Eightfold vs UKG — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)
UKG starts at $21/mo. Eightfold uses custom pricing — request a quote to compare.
AI-powered talent intelligence platform — unifies sourcing, screening, career mobility, and internal talent marketplaces. Enterprise pricing only; typical deployments $100K-$1M+/year depending on employee headcount. Popular with Fortune 500 (Coca-Cola, Aflac, Deloitte, Booking.com) for enterprise talent operations.
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 | Eightfold monthly | Eightfold annual | UKG monthly | UKG annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry paid | — / UKG Ready | — | — | $21 | $21 |
| Pro / power | — / UKG Pro | — | — | $27 | $27 |
| Enterprise | Enterprise / UKG Pro Enterprise | Custom | Custom | 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
Eightfold is worth it if… large enterprises (10K+ employees) that want to unify external recruiting and internal mobility on one AI-driven talent graph. Deployments typically $100K-$1M+/year.
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 Eightfold over UKG if…
Choose Eightfold if…
- You want fixed-price predictability (tiered, custom pricing).
- You match the profile Eightfold is built for: large enterprises (10K+ employees) that want to unify external recruiting and internal mobility on one AI-driven talent graph.
- You're building for recruiting.
Choose UKG if…
- You're comfortable with UKG's from $21/mo 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
| Eightfold | UKG | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No | No |
| Entry price | Custom | $21/mo |
| Enterprise available | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | Tiered | — |
| Last verified | — | September 13, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified September 13, 2026. Tracked daily.