Paylocity vs Workday — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)
Both Paylocity and Workday use custom pricing — request quotes from each to compare.
How pricing works
These two tools don't price the same way, so the headline numbers below aren't directly comparable until you plug in your own volume.
- Paylocity (Unknown model) — Paylocity bills on a fixed plan, so the listed price is what you pay regardless of volume.
- Workday (Per Usage) — Workday bills purely on usage — employees + modules. There is no fixed per-seat fee, so the monthly cost depends entirely on how much you consume.
Per-minute, per-credit and per-token rates exclude any downstream model, speech or telephony costs unless the vendor states otherwise.
Mid-market cloud HCM (Human Capital Management) platform focused on 50-1,000 employee businesses, founded 1997. Positioned as the modern, culture-first alternative to ADP Workforce Now for mid-market companies that want a single system for payroll + HR + talent + engagement. Distinctive for its Community feature (internal social network) + video employee training + mobile-first workforce experience. Priced quote-based (~$4-$15/employee/mo reference) across Payroll / HCM Bundle / Premium HCM tiers. Publicly traded NASDAQ: PCTY, $12B market cap. Serves 40K+ customers primarily in US.
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
| Tier role | Plan | Paylocity monthly | Paylocity annual | Workday monthly | Workday annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry paid | Payroll & Tax / — | $4 | $4 | — | — |
| Mid tier | HCM Bundle / — | $8 | $8 | — | — |
| Pro / power | Premium HCM / — | $15 | $15 | — | — |
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
Paylocity is worth it if… US-based mid-market companies (50-1,000 employees) that need payroll + HR + benefits + basic talent in one platform — particularly if you value modern mobile UX and employee-engagement features that ADP lacks. Payroll & Tax covers core payroll processing; HCM Bundle adds HR + benefits + time; Premium HCM adds recruiting + onboarding + engagement + analytics.
Workday is worth it if… large enterprises (5,000+ employees) that need cloud HRIS + payroll + financials + planning as a unified suite — particularly if you're a Fortune 500 running complex global HR operations. Custom-quoted per employee + modules; typical mid-market to enterprise contracts $200K-$5M+/year.
Bottom line: Similar positioning, closer to a preference call than a strategic one.
Choose Paylocity over Workday if…
Choose Paylocity if…
- You're comfortable with Paylocity's a free entry tier entry point.
- You match the profile Paylocity is built for: US-based mid-market companies (50-1,000 employees) that need payroll + HR + benefits + basic talent in one platform — particularly if you value modern mobile UX and employee-engagement features that ADP lacks.
- You're building for recruiting.
Choose Workday if…
- You want to pay only for actual usage (per usage, custom pricing).
- You match the profile Workday is built for: large enterprises (5,000+ employees) that need cloud HRIS + payroll + financials + planning as a unified suite — particularly if you're a Fortune 500 running complex global HR operations.
- You need a general-purpose hr & people option rather than a vertical-specific one.
At a glance
| Paylocity | Workday | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No | — |
| Entry price | Custom pricing | Custom pricing |
| Enterprise available | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | — | Per Usage |
| Verification | Pricing under review | Verified September 26, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified September 26, 2026. Verification cadence varies by tool; check each tool page.