Software · head to head
People HR vs Workday

People HR
Software
HR software that does the HR hard work
- From
- $1/employee per month
- Rated
- -

Workday
Software
Enterprise cloud applications for finance and HR
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: People HR limited integration capabilities with specialized third-party HR tools; Workday high implementation costs equal to or exceeding annual software fees
- They diverge on capability: People HR covers Employee Database, Workday covers Human capital management.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which People HR and Workday actually diverge.
Identical on both: 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 People HR
- Employee Database
- Absence Management
- Document Management
- Performance
- Recruitment
- Self-Service Portal
- Microsoft 365
- Google Workspace
Only in Workday
- Human capital management
- Financial management
- Planning
- Analytics
- Payroll
- Time tracking
- Talent management
- Procurement
Both cover
- Slack
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
People HR
No use cases recorded yet. See the People HR review.
Workday
- HR managementnot People HR
- Financial planningnot People HR
- Workforce planningnot People HR
- Compliancenot People HR
- Analyticsnot People HR
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
People HR
- Limited integration capabilities with specialized third-party HR tools
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
People HR
$1/employee per monthNo published plan breakdown. See the People HR review.
Workday
On request- Small Business$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 People HR if
- You need employee database.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want absence management.
Choose Workday if
- You need human capital management.
- You work on Cloud/Web.
- You also want financial management.
Questions people ask
- Is People HR or Workday better?
- Neither clearly leads. People HR starts at $1/employee per month and Workday at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, People HR or Workday?
- People HR starts at $1/employee per month and Workday at On request.
- Does People HR or Workday run on more platforms?
- People HR runs on Web, iOS, Android. Workday runs on Cloud/Web.
- What can People HR do that Workday cannot?
- People HR covers Employee Database, Absence Management, Document Management, Performance. Workday covers Human capital management, Financial management, Planning, Analytics. Both handle Slack.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
People HR: How much does People HR cost?
People HR pricing starts at $1 per employee per month with different plans available. Pricing scales with team size and features added.
SourceWorkday: 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.
SourcePeople HR: What core HR features does People HR include?
People HR includes employee database, leave management, performance management, recruitment management, onboarding, time and attendance tracking, and self-service HR where employees can manage their information and requests.
SourceWorkday: 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.
SourcePeople HR: Does People HR have a mobile app?
Yes, People HR offers a mobile app allowing employees to access their information, request time off, check paystubs, timecards, and view PTO balances on the go.
SourceWorkday: 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.
SourceWorkday: 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.
SourceWorkday: 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.
SourceRelated pages
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