SD Worx vs Zellis (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, SD Worx and Zellis share a 1.8 GPA, neither has a free plan and their prices can't be set side by side, so the choice depends on which features you need.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick SD Worx if
- Fits if you pay staff in several European countries
- Makes sense if you want payroll run for you
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a price online, as none is published
- Not for you if you need US payroll, which the pages do not describe
- Watch out: much of the offering is advisor-led rather than self-serve
- Watch out: there is no free plan or trial on the pages read
Pick Zellis if
- Fits if you run payroll for a large or complex UK or Irish workforce
- Works for organisations that want payroll, HR and scheduling from one supplier
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a price first, because none is published
- Skip it if you are a small business, as the vendor says it is configured for large, high-volume workforces
- Skip it if you employ in the US, since the pages cover the UK and Ireland
- Not for you if you want a free plan or trial, as none is listed
How we grade them
| 1.8GPASD WorxWeak | 1.8GPAZellisWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo price is published; buyers are sent to an expert, so it sits in the middle of payroll tools. | CNo price is published and buyers are invited to request a demo, so it sits at C. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan or trial on the pages read. | FNothing is free: no free plan and no trial are listed, so the way in is paying. |
| Features | BLocal, managed and multi-country payroll, time and attendance, HR and expenses on the mysdworx platform. The listing names no gap in the job. | BA real-time payroll engine, anomaly flags, payslips, workforce management, HR and talent. The listing shows no gap in the core job, though only for UK and Ireland. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. A service with local advisors means onboarding rather than sign-up. | CNo store rating is on record, and software for large, complex workforces comes with a set-up project. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only on the listing, with no mobile app or integrations list. | CWeb only on the listing, with no apps and no integrations named. |
| Best for | payroll across several European countries | payroll for large UK and Irish workforces |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: SD Worx and Zellis. How we grade
Where they differ
- SD Worx also covers expense tracking and time clock.
In commonWebPayrollShift schedulingEmployee recordsTime off
At a glance
| SD Worx | Zellis | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | Not published | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | SD Worx | Zellis |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
SD Worx
- No prices are published and buyers are sent to talk to an expert, so pricing is unverified.
- Services are organized around European countries; the pages do not describe US payroll.
- Much of the offering is service-led, with local advisors alongside the software.
- The pages read give no free plan or self-serve trial.
Zellis
- No prices are published; buyers are invited to request a demo.
- Pages describe UK and Ireland customers; it does not present itself as a US payroll option.
- The vendor says its payroll is configurable for large, high-volume workforces, so it may be more than a small business needs.
Key features
SD Worx
- Local and managed payroll
- Local payroll software, plus managed payroll services in which in-country specialists handle legislation and language.
- Multi-country payroll
- Payroll across several countries with local compliance, with payroll compliance guidance and reward and compensation advice.
- Time and attendance
- Time tracking, leave and absence management, workforce scheduling and planning, connected to payroll.
- HR and expenses
- Digital HR documents and workflows, performance and skills, learning and development, and expense and travel management.
- mysdworx platform
- One platform for HR, pay and time across Europe, with AI features highlighted on the site.
Zellis
- Real-time payroll engine
- Processes payroll continuously across the cycle rather than only at cut-off.
- AI anomaly detection
- Flags errors, missing data and compliance risks as they appear.
- Intelligent payslips
- Payslips explain each payroll change in plain terms.
- Workforce management
- Demand forecasting and automated scheduling across sites and shifts, with time feeding directly into pay.
- HR and talent
- Employee data, joiner-mover-leaver workflows, a 24/7 AI assistant for HR questions, and talent management.
Plans
SD Worx
Pricing could not be confirmed. See sdworx.com.
Zellis
Pricing could not be confirmed. See zellis.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, SD Worx or Zellis?
As of Nov 13, 2026, SD Worx has no price we could confirm, and Zellis has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, SD Worx or Zellis?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither SD Worx nor Zellis has a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.