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Software · head to head

Greenhouse vs Workday

Greenhouse logo

Greenhouse

Software

Hiring software for growing companies

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Workday logo

Workday

Software

Enterprise cloud applications for finance and HR

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Greenhouse core plan lacks talent discovery and contact lookups; Workday high implementation costs equal to or exceeding annual software fees
  • They diverge on capability: Greenhouse covers Applicant tracking, Workday covers Human capital management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Greenhouse and Workday actually diverge.

Attributes where Greenhouse and Workday differ
AttributeGreenhouseWorkday
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiCloud/Web
Founded20122005

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), 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 Greenhouse

  • Applicant tracking
  • Interview scheduling
  • Scorecard system
  • Job board posting
  • Candidate CRM
  • Reporting & analytics
  • Offer management
  • EEO compliance

Only in Workday

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

Both cover

  • LinkedIn
  • Slack
  • SOC2
  • GDPR

What people use each for

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

Greenhouse

  • Applicant tracking system for structured hiringnot Workday
  • AI-powered interview notetaking and sourcingnot Workday

Workday

  • HR managementnot Greenhouse
  • Financial planningnot Greenhouse
  • Workforce planningnot Greenhouse
  • Compliancenot Greenhouse
  • Analyticsnot Greenhouse

Where each one falls short

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

Greenhouse

  • Core plan lacks talent discovery and contact lookups
  • Core plan lacks email automation and applicant texting
  • Plus plan lacks resume anonymisation and application limits
  • Plus plan lacks audit logging and developer tools
  • Pricing customised by hiring volume and company size, not published
  • Only Pro tier offers audit logs and developer sandbox

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

Greenhouse

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Greenhouse 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 Greenhouse if

  • You need applicant tracking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want interview scheduling.
Greenhouse review

Choose Workday if

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

Questions people ask

Is Greenhouse or Workday better?
Neither clearly leads. Greenhouse starts at On request and Workday at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Greenhouse or Workday?
Greenhouse starts at On request and Workday at On request.
Does Greenhouse or Workday run on more platforms?
Greenhouse runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Workday runs on Cloud/Web.
What is Greenhouse best used for?
Greenhouse is most often used for applicant tracking system for structured hiring, ai-powered interview notetaking and sourcing. Of those, applicant tracking system for structured hiring and ai-powered interview notetaking and sourcing are not what Workday is typically brought in for.
What can Greenhouse do that Workday cannot?
Greenhouse covers Applicant tracking, Interview scheduling, Scorecard system, Job board posting. Workday covers Human capital management, Financial management, Planning, Analytics. Both handle LinkedIn, Slack, SOC2, GDPR.

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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Related pages

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