicant tracking and background checks. They help you manage candidates you already have.

Finding the candidates is still your job.

Recruiters who source and screen for you.

  • Vetted specialist recruiters matched to each role
  • AI sourcing that improves with your feedback
  • A first shortlist within 48 to 72 hours

Side by side

Bolto and ADP, compared.

Bolto compared with ADP
TopicADP
Product structurePayroll, tax and compliance, benefits, global HR, and recruiting share one set of employee records.RUN for 1 to 49 employees, Workforce Now for 50 to 999, Lyric HCM for 1,000 or more, and TotalSource, a PEO.
SetupFree migration. An implementation manager builds a week-by-week plan, and most moves are done in under a week.RUN describes guided setup in three steps. TotalSource says most businesses are up and running within a few weeks.
Tax and complianceAI agents and compliance experts register your state tax and unemployment accounts, file, and handle notices and amendments.RUN files federal, state, and local payroll taxes, with automatic updates covering all 50 states, and offers support with IRS inquiries.
BenefitsKeep your broker and plans, use one of Bolto’s broker partners, or offer an ICHRA through partners such as Thatch.RUN offers insurance, retirement, and other benefits. TotalSource offers PEO benefits negotiated and administered by ADP.
Global hiringGlobal EOR in 150+ countries. Contractors paid instantly in 190+ countries.Payroll, global HCM, and outsourcing services in more than 140 countries.
RecruitingVetted recruiters matched to each role, AI sourcing, and a first shortlist in 48 to 72 hours.RUN includes recruiting and onboarding tools. TotalSource includes applicant tracking and background checks.
SupportAn implementation manager during the move. Enterprise adds a dedicated account manager and 24/7 priority support.RUN lists 24/7 support from payroll experts.

ADP details come from ADP’s own pages, reviewed November 4, 2026. Check ADP’s site for current terms.

Switching

What moving from ADP looks like.

Switching payroll is a project. Bolto plans it with you and does the heavy lifting.

  1. Plan your move

    Set your timeline with your implementation manager.

    • We decide on a go-live date
    • We build a week by week plan with action items
    • Clear owners are assigned for every task

  2. Bring your records across

    We pull your data straight from your current provider.

    • No manual exports from your team
    • Payroll history and year-to-date balances
    • Mid-year switches fully supported

  3. Set up taxes and benefits

    You sign the forms. We handle filings and benefits.

    • IRS and state tax forms signed
    • Benefits and 401(k) carried over
    • Keep your broker or use ours

  4. Get your team ready

    Your team is set up before the first payday.

    • Employee announcements written for you
    • Employees confirm their own details
    • Walkthroughs for admins and office hours for employees

  5. Check payroll in parallel

    A test run matched against your current provider.

    • Optional parallel runs
    • Thorough line-by-line reconciliation
    • Differences fixed before go-live

  6. Review and go live

    Run your first payroll with us live

    • Final data check by our team
    • First payroll run together, live
    • Regular check-ins, as often as you'd like
See the full switching guide

Customer stories

Teams that made the move.

Fiber AI customer portrait

B2B · SaaS · Recruiting

A five-person engineering team, hired in 17 days.

Bolto helped Fiber AI hire five engineers in 17 days, building a team ready to ship from day one.

Read customer story
Metal America customer portrait

Construction · Payroll · Compliance

A 180-person team, moved off Gusto in 27 days.

Bolto moved Metal America’s payroll, benefits, and global payments off Gusto, and automated 80+ tax registrations.

Read customer story
Isabella DiGiovanni, Cofounder at Trivelta

iGaming · Recruiting · Global Payroll

400+ global team members paid compliantly on Bolto.

Bolto recruits and pays Trivelta’s team across South America, Asia, and Europe from one platform.

Read customer story

Frequently asked questions

01Do we have to move to a different system as we grow?

No. Bolto’s plans, Launch, Scale, and Enterprise, run on the same system. Scale adds 50-state payroll and tax compliance, multi-EIN support, and custom integrations, and Enterprise adds single sign-on, a dedicated account manager, and 24/7 priority support, with no new platform to learn.

02Can we switch from ADP to Bolto in the middle of the year?

Yes. Bolto brings over your payroll history and year-to-date balances from your current provider, so nothing restarts when you move mid-year.

03How do we know our first payroll on Bolto will be right?

Bolto runs a test payroll and reconciles it line by line against your current provider, fixing any differences before go-live. Then Bolto runs your first live payroll with you.

04Do we have to change our benefits broker when we leave ADP?

No. You can keep your current broker and plans, move to one of Bolto’s broker partners, or offer an ICHRA through partners such as Thatch. If your benefits are part of a PEO arrangement with ADP, your implementation manager walks through your options before you move.

05Who handles tax notices and state registrations after we leave ADP?

Bolto does. Its AI agents and compliance experts set up your state tax and unemployment accounts, keep them current, and handle notices and amendments for you.

06Can we pay contractors and international hires on Bolto?

Yes. Contractors can be paid instantly in 190+ countries, and Global EOR lets you employ people abroad without setting up a local entity, all from the same employee records as your US payroll.

07Can Bolto help us hire as well as pay people?

Yes. Bolto Recruiting matches vetted specialist recruiters to each role, with AI sourcing that improves with your feedback and a first shortlist within 48 to 72 hours. Hires move into payroll and HR without re-entering their details.

08Who will we work with during the move from ADP?

An implementation manager sets your go-live date, builds a week-by-week plan with a clear owner for every task, and checks in with you as often as you’d like.

Still have a question?

Get in touch

Moving from ADP?
Plan the switch with Bolto.

Tell us about your current ADP setup and what you need next. We’ll walk through Bolto’s products and help you plan the move.

Book a demo

Sources

Last reviewed