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HR · head to head

Motivosity vs Workday

Motivosity logo

Motivosity

HR

Recognition that actually matters

From
$3000/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Workday logo

Workday

HR

Enterprise cloud applications for finance and HR

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Motivosity no published per-seat pricing; only broad ranges provided by company size; Workday high implementation costs equal to or exceeding annual software fees
  • They diverge on capability: Motivosity covers Peer-to-peer recognition, Workday covers Human capital management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Motivosity and Workday actually diverge.

Attributes where Motivosity and Workday differ
AttributeMotivosityWorkday
Starting price$3000/yearOn request
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiCloud/Web
Founded20132005

Identical on both: pricing model (quote), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (HR).

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 Motivosity

  • Peer-to-peer recognition
  • Spot bonuses
  • Social recognition feed
  • Manager insights
  • 1-on-1 meetings
  • Pulse surveys
  • Rewards marketplace
  • Company values alignment

Only in Workday

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

Both cover

  • Slack
  • ADP
  • SOC2
  • GDPR

What people use each for

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

Motivosity

  • Peer-to-peer recognition and spot bonusesnot Workday
  • Service milestones and work anniversariesnot Workday
  • Pulse surveys on employee sentimentnot Workday
  • Rewards and lifestyle spending accountsnot Workday
  • Nominations and awards programmesnot Workday

Workday

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

Where each one falls short

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

Motivosity

  • No published per-seat pricing; only broad ranges provided by company size
  • Minimum annual spend of 3,000 USD for small business plans; no monthly options available
  • Custom module pricing starts around 1 USD PEPM with no published rate cards

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

Motivosity

$3000/year
  • Small Business$3000/year
    • 20-250 employees
    • Annual investment range 3,000-10,000 USD
    • Platform fee approximately 0-2 USD PEPM
  • Mid-Market$7500/year
    • 250-5,000 employees
    • Annual investment range 7,500-75,000 USD
  • Enterprise$40000/year
    • 5,000+ employees
    • Annual investment range 40,000-300,000+ USD

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 Motivosity if

  • You need peer-to-peer recognition.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want spot bonuses.
Motivosity 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 Motivosity or Workday better?
Neither clearly leads. Motivosity starts at $3000/year and Workday at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Motivosity or Workday?
Motivosity starts at $3000/year and Workday at On request.
Does Motivosity or Workday run on more platforms?
Motivosity runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Workday runs on Cloud/Web.
What is Motivosity best used for?
Motivosity is most often used for peer-to-peer recognition and spot bonuses, service milestones and work anniversaries, pulse surveys on employee sentiment, rewards and lifestyle spending accounts. Of those, peer-to-peer recognition and spot bonuses and service milestones and work anniversaries are not what Workday is typically brought in for.
What can Motivosity do that Workday cannot?
Motivosity covers Peer-to-peer recognition, Spot bonuses, Social recognition feed, Manager insights. Workday covers Human capital management, Financial management, Planning, Analytics. Both handle Slack, ADP, SOC2, GDPR.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Motivosity: How much does Motivosity cost?

Motivosity uses custom per-employee pricing (PEPM) model. Small businesses (20-250 employees) invest 3,000-10,000 USD/year; mid-market (250-5,000) invests 7,500-75,000 USD/year; enterprise (5,000+) invests 40,000-300,000+ USD/year.

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
Motivosity: What is the platform fee per employee?

Motivosity charges approximately 0-2 USD per employee per month (PEPM) as a platform fee, with additional module costs starting around 1 USD PEPM.

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
Motivosity: Is there a minimum contract?

Yes, Motivosity requires a minimum annual investment of 3,000 USD for small business plans with annual contract terms.

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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