Workday vs SAP SuccessFactors

by Gralio Feb 03, 2025

Workday and SAP SuccessFactors are both cloud-based solutions, but Workday offers a broader range of functionalities while SuccessFactors specializes in HR. Workday is better for larger enterprises needing a unified platform, whereas SuccessFactors is more suitable for businesses focused on optimizing their HR processes.

At Gralio.ai we help to simplify your decision-making process by offering detailed, side-by-side software comparisons like this one, to help you confidently choose the tool that aligns with your business goals.

This comparison was created by analysing 1127 reviews and 57 websites, saving 6 hours, 44 minutes of reading.

Workday

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SAP SuccessFactors

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About

Workday is a cloud-based software suite that helps businesses manage their finances and people. It offers a range of applications, including tools for financial management, human capital management, payroll, and planning. Workday is designed to give businesses a single, real-time view of their operations, enabling them to make better decisions, improve efficiency, and adapt to change. Workday is used by companies of all sizes across a variety of industries, but is particularly popular with larger enterprises.

SAP SuccessFactors is a cloud-based human resources (HR) software suite designed to manage various aspects of the employee lifecycle. It offers tools for recruitment, onboarding, payroll, performance management, learning & development, and more. Focusing on aligning HR processes with business goals, SuccessFactors aims to improve employee engagement, increase productivity, and provide data-driven insights for better decision-making in organizations of all sizes. Its user-friendly interface and comprehensive features make it a popular choice for businesses looking to streamline their HR operations and enhance the overall employee experience.

Summary

Main difference

Workday is a comprehensive suite encompassing HR, finance, and planning, making it ideal for larger enterprises needing a unified platform. SAP SuccessFactors focuses primarily on HR functions, catering to businesses of all sizes that prioritize streamlining their HR processes and enhancing employee experience.

Relative strengths of Workday (compared to SAP SuccessFactors)

Unified platform for HR, finance, and planning offers a holistic view of the business.
Robust reporting and analytics capabilities provide data-driven insights.
Internal talent marketplace fosters career growth and development.

Relative weaknesses of Workday (compared to SAP SuccessFactors)

Can be expensive and complex to customize.
Navigation and information retrieval can be challenging.
User interface may feel outdated in certain areas.

Who should use Workday VS. SAP SuccessFactors

Workday is a comprehensive cloud-based finance and HR suite best suited for medium to large enterprises. Users praise its unified platform, reporting capabilities, and user-friendly interface for daily tasks. However, some find it expensive, complex to customize, and difficult to navigate. It's particularly well-suited for industries like finance, healthcare, and retail.

SAP SuccessFactors is a comprehensive, cloud-based HR software suite ideal for large enterprises seeking to streamline their HR processes. It offers a wide range of tools, from recruitment and onboarding to performance management and learning & development. While users appreciate its comprehensive features and user-friendly interface, some have noted occasional bugs and a slightly outdated UI. Despite these drawbacks, many praise its mobile app and ability to centralize HR tasks.

Best fit for medium and large enterprises.
Ideal for Finance, Healthcare, Retail, Media, Software, Non-profit, and Marketing.

Best fit for large enterprises and global companies.
Suitable for various industries, including Healthcare, Finance, Retail, and Technology.

Workday and SAP SuccessFactors features

Supported

Partially supported

Not supported

Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need

Unified Spend Management

Supported

Workday offers unified spend management, integrating financials, procurement, and expenses.

Partially supported

SuccessFactors integrates with other SAP products for spend management but does not natively support it.
Workforce and Financial Analytics

Supported

Workday offers robust workforce and financial analytics for data-driven decisions.

Partially supported

SuccessFactors offers workforce analytics with its WFA module, but financial analytics may require additional tools.
Internal Talent Marketplace

Supported

Workday offers a talent marketplace that connects employees with internal opportunities.

Supported

SAP SuccessFactors supports an internal talent marketplace through its Opportunity Marketplace.
Pre-built templates

Supported

Workday offers pre-defined workflow templates for common automation tasks within its Business Process Framework. This framework includes over 850 preconfigured processes for HR, finance, payroll, and more. Users can adapt and modify these templates without IT intervention.

Supported

SAP SuccessFactors supports pre-defined workflow templates for common automation tasks, available for download from the SuccessStore. These templates, designed for tasks like performance reviews and goal management, can be added via the Admin Center and customized as needed.
HRIS integration

Supported

Workday fully supports HRIS integration, acting both as an HRIS system itself and seamlessly integrating with other HR systems through its robust API framework, secure integration cloud, and flexible management tools.

Supported

SAP SuccessFactors integrates seamlessly with HRIS systems, either SAP HRIS or Employee Central (EC). This integration ensures data integrity, process compliance, and enhanced HR functionalities across various modules and external systems.
Resource management

Supported

Workday supports resource management with features for allocation, leveling, and tracking of project resources. It offers tools for staffing, resource capacity and utilization tracking, and integrates with other modules like finance and HCM.

Not supported

SAP SuccessFactors is primarily an HR management system, focused on areas like talent management and workforce analytics, rather than dedicated project resource management.

Qualities

Value and Pricing Transparency

-0.6

Rather negative sentiment

-1

Strongly negative sentiment
Customer Service

+0.4

Rather positive sentiment

+1

Strongly positive sentiment
Ease of Use

+0.62

Rather positive sentiment

+0.52

Rather positive sentiment
Reliability and Performance

-0.16

Neutral sentiment

-0.09

Neutral sentiment
Ease of Implementation

-0.27

Neutral sentiment

-0.8

Strongly negative sentiment
Scalability

+1

Strongly positive sentiment

+0.2

Neutral sentiment

Workday and SAP SuccessFactors Pricing

No data

User sentiment

Rather negative

-0.6

We couldn't find a pricing page for Workday.

No data

User sentiment

Strongly negative

-1

See full Pricing page

Workday and SAP SuccessFactors review insights

1127 reviews analysed from

Users love

Comprehensive and integrates many HR functions into one platform.
User-friendly interface for most daily tasks.
Robust reporting and analytics capabilities.
Cloud-based and accessible from anywhere.

Easy to use, and great support for individual growth.
Comprehensive HR software suite with tools for recruitment, onboarding, payroll, performance management, learning & development, and more.
User-friendly interface
Brings all HR tasks together in one easy-to-use system.
Mobile app is great for completing tasks from a mobile device.

Users dislike

Workday is expensive and complex to customize.
It can be difficult to find specific information in the system.
Notifications can be delayed or difficult to manage.
The UI feels outdated and clunky in some aspects.

The UI looks a little outdated compared to other products on the market.
It is not well integrated with Google Suite.
The reporting function is lackluster.
Occasional bugs and system crashes
System gets slow and doesn’t respond well

Workday and SAP SuccessFactors Ratings

G2

4.0/5

(460)

G2

3.9/5

(678)

Company health

Employee growth

19% increase in the last year

No data

Web traffic

12% decrease in the last quarter

No data

Financing

No data

How customizable are reporting features in each product?

Workday offers robust and customizable reporting features, allowing users to create reports on various aspects of their business operations, including project progress, costs, resources, and overall performance evaluation. However, users have noted that finding specific information within the system can be challenging. SAP SuccessFactors' reporting functionality is considered a weakness by users, described as "lackluster." While the specific level of customization isn't detailed, user reviews suggest limitations in creating tailored reports.

Which product better integrates talent management with core HR functions?

Workday better integrates talent management with core HR functions. Workday's unified platform combines HR, finance, and payroll, enabling a holistic view of the workforce and facilitating better talent decisions based on comprehensive data. While SAP SuccessFactors is a strong talent management suite, its integration with core HR functions often relies on separate modules or integration with other HRIS systems, potentially creating data silos and hindering seamless data flow. Workday's native integration provides a more streamlined and efficient approach to managing talent within the broader HR context.

What are the advantages of Workday?

Workday offers a broader suite of tools beyond HR, encompassing financial management, payroll, and planning, providing a more unified view of business operations. It also offers a robust internal talent marketplace, enabling efficient internal mobility and skill matching. Workday's pre-built workflow templates facilitate faster automation of common HR and finance tasks. Finally, Workday has stronger scalability compared to SAP SuccessFactors.

What are the disadvantages of Workday?

Workday's disadvantages include high implementation costs and complexity, occasional difficulties finding specific information within the system, potentially delayed or difficult-to-manage notifications, and a user interface that some users perceive as outdated in certain aspects. Additionally, customizing Workday can be complex and require specialized expertise.

Alternatives to Workday and SAP SuccessFactors

Microsoft Power Platform

Microsoft Power Platform is a suite of tools that helps businesses analyze data, automate processes, and build custom applications with little to no coding. It empowers non-technical users to create solutions for their specific needs, improving efficiency and productivity. Power Platform's focus on user-friendliness and its diverse range of tools make it a versatile option for mid-sized companies across various industries.

Leapsome

Leapsome helps you manage your team's performance, goals, and learning all in one place. It offers tools for performance reviews, feedback, engagement surveys, and training, helping you develop your team and keep them engaged. Popular with mid-sized companies, Leapsome is praised for being user-friendly and integrating with existing tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams.

Microsoft 365 E5 Compliance

Microsoft 365 E5 Compliance is a comprehensive suite of tools designed to help mid-sized and larger businesses meet regulatory requirements and protect sensitive data. It provides features for data governance, risk management, and compliance, enabling your organization to manage and protect sensitive information effectively.

Adrenalin HCM

Adrenalin HCM is a cloud-based human resources software suite designed to help mid-size and large companies manage various HR functions. It offers tools for recruitment, employee data management, payroll, performance tracking, and more. With a focus on automation and data insights, Adrenalin HCM aims to streamline HR processes and improve decision-making for businesses worldwide.

Striven

Striven is a cloud-based software suite designed for small to midsize businesses. It combines essential business functions such as accounting, CRM, project management, and HR into a single platform. This allows businesses to manage all their operations, track performance, and access data from anywhere, using any device. Striven aims to simplify business processes, improve collaboration between teams, and increase efficiency.

Workday HCM

Workday HCM is a cloud-based software that helps businesses manage their employees. It combines many HR functions into one system, including hiring, payroll, benefits, training, and performance reviews. Workday HCM is designed to help companies of all sizes adapt to changing workplace needs and make better decisions with their people data. It's known for being user-friendly and using artificial intelligence to improve its features and predictions.

Page co-authored by

Michal Kaczor

CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

Tymon Terlikiewicz

CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.

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