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Side-by-side record

Litmos vs. RUN Powered by ADP

A side-by-side view of the product records we have today. Use it to narrow the question, then confirm current pricing, limits, and security details with each vendor.

The short version

Litmos starts at $2,500 per seat, versus RUN Powered by ADP at Custom pricing. Litmos carries the higher aggregate rating (9.7/5 vs 4.7/5).

Full comparison

Litmosfrom $2,500 per month
RUN Powered by ADPfrom Custom pricing
Audyense Score29AS*Low65AS*Fair
PositioningLitmos is one of the leading corporate learning systems on the market built to accelerate training of both internal and external teams.Payroll, tax, and HR built for small businesses (1-49 employees)
Free tierYesNo
DeploymentCloud / SaaSCloud / SaaS
Best fitStartup, SMB, Mid-marketStartup, SMB
Pricing plans
  • Free or entry planFree
  • Higher tiersCustom pricing
  • Essential PayrollCustom pricing
  • Enhanced PayrollCustom pricing
  • Complete Payroll & HR+Custom pricing
  • HR Pro Payroll & HRCustom pricing
Embedded content creation tools that support multiple formatsYesDocumented in the independently researched profile.
Intuitive user interfaceYesDocumented in the independently researched profile.
Multi-language & localization supportYesDocumented in the independently researched profile.
SurveysYesDocumented in the independently researched profile.
Custom branding / WhitelabelYesDocumented in the independently researched profile.
Assessment / QuizYesDocumented in the independently researched profile.
Sell online coursesYesDocumented in the independently researched profile.
Ecommerce shopping cartYesDocumented in the independently researched profile.
SCORM & TIN CAN certifiedYesDocumented in the independently researched profile.
Schedule live courses – ILTYesDocumented in the independently researched profile.
Real-time reportingYesDocumented in the independently researched profile.
Developer API including SalesForceYesDocumented in the independently researched profile.
OktaYesDocumented in the independently researched profile.
and DropboxYesDocumented in the independently researched profile.
Public APIPartialADP offers API Central / developer portal APIs, but access requires formal partner approval rather than open self-serve keys.
Reporting & dashboardsPartialReporting exists but multiple reviews describe it as restrictive and hard to customize.
Mobile appYesNative mobile app for owners to run payroll and for employees to view pay/W-2 info.
Applicant tracking (ATS)PartialApplicant Tracking System (via CareerPlug) is only included on the top HR Pro tier, not lower tiers.
Employee onboardingYesNew-hire onboarding is included even in the base Essential Payroll tier.
PayrollYesCore product function: automated payroll runs plus federal/state/local tax deduction and filing.
Time-off & PTO managementPartialTime and attendance integrations (e.g., Deputy, Homebase, ClockShark) and HR tools cover PTO tracking; not confirmed as a standalone native module.
Benefits administrationPartialBenefits administration (health insurance, retirement, workers' comp) is available but carries additional fees per third-party reviews.
Performance reviewsNoNo dedicated performance-review/goal-setting module found; higher tiers offer salary benchmarking data only.
Employee directory & org chartPartialEmployee self-service portal exists across tiers; no explicit standalone 'directory' feature was named.
Integrations verified
Aggregate rating9.7 · No reviews yet4.7 · 6.0k reviews
Integrations
QuickBooks OnlineXeroWaveDeputyHomebaseQuickBooks Time (TSheets)+7 more
Security & compliance
SOC 1 Type 2SOC 2 Type 2ISO/IEC 27001ISO/IEC 27701+1 more
Pros
  • Independent review documents a concrete business workflow
  • Documented capability: Embedded content creation tools that support multiple formats
  • Documented capability: Intuitive user interface
  • Documented capability: Multi-language & localization support
  • Documented capability: Surveys
  • Widely praised as easy to use for running payroll, with simple pay-input fields and few errors
  • Strong, responsive customer support specifically during onboarding/implementation
  • Automatic tax filing and compliance handling reduces manual tax work for owners
  • Mobile app lets owners run payroll and lets employees view pay stubs/W-2s from anywhere
Cons
  • Pricing and usage limits should be checked against the exact plan
  • Implementation effort depends on the team's data and process maturity
  • Reported outcomes should be validated with the buyer's own data
  • Support quality is inconsistent after initial setup, with reported long hold times and difficulty reaching a live person
  • Perceived as expensive for smaller businesses once per-employee fees and optional add-ons are included
  • Reporting features described as restrictive and hard to customize
  • Portal/site navigation not always intuitive for finding specific info like tax forms
Visit Litmos ↗Visit RUN Powered by ADP ↗

Editorial read of this comparison

The table summarizes structured facts; this section explains what the differences mean for a real buying decision.

Where each tool fits, and where it may not

Litmos

Litmos is one of the leading corporate learning systems on the market built to accelerate training of both internal and external teams. It won our Expert’s Choice Award for 2019. Despite being able to automate both internal and external learning programs, Litmos is still referred to as the worlds simplest and easiest to use a learning management system that requires neither dedicated training nor expensive installations. The company’s target group entails mostly midmarket companies and established enterprises, while its client base already lists a number of prominent Fortune 1000 members. The system, nevertheless, is not entirely focused on large and corporate teams – Litmos still belongs to the group of affordable eLearning systems with dedicated ‘up to 100 users’ packages a small company could consider. In fact, Litmos is often preferred to seemingly cheaper LMS tools because it doesn’t require a setup fee and doesn’t limit on-point customer support to a particular plan. The price will rather depend on how many users you wish to involve, and the type of learning support you wish to focus on. To make the process of attaining and selling courses even smoother, Litmos established a number of valuable third-party partnerships with platforms such as Shopify (you can distribute your Litmos courses there for free). Needless to say, a vast group of integrations is a guarantee that the system will blend in with your software ecosystem, and won’t require you to make any specific changes in order to run it. Litmos integrates with Salesforce to increase sales reps performance, train licensed users, and leverage training for customers, employees, and compliance, among others. Next to its convenient Salesforce partnership, Litmos works impeccably with Okta, OneLogin, Ping, Box, Centrify, and other similar systems, and it is one of the few SCORM certified learning & security

A particularly good fit for: B2B teams evaluating HR and People software Teams that need documented workflow capabilities and fit guidance Organizations willing to validate implementation and plan limits

May be a poor fit if: Teams seeking a workflow outside the product's documented focus Teams needing unlimited usage without plan limits

RUN Powered by ADP

RUN Powered by ADP is a cloud-based payroll and HR platform from ADP aimed at businesses with 1-49 employees. It automates federal, state, and local payroll tax deductions and filings, and layers on optional HR support, time tracking, benefits administration, and hiring tools across four package tiers. It is backed by ADP's live phone/chat support rather than being a pure self-serve product.

A particularly good fit for: Small businesses (1-49 employees) that want a service-backed payroll provider instead of a fully self-managed tool Owners who need automated multi-state federal/state/local tax deduction and filing handled for them Businesses that want room to grow from basic payroll into HR support, benefits administration, and hiring (via higher HR Pro tier)

May be a poor fit if: Very small or budget-conscious businesses (1-2 employees) sensitive to per-employee and per-add-on fees Buyers who want fully transparent, published self-serve pricing without going through a sales quote call

Pricing and plan structure

Litmos: Published starting price $2,500 per month

  • Free or entry planFree
  • Higher tiersCustom pricing

RUN Powered by ADP: Published starting price Custom pricing

  • Essential PayrollCustom pricing
  • Enhanced PayrollCustom pricing
  • Complete Payroll & HR+Custom pricing
  • HR Pro Payroll & HRCustom pricing

Capabilities worth validating

  • Litmos: Embedded content creation tools that support multiple formats, Intuitive user interface, Multi-language & localization support, Surveys, Custom branding / Whitelabel
  • RUN Powered by ADP: Public API, Reporting & dashboards, Mobile app, Applicant tracking (ATS), Employee onboarding Integrations include QuickBooks Online, Xero, Wave, Deputy.

Questions to answer before switching

  • Does Litmos's selected plan include the features and limits we need?
  • Does RUN Powered by ADP's selected plan include the features and limits we need?
  • Does the exact integration path for QuickBooks Online, Xero, Wave support the sync direction, permissions, and volume we need?
  • Is a hosted-only deployment acceptable for the team and customers who will use this system?

How to evaluate this shortlist

A useful comparison turns the differences between HR & People tools into a concrete test. Use these steps to avoid choosing from a feature table or the lowest headline price alone.

  1. Start with a representative HR & People workflow, not a feature checklist. Define who will use it, what data goes in, and what outcome the team needs.
  2. Test the complete path through QuickBooks Online, Xero, Wave: permissions, sync direction, failure handling, and volume limits often matter more than the integration name.
  3. Compare the cost of the real scenario, including users, usage, storage, support, and contract requirements. The entry price alone does not measure adoption cost.
  4. Before switching, list the evidence gaps, request a demo of the critical workflow, and confirm security, data residency, export, and support with each vendor.

Structured signals help narrow the shortlist, but a trial with a real workflow is still the best way to validate the decision.

Research basis

Last checked: 2026-08-18. Pricing, integrations, feature support, and review signals can change, so treat this as a research snapshot and verify the final decision with the vendor.

Sources consulted: Litmos product site, FinancesOnline review, Vendor website; RUN Powered by ADP product site, G2, Capterra