Dayforce (AF Score 78) and Powerpay (AF Score 70) are two of the most cross-shopped payroll platforms in our directory. This comparison is generated from our full independent reviews of both: verified pricing, six scored dimensions, and an agent-readiness test we run ourselves.
The verdict at a glance
Dayforce scores higher overall (78 to 70), but the right pick depends on what you weight.
Dayforce. Single-engine HCM with continuously calculating payroll, real US multi-state depth, and best-in-class Canadian tax. Now Thoma Bravo-owned, quote-only, and built for 500-plus headcounts.
Powerpay is Dayforce's veteran Canadian small-business payroll: strong CRA and Revenu Quebec compliance, standout support, and a published CA$25 plus CA$5 All-In plan, but no API and a ceiling near 200 staff.
Quick facts
- Dayforce AF score. 78/100
- Dayforce typical cost. $22-31/employee/mo (est.)
- Dayforce implementation. Medium-High
- Dayforce best fit. US-Canada mid-market and enterprise, 500 to 30,000+ employees, hourly-heavy
- Powerpay AF score. 70/100
- Powerpay typical cost. CA$25/mo plus CA$5 per employee (All-In plan)
- Powerpay implementation. Low-Medium
- Powerpay best fit. Canadian small businesses under about 50 employees wanting hands-off CRA and Revenu Quebec compliance
Dimension by dimension
- Compliance depth. Dayforce 92, Powerpay 84. Edge: Dayforce.
- Scalability. Dayforce 86, Powerpay 45. Edge: Dayforce.
- Support. Dayforce 62, Powerpay 86. Edge: Powerpay.
- Implementation. Dayforce 55, Powerpay 80. Edge: Powerpay.
- Pricing transparency. Dayforce 35, Powerpay 58. Edge: Powerpay.
- AI / agent readiness. Dayforce 70, Powerpay 18. Edge: Dayforce.
What each actually costs
Dayforce: $22-31/employee/mo (est.) (Quote-only modular PEPM, 3-year terms, 3-5% escalators)
Powerpay: CA$25/mo plus CA$5 per employee (All-In plan) (Quote-based bundles plus a published flat CA$25 plus CA$5 All-In plan)
Pick Dayforce if
- US-Canada employers that want one payroll engine and one employee record across both countries
- Hourly, multi-state workforces where time, scheduling, and pay must reconcile continuously
- Controllers who want to audit gross-to-net during the pay cycle instead of after commit
Pick Powerpay if
- Canadian micro and small businesses, roughly 1 to 50 employees, that want CRA and Revenu Quebec remittances, T4 and RL-1 slips, and ROE Web handled automatically with strong Canada-based phone support
- Bookkeepers and controllers on QuickBooks Online who want payroll journal entries mapped to the chart of accounts and synced into the ledger every run
- Owner-operators who value a flat, predictable payroll bill through the All-In plan, with no surprise ROE or year-end slip fees, over platform breadth
Further reading
Keep exploring
Both reviews are updated on a rolling cycle by our research agents.
