Softwr

Communication & Collaboration · head to head

Lark vs Workday

Lark logo

Lark

Communication & Collaboration

The super app for team collaboration

From
Free
Rated
-
Workday logo

Workday

All industries

Enterprise cloud applications for finance and HR

From
On request
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Lark has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Lark lark's own pricing page description states it offers a free starter pack, a Pro plan, and an Enterprise plan, and directs buyers to Contact us rather than publishing Pro/Enterprise figures on the rendered page.; Workday high implementation costs equal to or exceeding annual software fees
  • They diverge on capability: Lark covers Team messaging, Workday covers Human capital management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Lark and Workday actually diverge.

Attributes where Lark and Workday differ
AttributeLarkWorkday
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, AndroidCloud/Web
CategoryCommunication & CollaborationAll industries
Founded20192005

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 Lark

  • Team messaging
  • Video conferencing
  • Collaborative docs
  • Cloud storage
  • Calendar
  • Jira
  • GitHub
  • Google Workspace

Only in Workday

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

Both cover

  • Salesforce
  • ISO27001
  • SOC2
  • Cloud deployment

What people use each for

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

Lark

  • Team communicationnot Workday
  • Document collaborationnot Workday
  • Project managementnot Workday
  • Company intranetnot Workday

Workday

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

Where each one falls short

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

Lark

  • Lark's own pricing page description states it offers a free starter pack, a Pro plan, and an Enterprise plan, and directs buyers to Contact us rather than publishing Pro/Enterprise figures on the rendered page.

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

Lark

Free
  • StarterFree
    • Up to 50 users
    • 100GB storage
    • Unlimited messaging
  • Pro$12/month
    • Unlimited users
    • 1TB storage per user
    • 24-hour meetings
  • Enterprise$20/month
    • SSO/SAML
    • eDiscovery
    • Custom retention

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 Lark if

  • You need team messaging.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android.
  • You also want video conferencing.

Choose Workday if

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

Questions people ask

Is Lark or Workday better?
Neither clearly leads. Lark 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, Lark or Workday?
Lark has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Lark and On request for Workday.
Does Lark or Workday run on more platforms?
Lark runs on Web, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android. Workday runs on Cloud/Web.
Can I use Lark for free?
Yes. Lark has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Workday starts at On request.
What is Lark best used for?
Lark is most often used for team communication, document collaboration, project management, company intranet. Of those, team communication and document collaboration are not what Workday is typically brought in for.
What can Lark do that Workday cannot?
Lark covers Team messaging, Video conferencing, Collaborative docs, Cloud storage. Workday covers Human capital management, Financial management, Planning, Analytics. Both handle Salesforce, ISO27001, SOC2, Cloud deployment.

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

Related pages

Other head to heads