All industries · head to head
Workday vs Oracle HCM Cloud
Workday
All industries
Enterprise cloud applications for finance and HR
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
Oracle HCM Cloud
Recruitment & ATS
Complete cloud HCM solution
- From
- $13/employee per month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Workday high implementation costs equal to or exceeding annual software fees; Oracle HCM Cloud deployments can take up to a year with steep implementation complexity
- They diverge on capability: Workday covers Human capital management, Oracle HCM Cloud covers Core HR.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Workday and Oracle HCM Cloud actually diverge.
| Attribute | Workday | Oracle HCM Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | $13/employee per month |
| Pricing model | quote | Unknown |
| Platforms | Cloud/Web | Web, Mobile |
| Category | All industries | Recruitment & ATS |
| Founded | 2005 | 1977 |
Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).
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 Workday
- Human capital management
- Financial management
- Planning
- Analytics
- Time tracking
- Talent management
- Procurement
- Microsoft
Only in Oracle HCM Cloud
- Core HR
- Talent Management
- Workforce Management
- Benefits
- Learning
- Recruiting
- AI-Powered Analytics
- Oracle ERP
Both cover
- Payroll
- Salesforce
- ServiceNow
- Slack
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Workday
- HR managementnot Oracle HCM Cloud
- Financial planningnot Oracle HCM Cloud
- Workforce planningnot Oracle HCM Cloud
- Compliancenot Oracle HCM Cloud
- Analyticsnot Oracle HCM Cloud
Oracle HCM Cloud
No use cases recorded yet. See the Oracle HCM Cloud review.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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 ($408-504 PEPM)
- Limited pre-built templates and customization; often requires extensive configuration
- Requires significant IT and change management resources during implementation
Oracle HCM Cloud
- Deployments can take up to a year with steep implementation complexity
- Complex user interface that is intimidating and difficult to understand at first
- Limited integration capabilities with leading third-party HR point solutions
- Slow performance and frequent bugs due to regular updates
- High implementation costs and complexity make it unsuitable for organizations with fewer than 100 employees
- Below-average experiences reported with learning and succession planning modules
Pricing, plan by plan
Workday
On request- Small Business$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
Oracle HCM Cloud
$13/employee per monthNo published plan breakdown. See the Oracle HCM Cloud review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Workday if
- You need human capital management.
- You work on Cloud/Web.
- You also want financial management.
Choose Oracle HCM Cloud if
- You need core hr.
- You work on Web, Mobile.
- You also want talent management.
Questions people ask
- Is Workday or Oracle HCM Cloud better?
- Neither clearly leads. Workday starts at On request and Oracle HCM Cloud at $13/employee per month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Workday or Oracle HCM Cloud?
- Workday starts at On request and Oracle HCM Cloud at $13/employee per month.
- Does Workday or Oracle HCM Cloud run on more platforms?
- Workday runs on Cloud/Web. Oracle HCM Cloud runs on Web, Mobile.
- What is Workday best used for?
- Workday is most often used for hr management, financial planning, workforce planning, compliance. Of those, hr management and financial planning are not what Oracle HCM Cloud is typically brought in for.
- What can Workday do that Oracle HCM Cloud cannot?
- Workday covers Human capital management, Financial management, Planning, Analytics. Oracle HCM Cloud covers Core HR, Talent Management, Workforce Management, Benefits. Both handle Payroll, Salesforce, ServiceNow, 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.
SourceOracle HCM Cloud: How much does Oracle HCM Cloud cost?
Oracle HCM Cloud starts at $13 per employee per month with a 1,000 employee minimum. Enterprise customers typically pay $5-8 per employee per month depending on modules and volume discounts.
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.
SourceOracle HCM Cloud: What does Oracle HCM Cloud include?
Oracle HCM Cloud includes core HR, payroll, workforce management, employee analytics, talent management, performance management, and succession planning. Over 600 AI agents are embedded across the Fusion Cloud suite at no additional cost.
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.
SourceOracle HCM Cloud: How long does implementation take?
Oracle HCM Cloud implementations typically take up to a year and often require third-party consultants to manage the complex deployment process.
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.
Source