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Pros

  • Robustly-featured mobile app.
  • Three-month free trial.
  • Automated tax filings and deposits.
  • 24/7 customer support.

Cons

  • No timekeeping feature.
  • No PTO tracking.
  • No benefits administration tools.

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Roll by ADP payroll software review

Pricing and plans

Roll by ADP offers one plan to all users. Its base rate is $29 per month plus $5 per employee. It also offers a generous three-month free trial. Everything is included in this price, including some features competitors charge more for, like unlimited payroll runs per month and automated tax calculations and deposits. 

Patriot, for example, requires you to upgrade from its Basic to Full Service plan for an extra $20 per month to access features such as automated tax filings. And, Payroll4Free requires an extra $25 fee for running more than 25 employees’ payroll per month. 

Roll by ADP is competitively priced for the features offered in its one plan. It may be the right payroll software for businesses needing a budget-friendly, strictly-payroll solution that offers solid functionality and customer support. However, for companies needing a more comprehensive payroll and human resources solution, Rippling or Quickbooks Payroll may be better options, despite their higher price tags. 

Features and add-ons

Roll by ADP offers these features to all users:

  • Unlimited payrolls (for employees and contractors in all 50 U.S. states).
  • AI-powered payroll alerts.
  • The ability to pay employees and contract workers. 
  • An employee self-serve portal with access to onboarding flows, pay stubs, tax papers and an editable employee profile. 
  • Payroll tax calculations, deductions and filings (on the local, state and federal level).
  • Same or next-day direct deposit. 
  • Paper check payment options.
  • Payroll reports and registers.
  • New hire reporting.
  • Benefits deductions.
  • The ability to easily give raises or bonuses via a text-based setup.
  • Garnishments payments and tracking.
  • Tipped wage support (for cash or charged tips).
  • QuickBooks Online integration.

Roll’s employee self-service portal runs through the software’s app and has robust features that free up managers’ time to focus on tasks employees can’t complete on their own. Employees can use the system to view and download pay and tax statements, receive payday notifications and update their information, including their marital statuses and tax withholding preferences.

Using Roll’s AI-powered, text-based platform, you can process payroll in under a minute, initiated by the text command “run payroll.” Then, you answer a few quick questions within the app to complete the task. It also learns your schedule, then offers alerts to help you complete tasks on time, such as monthly or weekly alerts to run payroll. In addition, the system will gradually learn the nuances of your payroll. If it spots something that doesn’t look right, it will send you an alert.

Roll is in the middle of the field when it comes to the breadth of its capabilities. For example, it offers more features than Wave Payroll, which doesn’t report new hires or handle wage garnishments. However, other software solutions, like QuickBooks Payroll, can track time worked and paid time off, whereas Roll can’t. Many competitors, such as OnPay and Gusto, also offer benefits administration tools and policies to help businesses retain top talent, a capability Roll is missing. 

Customer support and experience

Roll by ADP offers 24/7 live chat support through its mobile app. You can also call its customer service team Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time. 

Roll by ADP’s website is straightforward to navigate and offers additional support features, such as a resource center, complete with a blog covering topics surrounding payroll best practices. The resource center includes guides on how to onboard employees, run payroll reports and cash-flow management best practices. However, the resource center does not have a search function for locating blog posts and guides around certain topics. 

Roll’s mobile app is well-rated by users. Customers have given it 4.4 out of five stars on the Google Play Store and 4.5 out of five stars on the Apple App Store. Common complaints include poor customer service and software glitches; however, the company responds to most online concerns and negative feedback.

Roll by ADP vs. the competition

Roll by ADP offers a unique way to quickly pay employees from a smartphone. It provides essential features, such as a same-day direct deposit option, and features competitors like OnPay and Gusto provide at a higher price point, such as unlimited payroll runs and automated tax filings.

ROLL BY ADPONPAYGUSTO
Unlimited payroll runs
In $40-per-month, plus $6 per person plan
In $40-per-month, plus $6 per person plan
Same-day direct deposit
Yes, with a small per-transaction fee
X
X
Automate tax deposits and filing
In $40-per-month, plus $6 per person plan
In $40-per-month plan

However, Roll by ADP focuses strictly on payroll processing with few tools for other employee management tasks, such as administering health benefits and setting up 401(k)s, tracking time and attendance and paying employees around the globe. 

ROLL BY ADPGUSTORIPPLING
Employee benefits administration
X
Global payroll processing
X
Global payroll for contractors only
Time tracking
X

Some competitors offer more features to attract, retain and manage large workforces, albeit at higher price points, including Gusto and Rippling. However, if you only have enough room in your budget to cover the expense of payroll processing, Roll by ADP may be the best option. 

Is Roll by ADP right for your business?

Roll by ADP stands out in the market as the best mobile payroll solution because it allows you to handle all your payroll duties from a smartphone or tablet through text commands. 

However, it lacks many features that large companies may need, such as employee time tracking, global payroll processing, automated tax filings and robust benefits administration policies and tools. If you need more than basic features to run payroll each month and can pay a little more for those features, consider competitors such as Gusto or Rippling

Every business owner has different payroll processing needs dictated by their company size, budget, desired features and other factors. As such, compare multiple options before making a commitment. Read our other payroll software reviews to help inform your decision.

Methodology

We extensively research the key competitors within an industry to determine the best products and services for your business. Our experts identify the factors that matter most to business owners, including pricing, features and customer support, to ensure that our recommendations offer well-rounded products that will meet the needs of various small businesses.

We collect extensive data to narrow our best list to reputable, easy-to-use products with stand-out features at a reasonable price point. And we look at user reviews to ensure that business owners like you are satisfied with our top picks’ services. We use the same rubric to assess companies within a particular space so you can confidently follow our blueprint to the best payroll software.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Yes, Roll by ADP offers a three-month free trial. While many of ADP’s competitors also let you try before you buy, most only give new users 30 days to decide if the software is right for them.

Yes, Roll by ADP offers same and next-day direct deposit. Next-day direct deposit doesn’t cost extra, but you will have to pay a small and unspecified transaction fee to send funds the same day.

Yes, Roll by ADP does offer federal, state and local tax filing services included in its standard monthly rate.

No, Roll by ADP doesn’t offer time tracking. You’ll need to maintain a separate system for employees to log their time or choose a payroll software solution that includes this feature, such as Rippling.

While you can use Roll by ADP on a computer, it works best on a smartphone or tablet. The Roll by ADP app is available for Android and iOS mobile devices.

Roll by ADP integrates with QuickBooks Online, allowing your payroll data to flow into your accounting system.

Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.

Laura Gariepy

BLUEPRINT

Laura started writing about personal finance in early 2018 when she took a sabbatical from her career in human resources and launched a blog discussing her journey. She realized she could earn a more lucrative and flexible living as a freelance writer, so she soon went all-in on being self-employed. Laura loves to write about managing your money, navigating your career, and running a successful business. Her work has been featured in Forbes, LendingTree, Rocket Mortgage, The Balance, and many other publications. She has also earned an MBA and a Bachelor's degree in Psychology.

Alana Rudder

BLUEPRINT

Alana is the deputy editor for USA Today Blueprint's small business team. She has served as a technology and marketing SME for countless businesses, from startups to leading tech firms — including Adobe and Workfusion. She has zealously shared her expertise with small businesses — including via Forbes Advisor and Fit Small Business — to help them compete for market share. She covers technologies pertaining to payroll and payment processing, online security, customer relationship management, accounting, human resources, marketing, project management, resource planning, customer data management and how small businesses can use process automation, AI and ML to more easily meet their goals. Alana has an MBA from Excelsior University.