Softwr

Software · head to head

Personio vs Workday

Personio logo

Personio

Software

All-in-one HR software for SMEs

From
$5/employee-per-month
Rated
-
Workday logo

Workday

Software

Enterprise cloud applications for finance and HR

From
On request
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Personio payroll processing only available in Germany, UK, and Ireland, limiting multi-country deployment; Workday high implementation costs equal to or exceeding annual software fees
  • They diverge on capability: Personio covers HR Management, Workday covers Human capital management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Personio and Workday actually diverge.

Attributes where Personio and Workday differ
AttributePersonioWorkday
Starting price$5/employee-per-monthOn request
Pricing modelUnknownquote
PlatformsWeb, Mobile (iOS, Android)Cloud/Web
Founded20152005

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 Personio

  • HR Management
  • Recruiting
  • Time Tracking
  • Performance Management
  • Onboarding
  • Offboarding
  • Microsoft 365
  • Google Workspace

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.

Personio

No use cases recorded yet. See the Personio review.

Workday

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

Where each one falls short

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

Personio

  • Payroll processing only available in Germany, UK, and Ireland, limiting multi-country deployment
  • Recruiting module lacks advanced reporting and LinkedIn integration functionality
  • Limited reporting customization requires manual exports and workarounds
  • Mobile app has reduced capabilities compared to desktop experience

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

Personio

$5/employee-per-month

No published plan breakdown. See the Personio 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 Personio if

  • You need hr management.
  • You work on Web, Mobile (iOS, Android).
  • You also want recruiting.

Choose Workday if

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

Questions people ask

Is Personio or Workday better?
Neither clearly leads. Personio starts at $5/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, Personio or Workday?
Personio starts at $5/employee-per-month and Workday at On request.
Does Personio or Workday run on more platforms?
Personio runs on Web, Mobile (iOS, Android). Workday runs on Cloud/Web.
What can Personio do that Workday cannot?
Personio covers HR Management, Recruiting, Time Tracking, Performance Management. Workday covers Human capital management, Financial management, Planning, Analytics. Both handle Payroll, Slack, LinkedIn.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Personio: Does Personio offer payroll processing in my country?

Personio provides native payroll support in Germany, UK, and Ireland, with limited support in other European markets through integrations. Coverage varies by country.

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
Personio: What is Personio's pricing model?

Personio uses a per-employee-per-month (PEPM) model starting at $5-15/employee/month depending on the plan and features. There is no public pricing page, and exact pricing requires a sales consultation.

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
Personio: Can Personio integrate with other tools?

Yes. Personio provides a public API and maintains a marketplace of pre-built integrations. The Core Pro plan is required for API access and custom integrations.

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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