Dayforce HCM vs UKG comparison

Read 125 UKG reviews

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89% willing to recommend

Dayforce HCM

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

UKG and Dayforce HCM are leading HCM solutions competing in the same category, both with strengths and weaknesses observed in their feature sets and user reviews. UKG seems to have an upper hand in some areas due to its seamless integration and configurability, while Dayforce HCM is praised for its real-time payroll and time-tracking accuracy.

Features: UKG is recognized for its strong data integration, ease of use in payroll and benefits administration, and efficient self-service modules, with a notable compensation management module that minimizes manual tasks. Dayforce HCM stands out with its sophisticated time and attendance systems and the comprehensive integration of HRIS and payroll processes. It provides a unified view of employee data, from application through performance reviews.

Room for Improvement: UKG needs to address issues with support consistency and integration complexities with acquired products. Enhancing real-time assistance and overall functionality integration could also be beneficial. Dayforce HCM users suggest simplifying reporting and improving customer service communication to better align modules and streamline implementation processes.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: UKG supports deployment across private, public, and hybrid clouds, though customer service experiences vary, with reports of inconsistent support responsiveness. Dayforce HCM's on-premises and public cloud deployment options offer substantial customization but also face critiques for complex setup processes. Both providers offer strong technical support, though users experience occasional delays in problem-solving.

Pricing and ROI: UKG is perceived as having higher pricing, yet many users find value in its comprehensive features and bundled discounts, ideal for organizations with significant needs. Dayforce HCM has competitive pricing suitable for large enterprises, albeit with higher costs than some users initially expect. ROI tends to be realized gradually through improved operational efficiencies.

To learn more, read our detailed Dayforce HCM vs. UKG Report (Updated: September 2026).

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Dayforce HCM vs. UKG

September 2026

Helped 913,924 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Dayforce HCM

Ranking in Talent Management

16th

Ranking in Cloud HCM

10th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Talent Intelligence (2nd)

UKG

Ranking in Talent Management

6th

Ranking in Cloud HCM

6th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

125

Ranking in other categories

Benefits Administration (4th), Employee Scheduling Software (1st), Employee Time Tracking Software (2nd), HR Analytics Software (2nd), Talent Acquisition (6th), AI-Agents for HR (5th)

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2026, in the Cloud HCM category, the mindshare of Dayforce HCM is 2.4%, down from 3.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of UKG is 4.6%, down from 5.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Cloud HCM Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
UKG	4.6%
Dayforce HCM	2.4%
Other	93.0%

Cloud HCM

Featured Reviews

Thomas Noorkah

Director of Enterprise Financial Systems at City of Columbus

Greatly improved our efficiency with its integrated time and attendance module

Dayforce has given us near to real-time access to time sheets and clockings since it has an integrated time and attendance module. Within six minutes of someone clocking in, we can see them on the timesheets. Dayforce has enabled us to smooth out our payroll system so not everything is happening at the end of the payroll cycle. We can see the impacts during the week and make it a lot more manageable. It's also been helpful for benefits administration with employees being able to file life and work events online. They can access their pay stubs, request leave, change their address, update their direct deposit details, and other things. We've become much more efficient, and much less paper driven.

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Harish_Mahanta

Works

Streamlined time tracking boosts operational efficiency across multiple regions

The time tracking feature is the most effective for employee management. UKG is used in Europe, the United States, Australia, and East Asian countries for HR activities like payroll. The application is like an ERP, providing comprehensive features for organizations, simplifying their processes, and reducing the need to use multiple software solutions.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"Great time and attendance payroll and benefits administration which has improved our efficiency."

"The time capture from time cards to charging to projects has greatly improved because it is now all automated and flows into the GL very easily."

"We have been able to automate many of our manual processes."

"It has created efficiencies in HR and Payroll by eliminating double entry into two systems, implementing a time clock feature for hourly employees, and by having a downloadable general ledger (G/L) constructing journal entering for payroll."

"The implementation was through a team assigned to us by Ceridian. They were extremely knowledgeable and it made the implementation go very smoothly."

"We needed a comprehensive HR software solution, and we found it with Ceridian Dayforce."

"We like being able to hire from the Dayforce recruiting module straight into Dayforce and having the file feeds go to our benefits vendor."

"Ceridian Dayforce HCM is a stable product."

More Dayforce HCM pros

"This product continues to grow and improve, which you don't see happen often with HCM companies, and they also listen to their customers."

"The product's most valuable feature is the ability to establish connectivity between the front and the back end, particularly the single point of data entry, to minimize mistakes."

"UTM has improved our productivity in having our timesheets produced in a timely manner, in order to process payroll earlier than we had with previous payroll product."

"Employees can go and look, and change their information."

"Ultimate Software makes a great product, and it is always changing for the better!"

"The entire product has been completely wonderful to work with."

"We are very pleased with the Ultimate partnership!"

"Ability to have multiple HR processes within a single package."

More UKG pros

Cons

"The solution's initial setup was difficult. Also, the solution's initial deployment took around six months."

"I would like to continue to see improvements in the Recruiting module. I would like to see this module interact with Calendars, such as Outlook, etc."

"The solution's dashboards and geofencing could be improved."

"I would also like to see some improvement in standard reports. A standard report should be available to pull the required information for Affirmative Action Plans. I do not think I should have to build or create one."

"Customizing the home screen was difficult; I could not remove certain tabs that were irrelevant to our users."

"I would like to see more built-in forms, like government issued forms (T2200). This would save a lot of time during the year-end process."

"Dayforce has its gaps like every HR system, but nothing comes to mind at the moment."

"Our current software program offers a home page with important company documents and a place for company announcements. Unfortunately, Ceridian Dayfoce does not offer this."

More Dayforce HCM cons

"The solution could use better reporting with standard reports."

"Recruiting and interfacing the information to payroll are areas with room for improvement."

"Customer service is 5/10, not the best. It is hit and miss; also have had to change AMs to get better response."

"Post implementation team - Not going well."

"Export of time takes too much time; would like to be able to push through some changes once we open payroll; would like to "undo" an import after submit and calc without having to start over from the start; benefits feeds; negative deduction refunds without earnings and improved communication from Ulti to tax filing."

"From an implementation standpoint (not at my current organization), taking the time to truly listen and understand unique complexities that might be outside standard capabilities of the system."

"Some reports are not accurate."

"I would like the capability to use UKG as a single platform without the need to alternate between systems."

More UKG cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We found the setup costs and pricing to be very reasonable."

"In terms of pricing, the product is expensive. However, it is crucial to take into account the manner in which the solution will be utilized and the availability of other alternatives."

"Ceridian continually enhances Dayforce HCM. Some of these enhancements they charge for and some are just straight enhancements with no extra charge."

"Earlier, the price of the product was reasonable. Under present circumstances, the price or cost of the product has been increased."

"We paid for the implementation costs in the first year with the money that we saved by switching to Dayforce HCM."

"Negotiate for everything you want."

"I rate the solution's pricing a seven on a scale where one is the lowest and ten is the most expensive."

"The XOXO program associated with Dayforce allows you to earn credits towards registration and accommodations at their annual Insight Conferences, which can be a real savings to the company when sending employees to the conference."

"The pricing depends on the number of licenses we buy."

"UKG's pricing and licensing model involves ongoing expenses based on the number of employees paid. The initial implementation cost is low when UKG implements it directly. However, when partners handle the implementation, it becomes more expensive since partners don't receive the monthly recurring fees."

"The platform is not affordable but also not the most expensive."

"While I am unsure of the licensing cost itself, the total cost of implementation and licensing for a company with over 5000 employees would be around 6,00,000. So, there are additional costs beyond licensing."

"If you're going for the full suite, it can be fairly pricey."

"I wasn't involved in the pricing part. I'm a user, and I believe it is based on the user count. One thing that is nice about Ultimate is that you can learn how to use the system without additional fees. The learning aspect is the life of a product, and the training was a huge reason why we went with Ultimate. We did have some integration costs. They were a part of the implementation because of the integrations to other systems that we included in our implementation."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

12%

Comms Service Provider

12%

Construction Company

Financial Services Firm

Construction Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Outsourcing Company

12%

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	7
Midsize Enterprise	5
Large Enterprise	5

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	48
Midsize Enterprise	43
Large Enterprise	48

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Ceridian Dayforce HCM?

Customizing the home screen was difficult; I could not remove certain tabs that were irrelevant to our users. The search functionality is poor as there's no way for administrators to tag keywords t...

What is your primary use case for Ceridian Dayforce HCM?

We have used Dayforce HCM for our HR functionalities and for the learning module over the last five years. We actually just migrated to a new learning management system.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Ceridian Dayforce HCM?

The Learning Module add-on to Dayforce HCM was relatively inexpensive per user compared to other LMS’s.

What needs improvement with UKG?

UKG needs more publicity. It is a productive ERP ( /categories/erp ) application, but many people in the IT market are not aware of it. Greater awareness could increase its adoption.

What is your primary use case for UKG?

I worked for a healthcare organization and a university. Most organizations use UKG ( /products/ukg-reviews ) to track employee timesheets, capturing accurate swipe-in and swipe-out data. UKG ( /pr...

What advice do you have for others considering UKG?

Publicity is very important for any software. If people aren't aware of UKG, despite its productivity, they won't use it. Expanding the awareness is essential for greater adoption. Overall, I would...

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Product Reports

Download Dayforce HCM product report

Dayforce HCM

September 2026

Download UKG product report

August 2026

Also Known As

Ceridian Dayforce HCM, Ascender Talent Management, Ceridian Ideal

UKG Pro, UKG Dimensons, UKG Ready

Overview

Dayforce HCM offers an integrated platform that combines timekeeping, payroll, and benefits management, enhancing HR operations with mobile access and transparent pay details across North America.

Dayforce HCM delivers comprehensive HR, payroll, and talent management tools within a cloud-based solution. It simplifies ACA, FMLA, and COBRA compliance while providing mobile and web access to payroll information. Its reporting capabilities are robust, and it features intuitive content management. The platform enhances efficiency with integrated time and attendance management, meeting payroll needs across Canada and the US. However, areas for improvement include retro pay calculations, user-friendliness, reporting, and customer service. Users also highlight the need for advancements in the Recruiting module, calendar integration, custom forms, and addressing import glitches and additional feature costs.

What are the key features?

Integrated Timekeeping: Streamlines payroll by eliminating manual entries.
Benefits Module: Simplifies management of ACA, FMLA, and COBRA.
Mobile and Web Access: Provides transparency in pay details.
Time and Attendance Integration: Boosts administrative efficiency.
Comprehensive Suite: Reduces reliance on multiple software for HR, payroll, and talent management.

Which benefits and ROI should users consider?

Streamlined Payroll: Efficient for companies operating in Canada and the US.
Robust Reporting: Enhances decision-making with comprehensive data analytics.
Intuitive Content Management: Simplifies HR management processes.

Organizations use Dayforce HCM for managing payroll, benefits administration, recruiting, and performance management, integrating HR functionalities on a cloud platform. Industries appreciate its ability to manage HR tasks efficiently, providing analytics and mobile features essential for handling HR processes and reporting.

Dayforce

UKG offers a comprehensive suite for payroll processing, HR management, and business intelligence, integrating seamlessly with systems like PeopleSoft and Workday. Its cloud-based service enhances workforce management across industries with advanced customization and intuitive use.

UKG's extensive features include payroll processing, business intelligence reporting, and self-service options for employees and managers. The platform is designed for ease of integration, providing a user-friendly experience with extensive onboarding tools and robust data management. While UKG excels in configuration and reporting capabilities, it requires improvements in customer support and benefits administration flexibility. Implementation can be complex, and areas such as real-time support and automated processes need refinement.

What are UKG's most valued features?

Payroll Processing: Streamlined for accurate and efficient transactions.
Business Intelligence Reporting: Offers insightful data analytics to inform decision-making.
Employee and Manager Self-service: Empowers users with access to essential tools and information.
Benefits Administration: Manages employee benefits with ease.
Data Integration: Ensures seamless interaction with other systems, enhancing performance.

What benefits should users consider in reviews?

Improved Employee Satisfaction: Cloud-based updates foster an engaging environment.
Streamlined HR Activities: Integrates with existing systems to enhance operation efficiency.
Ease of Use: Users appreciate its intuitive design and customization options.

UKG is leveraged across multiple industries for its robust functionalities in payroll and HR management, supporting recruitment, onboarding, and workforce dynamics. The platform's integration with time management and learning modules supports comprehensive employee management and compliance across global deployments.

Sample Customers

ACCO Brands

Tesla, Marriott, Yamaha, Aramark, Feeding America, Samsung, Sony Music, Dave & Buster's, Revlon