Deel Payroll vs UKG — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)
Deel Payroll starts at $29/mo. UKG uses custom pricing — request a quote to compare.
See price history: Deel Payroll · UKG
Deel's own-entity payroll product — run payroll across 130+ countries at $29 per employee per month, with country-specific tax filings, statutory reporting, multi-currency runs and a dedicated payroll manager on the managed option. This is the product for companies that already have legal entities, as opposed to Deel EOR which exists precisely to avoid them. Add-ons: Benefits Management $10, Payroll Connect $5 and Treasury $10 per employee per month. Sibling products: Deel EOR, Deel US PEO, Deel HR, Deel Contractor Management and Deel IT.
The Workforce Operating Platform formed from the 2020 merger of Kronos and Ultimate Software ($22B combined). Positioned as the workforce-management-first alternative to Workday for shift-heavy industries (retail, healthcare, manufacturing) where time tracking + labor forecasting matter as much as HRIS. Distinctive for combining Kronos's deep time-and-labor engine with Ultimate's people-first HRIS. Priced quote-based (~$8-$15/employee/mo reference) across UKG Ready (SMB-mid), UKG Pro (mid-large), and UKG Pro Enterprise. Private-equity owned by Hellman & Friedman + Blackstone. Serves 80K+ organizations globally.
All plans compared
| Tier role | Plan | Deel Payroll monthly | Deel Payroll annual | UKG monthly | UKG annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry paid | Payroll Connect add-on / UKG Ready | $5 | $5 | $21 | $21 |
| Mid tier 1 | Benefits Management add-on / — | $10 | $10 | — | — |
| Mid tier 2 | Treasury add-on / — | $10 | $10 | — | — |
| Pro / power | Global / UKG Pro | $29 | $29 | $27 | $27 |
| Enterprise | — / UKG Pro Enterprise | — | — | Custom | Custom |
Tier names differ across vendors. Rows are aligned by tier role, not name. Full tier structures on each tool's page.
What each is best for
Deel Payroll is worth it if… Deel Payroll is the cheaper end-state once you own entities in the countries you hire in — $29/employee/mo against $599 for EOR in the same country. The crossover usually lands somewhere around 5-10 employees per country once entity setup and maintenance are priced in.
UKG is worth it if… mid-market to enterprise companies (500-50,000+ employees) with shift-based workforces — particularly retail, healthcare, manufacturing, hospitality where time-tracking accuracy and labor-forecasting matter as much as HR. UKG Ready covers SMB-mid (50-500 employees); UKG Pro for mid-large (500-5K); UKG Pro Enterprise for 5K+.
Bottom line: Similar positioning, closer to a preference call than a strategic one.
Choose Deel Payroll over UKG if…
Choose Deel Payroll if…
- You want fixed-price predictability (per seat, from $29/mo).
- You match the profile Deel Payroll is built for: the cheaper end-state once you own entities in the countries you hire in — $29/employee/mo against $599 for EOR in the same country.
- You're building for legal.
Choose UKG if…
- You're comfortable with UKG's a free entry tier entry point.
- You match the profile UKG is built for: mid-market to enterprise companies (500-50,000+ employees) with shift-based workforces — particularly retail, healthcare, manufacturing, hospitality where time-tracking accuracy and labor-forecasting matter as much as HR.
- You're building for healthcare and hospitality.
At a glance
| Deel Payroll | UKG | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No | No |
| Entry price | $29/mo | Custom pricing |
| Enterprise available | No | Yes |
| Pricing model | Per Seat | — |
| Verification | Checked September 23, 2026 | Pricing under review |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified September 25, 2026. Tracked daily.