Dayforce vs Paylocity
A detailed comparison of Dayforce and Paylocity. See how they stack up on features, pricing, and user ratings.
At a Glance
| Dayforce | Paylocity | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.2/5 | 4.4/5 |
| Starting Price | N/A | N/A |
| Free Trial | No | No |
| Free Plan | No | No |
| Features | 9 | 9 |
| Best For | Mid-Market | Mid-Market |
Dayforce
Unified HCM platform combining HR, payroll, benefits, workforce management, and talent in a single application with real-time calculations.
Rating
4.2/5
Best for
Mid-Market
Free trial
No
Free plan
No
Paylocity
Cloud HCM and payroll platform for mid-sized organisations with modern social collaboration tools, on-demand pay, expense management, and workforce analytics capabilities.
Rating
4.4/5
Best for
Mid-Market
Free trial
No
Free plan
No
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Dayforce | Paylocity |
|---|---|---|
| Workflow Automation | ||
| Reporting Dashboard | ||
| EEO/OFCCP Compliance | ||
| GDPR Compliance | ||
| API Access | ||
| HRIS Integration | ||
| Slack Integration | ||
| Zapier Integration | ||
| Mobile App |
Pricing Comparison
Dayforce
Custom
Custom
Paylocity
Platform
Custom
Integrations
Both tools integrate with
Azure AD
Google Calendar
Microsoft 365
Microsoft Teams
Okta
Outlook
Outlook Calendar
Slack
Zapier
Only Dayforce
ADP
DocuSign
LinkedIn
QuickBooks
Only Paylocity
Salesforce
Pros & Cons
Dayforce
Pros
- +True single-application architecture with real-time payroll calculations
- +Always-on pay — payroll is continuously calculated, not batch-processed
- +Strong workforce management (time, attendance, scheduling)
- +Good balance between enterprise capability and usability
Cons
- -No transparent pricing — custom quotes required
- -Talent management modules are less mature than HR and payroll
- -Implementation can take 3-6 months for mid-market organisations
- -Reporting capabilities are powerful but complex to configure
Paylocity
Pros
- +Modern HR platform with strong payroll
- +Community and social features for employees
- +Good mobile app experience
- +Data insights and workforce analytics
Cons
- -Pricing not transparent
- -Better suited for mid-market than SMB
- -Some features feel like add-ons rather than core
- -Implementation timeline can be long
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Dayforce if:
- • Your company is Mid-Market size
- • True single-application architecture with real-time payroll calculations
Choose Paylocity if:
- • Your company is Mid-Market size
- • Higher user ratings matter to you (4.4 vs 4.2)
- • Modern HR platform with strong payroll
How we evaluate tools
Our ratings combine verified user reviews from G2 and Capterra with hands-on feature analysis. Pricing is checked against official sources. We may earn a commission through affiliate links, but this never influences our rankings or recommendations. Read our full methodology.