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Software · head to head

Paylocity vs Workday

Paylocity logo

Paylocity

Software

HR and payroll solutions to drive employee engagement

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: Paylocity the Internet Archive's capture of Paylocity's homepage on 3 January 2021 named a wide suite of modules, including Payroll, On Demand Payment, HR Edge, Recruiting, Performance Management, Compensation Management and a Learning Management System, all sold via 'Request a Demo' with no price figures published.; Workday high implementation costs equal to or exceeding annual software fees
  • They diverge on capability: Paylocity covers HR Management, Workday covers Human capital management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Paylocity and Workday actually diverge.

Attributes where Paylocity and Workday differ
AttributePaylocityWorkday
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidCloud/Web
Founded19972005

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 Paylocity

  • HR Management
  • Benefits Administration
  • Time and Labor
  • Talent Management
  • Employee Engagement
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Google Workspace
  • QuickBooks

Only in Workday

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

Both cover

  • Payroll
  • Slack

What people use each for

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

Paylocity

No use cases recorded yet. See the Paylocity review.

Workday

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

Where each one falls short

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

Paylocity

  • The Internet Archive's capture of Paylocity's homepage on 3 January 2021 named a wide suite of modules, including Payroll, On Demand Payment, HR Edge, Recruiting, Performance Management, Compensation Management and a Learning Management System, all sold via 'Request a Demo' with no price figures published.

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

Paylocity

On request
  • Core Payroll$undefined/month
    • Payroll Processing
    • Tax Services
    • Direct Deposit
  • Complete HCM$undefined/month
    • All Core features
    • HR
    • Benefits

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 Paylocity if

  • You need hr management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want benefits administration.
Paylocity 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 Paylocity or Workday better?
Neither clearly leads. Paylocity 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, Paylocity or Workday?
Paylocity starts at On request and Workday at On request.
Does Paylocity or Workday run on more platforms?
Paylocity runs on Web, Ios, Android. Workday runs on Cloud/Web.
What can Paylocity do that Workday cannot?
Paylocity covers HR Management, Benefits Administration, Time and Labor, Talent Management. Workday covers Human capital management, Financial management, Planning, Analytics. Both handle Payroll, Slack.

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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