What users are saying about
8 Ratings
<a href='https://www.trustradius.com/static/about-trustradius-scoring' target='_blank' rel='nofollow noopener'>trScore algorithm: Learn more.</a>Score 6.1 out of 100
Based on 8 reviews and ratings
2 Ratings
<a href='https://www.trustradius.com/static/about-trustradius-scoring' target='_blank' rel='nofollow noopener'>trScore algorithm: Learn more.</a>Score 8.3 out of 100
Based on 2 reviews and ratings
Feature Set Ratings
Payroll Management
4.4
Ceridian Powerpay
44%
HRdirect Smart Apps
Feature Set Not Supported
N/A
Ceridian Powerpay ranks higher in 7/7 features
Ceridian Powerpay ranks higher in 7/7 features
Pay calculation
5.6
56%
3 Ratings
N/A
0 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors
2.0
20%
1 Rating
N/A
0 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment
5.5
55%
2 Ratings
N/A
0 Ratings
Benefit plan administration
1.2
12%
2 Ratings
N/A
0 Ratings
Direct deposit files
5.6
56%
3 Ratings
N/A
0 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management
5.6
56%
3 Ratings
N/A
0 Ratings
Reimbursement management
5.6
56%
3 Ratings
N/A
0 Ratings
Human Resource Management
Ceridian Powerpay
Feature Set Not Supported
N/A
10.0
HRdirect Smart Apps
100%
HRdirect Smart Apps ranks higher in 3/3 features
HRdirect Smart Apps ranks higher in 3/3 features
Employee demographic data
N/A
0 Ratings
10.0
100%
1 Rating
Job profiles and administration
N/A
0 Ratings
10.0
100%
1 Rating
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)
N/A
0 Ratings
10.0
100%
1 Rating
Leave and Attendance Management
Ceridian Powerpay
Feature Set Not Supported
N/A
1.0
HRdirect Smart Apps
10%
HRdirect Smart Apps ranks higher in 1/1 features
HRdirect Smart Apps ranks higher in 1/1 features
Approval workflow
N/A
0 Ratings
1.0
10%
1 Rating
Employee Self Service
Ceridian Powerpay
Feature Set Not Supported
N/A
10.0
HRdirect Smart Apps
100%
HRdirect Smart Apps ranks higher in 3/3 features
HRdirect Smart Apps ranks higher in 3/3 features
View and generate pay and benefit information
N/A
0 Ratings
10.0
100%
1 Rating
Update personal information
N/A
0 Ratings
10.0
100%
1 Rating
View company policy documentation
N/A
0 Ratings
10.0
100%
1 Rating
HR Reporting
Ceridian Powerpay
Feature Set Not Supported
N/A
1.0
HRdirect Smart Apps
10%
HRdirect Smart Apps ranks higher in 2/2 features
HRdirect Smart Apps ranks higher in 2/2 features
Report builder
N/A
0 Ratings
1.0
10%
1 Rating
Pre-built reports
N/A
0 Ratings
1.0
10%
1 Rating
Onboarding
Ceridian Powerpay
Feature Set Not Supported
N/A
1.0
HRdirect Smart Apps
10%
HRdirect Smart Apps ranks higher in 2/2 features
HRdirect Smart Apps ranks higher in 2/2 features
New hire portal
N/A
0 Ratings
1.0
10%
1 Rating
Manager tracking tools
N/A
0 Ratings
1.0
10%
1 Rating
Attribute Ratings
- Ceridian Powerpay is rated higher in 1 area: Support Rating
- HRdirect Smart Apps is rated higher in 1 area: Likelihood to Recommend
Likelihood to Recommend
5.5
Ceridian Powerpay
55%
3 Ratings
10.0
HRdirect Smart Apps
100%
1 Rating
Likelihood to Renew
Ceridian Powerpay
N/A
0 Ratings
1.0
HRdirect Smart Apps
10%
1 Rating
Support Rating
8.0
Ceridian Powerpay
80%
2 Ratings
1.0
HRdirect Smart Apps
10%
2 Ratings
Likelihood to Recommend
Ceridian Powerpay
In all honestly I don’t know a situation where Ceridian Powerpay would not be appropriate to use. I have used it at a company with 12 employees, and at a company with 100 employees. The system works great regardless of company size and the benefits significantly outweigh any (if any) negatives.
I only have experience with the system in the hospitality industry but it covered all our needs and more that I can only imagine that would apply to other industries as well.

Verified User
Manager in Corporate
Restaurants Company, 11-50 employeesHRdirect Smart Apps
UPDATE 3/20/2020: I initially gave HRDirect a "0" recommendation due to all the issues we had with the PTO Module. However, since purchasing the Harassment Training Module ($90), this product is the best value for the money and puts us in compliance with mandated requirements. It is easy to use and well-presented.At this point in time, with the issues and frustration level of all our employees, managers, and payroll department, it would be difficult for me to recommend this app as suitable in any scenario. However, should HRdirect fix the issues and get the app to perform as it was originally designed, it would be a great product for a small to medium company that has limited resources yet wants a good product for the money.In our experience, the new hire portal did not appear to be functioning properly; our new hires were not able to access the blank documents. They could see them but not open them (PDFs).
HR & Accounting Administrator
Poly Pharmaceuticals IncPharmaceuticals, 11-50 employees
Pros
Ceridian Powerpay
- Ceridian Powerpay simplifies the payroll process, very little manual work involved during each payroll run.
- Ceridian Powerpay is mostly an intuitive interface with easy to understand workflows to allow for multiple users to be able to use the system if required.
VP, People & Operations
Peel Mutual InsuranceInsurance, 11-50 employees
HRdirect Smart Apps
- Initially, you were able to see all activity and drill down for details.
- It was easy-access for all our employees in the 7 states we operate in.
- It provided tracking for the managers.
- Payroll had access to all PTO requests.
HR & Accounting Administrator
Poly Pharmaceuticals IncPharmaceuticals, 11-50 employees
Cons
Ceridian Powerpay
- Customer Support is Horrible
- They over bill you for everything and ignore cancellation requests
- They don't listen to what you need or want, they slip in cancellation clauses and charge you for inactive employees throughout the year.
- They leave one person in charge of your account and should that person go on leave you are stuck waiting until that person gets back (including personal leaves that lasted 2 months)
Accounting Manager
Henry of Pelham Inc.Food & Beverages, 51-200 employees
HRdirect Smart Apps
- HRdirect performed an upgrade in 2019 and that's where things went awry.
- You could no longer drill down through the calendar to see the details - i.e. Doctor's appointment, illness, childcare issues, vacation, etc.
- Previous year PTO requests were not archived and you now had to scroll through hundreds of PTO requests to see the most current.
- Previous PTO requests were listed oldest to most current, resulting in much frustration trying to locate specific ones.
- The print option was not longer functional.
- The online help request form was no longer accessible.
HR & Accounting Administrator
Poly Pharmaceuticals IncPharmaceuticals, 11-50 employees
Pricing Details
Ceridian Powerpay
General
Free Trial
—Free/Freemium Version
—Premium Consulting/Integration Services
—Entry-level set up fee?
No
Starting Price
—HRdirect Smart Apps
General
Free Trial
—Free/Freemium Version
Yes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
—Entry-level set up fee?
No
Starting Price
—Likelihood to Renew
Ceridian Powerpay
No score
No answers yet
No answers on this topic
HRdirect Smart Apps
HRdirect Smart Apps 1.0
Based on 1 answer
As previously described, there are too many unresolved issues.
HR & Accounting Administrator
Poly Pharmaceuticals IncPharmaceuticals, 11-50 employees
Support Rating
Ceridian Powerpay
Ceridian Powerpay 8.0
Based on 2 answers
Generally, Ceridian Powerpay support is strong, with the edge given to the telephone staff, which is prompt and always helpful. When I have had to reach out via telephone, I am greeted quickly and provided with a quick resolution to my issue. The email support leaves a bit to be desired, though, as my experience with change requests result in long waits for confirmation and completion, with some instances not even being given a resolution to an issue without requiring additional follow-up. I shouldn’t have to stay on top of the support in addition to providing the details needed, and it should just get done.
VP, People & Operations
Peel Mutual InsuranceInsurance, 11-50 employees
HRdirect Smart Apps
HRdirect Smart Apps 1.0
Based on 2 answers
Due to the fact that we were patient for more than 6 months with no resolution in sight, we decided to end our relationship with HRdirect for PTO tracking.3/20/2020: We have purchased the Harassment Training Module. Excellent product with great value for the money.
HR & Accounting Administrator
Poly Pharmaceuticals IncPharmaceuticals, 11-50 employees
Alternatives Considered
Ceridian Powerpay
Have not used any other payroll software in my experience.

Verified User
Manager in Corporate
Restaurants Company, 11-50 employeesHRdirect Smart Apps
No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
Ceridian Powerpay
- The return on investment has been substantial for our company. Having a payroll system that calculates everything for you, processes important documents, and only takes minimal time and effort allows us to focus more time on running the business and generating revenue.
- Instead of having a user spend half a day (or potentially a full day) processing payroll, it only takes a couple hours (obviously depending on how many employees need to be processed).

Verified User
Manager in Corporate
Restaurants Company, 11-50 employeesHRdirect Smart Apps
- Initially, HRdirect was proving to be an excellent tool, and we were getting a quick turnaround on small issues. However, the upgrade messed things up on our accessibility, with no resolution in sight.
- Harassment training module is excellent.
HR & Accounting Administrator
Poly Pharmaceuticals IncPharmaceuticals, 11-50 employees