If you want to make your HR operations easy, keep your employees engaged, and refine your workforce planning, you need a trusted human capital management (HCM) system. Shortlisting one perfect platform is the most important decision for your business.

SAP SuccessFactors and Workday are two of the popular platforms in this space. Both platforms provide excellent solutions with features like core HR, payroll processing, talent management, workforce analytics, and more, but differ in their approach.

In this article, we will compare their main features, functionalities, advantages, drawbacks, and pricing to help you decide which platform suits your business goals and aspirations.

Comparing SuccessFactors Vs Workday: At A Glance

Features

SuccessFactors

Workday

Payroll Processing

Centralized payroll and off-cycle support, backdated calculations, and localization in more than 50 countries

Cloud-based payroll with real-time automation, smart auditing, built-in analytics, and global reach in 180+ countries

Workforce Management

Time/absence tracking with auto-approvals, flexible entry, and contingent workforce management

AI-powered scheduling and absence tracking, real-time labor analytics, and unified time/scheduling hub

Talent Management

AI recruiting, skill-based development, compensation planning, recognition, and succession planning

AI-driven recruiting, skills foundation, personalized onboarding, “Talent Marketplace,” continuous feedback, and succession tools

Core HR

AI-enabled, localized HR foundation in 100+ countries, global benefits, payroll integration, case/document management, and HR workspace

Unified HR database, configurable processes, Workday Skill Cloud, embedded analytics, global compliance, and mobile/desktop self-services

Financial Management

Integration with SAP Financial Management combines forecasting, compliance, HR insights, and ESG tracking

Cloud finance platform with AI automation, real-time insights, anomaly detection, and full end-to-end financial operations

Pricing

Custom Pricing

Custom Pricing

What Is SuccessFactors?

Sap SuccessFactors provides a comprehensive software suite to help business enterprises organize their workforce needs. The software combines core HR features, with AI-driven innovations, talent management, workforce analytics for a wide range of industries.

It offers advanced Human Capital Management (HCM) capabilities, while emphasizing organizational flexibility, better employee experience, and advanced analytics.

Unique Features Of SuccessFactors

  • Sales Performance Management: It automates sales administration processes like area coverage, quota assignment, and benefit compensation management. Refining workflows and minimizing errors boosts productivity and business outcomes.
  • WalkMe (Digital Adoption Platform): Provides in-app assistance like tooltips, task lists, and walk-throughs to promote employee onboarding and system adoption. It helps HR teams track problems and simplify processes using analytics, dashboards, and AI-driven insights
  • Compensation Planning: Aligns workforce pay with business and HR objectives to help optimize compensation programs. It facilitates managers to motivate their employees with real-time recognition of milestone achievements and key contributors to increase employee engagement

Pros And Cons

Pros

  • Features like a learning profile management and goal setting for the next assessment cycle supports employees in achieving their career objectives
  • Integration with SAP ERP is valuable to streamline HR and finance processes
  • Strong knowledge base and Informative support content make onboarding easier for new employees

Cons

  • Lack of flexibility in standard reporting tools requires IT support to generate custom reports
  • Extensive feature set makes it hard to set up and customize, may require extra time and resources, leading to higher overhead costs for small budget teams

What Is Workday?

Workday HCM is a cloud-based human capital management system leading in the U.S. It unifies HR processes, payroll, benefits administration, time tracking, and development, and integrated document handling. AI-powered analytics helps in streamlining workflows, enhancing employee experience, and providing better insights.

Its finance integration helps automate budgeting management processes while providing deeper insights, assisting managers in making decisions to achieve business objectives.

Unique Features Of Workday

  • Employee Experience: Predicts employee requirements and provides quick access to those needs to save time and increase productivity. Machine learning helps get relevant insights and recommendations to help employee grow in their roles
  • Peakon Employee Voice: Provides consistent, reliable feedback to help you get meaningful insights on DE&I, engagement, and employee well-being. It helps management understand employee feelings and allows them to take immediate action to resolve their issues
  • Workday VNDLY (Vendor Management System): Enables a comprehensive workforce strategy by offering standalone usage and deep integration with Workday HCM. It helps businesses manage their workforce, candidate sourcing, onboarding, invoicing, compliance, and offboarding

Pros And Cons

Pros

  • Quick and responsive customer support team, helps with faster issue resolution and saves time
  • Easy-to-configure system, even for non-technical users
  • Visually appealing graphics, make the platform very easy to get used to

Cons

  • The extended implementation period can be challenging for small teams and organizations
  • Not so flexible goal-setting and feedback tools, as per some users

SuccessFactors Vs Workday: Key Features Comparison

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1. Payroll Processing

SAP SuccessFactors provides a centralized payroll management module that makes sure that employees are getting paid accurately and on time. The unified payroll management helps minimize manual efforts by facilitating retroactive calculations and off-cycle support.

SAP also provides localization support via partners for more than 50 countries. Enabling it to efficiently adapt to local tax laws, regulations, and compliance demands.

Workday Payroll offers a cloud-based solution that incorporates automated calculations, adapting to real-time updates, smart auditing, and built-in analytics for compliance and accuracy.

It also offers global payroll support via integrations in over 180 countries. While its mobile-friendly employee self-service provides a unified experience of Workday HCM and its finance module.

Winner: Workday. Although SuccessFactors excels with its region-specific compliance capabilities, Workday takes the lead with broader global reach and real-time automation.

2. Workforce Management

SuccessFactors helps simplify routine workforce operations via its time tracking, absence management, and contingent workforce management capabilities. The time and attendance module incorporates auto-approvals, embedded reporting, and real-time alerts. It offers flexible options for time entry, like mobile, desktop, or clock terminals, while absence requests can be submitted from any device.

The platform provides visibility into external employee records, including history, certification, and compliance details. It offers global and local compliance and smooth integration into the payroll system. Additional features include secure onboarding/ offboarding, analytics, and labor cost controls.

Workday provides a modern workforce management platform that combines time tracking, absence management, and employee scheduling. AI-powered automations streamline scheduling and labor processes. Its worker-first interface enables frontline employees to take control of their schedules and utilize a consolidated time and scheduling hub for efficient processes.

Real-time labor insights and analytics allow managers to keep an eye on the workforce trends and costs within the system. This enables companies to adapt quickly while increasing productivity.

Winner: Workday. SAP SuccessFactors offers robust compliance and contingent workforce management tools, but the AI-powered automation, unified scheduling, and real-time labor analytics make Workday a winner for this round.

3. Talent Management

SAP SuccessFactors provides an AI-enabled platform that supports the entire employee lifecycle, from candidate attraction to long-term retention. Its main features include global candidate sourcing, AI-enhanced recruiting, strong focus on employee experience, and guided onboarding with tailored new hire journeys.

The software also integrates skill-based development via its ‘Talent Intelligence Hub. Continuous performance management (goals, reviews, and OKRs), and intelligent compensation planning, recognition, career mobility, and succession tools ensure long-term growth.

Workday delivers a comprehensive, skill-centric solution that incorporates features like recruiting, onboarding, performance, learning, and internal mobility. The AI-driven talent acquisition offers intelligent job matching, dynamic skills foundation, personalized onboarding, and a ‘Talent Marketplace’ that enables career growth through projects, gigs, and mentorship.

While features like continuous feedback, performance and goal management, and succession planning provide a consistent employee experience.

Winner: SAP SuccessFactors takes the lead here with its integrated compensation and recognition features, broader employee lifecycle coverage, and structured goal management functionalities.

4. Core HR Services

The core HR functions in SAP SuccessFactors help companies manage their workforce operations via a cloud-based AI-enabled platform. With a localized HR foundation for over 100 countries, the software includes personalized profiles and AI-powered self-service, global benefits management, streamlined time and absence management with automatic approvals, embedded reporting, and flexible time entry.

It also integrates a payroll system while supporting case and document management, guided experience, and a comprehensive HR workspace to boost workforce visibility, compliance, and overall organizational productivity.

Workday Core HR offers a flexible cloud native platform for handling global HR processes. It supports a unified HR database, configurable business processes, and organizational modelling, skills intelligence via ‘Workday Skill Cloud’.

Advanced features include global compliance, embedded analytics, benefits management, and a self-service portal available on mobile and desktop platforms to ensure transparency, adaptability, and employee-centric collaboration.

Winner: It’s a tie. Both platforms offer different strengths and capabilities depending on user needs and priorities. If you need solid localization and compliance support, SAP SuccessFactors is the platform for you, but if you want better adaptability and analytics, Workday is the answer.

5. Financial Management

SAP SuccessFactors integrates with SAP Financial Management to centralize workforce data with financial processes. Features like headcount changes, talent forecasts, and compensation plans, are combined directly with workforce cost analysis, budgeting, and real-time financial planning.

Core financial features such as automated consolidation and close, tax reporting and compliance, treasury, and working capital management processes work together with HR data to improve forecasting accuracy and resource allocation. Embedded sustainability tracking and governance controls enable companies to link workforce initiatives with broad financial and ESG objectives across the organization.

The Financial Management module in Workday provides a cloud-based finance suite that facilitates smart decision-making. Its AI-powered automation via ‘Workday Illuminate’, real-time insights, and continuous auditing provide complete transparency and control. Core features include accounting, expense planning, revenue management, and fixed asset tracking, along with dynamic accounting, anomaly detection, and flexible financial reporting.

The software facilitates end-to-end finance operations, including record-to-report, procure-to-pay, and contract-to-cash on an adaptable platform that matches organizational changes, while maintaining operational efficiency.

Winner: Workday, for its integrated AI-driven platform with advanced end-to-end financial operations.

Pricing Comparison

SAP SuccessFactors uses a per-user, per-module subscription structure. Users can get the option to pick and choose features as per their requirements. Pricing can differ based on the number of users and the scope of selected features.

Workday pricing isn’t published on the official website, but the costs are normally dependent on business needs and deployment complexity. Generally, it offers a subscription-based structure with pricing based on selected modules, number of users, and contract terms.

Which Is Better: SuccessFactors Vs Workday?

SAP SuccessFactors and Workday both offer comprehensive HR and financial management capabilities, but their strengths cater to different business needs. SuccessFactors is known for its advanced HR specialization capabilities and integration with the broad spectrum of SAP enterprise.

Workday is recognized for its centralized platform with seamless integration among HR, analytics, and finance. Both platforms offer custom pricing based on selected features and business demands.

Selection for the perfect option comes down to your business priorities; opt for a platform that best aligns with these priorities. If you are still not convinced which of the platforms might be the most suitable option, you can explore our resource center to make an informed decision.