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ADP Workforce Now vs PeopleSoft vs Workday comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Benefits Administration category, the mindshare of ADP Workforce Now is 3.2%, down from 3.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of PeopleSoft is 8.1%, down from 12.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Workday is 18.4%, down from 20.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Benefits Administration
 

Featured Reviews

Vineeth John - PeerSpot reviewer
Custom reporting tool with field grabber, easy modules for recruitment and provides numerous options for integration
The complexity is the key challenge with a tool like ADP because it has all the bells and whistles and all the key features you can possibly think of. If it isn't there, there's always a third-party vendor you can integrate that way. But the only issue is that because it's complex, there needs to be some sort of system, at least on the back end, for the admins to understand what leads to what. We expect AI to improve multiple things with HR processes. The most obvious and common one would be the self-service function for employees, like a chatbot to help with FAQs. We are also building an AI tool that can possibly help managers make better talent management decisions. This tool will pull from the performance management tool, the talent profile, and the reports that we generally have to score employees across all different dimensions.
IanCampbell - PeerSpot reviewer
Saves time through transclusion - using a single record across multiple modules
The most valuable feature is the module integration, which saves time through transclusion - using a single record across multiple modules. The user interface has improved significantly. The current client redesigns work centers per subsidiary business unit, making navigation more intuitive and easier for end users. Reporting and analytics capabilities have greatly improved.
Sarvesh Kumar Jha - PeerSpot reviewer
Easy to use and provides great flexibility and security
Implementing the solution is generally not easy because it depends on our client's landscape. In the last one and a half years, Workday has started a new implementation approach called launch implementation. This approach allows you, as a client organization, to implement Workday in a shorter amount of time, given that you fulfill certain criteria. It depends on the number of subsidiaries and employees you have and their compensation structure. If it's not too complex, Workday provides its clients with this new approach called launch, where they can quickly onboard with the Workday without many complex requirements. The general implementation for Fortune 500 companies is always complex.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The platform is on a private cloud that is fully secure with no way for hacker penetration."
"It is a scalable solution."
"The most valuable features are the reporting and benefits piece."
"The way that ADP helped us improve our organization is by making the payroll process clean and efficient because if you make a mistake there, you're in big trouble."
"In my day-to-day work, attendance tracking would be most important. That's because I have a really diverse group of employees, and I have a subset of younger folks who are struggling with their attendance. So, that's the thing that I'm most involved with currently."
"The most valuable feature to me is performance management because we just started using that."
"The most interesting feature for me on ADP is the custom reporting tool. It's got something called a field grabber, which makes it so much easier to generate your own custom reports simply by pulling tabs from any feature."
"The solution's scalability is good."
"The time system is what we get the most benefit from."
"Peoplesoft is the best payroll software in the market."
"I would recommend the solution. It's very stable and scalable, which makes it a reliable solution."
"The feature that I have found most valuable is having the sources so that you're able to adapt the product to your needs. That was a big benefit."
"Its user interface is impressive."
"I use the reporting feature occasionally to check for potential improvements in timesheets. We have integrated it with Power BI."
"The most valuable feature of PeopleSoft is the functionality that allows the ability to find all the data about employees that are needed."
"Workday's best features are planning and finance."
"We use the platform for tasks, including applying for leaves, communication, and adhering to our organization's policies through efficient goal setting and reviews."
"It is a one-stop solution for everything. You can look for information about other employees or you can track your information. There is a directory, so you can search for other employees. You can also see and track your personal details and salary details on the employee profile page."
"The solution is easy to use and provides great flexibility and security."
"The reporting feature is quite easy for a layman to use, and the look and feel of the application is good. Its security is robust. You will never find a use case that cannot be covered."
"There is a lot of scope for customization with this solution"
"I'm happy with the features Workday offers. But in particular, Core HCM is the best."
"It was more efficient for the agents for their performance reviews, but when it came to HR and the recruitment team, it sometimes worked, and sometimes, it didn't work."
 

Cons

"The complexity is the key challenge with a tool like ADP ."
"I would like to see the payroll side improved and there are a few kinks that need to be worked out."
"When I'm not working with the implementation team and I'm just talking to customer service or something, they're just not a lot of help. They don't understand how it works. They'll tell you to do something that I know would affect something else. So, it's less about the software and more about just training their folks to a higher level."
"Its benefits portal could be user-friendly."
"The ease of developing and creating reports could definitely use some improvement."
"The report functionality is not as good as competitive products."
"The solution needs to work on its mobile technology. We're hoping in the next version we're working on implementing, 9.2, will have more of this."
"It would be nice if it became even more declarative in its development."
"It would be helpful for the end-user if the reports were customized. They would be able to select the fields while generating their reports."
"The solution could improve by offering PeopleSoft site licenses. Currently, Oracle is pushing for everyone to transition to the cloud, but clients are discontent with this approach. Offering new PeopleSoft site licenses would be the most beneficial for our clients."
"The whole systematic flow of any query raised to HR should be improved."
"An area for improvement would be that it's quite difficult to learn how to use this product, and the documentation provided isn't helpful in giving you practical advice."
"I would like to see better support, bug fixing, and documentation."
"I would like to see it become available again in Mexico."
"We would like to see improvement in the mobile app variant of this solution. The time sheet entry and approval, and the geo-tagging features all need to have their functionality updated, in order to be comparable with other products on the market."
"If you want to add more features to your subscription, Workday becomes expensive."
"In a future release we could like to have access to asset, supply and treasury management functionalities."
"Setting up reports can be a bit tricky."
"Workday would be improved with more API connectors."
"The cost of Workday is certainly not inexpensive. It's very pricey."
"I'm not sure they have added this feature yet, but there should be a cellphone version, so we do not need to do it on a laptop. I'd like to log in on a cellphone and have the same features. I'm not sure if that is already available or if it's on the roadmap, but that would be a great feature."
"There could be a web-based application for making payments to the employees."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I give the pricing a seven out of ten."
"The solution is expensive and everyone complains about the price."
"I know some of what we're currently paying. Most customers would say it's too high, but I don't have a comparison to know that."
"The solution is expensive."
"The pricing is expensive and I would say it is below average for the value it provides based on the high cost."
"It is expensive."
"The product's cost depends on the number of people in your company or the number of paychecks processed. They charge based on these factors, plus a maintenance fee. I'm not sure about current pricing since Oracle took over."
"I would consider this to be an expensive product, but the quality justifies it."
"PeopleSoft has a yearly maintenance fee."
"One of the cheapest solutions available and also one of the best."
"The licensing cost for PeopleSoft is 3,500 per course and the annual subscription fee is 6,500."
"We are a University and the cost and license are negotiated privately."
"The tool is expensive."
"Yearly payments are to be made toward the licensing costs of PeopleSoft. PeopleSoft is not very expensive, so I feel it is an affordable product."
"I rate the product’s pricing a ten out of ten."
"It has an annual subscription rate, but I'm not sure how it will work."
"The pricing is good from an HR perspective, although management gets upset after spending $500,000 a year, every year."
"It is on a yearly basis."
"The solution is flexible in terms of pricing."
"I need to pay for a license. It is expensive."
"It's very, very expensive."
"Workday is moderately priced - I'd rate its pricing three out of five."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Healthcare Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Government
9%
University
9%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Computer Software Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Computer Software Company
8%
University
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for ADP Workforce Now?
The licensing is on the pricer side, given that there aren't a lot of other tools out there that are applicable, we j...
What needs improvement with ADP Workforce Now?
The complexity is the key challenge with a tool like ADP because it has all the bells and whistles and all the key fe...
What advice do you have for others considering ADP Workforce Now?
Overall, I would rate the solution an eight out of ten. It's got a lot of features. The reason I'm not giving it a fu...
What are the differences between Oracle HCM Cloud and PeopleSoft?
Although both are solutions to manage HR, their differences make each one suitable for different companies. Oracle C...
What do you like most about PeopleSoft?
I use the reporting feature occasionally to check for potential improvements in timesheets. We have integrated it wit...
What are the biggest differences between Workday, Oracle Cloud and SAP SuccessFactors?
Differences between Workday, Oracle Cloud,w and SAP SuccessFactors:w Oracle: "simple interface and deep customizatio...
What do you like most about Workday?
I like its UI and UX. When we were using Oracle or SAP, the UI/UX wasn't very user-friendly for the employees.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Workday?
If you go with the launch implementation approach, the solution is generally not very expensive. If you want to add m...
 

Comparisons

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Lawrence and Schiller, The Children's Center, The Kansas City Royals
BMI Healthcare, Lone Star College System, Jefferson County Public Schools, Griffith University, Los Rios Community College District, Tervita Corporation, INFRA S.A. de C.V., ICF Habitat, Central Washington University, Tech Mahindra Limited, Cognizant Technology Solutions, Stanford Childrens Health
AAA, Allied Global, Avago Technologies Limited, Aviva, Cardinal Health, CareFusion, Chiquita Brands International, Equifax, Flextronics, HP, Life Time Fitness, McKee Foods, MGM Resorts International, Sanofi, ServiceSource International, Symantec, TripAdvisor, Yahoo!
Find out what your peers are saying about Workday, Oracle, SAP and others in Benefits Administration. Updated: July 2025.
865,295 professionals have used our research since 2012.