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Software · head to head

Acuity Scheduling vs Workday

Acuity Scheduling logo

Acuity Scheduling

Software

Scheduling made simple

From
$16/month
Rated
-
Workday logo

Workday

Software

Enterprise cloud applications for finance and HR

From
On request
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Acuity Scheduling starter tier limited to 1 calendar only; Workday high implementation costs equal to or exceeding annual software fees
  • They diverge on capability: Acuity Scheduling covers Online booking, Workday covers Human capital management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Acuity Scheduling and Workday actually diverge.

Attributes where Acuity Scheduling and Workday differ
AttributeAcuity SchedulingWorkday
Starting price$16/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWebCloud/Web
Founded20032005

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Acuity Scheduling

  • Online booking
  • Appointment types
  • Calendar sync
  • Payment processing
  • Email reminders
  • Client self-scheduling
  • Packages & memberships
  • Timezone detection

Only in Workday

  • Human capital management
  • Financial management
  • Planning
  • Analytics
  • Payroll
  • Time tracking
  • Talent management
  • Procurement

Both cover

  • HIPAA
  • SOC2

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Acuity Scheduling

  • Client self-scheduling with automated time zone conversionnot Workday
  • HIPAA-compliant scheduling for healthcare practitionersnot Workday
  • Multi-location scheduling with multiple staff membersnot Workday
  • Membership, package sales, and gift certificate managementnot Workday

Workday

  • HR managementnot Acuity Scheduling
  • Financial planningnot Acuity Scheduling
  • Workforce planningnot Acuity Scheduling
  • Compliancenot Acuity Scheduling
  • Analyticsnot Acuity Scheduling

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Acuity Scheduling

  • Starter tier limited to 1 calendar only
  • SMS/text reminders, memberships, and gift certificates require Standard or Premium tier
  • HIPAA compliance (BAA signature) exclusive to Premium tier at $49/month
  • Custom API and CSS access, and Acuity branding removal require Premium tier

Workday

  • High implementation costs equal to or exceeding annual software fees
  • Long deployment timelines (12-18 months standard) before ROI
  • Steep per-employee pricing at enterprise scale ($408-504 PEPM)
  • Limited pre-built templates and customization; often requires extensive configuration
  • Requires significant IT and change management resources during implementation

Pricing, plan by plan

Acuity Scheduling

$16/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Acuity Scheduling review.

Workday

On request
  • Small Business$undefined/month
    • Core HR
    • Payroll
    • Time tracking
  • Medium Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Full HCM suite
    • Financial management
    • Advanced analytics
  • Large Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Complete platform
    • Custom configurations
    • Dedicated support

Which should you pick?

Choose Acuity Scheduling if

  • You need online booking.
  • You also want appointment types.

Choose Workday if

  • You need human capital management.
  • You work on Cloud/Web.
  • You also want financial management.

Questions people ask

Is Acuity Scheduling or Workday better?
Neither clearly leads. Acuity Scheduling starts at $16/month and Workday at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Acuity Scheduling or Workday?
Acuity Scheduling starts at $16/month and Workday at On request.
Does Acuity Scheduling or Workday run on more platforms?
Acuity Scheduling runs on Web. Workday runs on Cloud/Web.
What is Acuity Scheduling best used for?
Acuity Scheduling is most often used for client self-scheduling with automated time zone conversion, hipaa-compliant scheduling for healthcare practitioners, multi-location scheduling with multiple staff members, membership, package sales, and gift certificate management. Of those, client self-scheduling with automated time zone conversion and hipaa-compliant scheduling for healthcare practitioners are not what Workday is typically brought in for.
What can Acuity Scheduling do that Workday cannot?
Acuity Scheduling covers Online booking, Appointment types, Calendar sync, Payment processing. Workday covers Human capital management, Financial management, Planning, Analytics. Both handle HIPAA, SOC2.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Workday: What is Workday GO and what market is it designed for?

Workday GO is a product designed for small and midsize organizations, bringing together HR and finance solutions with transparent pricing and fast activation in 30 to 60 days. It includes HCM, benefits, payroll, talent, and more at a lower price point than standard Workday.

Source
Workday: What is Workday Skills Cloud and how does it fit into HCM?

Workday Skills Cloud is an intelligent skills foundation built into Workday HCM. It is described as the world's most open intelligent skills foundation and fuels data-driven talent strategies across recruiting, learning, and workforce planning.

Source
Workday: Does Workday include payroll and benefits management?

Yes. Workday HCM includes benefits administration and payroll capabilities as part of its core suite. Global payroll processing is available across multiple countries and tax jurisdictions.

Source
Workday: What is the typical pricing model for Workday HCM?

Workday HCM uses per-employee (PEPM) annual subscription pricing. Companies at scale typically pay $34-42 PEPM. Enterprise organizations with 5,000+ employees typically pay $408-504 per employee annually. Pricing decreases with larger commitments and longer contract terms.

Source
Workday: How long does Workday implementation typically take?

Standard implementations are lengthy, often taking 12-18 months. Workday GO promises faster activation in 30-60 days. Implementation costs typically equal 100-150% of the first year's software subscription fees.

Source

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