Dayforce vs. Paychex

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Dayforce
Score 8.0 out of 10
Enterprise companies (1,001+ employees)
Dayforce is a people platform that brings together HR, payroll, workforce management, talent, benefits, planning, and analytics. Organizations use Dayforce to manage people data, payroll, time and attendance, scheduling, talent, and workforce planning. AI capabilities within the Dayforce platform help people find information, understand HR policies and pay, and complete everyday tasks. Dayforce also supports recruiting, labor forecasting, and workforce analysis, and provides tools to help…N/A
Paychex
Score 6.9 out of 10
N/A
Paychex Flex, of Paychex' Online Payroll Services, is a cloud-based human resource management and payroll platform. Paychex offers core and specialized services, and scales to meet the needs of small businesses, SMBs, and large enterprises.N/A
Pricing
DayforcePaychex
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Paychex Flex Pro
Custom Pricing
per month/+$4 per employee
HR Pro
Custom Pricing
HR PEO
Custom Pricing
Paychex Flex Select
Custom Pricing
Paychex Flex Enterprise
Custom Pricing
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
DayforcePaychex
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
YesNo
Entry-level Setup FeeOptionalRequired
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
DayforcePaychex
Considered Both Products
Dayforce
Chose Dayforce
By having a single application we have seen an increase in our efficiency and an accuracy in our data. Our previous system had third party modules for many systems and they didn't do a good job "talking" to each other. Our data was often incorrect, charging employees the wrong …
Chose Dayforce
We don’t use third party modules We don’t use a third party modules. We do plan on looking at what more we can use with dayforce in the upcoming year. I do not feel like I can answer this question to the full ability. I will not be answering fbis question
Chose Dayforce
The biggest impact that I have experienced from using Dayforce is accuracy. I do not have to worry about going from program to program or module to module or spreadsheet to spreadsheet, making sure that everything is correct. The employee's information is all there and all …
Chose Dayforce
Having everything in one place and all of the data "talking" to each other has allowed for a lot less time locating information. It also ensure that data is correct across multiple areas - payroll, job info, and benefits. We don't have to spend extra time making sure data is …
Chose Dayforce
For a small organization staff wearing multiple hats, this has helped us streamline our back office staff and gave us the ability to provide more staff at the front end where our organization is about engaging members. This has helped us meet the mission of our organization and …
Chose Dayforce
Dayforce takes you away from paper and is truly working smarter, not harder.
Chose Dayforce
It's great having everything in one place, but we do have to have excellent coordination to avoid stepping on each other's toes. For example, backdating changes on the HR side has real-time consequences on the payroll side. It's wonderful - just be careful that all users are …
Chose Dayforce
Having time and payroll in the same application has helped immensely. No more need to create a load to pay transfer time from one vendor to processing payroll in another. This has reduced labor hours and has made the processing of the payroll a lot more smooth. Before we had …
Chose Dayforce
Fewer errors and less time spent on payroll
Chose Dayforce
One application is the most efficient. I have worked for companies where multiple systems were used and it does not make sense why anyone would do this. Information flows from one area to the next and causes less room for errors.
Chose Dayforce
ADP Workforce Now appears to be a single application, but it is really 3 separate databases that have a single GUI. They do not always communicate well, and when they get out of sync it is very difficult to correct the errors. Since Dayforce is one database with one EE …
Paychex
Chose Paychex
Based on what I've noticed, Paychex is comparable to Dayforce, which has similar timekeeping functions. I think Dayforce has a few easier-to-navigate tools from an Employee Self Service standpoint. isolved is much better all around from my personal usage. If my company had more …
Chose Paychex
I was not part of the decision to purchase Paychex Flex. It was good for the company's needs at the time, but when I joined the company we needed software that was more robust for our needs.
Features
DayforcePaychex
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
Dayforce
8.2
602 Ratings
0% above category average
Paychex
7.3
277 Ratings
12% below category average
Employee demographic data9.1525 Ratings7.7224 Ratings
Employment history9.2559 Ratings7.9247 Ratings
Job profiles and administration9.3549 Ratings7.7182 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.9.3553 Ratings7.8178 Ratings
Organizational charting6.5502 Ratings6.34 Ratings
Organization and location management6.5548 Ratings7.1162 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)7.3370 Ratings6.4148 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Dayforce
8.7
602 Ratings
6% above category average
Paychex
7.7
318 Ratings
6% below category average
Pay calculation9.3588 Ratings8.0300 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors7.0295 Ratings7.44 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment9.3154 Ratings7.4157 Ratings
Benefit plan administration8.6475 Ratings7.2179 Ratings
Direct deposit files9.3574 Ratings8.3299 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management8.3456 Ratings8.0214 Ratings
Reimbursement management9.1309 Ratings7.4122 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
Dayforce
9.1
547 Ratings
10% above category average
Paychex
7.2
161 Ratings
13% below category average
Approval workflow9.4515 Ratings7.5115 Ratings
Balance details9.2529 Ratings7.6153 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment8.6434 Ratings6.4120 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
Dayforce
8.3
615 Ratings
1% above category average
Paychex
7.2
275 Ratings
14% below category average
View and generate pay and benefit information8.6586 Ratings8.0253 Ratings
Update personal information8.5599 Ratings7.6265 Ratings
View company policy documentation7.7419 Ratings7.4124 Ratings
Employee recognition9.1219 Ratings5.52 Ratings
View job history7.7492 Ratings7.6189 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
Dayforce
8.6
103 Ratings
7% above category average
Paychex
6.3
44 Ratings
24% below category average
Tracking of all physical assets8.6103 Ratings6.344 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Dayforce
6.2
601 Ratings
20% below category average
Paychex
6.1
179 Ratings
22% below category average
Report builder6.3592 Ratings6.5149 Ratings
Pre-built reports6.3592 Ratings6.8167 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data6.0416 Ratings5.093 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
Dayforce
8.7
394 Ratings
8% above category average
Paychex
6.8
176 Ratings
17% below category average
New hire portal9.2384 Ratings7.0168 Ratings
Manager tracking tools8.2338 Ratings6.7112 Ratings
Performance and Goals
Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Product A and Product B
Dayforce
8.7
257 Ratings
7% above category average
Paychex
9.0
1 Ratings
10% above category average
Corporate goal setting8.3215 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Individual goal setting9.1236 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Line-of sight-visibility8.6201 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Performance tracking8.8241 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Performance Management
Comparison of Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
Dayforce
8.2
283 Ratings
3% above category average
Paychex
9.0
1 Ratings
12% above category average
Performance plans8.7262 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Performance improvement plans8.6225 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Review status tracking7.4265 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Review reminders8.4260 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Multiple review frequency7.7234 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Succession Planning
Comparison of Succession Planning features of Product A and Product B
Dayforce
8.6
131 Ratings
9% above category average
Paychex
7.7
2 Ratings
2% below category average
Create succession plans/pools9.3104 Ratings00 Ratings
Candidate ranking8.2113 Ratings7.31 Ratings
Candidate search8.2118 Ratings7.52 Ratings
Candidate development8.6106 Ratings8.21 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
Dayforce
9.3
302 Ratings
16% above category average
Paychex
5.3
72 Ratings
40% below category average
Job Requisition Management9.7284 Ratings5.138 Ratings
Company Website Posting9.7277 Ratings5.235 Ratings
Publish to Social Media9.2233 Ratings5.729 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting9.6265 Ratings6.037 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention8.0229 Ratings4.635 Ratings
Applicant Tracking9.6276 Ratings4.741 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts9.6272 Ratings6.166 Ratings
Best Alternatives
DayforcePaychex
Small Businesses
UZIO
UZIO
Score 9.4 out of 10
UZIO
UZIO
Score 9.4 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.1 out of 10
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.1 out of 10
Enterprises
PeopleStrong
PeopleStrong
Score 10.0 out of 10
PeopleStrong
PeopleStrong
Score 10.0 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
DayforcePaychex
Likelihood to Recommend
8.3
(641 ratings)
6.8
(333 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
8.9
(89 ratings)
7.1
(48 ratings)
Usability
4.2
(60 ratings)
7.2
(274 ratings)
Availability
10.0
(12 ratings)
5.2
(12 ratings)
Performance
5.0
(13 ratings)
7.0
(12 ratings)
Support Rating
8.9
(66 ratings)
6.5
(273 ratings)
In-Person Training
7.0
(11 ratings)
4.5
(1 ratings)
Online Training
7.3
(18 ratings)
2.8
(4 ratings)
Implementation Rating
8.9
(44 ratings)
5.1
(13 ratings)
Configurability
9.0
(13 ratings)
5.0
(9 ratings)
Ease of integration
7.3
(9 ratings)
9.1
(3 ratings)
Product Scalability
9.9
(14 ratings)
5.4
(12 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
8.9
(18 ratings)
5.7
(34 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
9.9
(12 ratings)
6.2
(35 ratings)
User Testimonials
DayforcePaychex
Likelihood to Recommend
Dayforce
I think Dayforce is a great option for a large and/or Global organization. I do not think it would be the best fit for a very small company or business. It really shines for enterprise organizations with multi-locations. While a small business could use it, I would say it has too many bells and whistles that might feel overwhelming to a smaller organization.
Read full review
Paychex Inc.
It is best suited for payrolls from 1 to 150 employees, because their constant attention and flex system are easy to use. Any problem is taking care by your Paychex Agent, and they always listen to you. Better yet, when you become a client with more than 5 years, you get special discount on your renewal. Honestly, I can't not think on nothing that will be less appropriate.
Read full review
Pros
Dayforce
  • Payroll - it shows everything in real time and it runs quickly.
  • People - Having all employee details from the offer letter to W2 information in the same spot.
  • Dayforce Wallet: The on-demand feature is fully integrated with Timesheets and Payroll. What shows in one will be in the other.
Read full review
Paychex Inc.
  • It provides a well account of Retirement Plan Account Information.
  • Alerts are sent to email when there is new information to access.
  • Employee access both online and thru app.
  • Paperless options.
  • Easy and quick access to paystubs and tax forms.
  • Easy employee retirement management.
Read full review
Cons
Dayforce
  • There have been a few instances of users being locked out of Ceridian due to recent upgrades. Not ideal when an employee wants to see their paystub and is suddenly have login issues.
  • Not the best for when an employee is transferred to another country as their employee number is locked to their SIN or SSN. And, we are required to create a new user record with a new employee number for the new country.
Read full review
Paychex Inc.
  • I understand logging you out is a security function, but I'd prefer it not to log you out so soon.
  • The training we received for the team's meeting was subpar, in my opinion. Probably better geared for people with little to no computer experience. Very slow pace; we could have easily received all of this from some tutorials in a few minutes.
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
Dayforce
We are highly invested in Ceridian's Dayforce product. It give us the flexibility and scaling that our growing company needs. Its potential reaches beyond the basic HR functions to the decision making that our Management Team needs. Ceridian is always innovating the employee and employee experiences to offer cutting edge options.
Read full review
Paychex Inc.
Overall I like the features that Paychex Flex offers. I am sure that there are other features that I am unaware of, so I am excited to see if there is more that Flex is capable of to make my job easier. The basic features are really user friendly and easy to access. If there ever is an issue customer service is great
Read full review
Usability
Dayforce
I think it's very usable for the employee. I don't think it is as easy for the HR/PR admins - especially if there is an issue. There are so many setup screens that need to be looked at to try to figure out why payroll isn't calculating properly, hours aren't feeding over correctly, or benefits are not calculating properly. For the most part, they can't do their own troubleshooting. The same is true for the managers. Our managers find it cumbersome to go into make any schedule changes after the schedules have been generated.
Read full review
Paychex Inc.
Once you are set up in the system, it is very user-friendly and usability is on par with my expectations. Onboarding new employees is simple, employee access is simple and easy for them to use. Tax documentation, reporting, and entering payroll is easy and user-friendly. Running reports and finding information necessary to keep the flow moving foward is easy to do
Read full review
Reliability and Availability
Dayforce
Dayforce's high availability ensures that our HR processes are supported around the clock, which is critical for a global organization like ours. The platform is cloud-based, offering reliable access from any location at any time, allowing our employees, managers, and HR teams to stay connected regardless of time zones or geographic locations. This level of availability ensures that payroll processing, employee self-service, and real-time data access continue uninterrupted, even during peak periods or unforeseen disruptions. The system’s robust infrastructure minimizes downtime, which is vital for operations that span multiple regions. Additionally, having a centralized platform that’s always available helps keep our teams aligned, ensures compliance, and facilitates timely decision-making across all our locations.
Read full review
Paychex Inc.
We have not experienced any difficulties with unplanned outages. Notifications are always made for outages, and they do not effect normal business operations.
Read full review
Performance
Dayforce
We haven't noticed any slow-down due to the integration of Dayforce WFM with our Ceridian HPL products (HRIS and Payroll). The new HTML view of the timesheets don't load as quickly as the old Silverlight view - however, we have gotten used to the change.
Read full review
Paychex Inc.
Unless there is lag time within the internet, the Paychex Flex website loads exceptional fast, pages load quickly and reports that I need to print or download load quickly. If I need to create a specialized report, once I complete it I receive an e-mail telling me my report is ready to be downloaded. Changing between web pages is fast as well.
Read full review
Support Rating
Dayforce
Most of the time the support is great; it's not always super efficient but I always get the help I need. Occasionally it takes a lot longer than we had hoped or get conflicting responses. We had one ticket recently where we were told we would have to pay the service team to support us on the project and then another person called the next day with the solution to our query and was able to find a solution easily. Generally, though, the response is great and they either walk me though how to do something via a Zoom Meeting or they email step-by-step instructions on how to do it and say if I have questions we can set up a meeting to discuss further.
Read full review
Paychex Inc.
The dedicated support we are given is good and very responsive. If there is a change to the dedicated support, we are notified quickly and have temporary support in place while we wait for our new rep. The phone support is knowledgeable and quick to help if there is an immediate need. However, the chat support can be the slowest option and doesn't always launch so I rarely use it.
Read full review
In-Person Training
Dayforce
Because the training we reviewed at Insights has changed how we use the system everyday. This is a key factor in our training.
Read full review
Paychex Inc.
We did online training only
Read full review
Online Training
Dayforce
The courses are very interactive and informative. There are classes for every topic, which allows you to make the most of the system. There are also some "go at your own pace" course which is a great option for a busy schedule.
Read full review
Paychex Inc.
It was easy to understand and follow along. I do like the informational videos that we can utilize before we opt to call in for customer service support. It has made a difference since sometimes that resolves the issue I may have had and saved myself a phone call to Paychex support.
Read full review
Implementation Rating
Dayforce
Have a strong internal team. Communicate with your implementation team - they are there to make it work for you. Take the time to really think about how you want the system to work for you - in some cases, you may need to rethink your own business practices to see if you are working harder when the system could do it for you
Read full review
Paychex Inc.
Implementation was very smooth. The most cumbersome task was entering the current employees into the system during initial set up, but Paychex staff handled most of that and verified against prior system reports as well as internal reports provided to ensure 100% accuracy.
Read full review
Alternatives Considered
Dayforce
I can't speak much to how it would be if we had all of these features separately since I started with Dayforce all being integrated and have no other experience, but having it all in one place has made the completion of all of these HR tasks seamless. We can direct all of our energies into the same system, and it makes it easier to field employee inquiries and to troubleshoot when we need to
Read full review
Paychex Inc.
In addition to the ones listed above, we also used BenePay, a local payroll company. We found Paychex Flex priced in the middle, with ADP the most expensive and too complicated, with many features that were unnecessary for us. We found that Paychex Flex's features and reporting to be sized right for our size (around 30 employees). Paychex Flex also offered a very reasonable service to apply for the ERTC
Read full review
Scalability
Dayforce
Overall, we are extremely happy with the Dayforce WFM module. Our biggest pain point is concerning the twice annual software upgrades - which is the only reason I haven't rated them as a '10'. Because every customer is configured differently, the upgrades can sometimes have adverse effects on our current configured policies/rules. And although they roll-out the upgraded version in a test environment several weeks before go-live, not all testing is accurate in that environment. Some issues do not present themselves until you are working with live punches.
Read full review
Paychex Inc.
I generally do payroll at the office, however I have had to go remote due to internet issues and also had to take payroll on vacation with me. Very easy to log in wherever you are and manage your TAA and payroll
Read full review
Return on Investment
Dayforce
  • Performance Reviews/Comp used to be handled via paper and tracking/reporting was a nightmare - having all of that in the system is so much more efficient and provides huge ROI
  • Our organization used to have big problems with hiring managers going rogue and hiring positions that aren't approved by Finance - we built an approval workflow in the system that triggers before any req is approved which has completely solved this problem
  • Dayforce Wallet has been a huge perk for our employees - it's heavily used and our crew love it
Read full review
Paychex Inc.
  • With Paychex Flex we have been able to improve our compliance with required documentation for new/rehires
  • Moving everyone to direct deposit and mobile clock in/out eliminated lines at punching stations and paycheck pickup stations
  • Lost checks is a thing of the past
Read full review
ScreenShots

Dayforce Screenshots

Screenshot of Dayforce HubScreenshot of Human Resources (Position Management)Screenshot of Dayforce Reporting & AnalyticsScreenshot of People AnalyticsScreenshot of Dayforce HR Service DeliveryScreenshot of Dayforce Flex Work

Paychex Screenshots

Screenshot of Paychex Payroll DashboardScreenshot of Employee Background ChecksScreenshot of Paychex HR DashboardScreenshot of Paychex Flex Perks