UKG Pro vs ADP Lyric: An objective comparison

Founded in 1949, ADP (Automatic Data Processing) remains one of the most established payroll and HR software providers. Its newest enterprise solution, ADP Lyric, reflects a modern shift toward AI-driven, consumer-grade HCM tools, especially for organizations facing complex payroll, compliance, and workforce demands.

UKG's Pro platform is designed to improve how businesses manage and engage their workforce. With a strong legacy in scheduling and time management, their flagship software continues to resonate with industries reliant on hourly labor, distributed teams, or tight compliance requirements.

This comparison focuses on the vendors' enterprise offerings (Lyric and Pro) while also noting where their mid-market solutions (ADP Workforce Now and UKG Ready) may be more appropriate.

Whether you’re shortlisting for a new HRMS implementation or migrating from a legacy system, this guide will help you evaluate which platform best fits your operational complexity, employee makeup, and growth goals.

Company size and industry

With a global footprint in over 100 countries, ADP serves a broad range of industries. ADP Lyric is purpose-built for enterprises with over 1,000 employees, offering sophisticated tools for global payroll, compliance, and workforce management. ADP Workforce Now, by contrast, targets mid-market organizations (50–999 employees).

In the broader human capital management (HCM) space, ADP, alongside Workday, controls over 35% of the market

UKG also has a global presence, serving customers in 150 countries. According to a NelsonHall report, UKG leads the North American workforce-management segment, holding the #1 position in both global and North American market share, with 84% of Fortune 100 companies using UKG.

UKG Pro, their enterprise-grade solution, is ideal for companies with 500–5,000+ employees, especially in industries like healthcare, retail, manufacturing, and the public sector.

UKG Ready, its counterpart for SMBs and mid-market clients, serves companies with under 1,000 employees and is often praised for its flexibility and ease of use.

Both vendors appear regularly on analyst top-performer lists and support multi-national operations.

Functionality

ADP Lyric covers the full HCM lifecycle from recruiting and onboarding to payroll, time tracking, and talent development. It stands out for its robust payroll engine, deep compliance capabilities, and AI-assisted analytics via ADP DataCloud. It includes tools like ADP Assist, a conversational AI, and real-time benchmarking powered by data from over 40 million workers.

UKG Pro also delivers full-suite HCM capabilities, with a strong reputation for time and labor management, performance reviews, learning, compensation, and employee engagement tools. UKG’s strengths trace back to its Kronos origins, making it particularly effective for hourly workforces and complex scheduling.

AI-enhanced features

Lyric integrates AI-driven analytics via ADP DataCloud, benchmarking across tens of millions of employee records to uncover trends in payroll, retention, and engagement.

ADP Assist, a conversational AI interface, helps HR professionals and employees interact with the platform through natural language queries and workflows, such as “show my PTO balance” or “how did we perform on headcount last quarter.”

UKG Bryte AI is an optional GenAI suite for UKG Pro featuring conversational-assisted search, letting users “Ask Bryte” for policy lookups, time-off balances, schedules, and more.

Its conversational reporting analyzes data and provides instant access to reports for quick, data-driven decisions.

For frontline workers, Bryte AI simplifies schedule, shift, and location preference management to support a better work-life balance.

Compare UKG and ADP with more HRMS products with this free online comparison tool

UKG Ready and ADP Workforce Now deliver similar features at a lighter scale for mid-sized organizations. UKG Ready excels in user experience and native scheduling, while Workforce Now integrates deeply with ADP’s benefits and tax services.

Deployment

Both ADP Lyric and UKG Pro are delivered as cloud-based SaaS platforms, accessible from desktop and mobile. ADP also offers outsourcing options, allowing businesses to fully or partially delegate payroll and HR administration. Their ADP Marketplace enables extensive third-party integrations.

UKG Pro supports integrations through APIs and a growing ecosystem of partners. While Kronos historically offered on-premise installations, UKG now focuses on cloud-first deployments, with mobile access and self-service tools available across all tiers.

Support

ADP offers tiered support and professional services. Lyric clients receive access to a dedicated Client Success Executive, a global service team, and the ability to outsource key functions. Mid-market customers using Workforce Now can subscribe to the HR Assist package, which includes compliance tools, templates, and advisory access.

UKG provides a comprehensive support structure under its 'Partner for Life' experience. UKG Pro customers benefit from 24/7 support, an account manager, and access to the UKG Community. Both UKG Ready and Pro offer self-guided learning, certification programs, and robust onboarding support.

Pricing

Both ADP and UKG follow a quote-based pricing model, with per-employee-per-month (PEPM) structures. Expect additional charges for implementation, integrations, and specialist modules.

In summary (TL;DR)

UKG Pro vs ADP Lyric is a close match at the enterprise level. Choose ADP Lyric if your priorities include global payroll, compliance automation, and service outsourcing. Opt for UKG Pro if your business demands complex labor scheduling, employee experience features, and integrated time and talent management.

For mid-sized businesses, ADP Workforce Now and UKG Ready offer strong alternatives, with differing strengths: Workforce Now is a payroll-first system with deep compliance roots; UKG Ready emphasizes usability and workforce flexibility.