A successful organization must have procedures set in place to support its productivity as well as its workforce. After all, quality staff members are the fuel that keeps operations running smoothly. Utilizing payroll software can make all the difference in maintaining a team of dedicated workers. The HCM cloud company UKG offers payroll technology that streamlines payment processes for organizations so businesses can support their teams, reduce overhead and improve their payroll efficiency.
Of course, UKG’s payroll offerings may not align with the needs of every business. In this case, other payroll technology providers can offer comparable features and capabilities in their payroll software products. Read on as this article will enable you to determine whether you should stick with UKG’s payroll technology or consider software from one of UKG’s top competitors instead.
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Top UKG competitors and alternatives: Comparison table
UKG may be the best payroll software provider for some organizations, but is it the best for yours? Consider how UKG and its competitors approach the following key payroll software features and whether they are suitable for your business requirements.
| Pricing | Global payroll support | Compliance tools | Benefits administration | Employee management | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UKG | Custom quote | Through third-party partnerships | Yes | Yes | Yes | Try UKG |
| Ceridian Dayforce | Custom quote | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Try Dayforce |
| Rippling | Custom quote | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Try Rippling |
| Workday HCM | Custom quote | Limited (4 countries) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Try Workday |
| ADP Workforce Now | Custom quote | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Try ADP |
| Paylocity | Custom quote | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Try Paylocity |
| Oracle PeopleSoft | Custom quote | Limited (9 countries) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Try Peoplesoft |
Top UKG competitors
Below, we review six of UKG’s top competitors in 2023 and compare their features, pros, cons and prices.
Ceridian Dayforce: Best data analytics
Ceridian Dayforce offers a human capital management (HCM) solution that unifies various elements of HR and payroll together on one platform. Organizations can pay their staff, process employee benefits, maintain tax compliance, recruit and onboard talent and manage their workforces using the features and capabilities provided by this software service.
One unique aspect of Ceridian Dayforce’s software is its focus on enabling organizations to gain more profound insights from their HCM data. This solution streamlines the analysis of data from HR, payroll, employee performance and other essential areas to provide valuable information to organizational decision-makers. The tool can even help leaders take an informed approach to talent management by analyzing built-in KPIs and data-driven insights.
Features
- International payroll in over 160 countries.
- Workforce management.
- Employee performance metrics.
- Ideal Talent Marketplace.
- Onboarding and recruiting.
- Self-service benefits administration.
Pros
- Industry-specific software solutions.
- Self-service capabilities and mobile apps for employees.
- Advanced reporting with over 300 pre-built configurable reports.
- A Dayforce Wallet Mastercard® that enables employees to access their prepaid wages on demand.
Cons
- No pricing information available online.
- Difficult setup process.
Pricing
Ceridian Dayforce uses quote-based pricing and encourages buyers to contact their sales team for more details.
For more information, read the full Ceridian Dayforce review.
Rippling: Best for global payroll
Rippling and UKG each provide a level of support for payroll processes in the U.S. and other countries. Rippling’s solution offers a single source of truth for global payroll, international talent sourcing, HR and compliance processes. This robust software with built-in global payroll can be advantageous for organizations looking to streamline and consolidate their international workforce operations.
Rippling provides various features to ensure the satisfaction of its global payroll users. It can even help organizations hire global talent through its native employer of record (EOR) service, which streamlines international onboarding. Businesses with global teams can also provide their international staff with the tools they need to succeed in their roles, thanks to Rippling’s inventory management and remote device management features.
Features
- Global payroll in more than 140 countries.
- Automatic new-hire benefits enrollment.
- Localized contracts for global workers.
- Document management.
- New-hire onboarding.
Pros
- Fast payroll processing with payments administered within five days.
- Insights into tax and payroll data.
- Access to more than 4,000 benefits plans from leading carriers.
Cons
- Features focus more on global hiring and onboarding than payroll.
- No free trial.
Pricing
Rippling’s software starts at $8 per month per user, but the final price is determined based on the services the buyers choose to include within their tailored system.
For more information, read the full Rippling review.
Workday HCM: Best for enterprises
Workday HCM is a human capital management solution that focuses on providing tools for leading global workforces. As an end-to-end solution, buyers receive access to a range of features and capabilities that can support their large or growing business and its workforce members in Workday HCM’s supported countries.
Workers, both local and internationally sourced, are sure to enjoy the software’s offerings that aim to improve the employee experience — and retention — of your organization. Employees can make their opinions heard with employee surveys that boost engagement, and they can excel in their careers through the Workday Skills Cloud skill-based training courses.
Of course, these are all perks on top of the solution’s main offerings to employees: the compensation management software and employee benefits administration features. These, alongside the global compliance tools, make it easy for large organizations to support their existing workers and attract new talent.
Features
- HR insights and analytics.
- Flexible compensation options.
- Configurable platform.
- Skills-based recruitment strategy.
- Real-time reporting.
Pros
- Robust data-analysis for reaching insights based on workforce data.
- Compliance dashboard that helps users gain visibility into their tax processes and updates.
- Allows organizations to configure their payroll solution so it meets their unique needs.
Cons
- Provides payroll for only the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and France. Users must rely on integrations and third-party provider support for other global workers.
- No transparent pricing.
- No free trial.
Pricing
Workday doesn’t provide price details for its products online. Shoppers must contact the sales department for pricing information.
For more information, read the full Workday HCM review.
ADP Workforce Now: Best for compliance
Another popular choice for global payroll is the ADP Workforce Now payroll and HR solution. This all-in-one tool helps streamline many operations, including benefits enrollment, talent acquisition, payroll compliance and tax deductions.
ADP Workforce Now provides several advantageous tools for maintaining compliance. It has helpful features for detecting tax filing errors and helps businesses maintain compliance by automatically syncing deductions across their local, state and federal taxes. For benefits administration, the automated system maintains compliance with updated laws and regulations, such as the Affordable Care Act.
Features
- Tax management tools.
- Mobile application.
- Automatic reporting.
- Talent enrollment.
- Employee self-service features.
Pros
- Self-service employee mobile app.
- Custom dashboards for Talent Management.
- HR security features to keep employee data safe.
Cons
- Steep learning curve due to excessive number of features.
- Ambiguous pricing information.
Pricing
ADP Workforce Now can be purchased in four pricing plans:
- Essential.
- Enhanced.
- Complete.
- HR Pro.
Exact pricing information is not available online, and shoppers can reach out to the ADP sales team for precise details.
For more information, read the full ADP Workforce Now review.
Paylocity: Best for employee time tracking
Paylocity supports local and international teams through its cloud-based payroll and HR solution. Its automated features allow employers to compensate their employees, pay taxes and administer benefits, all while maintaining compliance as they manage their dispersed teams.
Paylocity uses automation throughout its payroll solution to take a significant amount of the stress and complexity off employers. Some examples of helpful automated features include automated calculations to reduce reporting errors and expedited reimbursements, thanks to its expense management tools.
Additionally, Paylocity’s time and attendance module provides employers with easy visibility over their employees’ work hours and lets workers clock in and out using their mobile apps.
Features
- Live reporting.
- Geolocation-based clock-ins.
- Direct deposits.
- Time and attendance features.
- Employee self-service features.
- On-demand payments.
Pros
- Supports payroll processes within the U.S. and over 100 international locations.
- Allows employees to receive their pay early through Paylocity’s On-Demand Payment.
- Customizable interface.
- An IRS Registered Reporting Agent, which means users can easily maintain compliance with the latest U.S. tax changes.
Cons
- No pricing transparency online.
- Implementation can be cumbersome.
Pricing
Paylocity uses a quote-based pricing model. Shoppers can fill out a demo and pricing request form online to get in contact with Paylocity for a custom quote.
For more information, read the full Paylocity review.
Oracle PeopleSoft: Best for security
Oracle PeopleSoft is a full suite of applications designed to support organizations with payroll processing, compliance reporting, workforce management and many other business operations. The Oracle Peoplesoft solution is intended for larger organizations’ payroll management. In addition, it has global payroll support built-in through its third-party integration with ADP, making it easy to pay and manage team members abroad.
Of course, managing payroll and HR operations can involve a significant amount of confidential data. With role-based permissions and user security profiles, this scalable security is a critical advantage for organizations. Oracle is a trusted provider that takes its users’ data privacy seriously, with robust data security practices to keep sensitive information from ending up in the wrong hands.
Features
- Workforce management.
- Learning management.
- Financial management.
- Reporting and analytics tools.
- Employee self-service capabilities.
Pros
- Fully unified with Oracle Fusion Cloud Human Capital Management (HCM).
- Robust talent management capabilities.
- Employee self-service portal.
- Payroll processing support for 13 countries, which include the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Mexico and various countries in the Middle East.
Cons
- Significant learning curve.
- Initial deployment can be difficult.
Pricing
- Oracle PeopleSoft provides on-demand pricing. Shoppers can contact PeopleSoft’s sales team to request a quote.
For more information, read the full Oracle PeopleSoft review.
Is UKG worth it?
Like many of its competitors, UKG offers human capital management software that helps organizations pay, support and grow their global teams. As one of the largest HCM platforms, it offers a cloud-based all-in-one solution with features and tools that set it apart from its competitors.
A significant aspect of UKG’s software is its people-centric nature. Businesses can nurture a positive company culture through the UKG Talk platform, a collaboration tool that helps employers form significant connections with their workers. In addition to receiving regular compensation through UKG’s payroll services, bonuses and other employee incentives can motivate them to go above and beyond.
Organizations can also leverage their workforce data to gain valuable insights through the UKG Pro People Analytics feature, which analyzes data from staff members to improve their organizational leadership. The tool also notifies management with proactive alerts for crucial events like budget overruns or compliance issues.
Finally, UKG is designed to address the specific concerns of businesses through its configurable design. Reports generated by the system can be tailored to provide deeper insights into an organization’s workforce trends. Software setup is customized to ensure the final product has all of the appropriate payroll, HR and management tools to address the needs of a buyer’s unique workforce.
UKG pros and cons
UKG’s software can be the answer to many of the problems that accompany organizational payroll processing. However, like any solution, it has drawbacks that may impact its suitability for some businesses.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
|
|
UKG pricing
UKG Pro doesn’t share pricing information on its website. Shoppers can reach out to the UKG sales team for more information on its customized pricing quotes.
Do you need an alternative to UKG?
UKG can be an excellent payroll software provider for some organizations but can fall short in satisfying the needs of others. If you are unsure whether you require an alternative solution to UKG, you should take the time to analyze your organization’s requirements and how an ideal payroll product would be able to address them.
One factor that can significantly impact the suitability of your payroll and HR tool is the size of your organization. While larger enterprises with more complex payroll requirements may require a feature-rich tool like UKG, ADP Workforce Now or Workday HCM, smaller businesses may benefit more by employing a more straightforward, user-friendly product.
The location of your team can also impact your payroll software requirements. To avoid potential compliance issues with labor laws and tax regulations, businesses must ensure that their payroll provider offers support for each location where their workers reside. Furthermore, UKG’s global payroll integration can support processing and compliance in over 100 countries. Still, other providers like Ceridian Dayforce offer support for teams in even more locations, making UKG a more limited choice in comparison.
Finally, your business may find that a highly customized payroll solution more easily aligns with your payroll needs. UKG’s payroll software can be configured in many ways, which is a great perk of this software. Still, companies should always look at the customization options available for their software to ensure they select a tool that can appropriately integrate with their payroll and workforce management operations.
Methodology
This is a technical review using compiled literature researched from relevant databases. The information provided in this article is gathered from vendor websites or based on an aggregate of user feedback to ensure a high-quality review.
Other payroll solutions
1
QuickBooks
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QuickBooks from Intuit is a small business accounting software that allows companies to manage business anywhere, anytime. It presents organizations with a clear view of their profits without manual work and provides smart and user-friendly tools for the business.
Learn more about QuickBooks
2
Justworks
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Justworks Payroll is a lightweight solution that simplifies Payroll and HR operations so you can focus on what matters most – running your business. Our user-friendly navigation, paired with reliable support, helps you monitor and maintain compliance, onboard and manage your teams, and navigate the complex world of payroll with confidence.
Designed for today’s needs and tomorrow’s ambitions, our adaptable solutions will elevate your operations & provide the tools for your business to thrive.
Learn more about Justworks
3
Paycor
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Payroll can be a time-consuming, administrative task for HR teams. Paycor’s solution is an easy-to-use yet powerful tool that gives you time back in your day. Quickly and easily pay employees from wherever you are and never worry about tax compliance again. Key features like general ledger integration, earned wage access, AutoRun, employee self-service and detailed reporting simplify the process and help ensure you pay employees accurately and on time.
Learn more about Paycor
4
OnPay
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Payroll and HR that move you in the right direction. We give you everything you need to navigate payroll, HR, and benefits — so you can keep running your business smoothly.
Get your first month free, or join a demo to see everything we can do!
Learn more about OnPay
5
Paychex
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Paychex is a cloud-based payroll management system offering payroll, HR, and benefits management systems for small to large businesses. Paychex covers payroll and taxes, employee 401(k) retirement services, benefits, insurance, HR, accounting, finance and Professional Employer Organization (PEO).
Learn more about Paychex
This post originally appeared on TechToday.