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Software · head to head

Salesforce Service Cloud vs Workday

Salesforce Service Cloud logo

Salesforce Service Cloud

Software

Customer service software that powers loyalty

From
$25/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: Salesforce Service Cloud the vendor's own pricing page as captured by the Internet Archive on 29 December 2021 listed four Service Cloud tiers billed annually per user per month in USD: $25, $75, $150 (Enterprise, marked most popular), and $300; add-ons such as Omni-Channel Supervisor cost an additional $75 per user per month and Google Apps/Outlook integration an additional $25 per user per month on lower tiers; Workday high implementation costs equal to or exceeding annual software fees
  • They diverge on capability: Salesforce Service Cloud covers Case management, Workday covers Human capital management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Salesforce Service Cloud and Workday actually diverge.

Attributes where Salesforce Service Cloud and Workday differ
AttributeSalesforce Service CloudWorkday
Starting price$25/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidCloud/Web
Founded19992005

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 Salesforce Service Cloud

  • Case management
  • Omnichannel routing
  • AI-powered bots
  • Field service
  • Self-service
  • Salesforce CRM
  • MuleSoft
  • Tableau

Only in Workday

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

Both cover

  • Analytics
  • Slack
  • SOC2
  • ISO27001
  • HIPAA

What people use each for

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

Salesforce Service Cloud

  • Enterprise customer servicenot Workday
  • Field servicenot Workday
  • Self-service portalsnot Workday
  • AI-powered supportnot Workday

Workday

  • HR managementnot Salesforce Service Cloud
  • Financial planningnot Salesforce Service Cloud
  • Workforce planningnot Salesforce Service Cloud
  • Compliancenot Salesforce Service Cloud
  • Analyticsnot Salesforce Service Cloud

Where each one falls short

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

Salesforce Service Cloud

  • The vendor's own pricing page as captured by the Internet Archive on 29 December 2021 listed four Service Cloud tiers billed annually per user per month in USD: $25, $75, $150 (Enterprise, marked most popular), and $300; add-ons such as Omni-Channel Supervisor cost an additional $75 per user per month and Google Apps/Outlook integration an additional $25 per user per month on lower tiers

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

Salesforce Service Cloud

$25/month
  • Essentials$25/month
    • Case management
    • Knowledge base
    • Web & email support
  • Professional$80/month
    • CTI
    • Omni-channel routing
    • Custom reports
  • Enterprise$165/month
    • Web API
    • Einstein AI
    • Workflow automation
  • Unlimited$330/month
    • 24/7 support
    • Configuration services
    • Premier success

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 Salesforce Service Cloud if

  • You need case management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want omnichannel routing.

Choose Workday if

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

Questions people ask

Is Salesforce Service Cloud or Workday better?
Neither clearly leads. Salesforce Service Cloud starts at $25/month and Workday at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Salesforce Service Cloud or Workday?
Salesforce Service Cloud starts at $25/month and Workday at On request.
Does Salesforce Service Cloud or Workday run on more platforms?
Salesforce Service Cloud runs on Web, Ios, Android. Workday runs on Cloud/Web.
What is Salesforce Service Cloud best used for?
Salesforce Service Cloud is most often used for enterprise customer service, field service, self-service portals, ai-powered support. Of those, enterprise customer service and field service are not what Workday is typically brought in for.
What can Salesforce Service Cloud do that Workday cannot?
Salesforce Service Cloud covers Case management, Omnichannel routing, AI-powered bots, Field service. Workday covers Human capital management, Financial management, Planning, Payroll. Both handle Analytics, Slack, SOC2, ISO27001.

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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