Paylocity vs Planday Comparison: Reviews, Features, Pricing & Alternatives in 2026

Detailed side-by-side comparison to help you choose the right solution for your team

Updated Apr 2026 8 min read

Paylocity

0.0 (0 reviews)

Paylocity is a comprehensive human capital management platform that simplifies payroll, benefits, and talent management while providing modern engagement tools to help you build a stronger workplace culture.

Starting at --
Free Trial NO FREE TRIAL
VS

Planday

0.0 (0 reviews)

Planday is a workforce management platform that simplifies employee scheduling, time tracking, and team communication for shift-based businesses to improve operational efficiency and reduce labor costs.

Starting at $2.99/mo
Free Trial 30 days

Quick Comparison

Feature Paylocity Planday
Website paylocity.com planday.com
Pricing Model Custom Subscription
Starting Price Custom Pricing $2.99/month
FREE Trial ✘ No free trial ✓ 30 days free trial
Free Plan ✘ No free plan ✘ No free plan
Product Demo ✓ Request demo here ✓ Request demo here
Deployment saas mobile cloud mobile
Integrations Microsoft Teams Slack Blue Cross Blue Shield 401k providers Indeed LinkedIn Glassdoor NetSuite QuickBooks ClearCompany Xero QuickBooks Lightspeed Square ADP Sage Revel Systems Mews Tanda Deputy
Target Users small-business mid-market enterprise small-business mid-market enterprise
Target Industries hospitality retail healthcare
Customer Count 0 0
Founded Year 1997 2004
Headquarters Schaumburg, USA Copenhagen, Denmark

Overview

P

Paylocity

Paylocity is an all-in-one human capital management platform designed to help you manage your entire employee lifecycle from a single interface. You can automate complex payroll runs, streamline open enrollment for benefits, and track time and attendance without manual data entry. The platform focuses heavily on the modern employee experience, offering social collaboration tools and mobile-first features that make it easier for your team to stay connected and productive.

Beyond basic administrative tasks, you can use the software to recruit top talent, conduct performance reviews, and provide on-demand training through a built-in learning management system. It is specifically designed for mid-market organizations that need to move away from disconnected spreadsheets and manual processes. By centralizing your data, you gain real-time insights into labor costs and employee engagement to make better business decisions.

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Planday

Planday is a flexible workforce management solution designed to take the headache out of managing shift-based teams. Whether you run a single restaurant or a multi-location retail chain, you can build schedules in minutes using templates that account for employee availability, labor costs, and compliance rules. It replaces messy spreadsheets and paper sign-in sheets with a centralized digital hub accessible from any device.

You can track hours accurately with a GPS-verified mobile punch clock and sync that data directly to your payroll provider. The platform also serves as your team's communication center, allowing you to send updates or swap shifts instantly. By giving your staff more transparency and control over their schedules through the mobile app, you reduce administrative friction and keep your labor costs aligned with your actual revenue.

Overview

P

Paylocity Features

  • On-Demand Pay Give your employees early access to their earned wages so they can manage unexpected expenses without financial stress.
  • Community Social Hub Create a central space where you can share company news, recognize achievements, and foster collaboration across your entire organization.
  • Automated Payroll Run your payroll accurately and quickly with automated tax filings, direct deposits, and compliance updates that sync with your time data.
  • Mobile App Empower your team to clock in, view pay stubs, and request time off directly from their smartphones at any time.
  • Learning Management Assign and track mandatory compliance training or professional development courses to keep your workforce skilled and compliant.
  • Recruiting & Onboarding Post jobs to multiple boards and transition new hires into your system automatically with digital paperwork and welcome tasks.
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Planday Features

  • Smart Scheduling. Create schedules in minutes using templates and drag-and-drop tools that factor in staff availability and labor costs.
  • Mobile Punch Clock. Track exactly when and where your team starts work with GPS-verified clock-ins directly from their smartphones.
  • Shift Swapping. Empower your team to trade shifts or claim open slots with manager approval, reducing your administrative workload.
  • Labor Cost Tracking. Monitor your wage spend against your budget in real-time to ensure every shift stays profitable.
  • Team Messaging. Send instant updates to individuals or entire departments through the built-in chat without sharing personal phone numbers.
  • Payroll Integration. Export verified hours to your favorite payroll software with a few clicks to ensure fast, accurate payments.

Pricing Comparison

P

Paylocity Pricing

P

Planday Pricing

Starter
$2.99
  • Employee scheduling
  • Mobile app access
  • Shift swapping
  • Availability management
  • Basic reporting
  • In-app messaging

Pros & Cons

M

Paylocity

Pros

  • Highly customizable reporting for complex data needs
  • Excellent mobile app experience for remote employees
  • Strong social engagement features improve company culture
  • Unified database eliminates redundant data entry tasks
  • Regular updates based on user feature requests

Cons

  • Initial implementation process can be time-consuming
  • Customer support response times vary during peak seasons
  • Learning curve for advanced reporting modules
A

Planday

Pros

  • Intuitive mobile app for employees to manage shifts
  • Significantly reduces time spent on weekly schedule creation
  • GPS-verified clock-in prevents time theft and errors
  • Seamless integration with popular POS and payroll systems

Cons

  • Initial setup of complex pay rules takes time
  • Reporting interface can feel cluttered for new users
  • Occasional sync delays with certain third-party integrations
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