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Software · head to head

Paycom vs Workday

Paycom logo

Paycom

Software

HR and payroll technology led by employees

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: Paycom no public API and no transparent integration capabilities; Workday high implementation costs equal to or exceeding annual software fees
  • They diverge on capability: Paycom covers Time and Attendance, Workday covers Human capital management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Paycom and Workday actually diverge.

Attributes where Paycom and Workday differ
AttributePaycomWorkday
PlatformsWebCloud/Web
Founded19982005

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 Paycom

  • Time and Attendance
  • HR Management
  • Talent Acquisition
  • Talent Management
  • Learning Management
  • Microsoft 365
  • Google Workspace
  • Indeed

Only in Workday

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

Both cover

  • Payroll
  • Slack
  • LinkedIn

What people use each for

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

Paycom

  • Payroll processing with employee self-verification through Betinot Workday
  • Time and attendance tracking with schedulingnot Workday
  • Talent acquisition and onboardingnot Workday
  • Benefits and compliance administrationnot Workday
  • Automated time-off decisions through GONEnot Workday

Workday

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

Where each one falls short

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

Paycom

  • No public API and no transparent integration capabilities
  • Limited integrations with third-party ATS, LMS, or performance tools
  • Custom pricing makes cost forecasting difficult
  • Proprietary system philosophy limits flexibility compared to more open platforms
  • Does not support global payroll and benefits

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

Paycom

On request
  • Standard$undefined/month
    • Payroll
    • Time and Labor
    • HR Management

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 Paycom if

  • You need time and attendance.
  • You also want hr management.
Paycom 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 Paycom or Workday better?
Neither clearly leads. Paycom 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, Paycom or Workday?
Paycom starts at On request and Workday at On request.
Does Paycom or Workday run on more platforms?
Paycom runs on Web. Workday runs on Cloud/Web.
What is Paycom best used for?
Paycom is most often used for payroll processing with employee self-verification through beti, time and attendance tracking with scheduling, talent acquisition and onboarding, benefits and compliance administration. Of those, payroll processing with employee self-verification through beti and time and attendance tracking with scheduling are not what Workday is typically brought in for.
What can Paycom do that Workday cannot?
Paycom covers Time and Attendance, HR Management, Talent Acquisition, Talent Management. Workday covers Human capital management, Financial management, Planning, Analytics. Both handle Payroll, Slack, LinkedIn.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Paycom: Does Paycom offer a free trial?

No. Paycom does not offer a free trial. Pricing depends on company size and modules and requires a custom quote.

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
Paycom: Can Paycom integrate with third-party tools?

Paycom has no public API and fewer than 50 integrations. Paycom's philosophy is that you should use their built-in modules for everything. Custom integrations require commercial partnership approval.

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
Paycom: What are Paycom's core features?

Paycom is a single-database payroll and HR platform featuring custom reporting tools, org chart visualization, employee self-service portal, and a tax center dashboard for compliance management.

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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