# Workday HCM alternatives: what AI models name instead, September 2026

HR AI Recommendation Index, September 2026 Edition. 322 of the 432 answers in the 2 categories where Workday HCM holds a standing named it neither first nor as an alternative; these are the first choices those answers made. Page: https://hr-ai-index.com/vendors/workday-hcm/alternatives/

## Named instead, most often (every category and segment added)

- Gusto: 88
- Rippling: 26
- BambooHR: 22
- Zoho People: 16
- Employee Navigator: 14
- PlanSource: 13

## HRIS and HCM platforms

**Small business**: 72 of 72 answers did not name Workday HCM (Workday HCM is #10 of 10 at 0%).

- Gusto: first choice in 33 of those 72
- BambooHR: first choice in 19 of those 72
- Zoho People: first choice in 7 of those 72
- Rippling: first choice in 2 of those 72
- TalentHR: first choice in 1 of those 72

**Mid-market**: 59 of 72 answers did not name Workday HCM (Workday HCM is #10 of 12 at 2%).

- Zoho People: first choice in 9 of those 59
- Rippling: first choice in 8 of those 59
- HiBob: first choice in 6 of those 59
- ADP Workforce Now: first choice in 5 of those 59
- BambooHR: first choice in 3 of those 59
- Deel: first choice in 2 of those 59
- Gusto: first choice in 1 of those 59
- Paycor: first choice in 1 of those 59

**Enterprise**: 24 of 72 answers did not name Workday HCM (Workday HCM is #1 of 10 at 70%).

- Dayforce: first choice in 1 of those 24
- Oracle Fusion Cloud HCM: first choice in 1 of those 24
- SAP SuccessFactors: first choice in 1 of those 24

## Benefits administration

**Small business**: 72 of 72 answers did not name Workday HCM.

- Gusto: first choice in 45 of those 72
- Ease: first choice in 5 of those 72
- Employee Navigator: first choice in 5 of those 72
- Rippling: first choice in 4 of those 72
- TriNet Zenefits: first choice in 3 of those 72
- OnPay: first choice in 1 of those 72

**Mid-market**: 64 of 72 answers did not name Workday HCM (Workday HCM is #14 of 14 at 0%).

- PlanSource: first choice in 11 of those 64
- Rippling: first choice in 10 of those 64
- Employee Navigator: first choice in 9 of those 64
- Gusto: first choice in 9 of those 64
- Ease: first choice in 2 of those 64
- ADP: first choice in 1 of those 64
- ADP Workforce Now: first choice in 1 of those 64
- Benefitfocus: first choice in 1 of those 64

**Enterprise**: 31 of 72 answers did not name Workday HCM (Workday HCM is #1 of 15 at 29%).

- bswift: first choice in 5 of those 31
- ADP Workforce Now: first choice in 2 of those 31
- Alight Solutions: first choice in 2 of those 31
- Businessolver: first choice in 2 of those 31
- PlanSource: first choice in 2 of those 31
- Rippling: first choice in 2 of those 31
- Benefitfocus: first choice in 1 of those 31
- Collective Health: first choice in 1 of those 31

Published under CC BY 4.0. The output is the models' output; nothing here is a recommendation by the index.