When HR and Total Rewards leaders evaluate compensation management software, Workday Advanced Compensation is often the first option they consider. It's Workday's add-on module for handling merit cycles, bonuses, and pay programs within the broader Workday HCM suite.

But compensation cycles aren't just another HR workflow. They're high-stakes, time-sensitive processes that demand flexibility and speed. That's where Aeqium comes in: a specialized platform built for compensation management that integrates with Workday but avoids the rigidity and overhead of the add-on module.

So how do the two compare? Let's take a closer look.

Ease of Use and Configuration

Workday Advanced Compensation: While it integrates directly with Workday HCM, the learning curve is steep. Teams often rely on consultants or spend significant time in training programs before they feel confident making changes. One user in the Workday subreddit put it bluntly:

"I have searched [the] WD community and have not been able to locate anything so I thought I would ask before I create my own." (Reddit user, r/Workday)

Even finding usable training resources can be a challenge, underscoring the reliance on specialists.

Aeqium: By contrast, Aeqium was designed for HR ownership. Configurations don't require technical expertise or outside support. With AI-powered setup, HR teams can enter rules in plain English and apply them instantly.

Takeaway: Workday requires specialist knowledge and training. Aeqium removes the learning curve.

Flexibility in Cycle Management

Workday Advanced Compensation: Experienced practitioners often describe cycle management as highly technical, with a need for persona testing, custom reporting, and workarounds. As one Reddit user explained:

"My best tips for handling merit, bonus, stock is ensuring that everyone is assigned the correct plans ahead of time, accurate data is key. Bonus we have the most 'issues' with because of our use of eligible earnings which seems to limit some of our opportunities to have accurate bonus calculations. We have created workarounds." (Reddit user, r/Workday)

This shows how even seasoned teams rely on manual fixes to keep cycles moving.

Aeqium: IFS, a global enterprise, highlighted the opposite experience when switching to Aeqium. As Sally Knill, Global Head of Reward at IFS, explained:

"We were at breaking point running the global process on spreadsheets. We now have a tool that is very well suited to IFS because we need the flexibility that Aeqium provides. We can make changes very quickly to the configuration ourselves rather than have to raise a ticket and wait for another company to do it for us."

Takeaway: Workday can be rigid, while Aeqium offers flexibility HR leaders can control directly.

Compensation Cycle Reliability

Workday Advanced Compensation: Even well-tested cycles sometimes require mid-process resets. One Workday Community user shared a stressful experience:

"There was a great post on Community where someone had to cancel mid-cycle, make a configuration change, relaunch and make sure planning was restored to what it was immediately prior to cancellation. This person documented step by step how this was done. I kept a link to this in my documentation but never expected I would personally need it. Until I did, TWICE. It wasn't due to poor configuration or testing or anything we could have foreseen. Going through it was nerve wracking and I was SO thankful that I had a blueprint on how to do this. Expect the unexpected and know how to recover." (Workday Community user)

This highlights how fragile cycles can feel in Workday, where recovery requires deep documentation and nerves of steel.

Aeqium: By design, Aeqium allows HR leaders to make adjustments directly, even mid-cycle, without restarting or escalating to consultants. As Sally Knill at IFS described:

"We brought the whole process down to a month and it had taken nearly double that originally… And the ease of pulling the data out was just amazing… Didn't even have to run pivot tables on it because the report was there… What would have taken me a day to produce for the final sign off took me about half an hour."

✅ Takeaway: Workday cycles can be nerve wracking to restart. Aeqium enables confidence and speed throughout the process.

AI and Automation

Workday Advanced Compensation: Provides dashboards and analytics through Workday's reporting layer. Helpful for insights, but changes still require specialist intervention.

Aeqium: Extends AI into action. Aeqium Assist converts business rules into live configurations instantly, while the AI Analyst and Calibration Tool guide real-time decision-making on equity, budgets, and approvals.

Takeaway: Workday explains. Aeqium executes.

Ecosystem and Integrations

Workday Advanced Compensation: Ideal for companies fully invested in Workday HCM, where integration across payroll, benefits, and performance is a priority.

Aeqium: Functions as a best-in-class compensation layer that integrates with Workday, ADP, SAP, and others. Organizations can keep Workday as their system of record while running cycles in Aeqium.

Takeaway: Workday is the natural choice if you want everything in one system. Aeqium is the flexible choice if you need specialization without replacing your HRIS.

Workday Advanced Compensation vs Aeqium: At a Glance

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Conclusion

Both Workday Advanced Compensation and Aeqium help organizations streamline pay processes, but they take different paths:

Workday delivers breadth and integration across the HR ecosystem, but can feel complex, rigid, and stressful to manage without specialists.

Aeqium delivers depth and agility, giving HR teams direct control, faster cycles, and AI-driven tools to simplify complexity.

For organizations fully invested in Workday HCM, the Advanced Compensation module may feel like the natural extension. But for enterprises where speed, flexibility, and confidence are top priorities, Aeqium offers a specialized alternative that integrates seamlessly with Workday.

Instead of adapting your process to fit the module, Aeqium adapts to you.