Softabase

OnPay vs Workday: Complete Comparison 2026

An in-depth comparison of features, pricing, and user experience to help you make the right choice.

OnPay logo

OnPay

8.3(1,400 reviews)

Straightforward payroll and HR for small businesses. One plan at $40/month + $6/person with no feature gating or upsells.

Workday logo

Workday

4.3(1,523 reviews)

Enterprise cloud platform for HR, finance, and planning with AI-powered insights.

Quick Comparison

AspectOnPayWorkday
Best ForSmall businesses under 50 employees that want all features without tiered pricing gamesLarge enterprises (1,000+ employees)
Pricing ModelSubscriptionContact Sales
Starting Price$40/moContact Sales
Deploymentcloudcloud
PlatformsWEB, IOS, ANDROIDWEB, IOS, ANDROID
Rating8.3/104.3/10

Pros & Cons

OnPay

Pros

  • One plan with everything included — no feature gating, no tiers, no surprise upsells
  • Transparent pricing at $40/month + $6/person makes budgeting dead simple
  • Free accountant dashboard lets CPAs manage multiple client payrolls from one login
  • Rock-solid QuickBooks and Xero integrations that sync without manual intervention
  • US-based customer support with dedicated specialists who actually know payroll

Cons

  • No international payroll — US only, no contractor payments abroad
  • Mobile app is functional but limited compared to desktop experience
  • Reporting is basic — standard reports only, no custom report builder
  • No 24/7 support — business hours only, which is tough for after-hours emergencies
  • Limited scalability past 100 employees — features plateau for larger companies

Workday

Pros

  • Unified platform for HR, finance, and planning
  • Enterprise-grade security and compliance
  • Powerful analytics with machine learning
  • Regular updates without disruptive upgrades
  • Strong ecosystem of consulting partners

Cons

  • Expensive—typically $100-200+ per employee annually
  • Complex implementation taking 6-18 months
  • Requires dedicated administrators to manage
  • Overkill for companies under 1,000 employees
  • Steep learning curve for all users

Pricing Comparison

ProductPricing ModelStarting Price
OnPaysubscription$40/mo
Workdaycontact salesContact Sales

Our Verdict

Choose OnPay if...

Small businesses under 50 employees that want all features without tiered pricing games

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Choose Workday if...

Large enterprises (1,000+ employees)

Learn More

Still Not Sure?

Explore more alternatives or read in-depth reviews to make your decision.