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SAP HCM vs SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 16, 2025

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

SAP HCM
Ranking in Cloud HCM
2nd
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.1
Number of Reviews
59
Ranking in other categories
Benefits Administration (3rd), Talent Management (3rd)
SAP SuccessFactors Employee...
Ranking in Cloud HCM
15th
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
4.6
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Featured Reviews

SS
Assistant Manager at Kashiv Biosciences
Centralized global HR data has improved expense control and supports secure employee management
The features of SAP HCM are valued by me as it had a clear idea about what was expected from the user point. The person or the application has a lot of features and it had actually all the information needed from our part. That aspect is nice. Apart from that, the T-codes are really helpful to understand which particular option we need when we put the T-code in the search box. The stability and reliability of SAP HCM product are really nice, very helpful, and secured. It has no point of leakage and is mostly reliable, as most companies and organizations prefer SAP over many tools. As for security, it's already secured from the beginning itself, and that is the only reason our organization relies on it. Since it's very useful at a global scale, it is a very useful tool and is very easy to access and handle.
SP
Senior ERP Consultant at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
User-friendly integration capabilities and responsive support enhance operational efficiency
SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central is cloud-based, eliminating the need for any infrastructure with readily available data centers. It is very user-friendly and integrates seamlessly with the Employee Central Payroll and all other talent modules. I have utilized the payroll integration, noting that on-premises payroll is called SAP Payroll, while when taken to the cloud, it is referred to as Employee Central Payroll, which runs on the same server and is configured on on-premises but on a different node. Within the cloud, SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central integrates with Employee Central Payroll via point-to-point applications, which push the master data from Employee Central to Employee Central Payroll, forming the bridge between these two modules.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"HCM is a very important module that each organization should want to use. It will help any organization to calculate and control the cost of their human resources."
"The platform is simple to use and has a user-friendly dashboard and integration features."
"The stability and reliability of SAP HCM product are really nice, very helpful, and secured."
"I like the talent, recruitment, and learning features the most."
"SAP HCM has valuable features for analytics data management."
"We have features such as ABKRS based on the client's requirement, tariff and TMSTA, and so on."
"SAP HCM is a powerful program that can greatly benefit organizations with its comprehensive features and integrations."
"The technical support is quite good."
"SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central is cloud-based, eliminating the need for any infrastructure with readily available data centers, and it is very user-friendly and integrates seamlessly with the Employee Central Payroll and all other talent modules."
"I find SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central to be user-friendly, with a good UI, accessible through Fiori, making it easy to navigate without using T-codes."
 

Cons

"HCM could improve compatibility, making it more accessible via web applications and graphical interfaces."
"SAP HCM is costly compared to other ERPs like Microsoft Dynamics or Oracle, and I would rate the cost as one out of ten."
"SAP HCM cannot integrate with other third-party applications. One of the drawbacks we encounter with SAP HCM, specifically in payroll management, is the limitation regarding changing payroll areas within the same month. For instance, if an employee transitions from staff to non-staff status during the month, we face difficulties because the system doesn't allow us to change the payroll."
"SAP HCM's long and tedious transactions can be improved."
"The product significantly improved our organization by automating many processes, which reduced paperwork and provided clearer, more accurate goals and competencies."
"The organizational structure visualization could be improved in future releases. The solution has a very poor interface."
"There needs to be a renovation of the interface and functionalities of the talent management modules."
"Scalability can be challenging from a cost perspective. If a company has the budget, they opt for the enterprise level."
"SAP can improve RDP and reports by making them more user-friendly, as there are complex processes in understanding and handling them."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is a little expensive and we are charged per user for the license. The solution can be paid monthly or annually."
"I believe HCM is a little expensive, but I don't know the exact price because I'm involved with the sales team. However, I think the price must be reasonable because many organizations are migrating their current ERPs to SAP. It's excellent software, and the price is competitive."
"We have an annual license for this solution, and the price depends on the number of users."
"Licensing is pretty complex. SAP does not have a straight forward way of licensing, and it differs from client to client."
"You pay per license. There not any costs in addition to the standard licensing fees."
"The pricing is really high."
"For implementation, SAP offers little support unless you buy SAP Safeguarding from SAP Consulting."
"The cost depends on the size of the organization. Compared to others, I'd say Oracle is number one, followed by Workday and SAP HCM."
Information not available
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
12%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Computer Software Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
8%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business19
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise39
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about SAP HCM?
SAP HCM is the one of the best ERP for an organization with a small to large scale business. It has the most efficient payroll functionality. Regards : SAP HR classes in pune
What do you like most about SAP HCM?
HCM is a very important module that each organization should want to use. It will help any organization to calculate and control the cost of their human resources.
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...
What needs improvement with SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central?
Regarding improvements or additional features for SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central, nowadays Generative AI is booming, and AI is integrated within SAP. I am planning to get certified in automati...
What is your primary use case for SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central?
SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central is essentially the master data for an employee. Compared to on-premises, it is simply OM and PA taken to the cloud and becomes the master data for an employee. R...
What advice do you have for others considering SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central?
The solution has helped to streamline organizational payroll processes. I have worked with many clients who used SAP on-premises, as well as clients with legacy systems, necessitating the retrieval...
 

Also Known As

SAP Human Capital Management
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

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, Skrill Group Ltd.
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about SAP HCM vs. SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
881,114 professionals have used our research since 2012.