Softwr

Employee Engagement · head to head

Guusto vs Workday

Guusto logo

Guusto

Employee Engagement

Gift-based employee recognition platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Workday logo

Workday

All industries

Enterprise cloud applications for finance and HR

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Guusto has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Guusto gift card merchants are limited primarily to US brands and digital formats; international options are limited; Workday high implementation costs equal to or exceeding annual software fees
  • They diverge on capability: Guusto covers Gift card rewards, Workday covers Human capital management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Guusto and Workday actually diverge.

Attributes where Guusto and Workday differ
AttributeGuustoWorkday
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelUnknownquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebCloud/Web
CategoryEmployee EngagementAll industries
Founded20132005

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Guusto

  • Gift card rewards
  • Peer recognition
  • Milestone celebrations
  • Budget management
  • Mobile app
  • Charitable giving
  • Multiple gift options
  • Microsoft Teams

Only in Workday

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

Both cover

  • Analytics
  • Slack

What people use each for

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

Guusto

  • Employee recognitionnot Workday
  • Gift givingnot Workday
  • Milestone awardsnot Workday
  • Social impactnot Workday

Workday

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

Where each one falls short

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

Guusto

  • Gift card merchants are limited primarily to US brands and digital formats; international options are limited
  • Recipients must create a Guusto account to claim rewards, creating friction for deskless workers
  • No physical goods fulfillment or home delivery for tangible merchandise and branded swag
  • Limited customization options for branding and reward options compared to enterprise alternatives
  • Regional restrictions on merchant availability in certain geographic areas

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

Guusto

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Guusto 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 Guusto if

  • You need gift card rewards.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want peer recognition.
Guusto 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 Guusto or Workday better?
Neither clearly leads. Guusto starts at Free and Workday at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Guusto or Workday?
Guusto has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Guusto and On request for Workday.
Does Guusto or Workday run on more platforms?
Guusto runs on Web. Workday runs on Cloud/Web.
Can I use Guusto for free?
Yes. Guusto has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Workday starts at On request.
What is Guusto best used for?
Guusto is most often used for employee recognition, gift giving, milestone awards, social impact. Of those, employee recognition and gift giving are not what Workday is typically brought in for.
What can Guusto do that Workday cannot?
Guusto covers Gift card rewards, Peer recognition, Milestone celebrations, Budget management. Workday covers Human capital management, Financial management, Planning, Payroll. Both handle Analytics, Slack.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Guusto: Does Guusto work with deskless and remote employees?

Yes, Guusto is designed for frontline and deskless workers. It delivers recognition through SMS, push notifications, QR codes, and print options, making it accessible to employees without desk access or company email.

Source
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
Guusto: What reward options does Guusto support?

Guusto cards can be redeemed for hundreds of different gift cards from around the world, branded company swag, charity donations, and custom rewards. However, gift card merchants are primarily limited to US brands.

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
Guusto: How does Guusto pricing work?

Guusto offers a Free tier with no minimum spend, Essential at $200 per month (annual billing), and Premium at $500 per month (annual billing). You pay face value for gift card rewards; Guusto charges merchants instead, so every dollar goes to employees.

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
Guusto: Can Guusto integrate with HRIS systems?

Yes, Guusto syncs with HR management systems to automate anniversaries, milestones, birthdays, and other events. It also offers SSO integrations and Slack integration for bringing recognition into daily workflows.

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
Guusto: Do employees need a Guusto account to receive gifts?

Yes, recipients must create a Guusto account to claim rewards, which some users find inconvenient compared to simpler delivery methods.

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
Guusto: Does Guusto offer physical goods and merchandise?

Guusto focuses on gift cards and digital rewards. It does not have a robust physical fulfillment arm, so industrial or field workers cannot receive tangible goods delivered to their homes.

Source
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