Workday is a cloud-native unified platform with superior user experience and analytics, while SAP SuccessFactors excels in large enterprise scalability and integration with SAP's ERP ecosystem. Workday leads in market satisfaction with 4.5/5 average rating versus SuccessFactors' 4.0/5.
SAP SuccessFactors vs Workday — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Enterprise HR and talent management suite with deep SAP ERP integration for large organizations.
Cloud-native unified HCM and financial management platform with advanced analytics and AI capabilities.
Cloud Architecture. User Satisfaction Rating. Implementation Time. Total Cost of Ownership (3-year). Analytics & Reporting Capabilities. Global Market Share. ERP Integration (SAP Systems)
Choose SAP SuccessFactors if you're a large enterprise with existing SAP ERP systems (like SAP S/4HANA) and need deep integration with finance and operations, or if controlling initial costs is critical. Choose Workday if you prioritize user experience, faster implementation, advanced analytics, and prefer a modern, vendor-agnostic cloud-first platform that works independently or alongside any ERP system.
SAP SuccessFactors: 10,000+ | Workday: 12,000+
SAP SuccessFactors: Native integration with SAP ERP ecosystem | Workday: API-based integration with third-party ERPs
SAP SuccessFactors: $280-$500K | Workday: $185-$350K
SAP SuccessFactors: $120-$220 | Workday: $150-$280
SAP SuccessFactors: 18-24 months | Workday: 12-16 months
3-Year Total Cost of Ownership (Mid-Market)
SAP SuccessFactors: $1.8M-2.4M | Workday: $2.2M-3.1M
SAP SuccessFactors: 99.0% | Workday: 99.5%
SAP SuccessFactors: 500,000+ | Workday: 500,000+
SAP SuccessFactors: 6 core modules | Workday: 15+ with ML
Total Cost of Ownership (3 years, 500 employees)
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: $2.8M - $3.2M
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: $8.3B
Average Implementation Cost (Enterprise)
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: $2-5M
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: Real-time automated updates
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: iOS, Android, Web
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: 4.3/5 (Gartner 2025)
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: $15-30+ (custom)
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: No, third-party required
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: Comprehensive suite
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: 4.5/5
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: 1,000+
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: Functional, feature-rich
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: Advanced AI and predictive analytics
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: $2.50+ (varies by size)
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: 4.5 stars
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: 771 reviews
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: 6-24 months
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: $49,019-$350,000+
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: Yes, HCM module
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: Yes, integrated
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: 12-18 months
Annual Subscription Cost (500 employees)
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: $180K-$250K
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: 4.6 stars (15K reviews)
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: 12+ verticals
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: 58 NPS
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: 24 weeks
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: Yes (Full suite)
Employee Engagement Pulse Survey Response Rate
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: Extensive (Skills Cloud, predictive analytics)
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: 80+ hours
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: 100,000+
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: $8+ per employee
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: 3-6 months
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: 140+ countries
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: 3.2/5 stars
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: Business hours (40 hours/week)
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: Unlimited custom reports
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: Open API with webhooks
Typical Contract Value (Annual, Mid-Market)
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: $400,000-$800,000
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: 4.2/5.0
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: 190+ countries
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: Yes (full Financials Cloud)
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: Yes (Workday Skills Cloud)
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: 3,500+ (G2)
Typical Annual Cost (500-1000 employees)
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: $750,000-$1,500,000
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: 200+ countries native
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: Annual/bi-annual standard
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: 4+ (GL, AP, AR, Fixed Assets, Planning)
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: Basic analytics, limited benchmarks
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: Comprehensive SOAP/REST APIs, enterprise support
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: Full HR, payroll, time tracking, approvals
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: $15-25
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: $18,000-30,000
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: 7.8/10
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: Yes (native)
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: 10,000+
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: $50,000-$300,000+
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: 1,000-500,000+
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: 7+ (recruiting, HR, payroll, finance, talent, analytics, compliance)
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: 40-60+ hours
Annual Implementation Cost (500 employees)
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: $150,000-$300,000
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: $250,000-$500,000
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: 20+ modules
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: Native with GL sync
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: 99.9%
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: 6-12 months
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: 1,000+ integrations
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: Web-responsive, limited offline
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: 5,000+ employees
SAP SuccessFactors: N/A | Workday: Advanced ML with workforce forecasting
How to choose between SAP SuccessFactors and Workday
SAP SuccessFactors vs Workday — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for SAP SuccessFactors vs Workday. Contains 111 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
SAP SuccessFactors vs Workday — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for SAP SuccessFactors vs Workday.
Which is better for companies already using SAP ERP?
SAP SuccessFactors is significantly better for existing SAP environments. It integrates natively with SAP S/4HANA and other SAP systems, eliminating middleware costs and integration complexity. Workday requires API-based integration and custom development, adding 6-12 months to implementation and $300K-500K in integration costs. If you're SAP-dependent, SuccessFactors also reduces your TCO by approximately 15-25%.
What's the real difference in implementation time and cost?
Workday typically deploys 5-10 months faster (12-16 months vs 18-24 months) due to its cloud-native design and pre-built configurations. However, SuccessFactors costs 10-15% less to implement in SAP environments due to native integration. Workday's faster deployment translates to ROI 8-12 months earlier, but at a higher total cost ($2.2M-3.1M vs $1.8M-2.4M for 3 years), making it a 2-3 year payback scenario.
Which platform has better analytics and insights capabilities?
Workday significantly outperforms SuccessFactors in analytics. Workday includes advanced People Analytics with 15+ ML-driven predictive models (attrition prediction, succession planning, pay equity analysis, skill forecasting). SuccessFactors offers 6 core analytical modules but requires third-party tools like Tableau or Qlik for advanced predictive analytics. Workday customers report 30-40% better insights into workforce trends without additional spending.
How do user experiences compare between the two?
Workday delivers a noticeably superior user experience (4.5/5 vs 4.0/5 satisfaction). Users consistently report Workday's interface as modern, intuitive, and mobile-friendly, while SuccessFactors is considered functional but dated. Workday's mobile app rates 4.3/5 stars vs SuccessFactors' 3.8/5. This UX advantage correlates with 15-20% faster user adoption and higher employee engagement with HR processes.
Can Workday replace both HR and Finance for large enterprises?
Yes, Workday uniquely offers unified HCM and financial management in a single platform, providing real-time payroll-to-GL integration and eliminating data reconciliation between HR and finance systems. SuccessFactors requires SAP SuccessFactors Cloud for Finance & Expense to manage financial processes, creating a multi-vendor approach. For enterprises seeking unified planning, Workday's single platform advantage reduces system complexity and manual reconciliation by 40-50%.
How to Choose Between SAP SuccessFactors and Workday
Cloud Architecture: SAP SuccessFactors has Hybrid (cloud and on-premise), while Workday has 100% cloud-native.
User Satisfaction Rating: SAP SuccessFactors has 4.0/5.0, while Workday has 4.5/5.0.
Implementation Time: SAP SuccessFactors has 18-24 months, while Workday has 12-16 months.
Consider: Total Cost of Ownership (3-year)
Total Cost of Ownership (3-year): SAP SuccessFactors has $1.8M-2.4M (mid-market), while Workday has $2.2M-3.1M (mid-market).
Consider: Analytics & Reporting Capabilities
Analytics & Reporting Capabilities: SAP SuccessFactors has Standard, limited predictive AI, while Workday has Advanced with embedded ML and People Analytics.
Global Market Share: SAP SuccessFactors has 16%, while Workday has 22%.
ERP Integration (SAP Systems): SAP SuccessFactors has Native, seamless, while Workday has API-based, requires middleware.