Understanding Ceridian’s Pricing: What to Expect

Ceridian Dayforce

Note: In 2024, Ceridian changed their name to Dayforce and will operate under that brand going forward.

How Much Does Ceridian Dayforce Cost?

Ceridian Dayforce charges companies on an quarterly or annual subscription basis. Ceridian Dayforce is often priced towards the higher end of their segment, but isn't the most premium priced choice. Ceridian's software fees can cost between $22-31 PEPM for customers of their platform.

In addition to the software fees, implementing Ceridian Dayforce will require a one-time implementation fee. Ceridian Dayforce, or occasionally, their implementation partners, will charge ~50-60% of the annual software fees for their implementation fees (i.e., $50-60K implementation fee on a $100K annual purchase).

Administering Ceridian Dayforce does not require having a dedicated HRIS manager, but it does tend to work better when there are a few HR team members who can contribute to building and maintaining the system.

What Modules Are Included with Ceridian Dayforce?

• Payroll
• Benefits Admin
• HR / Employee Files
• Time & Attendance
• Onboarding
• Recruiting / ATS
• Performance
• Comp & Succession
• Engagement
• Learning

Ceridian Dayforce offers every module from hire-to-retire and has a very strong focus on Payroll, Time & Attendance and Workforce Management. Companies that have complex hourly workforces find quite a bit of value in these tools.

Who is Ceridian?

Ceridian Dayforce has long been in the payroll industry as one of the largest payroll bureaus in the country (outside of ADP). However, in 2011, Ceridian acquired an upstart technology company called, Dayforce, and shifted their focus from payroll to HCM more broadly. The CEO of Dayforce became the CEO of Ceridian in this transaction and Ceridian put the full weight of their focus behind the Dayforce product.

See How Dayforce Stacks Up: Interested in how Dayforce compares to the competition on cost, features, and more? Visit the HRIS Marketplace for a side-by-side comparison.

Many organizations use vendor shortlisting support to compare mid-enterprise HRIS vendors based on payroll capabilities, implementation complexity, and workforce management functionality.

What Sized Companies Fit Ceridian Dayforce Best?

Ceridian Dayforce is considered a Mid-Enterprise HRIS, which means the system works best for companies with between 350 and 5,000 employees. Mid-Enterprise solutions are designed to be all-in-one HRIS's for companies with a moderate-to-high degree of complexity.

Using a structured requirements builder can help businesses prioritize payroll, workforce management, reporting, and compliance needs before selecting an HRIS platform.

Mid-Enterprise solutions typically take about 4-5 months to implement and only occasionally require external consultants to successfully implement and manage the solutions. Mid-Enterprise solutions have more custom workflow tools and rules engines to support a business's growing complexity.

Need expert help with your HR implementation? Explore our HR Service Partner Finder to connect with the best HR consultants in the industry.

Organizations evaluating alternative platforms can also browse OutSail’s software vendor directory to compare leading HRIS and payroll providers across different company sizes and industries.

Ceridian Dayforce Pros and Cons

Strengths of Ceridian Dayforce

• Dayforce’s Core HR technology (payroll, benefits, time & attendance and tax) is as robust and integrated as any company in the market
• Dayforce is an integrated, single database solution, which drastically reduces manual re-entry and errors while improving the ability to create holistic reports
• This has allowed Dayforce to develop an industry leading Daily Pay tool, called Dayforce Wallet, which has improved recruiting & retention for hourly workers
• For international companies, Dayforce has one of the strongest global payroll offerings
• They can natively process payroll in 15 countries all within their single system, while using a network of partners elsewhere who also process in their system
• While Dayforce is often purchased as an all-in-one suite, their strong product architecture makes integrating with 3rd parties easier 
• While Dayforce’s Core HR capabilities are their calling card, their compensation, succession planning and recruiting functionality offers ‘good enough’ capabilities for many customers

Concerns with Ceridian Dayforce

• While Dayforce is actively investing in modernizing their user interface, parts of the system are still lacking excitement and can feel a generation behind
• Companies that don’t have complex time/tax/payroll needs, such as primarily white collar workforces, find that Dayforce’s strengths can be more robust than needed
• Dayforce’s implementations have been known to be a bit rigid which can cause companies to have to adjust their processes to fit the technology
• When companies aren’t able to make configurations to the platform on their own, Dayforce can charge a significant amount for professional services fees to make those changes on the client’s behalf

Businesses researching the platform in greater depth may also benefit from reviewing Ceridian reviews to compare customer experiences, pricing expectations, and implementation considerations.

FAQs

1. How much does Ceridian Dayforce cost?

Ceridian Dayforce typically charges on a quarterly or annual subscription basis, with software fees ranging between $22 and 31 per employee per month (PEPM). Additionally, there may be a one-time implementation fee, which is usually around 50-60% of the annual software fees.

2. What types of companies are best suited for Ceridian Dayforce?

Ceridian Dayforce is considered ideal for mid-enterprise companies with between 350 and 5,000 employees. It offers robust HRIS solutions covering payroll, benefits administration, time and attendance, and more, making it suitable for companies with moderate-to-high complexity in their HR processes.

3. What modules are included with Ceridian Dayforce?

Ceridian Dayforce offers a comprehensive suite of HR modules, including Payroll, Benefits Administration, HR/Employee Files, Time & Attendance, Onboarding, Recruiting/Applicant Tracking System, Performance Management, Compensation & Succession, Engagement, and Learning. These modules cover the entire employee lifecycle and provide a wide range of HR functionalities.

4. What are the strengths and weaknesses of Ceridian Dayforce?

Ceridian Dayforce's strengths include its robust Core HR technology, integrated single-database solution, strong global payroll offerings, and ease of integration with third-party systems. However, potential weaknesses may include aspects of the user interface feeling outdated, rigidity in implementations, and additional costs for professional services fees for custom configurations.

5. How can OutSail help with selecting an HRIS, including Ceridian Dayforce?

OutSail offers free support to expedite the HRIS selection process, including assistance in identifying software needs, comparing vendors like Ceridian Dayforce, and navigating the purchasing and implementation process.