The Workday quick read
- You're a large or enterprise organization
- You need unified HR, payroll, and finance
- You have internal HR/IT teams to implement and maintain
- You're a small or midsize business
- You don't have an internal HR team
- You want quick, transparent payroll
| Best fit | Large employers (1,000+ employees typical) |
|---|---|
| Weakest fit | Small businesses |
| Starting price | Quote-based — contact sales for pricing |
| Pricing transparency | Limited — quote-based, expect a sales conversation |
| Payroll tax support | Good — federal, state, and local filings included |
| Contractor support | Good — 1099 payments and year-end filings |
| W-2 support | Full-service, included in paid plans |
| Multi-state support | Strong — handles employees across U.S. states |
| Benefits | Basic — health, 401(k), and workers' comp through partner integrations |
| HR tools | Strong — onboarding, HRIS, performance, and handbook tools |
| Accounting integrations | QuickBooks Online, Xero, and common partners |
| Setup difficulty | Best with assisted setup |
| Support quality | Good — phone, chat, and email; priority on higher plans |
| Overall rating | 8.4 / 10 |
A CPA's take on Workday
As a CPA and business owner, I care less about whether payroll software has the longest feature list and more about whether it helps a business owner avoid expensive payroll mistakes. The right payroll provider should make tax payments, filings, employee onboarding, contractor payments, and year-end forms feel routine — because payroll is one area where small mistakes can create real compliance problems.
Scale. Workday is built for enterprise complexity.
Implementation and total cost. Workday is a multi-year commitment in most cases.
Large employers ready for enterprise HCM.
If you're under a few hundred employees, compare ADP Workforce Now, Paylocity, Paycor, Paycom, and iSolved first.
A 30-second decision
- You're enterprise-scale
- You want unified HR + payroll + finance
- You have internal teams to support implementation
- You're a small or midsize business
- You want self-serve software
- You want a quick rollout
Who Workday is best for
- Large employers (1,000+ employees typical)
- Enterprises with complex HR/finance needs
- Organizations needing enterprise reporting and controls
- Small businesses
- Microbusinesses and contractor-only
- Price-sensitive payroll buyers
Workday pricing
Payroll pricing changes frequently. Always confirm current pricing on the provider’s site before signing up.
Workday uses custom enterprise pricing and typically involves significant implementation projects. Consider software cost, implementation, integrations, internal admin burden, and ongoing support.
- HCM
- Payroll (where licensed)
- Workforce planning
- Talent
- Analytics
- Finance (separate license)
- Enterprise contracts — implementations often take 6–12+ months.
- Not appropriate for small businesses — you'll need Workday partners and consultants.
See current Workday plans and offers.
Feature scorecard
Payroll features
- Unlimited payroll runs
- Direct deposit
- Multiple pay schedules
- Bonus, off-cycle, and reimbursement runs
- Employee self-service portal
- Federal, state, and local payroll tax calculation
- Automatic deposits and filings
- Quarterly and annual filings
- Tax-notice support
- 1099 contractor payments
- Year-end 1099-NEC filings
- Multi-state payroll supported
- Remote-employee tax setup
- W-2 generation and filing
- 1099 generation and filing
- Employee/contractor year-end form access
HR, benefits, and compliance tools
- Employee records and HRIS
- Onboarding workflows
- PTO tracking
- Performance and recruiting tools (on relevant tiers)
- Employee handbook templates
- Health, dental, and vision (broker-supported)
- 401(k) and retirement
- HSA / FSA
- Workers' comp
- Commuter and ancillary benefits
- New-hire reporting
- Federal, state, and local payroll tax filings
- W-2 and 1099 year-end filings
- Tax-notice support
Ease of use and setup
- Modern web interface
- Self-serve employee onboarding where available
- Mobile experience for employees
- EIN
- State payroll tax account numbers
- State unemployment account numbers
- Employee information (I-9, W-4)
- Contractor information (W-9)
- Prior payroll history
- Bank account for funding
- Pay schedule
- Benefits information (if any)
- Workers' comp details (if any)
- Accounting software login
- PTO policy
- Existing payroll provider info (if switching)
Integrations
- QuickBooks Online
- Xero
- When I Work
- Homebase
- Deputy
- Available through provider or partner networks
- Common SSO and HRIS connectors where applicable
PayrollSignal take: Integrations matter because payroll is rarely isolated. If your payroll system doesn’t talk cleanly to your accounting software, time tracking, or benefits tools, you may end up spending more time fixing payroll than running it.
Customer support
| Support feature | Available | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Phone support | Yes | Dedicated rep at higher tiers |
| Chat support | Yes | In-app chat |
| Email support | Yes | Available across plans |
| 24/7 support | Depends | Varies by plan / module |
| Dedicated representative | Yes | Common at midmarket+ tiers |
| HR advisor access | Yes | Included on HR-focused plans |
| Tax-notice support | Yes | Included with full-service payroll |
| Setup support | Yes | Assisted onboarding standard |
Payroll support matters more than ordinary software support because payroll problems often have deadlines attached. A login issue is annoying. A missed payroll tax deadline can be expensive.
Workday pros and cons
- Enterprise-grade HCM
- Unified HR, payroll, finance, analytics
- Strong workforce planning and reporting
- Scales globally
- Custom enterprise pricing
- Significant implementation
- Overkill for small business
- Requires internal HR/IT capacity
Which businesses should use Workday?
Use Gusto, OnPay, ADP RUN, or Paychex.
Compare midmarket HCMs first.
Workable, but still consider Workday's complexity vs. midmarket peers.
Workday's natural home.
Strong global capabilities.
PayrollSignal Fit Meter
Watch-outs before you buy
- Plan implementation realistically.
- Confirm payroll licensing — payroll is often a separate Workday module.
- Compare against ADP Workforce Now and Paylocity for midmarket.
Best alternatives to Workday
Massive ecosystem and scale.
Workday often wins on enterprise reporting and unified finance + HR.
Best for: Brand-name midmarket-to-enterprise HCM
More SMB-friendly and faster to implement.
Workday wins at true enterprise scale.
Best for: Midmarket HCM with engagement
Strong employee self-service.
Workday is broader at enterprise scale.
Best for: Single-database HCM at midsize+
Not sure if Workday is right for you?
Payroll companies can look similar on the surface, but the best choice depends on your employees, contractors, states, benefits needs, HR support, accounting software, and growth plans. Take the free PayrollSignal quiz and get a recommendation built for your business.
How we reviewed this provider
We review payroll providers based on small business fit, not just feature count. A provider can have many features and still be the wrong choice for a very small business if it’s too expensive, too complex, or unclear about pricing.
| Category | Weight |
|---|---|
| Payroll functionality | 20% |
| Payroll tax & compliance support | 20% |
| Pricing & transparency | 15% |
| Ease of use | 15% |
| HR, onboarding & benefits | 10% |
| Integrations | 10% |
| Customer support | 5% |
| Scalability | 5% |
Our ratings are intended to help small business owners choose payroll software based on fit. A lower-rated provider may still be the better choice for a specific business if its pricing, integrations, service model, or HR features better match that business’s needs.
Workday FAQs
The bottom line
Workday is a serious enterprise platform, but PayrollSignal rarely recommends it to small businesses.
If you already know Workday fits your needs, you can check current pricing below. If you’re still comparing options, take the free PayrollSignal quiz first.