10 Best Workday Alternatives for Startups in 2024

An HR tool that’s a good fit for your organization should cater specifically to your startup's needs, whether it be budgeting, scalability, or user-friendliness. Workday is renowned for its abilities in this arena, but there are other players capturing attention as well. 

Let's dive into this list of Workday contenders that may better fit your unique entrepreneurial needs.

If you're looking for a solid alternative to Workday, Gusto is at the top of our list. A popular “people platform,” Gusto is designed specifically to simplify all those laborious business functions such as HR, payroll, and more. The power of automation makes the software a time saver, with customers reporting they can complete payroll in a quick 10 minutes or less. The platform's ability to handle health insurance administration at no added cost adds to its appeal, making it an efficient and effective choice for startups looking to streamline their operations.

Gusto's cost-effectiveness also sets it above many payroll providers, including even ADP, making it an attractive option for businesses on a budget. Even more so, with a satisfaction rate of over 85% from surveyed customers, the evidence of Gusto's operational efficacy is clear. Offering free sign-up and a user-friendly process to add employees and run your first payroll, Gusto certainly earns its place as one of the best Workday alternatives.

Learn more by reading our full Gusto review.

Startup owners looking to relieve themselves from complex payroll tasks might find OnPay a prime Workday alternative. With over 30 years of experience in the industry, OnPay combines its wealth of knowledge with cutting-edge technology. This blend of experience and innovation allows businesses to easily calculate paychecks, handle taxes and undertake other payroll responsibilities smoothly.

OnPay understands the versatility required by small businesses – exactly why its software is designed to be mobile to run wherever there's a need. Plus, integration with popular business apps brings about added convenience. By simplifying the process of running a small business, OnPay positions itself as an efficient alternative to Workday by offering the functionality needed for businesses to focus on their core tasks.

Learn more by reading our full OnPay review.

A well-known name in the industry, ADP is a comprehensive service for payroll, HR, and tax services. As a platform that empowers employees and unlocks team potential, ADP provides a modern and user-friendly all-in-one solution. ADP's global experience in HR, payroll, and compliance is unmatched, which can be an extra assurance to companies seeking expert guidance.

With their recognition on the Fortune World's Most Admired Companies list for 17 consecutive years, ADP carries a reputation for quality. With simple tools for those in need of basic services and full-service outsourcing options for larger operations, ADP accommodates a wide range of business needs. This flexibility, plus the ability to tailor the perfect payroll and HR solutions to each business, makes ADP a strong competitor among the best Workday alternatives.

For anyone seeking out a comprehensive solution for both payroll and financial management QuickBooks is an impressive alternative to Workday. Offering tiered pricing based on business needs, it covers everything from basic accounting tasks up to running complex businesses. Extensive reporting features and compliance assurance functionalities make QuickBooks an effective tool for financial tracking and management.

If you’re ever in need of help, payroll support offers setup assistance, troubleshooting help, and expert reviews for more complex plans, making it a highly useful tool for businesses of all scales. HR resources range from basic articles to guidance from advisors and custom policies—ensuring every HR need is met. With QuickBooks' ability to simplify numerous business aspects, it deserves its place among the best Workday alternatives on this list.

As an employee app designed for modern deskless teams, Connecteam makes the work process more manageable. Trusted by over 36,000 companies worldwide, this platform stands tall among the best Workday alternatives mentioned here. Connecteam is flexible and scalable, offering features such as scheduling and time tracking, geofencing, one-click payroll, and customizable forms – all within one platform.

Connecteam doesn't just provide tools, though; it creates an environment for teamwork. From onboarding new hires to maintaining an engaged workforce, Connecteam has a powerhouse of features. 

The platform's focus on team building and improving engagement further solidifies its position as a great Workday alternative. Customers report benefits such as faster scheduling, greater engagement, and faster competence, making Connecteam a viable alternative that can help business growth.

BambooHR stands on its own as a comprehensive and cost-effective alternative to Workday. Its primary draw is its comprehensive HR management platform that centralizes data on employee information, payroll, time tracking, and benefits. This consolidation of data not only improves accuracy and security but also eases coordination, alleviating the burden on HR teams that are stretched thin by diverse responsibilities.

It’s not just that that makes this platform stand out, though – BambooHR also provides a robust in-house support system and has a vast global footprint, extending its services to more than 150 countries. With all of these offerings combined in one, BambooHR emerges as a strong contender for startups in search of more manageable Workday alternatives.

SAP, a well established name in the realm of software, offers a broad spectrum of enterprise solutions that compete with Workday’s. Its flagship product, S/4HANA Cloud, is a comprehensive enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution that leverages artificial intelligence and analytics to achieve real-time operational performance across any environment.

Beyond ERP, SAP's portfolio includes dedicated solutions for customer relationship management (CRM), financial management, spend management, and human capital management. The versatility and robustness of SAP's offerings make it an attractive alternative for startups looking to improve operational efficiency.

Rippling, with its workforce management system, has also found its place as a solid Workday alternative. Promoted as the top workforce platform, Rippling offers pre-built templates to automate workflows and streamline reporting. This not only cuts back on manual work but also boosts productivity across the board.

A central database for all employee data forms the core backbone of Rippling. This feature minimizes errors and promotes effective management throughout an organization. From fledgling startups to growing enterprises, Rippling's scalability makes it an ideal choice for businesses at every stage.

Remote positions itself as an ideal solution for businesses grappling with managing globally dispersed teams. It offers a unified platform to hire, manage, and pay employees from any location worldwide. The platform ensures compliance with local rules and regulations while facilitating quick payroll processing and offering flexible benefits to a global workforce.

In addition to this, Remote also offers robust security measures and an automated suite of HR processes, making it a fitting alternative to Workday for startups with a strong international presence or those with plans for global expansion.

With its all-in-one HR, payroll, and benefits platform, Paychex caters to more than 740,000 businesses and proves to be a comprehensive Workday alternative. The integrated solutions offered by Paychex allow HR, payroll, benefits, and other administrative tasks to be managed from a single platform, thereby saving time and resources.

Their services are custom tailored based on the size of the business, making this platform adaptable to the needs of emerging startups as well as larger organizations. With its comprehensive solution for HR administration and workforce management needs, Paychex can effectively support the growth and efficiency of businesses, big and small.