Paylocity vs Workday (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Paylocity if

• Fits if your hourly staff clock in by phone, kiosk or time clock
• Works for paying a few people abroad alongside US payroll

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you want a price or a trial before a sales demo
• Not for you if you want to sign up and start the same day, as there's no self-serve route
• Tight if you want it all on one bill, as expenses, cards, procurement and IT are sold separately
• Watch out: payroll in 100+ countries outside the US and its territories is a separate global service
• Watch out: the one-month-free payroll offer for small businesses is advertised without its terms

Pick Workday if

• Fits if you are a large employer wanting HR, payroll and finance together
• Works for organizations with payroll in many countries that need one view

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you are a small business, as it is aimed at enterprise buyers
• Not for you if you want a price before talking to sales, because none is published
• Watch out: outside the US, payroll is partner systems connected by API, so coverage differs by country
• Watch out: the mobile app is only useful if your employer already runs Workday

Paylocity

• No prices are published: the pricing page asks for a demo request form, and quotes follow from sales.
• Tax filing covers the US, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam; payroll in 100+ other countries is a separate global payroll service.
• There is no free trial or self-serve sign-up; the app works only for staff of companies that are already clients.
• Expense management, corporate cards, procurement and IT tools are sold as separate products alongside payroll.

Workday

• No prices are published; the payroll page points to Contact Sales and Request a Demo, so cost is by quote.
• Aimed at enterprise buyers rather than small businesses.
• Its payroll page lists a U.S. payroll datasheet and describes global payroll as native and partner systems connected through APIs, so coverage varies by country.
• The Workday mobile app is a free App Store download for people whose employer uses Workday.

Paylocity

Payroll with built-in audits

A Payroll Readiness Dashboard lists tasks before processing day, and more than 40 audits flag likely errors such as unexpected pay spikes.

Tax services

Paylocity files as a Registered Reporting Agent with the IRS in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam, and checks each employee's tax location.

Time and scheduling

Hours are collected by mobile, web, kiosk or time clock, with geofenced clock-in, shift swaps and scheduling rules that feed payroll.

Expense management and cards

Employees snap receipts for AI-coded expense reports, and virtual and physical corporate cards come with policy controls and automatic reconciliation.

Global payroll

Domestic and international employees are managed and paid from one system, with payroll data gathered across more than 100 countries.

Mobile app and Community

Employees check pay, clock in, request time off and draw earned wages early in the app, and Community gives them a company social feed and chat.

Workday

Payroll management

A continuous calculation engine and audit trails run payroll inside the same data model as HR, time and absence.

Payroll reporting and analytics

Reports on live workforce costs, with support for audits.

Global payroll connections

Connects native and partner payroll systems across more than 180 countries through live APIs.

Employee self-service

A mobile pay hub with an AI self-service agent for pay questions.

Payroll Agent

An AI agent that handles payroll steps from inputs to pay, with a person overseeing the run.

Paylocity

Pricing could not be confirmed. See paylocity.com.

Workday

Pricing could not be confirmed. See workday.com.

Paylocity

• Other savings

  One month of free payroll for small businesses

  Paylocity's payroll page advertises a limited-time offer of one month of free payroll, and more, for small businesses, without stating the terms.

Workday

No public discounts listed.