Paylocity vs Workday
Compare Paylocity and Workday on features, pricing, and buyer fit using the same researched criteria.
Paylocity
US mid-market HR + payroll (+ finance/IT) — custom quote (‘Explore Payroll Pricing’); Ignite AI. Landscape vs Gusto.
Best for
- • US mid-market companies (roughly 100–1,000 employees) that want payroll+HR in one modern platform
- • Teams comparing Paylocity vs ADP Workforce Now vs Paycor
- • Orgs that may add finance/IT and Ignite AI later
No free plan
VS
Our verdict
There is no universal winner between Paylocity and Workday. Choose Paylocity when US mid-market companies (roughly 100–1,000 employees) that want payroll+HR in one modern platform. Choose Workday when Enterprises (typically 1,000+ employees) that want one HCM system of record. Criterion scores come from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments and first-party research — not hands-on lab testing.
Workday is better for
- ✓ Integrations
Choose Paylocity if: US mid-market companies (roughly 100–1,000 employees) that want payroll+HR in one modern platform
Choose Workday if: Enterprises (typically 1,000+ employees) that want one HCM system of record
Workday
Enterprise HCM default — custom PEPM quote (no published seat $); implementation-led. Landscape only vs SMB HRIS/payroll.
Best for
- • Enterprises (typically 1,000+ employees) that want one HCM system of record
- • Global HR + payroll programmes comparing Workday as the default shortlist
- • Orgs that will fund a multi-month SI implementation
No free plan
Comparison scorecard
Criterion-by-criterion results for Paylocity and Workday. Numeric bars appear only when both products have approved scores.
- Depends
Starting pricing
Published floor price and what that floor actually includes.
Paylocity starting price was not verified in current research — confirm on the vendor pricing page; Workday starting price was not verified in current research — confirm on the vendor pricing page. Better value depends on plan rungs, currency, and add-ons.
PaylocityDependsWorkdayDepends - Depends
Free plan
Whether a usable free plan is published, and what it gates.
Paylocity does not research a free plan; Workday does not research a free plan.
PaylocityDependsWorkdayDepends - Depends
User / licence minimum
Seat floors, per-employee minimums, and small-team pricing traps.
Check employee or licence minimums for Paylocity and Workday on current vendor packaging.
PaylocityDependsWorkdayDepends - Workday
Integrations
Important third-party integrations.
Workday leads on integrations (8/10 vs 9/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Paylocity8/10Workday9/10
Some visit links may be affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Comparison outcomes are never based on commission.