SAP SuccessFactors vs Sage People comparison

Sage and SAP are both solutions in the Cloud HCM category. Sage is ranked #11 with an average rating of 8.0, while SAP is ranked #2 with an average rating of 7.6. Sage holds a 0.7% mindshare in CHCM, compared to SAP’s 20.8% mindshare. Additionally, 81% of Sage users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 85% of SAP users who would recommend it.

Sage People

Read 15 Sage People reviews

443 Views
204 Comparison Views

81% willing to recommend

SAP SuccessFactors

Read 97 SAP SuccessFactors reviews

8,985 Views
6,735 Comparison Views

85% willing to recommend

Sage People

SAP SuccessFactors

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

SAP SuccessFactors and Sage People compete in the Human Resources Management Systems (HRMS) market. SAP SuccessFactors seems to have the upper hand in enterprise functionality with its AI integration, while Sage People offers robust reporting and flexible pricing favorable for mid-sized enterprises.

Features: SAP SuccessFactors offers comprehensive coverage of the employee lifecycle with modularity and integration capabilities. Its predictive analytics and AI enhance functionality for enterprises, and it integrates with third-party applications. Sage People provides customizable reporting, mobile access, and seamless financial system integration, focusing on data storage and reporting.

Room for Improvement: SAP SuccessFactors requires better analytics, integration, and role-based permissions systems, alongside more intuitive user experiences. Sage People could improve customization, stability, and performance management, with enhancements needed in automation capabilities and user interface.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SAP SuccessFactors mainly operates on the public cloud, necessitating direct support for complex processes, with some users experiencing bureaucratic support. Sage People, on both public and private clouds, is regarded for efficient support, though speed could improve, experiencing fewer escalations than SAP SuccessFactors.

Pricing and ROI: SAP SuccessFactors is higher priced, suitable for large organizations, with user and module-based pricing offering potential ROI through HR process automation. Sage People offers flexible licensing as a more economical option for small to mid-sized enterprises, aligning with market standards for better ROI while streamlining HR functions.

To learn more, read our detailed SAP SuccessFactors vs. Sage People Report (Updated: May 2025).

Buyer's Guide

SAP SuccessFactors vs. Sage People

May 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Sage People

Ranking in Talent Management

12th

Ranking in Cloud HCM

11th

Ranking in Talent Acquisition

8th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Benefits Administration (12th), HR Analytics Software (6th)

SAP SuccessFactors

Ranking in Talent Management

2nd

Ranking in Cloud HCM

2nd

Ranking in Talent Acquisition

2nd

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Global Payroll (2nd)

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Cloud HCM category, the mindshare of Sage People is 0.7%, up from 0.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SAP SuccessFactors is 20.8%, down from 22.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Cloud HCM

Featured Reviews

Ruth Baker

HRIS Implementation Consultant at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees

A highly scalable product that provides excellent dashboard and reporting features

The initial setup is easy. We need to be technically savvy. We need to have experience with HR systems to be involved in the setups. For someone who's never had an HR system before, it's going to be very overwhelming. The solution has got a lot of functionalities, which is brilliant. It is 90% customizable. We can configure it exactly as we want it. We would definitely need someone with HR systems experience to understand the backend. We can configure the back end as much as we like. We can also do it once we’ve gone live with the system.

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SandeepKumar7

Head - Shared Service Operations and HR Systems at a pharma/biotech company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Useful to manage employee life cycle management but is not very easy to implement

There are quite a few things, like goal management, in terms of transferring goals from manager to subordinates, which is probably not one of the best ways to look at SAP SuccessFactors, making it an area that could have been done better. Route management and template management are pretty good areas. The reporting in the tool is not as great as I would want it to be from a PMGM internal management perspective. I just hope that SAP SuccessFactors comes up with a payroll tool that suits India. I don't see it as one of the best tools for the Indian scenario. I would love to see much better document management in the system, like onboarding. Onboarding has document management, but if I want to report through it, there is not much that I can do about it. DMS in SAP would be great since, in most places, DMS is maintained outside the system. I would have loved to see better DMS in SAP SuccessFactors. In terms of the reporting, I understand that since everything is moving to SAP SAC. Even without SAP SAC, it would be great if we could have better analytics within SAP SuccessFactors.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The report builder and dashboard builder are very, very good."

"I guess I would say maybe that it is a more robust system."

"The solution provides the ability to trace back records, is reliable, makes life easy, and is secure."

"The most valuable feature of Sage People is the integration with our payroll system."

"The solution's initial setup was straightforward."

"Compared to the other system that we were using, I think Sage is more friendly. As an administrator, Sage's dashboard is visually friendly and many tasks are easier to accomplish. Another feature that we've liked since we started using Sage is the reporting. With the other system, we needed to configure a lot of things manually when it came to reporting, but with Sage the reporting tasks are much simpler."

"The most valuable features of Sage People are the reports that are useful for decision-making and the API that can be integrated well. Additionally, the solution can be accessed from mobile devices onto the cloud."

"Sage makes all the information accessible, like pulling a file because an employee needs something ASAP. It's all in the system. It's easy to find old reports if I need them for payroll purposes. It might take days to do some of this work by hand."

More Sage People pros

"It's a uniform user interface."

"The most valuable feature of SAP SuccessFactors is analytics."

"This solution is very user-friendly, and supports 60 plus languages."

"SAP SuccessFactors is stable, we have not found any bugs or glitches."

"SAP SuccessFactors, in my opinion, is the best cloud-based HR solution tool for any size business."

"We have found objects like Foundation and MDF most valuable."

"SuccessFactors offers all aspects of Human Resources Management. What I love most about it is that it can be implemented for any company very quickly."

"It's very user-friendly."

More SAP SuccessFactors pros

Cons

"The integration with our payroll system could improve. However, it is managed by another company."

"Its stability could be better."

"If Sage People were to become a fully cloud-based solution, it could lead to significant improvements. With the COVID pandemic highlighting the benefits of remote work, a complete shift to cloud-based functionality would be a welcome development for users."

"Right now, Sage doesn't seem to have what we are looking for when it comes to managing HR tickets. In my previous experiences with other HR software, we had to buy another solution to obtain this functionality, and it would be a great feature for Sage to consider adding. For an HR system, Sage would do very well to include it."

"The automation in Sage People could improve. The solution is the best used for data storage but the automation could be better to have more functionality."

"The user interface is not great."

"The budget module does not work. Sage People need to maybe make it more user-friendly."

"Its technical support could have been better."

More Sage People cons

"The SAP SuccessFactors integration with old versions can improve. We are using an older finance module but we are having migration issues."

"LMS, Learning Management Systems, needs improvement because there were some stability problems."

"The price could be lower."

"Also, it would be helpful if they could improve its ability to localize the product to Nigeria."

"It's a bit complicated to make a change in the tool... It is time-consuming."

"Overall, the documentation could be improved, and I think the learning management module needs to include more capabilities when it comes to matching an organization's particular learning approach."

"SuccessFactors could be improved by making it usable on mobile and making its features less rigid."

"We lack information regarding how to build a network."

More SAP SuccessFactors cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I believe we pay licensing on a yearly basis, but I can't comment on the total amount that we pay on licensing."

"From an SME standpoint, I wouldn't necessarily describe it as expensive. However, for the average startup, it may not be affordable since our current annual expenditure on the system, which supports approximately 210-220 users, amounts to approximately £15,000 to £18,000."

"We have to purchase the solution's license to use it."

"There is other software on the market that can do similar functions to Sage People that could be better in price. Some solution allows you to do your payroll processes by month or by the process. Small companies could benefit by using another solution."

"The price of the solution is reasonable."

"Its cost is moderate for a multi-group licensing model."

"The pricing is reasonable."

"I think it's reasonably priced. But in comparison to other systems, I would choose them over Sage People, regardless of their prices."

More Sage People pricing and cost advice

"SAP SuccessFactors requires an annual subscription."

"The solution is on the expensive side but is definitely worth the money."

"This is a more costly solution than comparable products, and training is not available in the open-market, so this has to be purchased separately from the vendor."

"I don't want to comment on the license cost, to be honest. It could be about $1,000 approximately per customer. However, it's very flexible in terms of the licensing costs depending on the volume and depending on the deal of installation."

"For SAP, the product is pricey, both CAPEX and the OPEX. It's something that could be improved."

"Our costs for the solution are subsidized by our parent company, I am not aware of the exact cost because of this. However, we pay $50,000 annually. If we move to another solution it will be more expensive."

"The pricing for SuccessFactors is ridiculously high, and there are costs in addition to the license fee for some features."

"We have a yearly license. There are no additional costs."

More SAP SuccessFactors pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

22%

Comms Service Provider

12%

Financial Services Firm

Educational Organization

35%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Sage People?

The report builder and dashboard builder are very, very good.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Sage People?

The product is definitely not cheap. However, it's probably not uber-expensive. It is definitely on the higher end. Companies must understand that the more modules they choose, the more expensive t...

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What needs improvement with Sage People?

There were a couple of things that we wanted to customize, but we couldn’t do it ourselves. So, we had to do another project that cost us. The product must improve how absence works.

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What are the biggest differences between Workday, Oracle Cloud and SAP SuccessFactors?

Differences between Workday, Oracle Cloud,w and SAP SuccessFactors:w Oracle: "simple interface and deep customization to suit the purpose." SAP: Multiple functionalities that increase process effi...

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What is better, SAP HCM or SAP SuccessFactors?

When it comes to user experience, SuccessFactors is unquestionably superior, as it provides end users with a new experience and an advanced user interface. Additionally, the entire concept of SF is...

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What do you like most about SAP SuccessFactors?

The tool is easy to use for performance management. We haven't experienced any issues with SAP SuccessFactors for performance management, which is great. However, since we're still learning to use ...

See all answers

Comparisons

Workday vs Sage People

Compared 30% of the time

Cegid vs Sage People

Compared 28% of the time

PeopleSoft vs Sage People

Compared 19% of the time

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Workday vs SAP SuccessFactors

Compared 29% of the time

Oracle HCM Cloud vs SAP SuccessFactors

Compared 16% of the time

SAP HCM vs SAP SuccessFactors

Compared 14% of the time

PeopleSoft vs SAP SuccessFactors

Compared 7% of the time

UKG vs SAP SuccessFactors

Compared 4% of the time

More SAP SuccessFactors Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Sage People

May 2025

Download Sage People product report

Buyer's Guide

SAP SuccessFactors

May 2025

Download SAP SuccessFactors product report

Also Known As

Fairsail

SuccessFactors

Overview

Connect teams across borders

Customise communications: Deliver business updates to specific groups and gather feedback with surveys.
Personalise experiences: Create engaging, branded experiences – tailored by group or region.
Connect global teams: Manage your entire workforce, wherever they are. Embed global policies while enforcing local regulations.
Help teams thrive, anywhere: Support wellbeing, provide localised benefits packages, and more.

Get ahead with actionable HR analytics

Make informed decisions: Use People analytics for actionable insights in seconds.
Provide real-time insights: Give up-to-the-minute recommendations so leaders jump on trends and adjust plans.
Customise dashboards: Plan hiring, analyse attrition, manage absence, and more.
Get actionable feedback: Understand the employee experience through surveys, tailored to different groups.

Compete successfully for top talent

Deliver a differentiated, stand-out candidate experience with easy-to-use employer branding themes and options that shows off your culture and company story.
Fill roles faster with skilled talent using our unique, AI-powered, intelligent candidate matching.
Have new employees hit the ground running with seamless remote pre-boarding and onboarding experiences.

Sage

SAP SuccessFactors is an AI-powered, cloud-based HR suite supporting over 100 countries, providing real-time insights and integrated solutions across core HR, payroll, talent, learning, analytics, and employee experience.

Trusted by over 10,000 organizations, SAP SuccessFactors elevates people processes, decisions, and experiences by empowering employees. It offers AI-driven tools enhancing self-service, learning, performance, and development, unifying people and skills data to align talents with business goals. The platform ensures compliance with legal updates and speeds up results using HR best practices and a robust partner network. Its modular design, seamless integration, and mobile access stand out, supporting global accessibility and talent management. Role-based permissions and automated compliance offer flexibility and security, catering to diverse industries.

What are the most important features of SAP SuccessFactors?

Performance and Goal Management: Facilitates setting and tracking employee objectives.
Employee Lifecycle Management: Streamlines employee processes from recruitment to exit.
Learning Management: Promotes continuous learning and development.
Real-Time Reporting: Provides instant insights into HR data.

What benefits should users look for in SAP SuccessFactors reviews?

Increased Productivity: AI-driven tools enhance workforce agility.
Talent Alignment: Unifying skills data aligns workforce with business priorities.
Compliance Assurance: Regular updates ensure legal and regulatory adherence.
Global Accessibility: Cloud-based platform supports cross-geography management.

Organizations implement SAP SuccessFactors for Performance Management, Talent Acquisition, Learning, and HR core functions, streamlining recruitment, onboarding, records management, goal setting, and performance evaluation. It extends to time management, compensation, and talent development, integrating across geographies for centralized data management, reporting, and analytics, enhancing HR operations and employee engagement.

SAP

Sample Customers

Rocketship Education, Monitise, u-blox, SolarWinds, Mitsubishi, SmartStream, Canonical, Betfair

City of Cape Town, ADAMA Agricultural Solutions Ltd., TransAlta Corporation, Keolis, PT XL Axiata Tbk, National Football League (NFL), Plan International, Yoh, A Day & Zimmermann Company, China Talent Group (CTG TMO), Umicore S.A., Butterfield Bank, Skril

Buyer's Guide

SAP SuccessFactors vs. Sage People

May 2025

Free Report: SAP SuccessFactors vs. Sage People

Find out what your peers are saying about SAP SuccessFactors vs. Sage People and other solutions. Updated: May 2025.

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