Workday vs ADP Workforce Now Pricing (2026)
Compare / Workday vs ADP Workforce Now
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Team size
25 seats

Workday vs ADP Workforce Now

HR/HRIS pricing comparison · 2026

Workday uses custom pricing, while ADP Workforce Now uses custom pricing.

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See pricing on each vendor's site
Above-the-fold path — each link opens the vendor's pricing page in a new tab.
Visit Workday pricing
Discount programs →
Visit ADP pricing
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Compare
2 products · HR/HRIS
Side-by-side · live
Workday
Workday does not publish public pricing — all contracts are custom-quoted by sales.
verified 6w ago
$16K $50K
View pricing →
ADP Workforce Now
ADP Workforce Now does not publish prices publicly.
verified 6w ago
$16K $50K
View pricing →
Verdict · Vendr median · year 1
ADP saves $34K vs Workday · 25 seats
Cheapest $16K
Spread 68%
Estimated license cost
at 25 seats
List price × seats. Click a tier below to lock it.
Custom pricing
Custom
all tiers are quote-only
Custom pricing
Custom
all tiers are quote-only
What buyers actually pay
median, annual
Vendr deal-flow data. The real benchmark, not list price.
Median annual
$50K/yr
Vendr · n=357 avg 15% negotiated
↓ Lowest median
Median annual
$16K/yr
Vendr · n=7 · limited data
REF · 01

Sources & confidence

Every dollar amount and contract clause below traces back to a sourced fact. We don't manufacture composite scores.

Where this data comes from
Vendr · TrustRadius · Reddit · BBB · official docs
Sources 11 sourced facts
4 hidden-cost · 4 contract · Vendr median · 2 review platforms
Last verified 1mo ago
Confidence Limited confidence
Sources 18 sourced facts
12 hidden-cost · 2 contract · Vendr median · 3 review platforms
Last verified 1mo ago
Confidence Limited confidence
REF · 02

Plans at a glance

Every tier per product. Lock one to drive the cost row above and reveal a tier-specific outbound CTA.

Tier ladder
Click a tier to lock the cost row to it. Locking surfaces a tier-specific Visit CTA.
REF · 03

Hidden costs

Each cost is severity-ranked, with the dollar range quoted from its source (Vendr, Reddit, TrustRadius, BBB, official docs) — never our estimate.

Beyond the sticker
Severity-ranked, sourced
3 documented
  • Implementation & Onboarding Costs
    15-25% of license costs
    2 sources
  • Dedicated HR Support Staff
    10-20% of license costs
    1 source
  • Bundle Discount Lock-In
    5-15% of license costs
    1 source
5 documented
  • Overall Cost Gap
    30% to 50%
    1 source
  • Cancellation Fees and Difficulty Exiting
    $500-$5,000
    1 source
  • Hidden Service Fees and Non-Transparent Pricing
    10-20% of base license costs
    3 sources
  • Implementation and Setup Costs
    5-15% of license costs
    1 source
  • Payroll Error Remediation Costs
    5-25% of license costs
    3 sources
REF · 04

Contract terms

The fine print, surfaced. Green = buyer-friendly. Each clause backed by a quoted source.

Workday
ADP
Auto-renewal
Yes
Yes
Cancellation
9-12 months before renewal recommended for serious consideration of alternatives
Multi-month process; users report difficulty canceling even after extended attempts
Commitment
3 years typical, with 5-6 year agreements available
Annual contract standard; retirement services have separate cancellation terms
Price escalation
5-7% annual uplift standard, typically structured as CPI + 1-5%. Uplift caps for future renewals can be negotiated (CPI + 2% achieved in some cases). Fiscal year ends January 31.
Annual price increases reported; users note honeymoon pricing with significant increases at renewal
Can downgrade
No
—
Based on 6 verified sources (Vendr · TrustRadius · BBB)
REF · 05

What users say

Aggregated, with sample sizes. We use whichever review platform has data.

User reviews
TrustRadius · Trustpilot · G2
TrustRadius
7.5out of 5 (4)
Trustpilot
1out of 5 (24)
Best for
Mid-market and enterprise organizations (500+ employees) needing core HR and payroll
Watch out
Extremely poor UX for job applicants — resume parsing fails, dropdown menus lack search, broken links
TrustRadius
7.5out of 5 (2,244)
Trustpilot
1out of 5 (24)
G2
4.2out of 5 (4,190)
Best for
Mid-sized businesses needing core payroll and HR in one platform
Watch out
Extremely poor customer service with users bounced between departments
Decide
Get a quote from each vendor
Each link opens the vendor's pricing page in a new tab.
Visit Workday pricing
Discount programs →
Visit ADP pricing
Discount programs →
License cost is computed from publicly listed plans (real math, list price × seats). Median annual cost is from Vendr's deal flow when available — see source badges. Hidden costs and contract terms each cite their own sources. We do not invent composite scores.
HR/HRIS

Workday

Custom pricing
/user/month
3 plans
Full pricing breakdown →
VS
HR/HRIS

ADP Workforce Now

Custom pricing
/user/month
3 plans
Full pricing breakdown →

Workday and ADP Workforce Now both operate in the hr/hris category. This page compares their list pricing.

Plan-by-Plan Pricing

Plan Workday ADP Workforce Now
HCM (Core HR + Payroll) Custom Custom
HCM + Talent Suite Custom Custom
Full Suite (HCM + Financials + Planning) Custom Custom

Cost at Scale

Total cost of ownership — licenses, implementation, and hidden costs included.

Workday

1 scenario
$49,795/year (median; buyers save avg 15% from list)
Median Enterprise Buyer (Vendr)

ADP Workforce Now

2 scenarios
Approximately $150/month based on user reports
Small Business (10–20 Employees, Payroll Only)
Custom pricing; users report significant cost vs. competitors like Gusto ($40-60 base + $6-9/employee/month)
Small Business with Full HR Suite

Market Intelligence

Workday

Median annual cost
$49,795
Average negotiated discount
15%
Based on
357 deals

ADP Workforce Now

Median annual cost
$16,000
Based on
7 deals

What Users Say

Workday

Trustpilot
1out of 5 (24)
TrustRadius
7.5out of 10 (4)
Top complaints
  • Extremely poor UX for job applicants — resume parsing fails, dropdown menus lack search, broken links
  • Difficult navigation with essential features buried in multiple menu layers
  • Mobile experience is broken — accidental schedule changes, missing information

ADP Workforce Now

G2
4.2out of 5 (4,190)
Trustpilot
1out of 5 (24)
TrustRadius
7.5out of 10 (2,244)
Top complaints
  • Extremely poor customer service with users bounced between departments
  • Frequent app login issues, password loops, and technical glitches
  • Payroll errors including missed payments and incorrect tax withholdings

Hidden Costs

Beyond the sticker price — what catches buyers off guard.

Workday 3 hidden costs

critical
Implementation & Onboarding Costs 15-25% of license costs
high
Dedicated HR Support Staff 10-20% of license costs
medium
Bundle Discount Lock-In 5-15% of license costs
See all Workday hidden costs →

ADP Workforce Now 6 hidden costs

critical
Overall Cost Gap 30% to 50%
critical
Cancellation Fees and Difficulty Exiting $500-$5,000
high
Hidden Service Fees and Non-Transparent Pricing 10-20% of base license costs
high
Implementation and Setup Costs 5-15% of license costs
critical
Payroll Error Remediation Costs 5-25% of license costs
See all ADP Workforce Now hidden costs →

Contract Terms

Term Workday ADP Workforce Now
Auto-renewal Yes Yes
Cancellation 9-12 months before renewal recommended for serious consideration of alternatives Multi-month process; users report difficulty canceling even after extended attempts
Minimum commitment 3 years typical, with 5-6 year agreements available Annual contract standard; retirement services have separate cancellation terms
Price escalation 5-7% annual uplift standard, typically structured as CPI + 1-5%. Uplift caps for future renewals can be negotiated (CPI + 2% achieved in some cases). Fiscal year ends January 31. Annual price increases reported; users note honeymoon pricing with significant increases at renewal
Can downgrade No —

Continue researching

Workday

ADP Workforce Now

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