ADP vs Workday: Pricing Comparison (2026)
ADP starts at $79/mo. Workday uses custom pricing — request a quote to compare.
The 75-year-old payroll and HR outsourcing giant serving 1M+ businesses globally. Positioned as the trusted enterprise alternative to newer competitors (Gusto, Rippling, Justworks) for companies that value regulatory rigor + compliance depth over modern UI. Multi-product portfolio: RUN Powered by ADP (SMB, 1-49 employees, published pricing $79-$179/mo + per-employee fees), Workforce Now (mid-market 50-1K employees, custom-quoted), TotalSource (PEO), and Vantage HCM (enterprise 1K+ employees). Also runs Payroll Services and ADP Comprehensive Services as consulting arms. Publicly traded NYSE: ADP, $115B market cap. Real cost varies significantly by employee count + services selected.
The dominant enterprise HR + Finance ERP, publicly traded (WDAY), ~$70B market cap. Positioned as the alternative to Oracle HCM Cloud and SAP SuccessFactors for large enterprises. Distinctive for its all-in-one HCM + Finance suite (Workday Financial Management) that few competitors match at scale. Pricing opaque, quote-only, typically $100-$400/employee/year with $500K-$5M+ implementation fees. Best fit for 1000+ employee organizations; overkill for anyone smaller.
All plans compared
| # | Plan | ADP monthly | ADP annual | Workday monthly | Workday annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RUN Powered by ADP - Essential | 79 | 79 | — | — |
| 2 | RUN Powered by ADP - Enhanced | 129 | 129 | — | — |
| 3 | RUN Powered by ADP - Complete | 179 | 179 | — | — |
| 4 | Workforce Now | custom | custom | — | — |
What each is best for
The 75-year-old payroll and HR outsourcing giant serving 1M+ businesses globally. Positioned as the trusted enterprise alternative to newer competitors (Gusto, Rippling, Justworks) for companies that value regulatory rigor + compliance depth over modern UI. Multi-product portfolio: RUN Powered by ADP (SMB, 1-49 employees, published pricing $79-$179/mo + per-employee fees), Workforce Now (mid-market 50-1K employees, custom-quoted), TotalSource (PEO), and Vantage HCM (enterprise 1K+ employees). Also runs Payroll Services and ADP Comprehensive Services as consulting arms. Publicly traded NYSE: ADP, $115B market cap. Real cost varies significantly by employee count + services selected.
The dominant enterprise HR + Finance ERP, publicly traded (WDAY), ~$70B market cap. Positioned as the alternative to Oracle HCM Cloud and SAP SuccessFactors for large enterprises. Distinctive for its all-in-one HCM + Finance suite (Workday Financial Management) that few competitors match at scale. Pricing opaque, quote-only, typically $100-$400/employee/year with $500K-$5M+ implementation fees. Best fit for 1000+ employee organizations; overkill for anyone smaller.
At a glance
| ADP | Workday | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | — | — |
| Entry price | $79/mo | Custom |
| Enterprise available | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | — | Per Usage |
| Last verified | August 30, 2026 | August 26, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified August 30, 2026. Tracked daily.