ADP vs Ashby — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)
Ashby starts at $400/mo. ADP uses custom pricing — request a quote to compare.
The 75-year-old payroll and HR outsourcing giant serving 1M+ businesses globally. Positioned as the trusted enterprise alternative to newer competitors (Gusto, Rippling, Justworks) for companies that value regulatory rigor + compliance depth over modern UI. Multi-product portfolio: RUN Powered by ADP (SMB, 1-49 employees, published pricing $79-$179/mo + per-employee fees), Workforce Now (mid-market 50-1K employees, custom-quoted), TotalSource (PEO), and Vantage HCM (enterprise 1K+ employees). Also runs Payroll Services and ADP Comprehensive Services as consulting arms. Publicly traded NYSE: ADP, $115B market cap. Real cost varies significantly by employee count + services selected.
Applicant tracking system (ATS) + recruiting analytics platform, valued $1.5B private. Positioned as the alternative to Greenhouse and Lever for high-growth companies that want serious hiring analytics without enterprise-only pricing. Distinctive for its data-first approach — every hiring pipeline metric is queryable + benchmark-comparable. Foundations from $400/mo ($360/mo annual = 10% off), covering up to 100 employees. Plus + Enterprise custom, typically $30K-120K+/yr. Popular with Series B-D tech companies.
All plans compared
| Tier role | Plan | ADP monthly | ADP annual | Ashby monthly | Ashby annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry paid | — / Foundations | — | — | $400 | $360 |
| Enterprise | — / Enterprise | — | — | Custom | Custom |
Tier names differ across vendors. Rows are aligned by tier role, not name. Full tier structures on each tool's page.
What each is best for
ADP is worth it if… businesses that need payroll + HR + benefits from a single trusted vendor with 75-year compliance depth — particularly if you're in a regulated industry or have complex multi-state/international operations. RUN Powered by ADP covers 1-49 employees with published pricing ($79 base + per-employee fees for Essential); Workforce Now scales to mid-market with custom quotes; TotalSource offers PEO structure.
Ashby is worth it if… high-growth companies (50-500 hires per year) that outgrew Greenhouse or Lever and need integrated ATS + sourcing + analytics + interviewer scheduling in one tool. Custom pricing scales with headcount and modules.
Bottom line: Similar positioning, closer to a preference call than a strategic one.
Choose ADP over Ashby if…
Choose ADP if…
- You're comfortable with ADP's a free entry tier entry point.
- You match the profile ADP is built for: businesses that need payroll + HR + benefits from a single trusted vendor with 75-year compliance depth — particularly if you're in a regulated industry or have complex multi-state/international operations.
- You need a general-purpose hr & people option rather than a vertical-specific one.
Choose Ashby if…
- You're comfortable with Ashby's from $400/mo entry point.
- You match the profile Ashby is built for: high-growth companies (50-500 hires per year) that outgrew Greenhouse or Lever and need integrated ATS + sourcing + analytics + interviewer scheduling in one tool.
- You're building for recruiting.
At a glance
| ADP | Ashby | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No | No |
| Entry price | Custom pricing | $400/mo |
| Enterprise available | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | — | — |
| Verification | Pricing under review | Pricing under review |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified September 28, 2026. Verification cadence varies by tool; check each tool page.