SAP HCM vs UKG comparison

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SAP HCM

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

SAP HCM and UKG are major players in the human capital management industry. SAP HCM stands out for its integration capabilities with enterprise systems, while UKG offers a superior user experience, particularly in employee onboarding and scheduling.

Features: SAP HCM's key features include comprehensive integration across enterprise finance and supply chain, cloud functionality through SuccessFactors, and enhanced decision-making efficiency. UKG is recognized for its intuitive employee experience, robust onboarding process, and advanced fraud detection capabilities.

Room for Improvement: SAP HCM needs enhancements in usability, particularly in payroll complexities and interface modernization. Its talent management features also require improvement. UKG's configuration and integration features are complex, and users seek more flexibility and clarity in navigation.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SAP HCM offers both on-premises and cloud deployment options but receives mixed reviews on support. UKG provides hybrid and cloud models with generally high customer service ratings, though some users report delays in response times.

Pricing and ROI: SAP HCM is often criticized for high pricing and complex licensing but delivers strong ROI through operational efficiencies. UKG's pricing is more transparent and competitive, providing solid ROI by streamlining processes and saving time despite perceived higher costs.

To learn more, read our detailed SAP HCM vs. UKG Report (Updated: May 2025).

SAP HCM vs. UKG

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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

SAP HCM

Ranking in Benefits Administration

4th

Ranking in Talent Management

3rd

Ranking in Cloud HCM

3rd

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

UKG

Ranking in Benefits Administration

5th

Ranking in Talent Management

6th

Ranking in Cloud HCM

5th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

125

Ranking in other categories

Employee Scheduling Software (1st), Employee Time Tracking Software (5th), HR Analytics Software (2nd), Talent Acquisition (6th)

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Cloud HCM category, the mindshare of SAP HCM is 11.1%, down from 17.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of UKG is 5.5%, up from 5.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Cloud HCM

Featured Reviews

Renelia Villanueva

Vice President & Group Head- People & Workplace Management at Alorica

Efficient payroll processing with comprehensive attendance management

I am currently heading the payroll benefits and HRIS team here in Manila. We are using SAP HCM on-premises, and we implemented SuccessFactors focusing on Employee Central and GMPM SAP HCM has helped a lot due to the always changing government regulations pertaining to taxation, social security…

Read full review

Talia Jean Paul

Global HR UKG Specialist at a outsourcing company with 10,001+ employees

Affordable but needs to improve its stability

Our company is testing the UKG Ready Mobile App, but there are some glitches. I feel that in the system when you log on to Kronos, UKG Dimensions, and UKG Workforce Central, we have different modules in different versions. With regards to the newer version, I feel the older version, which was UKG Workforce Central, was more user-friendly for the end user as opposed to the newer version, which looks a bit more complicated. When training someone who wants implementations to be done, it would be easier if you could hover above certain things, and it shows you or tells you exactly what it is. There are certain SAP modules that can be audible. If you click on it if someone is being a bit slow with regards to training, the tool will tell you what needs to be done and what needs not to be done by you, but for us, it is fine because we are in the back end with configuration and the administrators. I am talking about the need for improvements in the tool for the benefit of the end users. The explanation on UKG's community consists of training manuals and some of the other stuff that we use, and we send to our supervisors at the site. With the tool in place, catching onto white-collared employees is quicker. The tool is not quick to catch onto certain blue-collared employees in the plant or supervisors who are actually working with machinery and stuff because they are not as computer-centric as white-collared employees. If I could scan the tool across the globe with our site supervisors, there are a few loopholes in the tool. There are some issues with the tool's stability. For me, I would like someone who is building the system in the back end to know if a front-end user can manipulate the system. I am not going to rate the tool's scalability to be high. I would rate the tool's scalability to be at a mediocre level or at something like 50 percent, so there is a lot of room for improvement.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The master data where most of the reports were run from was the most valuable. We were quite satisfied with this module."

"The technical support is quite good."

"The setup was straightforward."

"The payroll and time management features are useful."

"We have managed to consolidate our payroll for all India operations on this platform."

"I feel SAP HCM is very competitive and worth the investment given its capability to integrate modules and provide comprehensive value."

"Customers can create custom infotypes to store any custom data points."

"Scalability is excellent, and I would rate it ten out of ten."

More SAP HCM pros

"The solution has improved our organization by helping us cut hours and lessen our labor force. It saved us probably over $100,000 in just the last couple of years."

"The setup process is straightforward."

"It is much easier to use and the customer service is better than our previous solution."

"I have found the most valuable feature to be business intelligence and Cognos reporting."

"Overall, I would rate UKG nine out of ten."

"The solution's employee experience is pretty good."

"The tool improved employee onboarding efficiency, especially in healthcare, where timely onboarding is crucial. This change directly impacted retention rates positively. It was a massive project that involved various teams working together. It took about a year to revamp the entire process and ensure compliance. However, once implemented, it improved employee satisfaction by saving them two whole days in the onboarding process."

"The pay policies and approvals are valuable features."

More UKG pros

Cons

"The implementation of the solution can be a bit difficult. They should make it easier. If it could be as simple as the SuccessFactors implementation that would be ideal."

"It needs a lot of end user training as it is not intuitive at all."

"The breadth of functionality offered by SAP HCM comes at a cost."

"It would be nice if the solution migrated to S/4HANA."

"The current platform is quite rigid and not as flexible and end-user friendly as other HR solutions."

"There needs to be a renovation of the interface and functionalities of the talent management modules."

"HCM could improve compatibility, making it more accessible via web applications and graphical interfaces."

"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."

More SAP HCM cons

"I would like the capability to use UKG as a single platform without the need to alternate between systems."

"Reporting is always a hurdle for any user just because it is so extensive. They provide a lot of out-of-the-box reports, but it is something that you always need to work on because you need more advanced writing of reports."

"The navigation on the screen could be better. Sometimes, I have to dig a little bit deep to find what I need. Everything is there. It just needs to be a little bit smoother."

"I would like to see more functionality in the next release to be able to get hours and dollars per calendar month rather than just by payroll in the Business Intelligence reports."

"The solution could use better reporting with standard reports. We use the Cognos platform in BI for a lot of our reporting. However, they need to have more robust standard reporting available to their user base."

"Certainly, the time and attendance and the payroll integration need a lot of work. They are disjointed pieces, and they don't work smoothly together. That's the main drawback."

"One area where UKG could improve is in its ability to understand its own competency and then work hard to improve it."

"The solution could improve by simplifying it even more core reports, such as more sample reports, more generic reports that you can edit and improve on yourself."

More UKG cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Be careful and guard against future changes in licensing."

"The cost of SAP HCM is high, the license should be reduced. SAP HCM has a lot of hidden costs."

"SAP is extremely expensive. The integration costs and customization costs are also a lot."

"We purchase the product's yearly license."

"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."

"The pricing depends upon the specific model and number of user accounts included in a bundle."

"The solution is cheap."

"The pricing is not reasonable at all."

More SAP HCM pricing and cost advice

"While I am unsure of the licensing cost itself, the total cost of implementation and licensing for a company with over 5000 employees would be around 6,00,000. So, there are additional costs beyond licensing."

"The pricing depends on the number of licenses we buy."

"The platform is not affordable but also not the most expensive."

"UKG's pricing and licensing model involves ongoing expenses based on the number of employees paid. The initial implementation cost is low when UKG implements it directly. However, when partners handle the implementation, it becomes more expensive since partners don't receive the monthly recurring fees."

"If you're going for the full suite, it can be fairly pricey."

"I wasn't involved in the pricing part. I'm a user, and I believe it is based on the user count. One thing that is nice about Ultimate is that you can learn how to use the system without additional fees. The learning aspect is the life of a product, and the training was a huge reason why we went with Ultimate. We did have some integration costs. They were a part of the implementation because of the integrations to other systems that we included in our implementation."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Educational Organization

74%

Computer Software Company

Healthcare Company

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

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 UKG?

UKG needs more publicity. It is a productive ERP ( /categories/erp ) application, but many people in the IT market are not aware of it. Greater awareness could increase its adoption.

What is your primary use case for UKG?

I worked for a healthcare organization and a university. Most organizations use UKG ( /products/ukg-reviews ) to track employee timesheets, capturing accurate swipe-in and swipe-out data. UKG ( /pr...

What advice do you have for others considering UKG?

Publicity is very important for any software. If people aren't aware of UKG, despite its productivity, they won't use it. Expanding the awareness is essential for greater adoption. Overall, I would...

SAP SuccessFactors vs SAP HCM

Comparisons

Compared 31% of the time

Workday vs SAP HCM

Compared 23% of the time

Oracle HCM Cloud vs SAP HCM

Compared 14% of the time

ADP GlobalView Payroll vs SAP HCM

Compared 11% of the time

P&I LogaHR vs SAP HCM

Compared 5% of the time

More SAP HCM Competitors

Workday vs UKG

Compared 26% of the time

SAP SuccessFactors vs UKG

Compared 17% of the time

Dayforce HCM vs UKG

Compared 8% of the time

PeopleSoft vs UKG

Compared 7% of the time

ADP GlobalView Payroll vs UKG

Compared 5% of the time

More UKG Competitors

Product Reports

SAP HCM

Download SAP HCM product report

Download UKG product report

Also Known As

SAP Human Capital Management

UKG Pro, UKG Dimensons, UKG Ready

Overview

SAP HCM is a benefits administration solution that has a comprehensive set of tools and features for managing and optimizing all aspects of human resources. SAP HCM covers various HR functions including payroll, time and attendance management, talent management, succession planning, and employee performance evaluation.

The goal of SAP HCM is to help organizations streamline HR processes, improve workforce productivity and efficiency, and support strategic HR decision-making. With SAP HCM, HR departments can manage employee data, track and analyze key HR metrics, and automate various HR processes to save time and resources. It is widely used by large organizations across various industries.

SAP HCM Features

SAP HCM has many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include:

Personnel administration: With SAP HCM, users can manage employee master data, such as personal details, employment contracts, and job information.

Payroll: The solution provides automation of payroll processes, including tax calculation, payment generation, and reporting.

Time and attendance management: Automated tracking and management of employee time and attendance help users streamline HR processes.

Talent management: SAP HCM includes tools for recruiting, onboarding, training, and development of employees.

Succession planning: With this feature, users can plan and manage employee career development and succession within the organization.

Performance and goal management: SAP HCM is designed with performance evaluation, goal setting, and development planning for employees.

Compliance management: SAP HCM offers management of legal and regulatory requirements related to HR processes.

Reporting and analytics: Generation of reports and analysis of key HR metrics help support decision-making.

Integrations: The solution has integration with other SAP modules, such as SAP Finance and SAP Supply Chain, that provide a comprehensive solution for HR management.

SAP HCM Benefits

There are many benefits to implementing SAP HCM. Some of the biggest advantages the solution offers include:

Improved HR processes: The solution’s automation of HR processes, helps reduce manual effort and increases efficiency.

Better data management: SAP HCM provides centralized management of employee data, improving data accuracy and reducing the risk of errors.

Increased productivity: Because the solution streamlines HR processes, it frees up HR staff to focus on other strategic tasks.

Improved compliance: SAP HCM helps businesses reduce the risk of non-compliance by making legal and regulatory requirements related to HR processes easy and manageable.

Better decision-making: Access to real-time HR data and analytics enables data-driven decision-making.

Increased transparency: SAP HCM improves visibility into HR processes, enabling HR departments to monitor performance and identify areas for improvement.

Better employee engagement: The solution’s provision of self-service options for employees improves employee satisfaction and engagement.

Cost control: SAP HCM’s automation of HR processes reduces costs associated with manual HR processes.

Talent management: The solution’s tools for attracting, retaining, and developing employees increase overall workforce productivity and effectiveness.

Reviews from Real Users

SAP HCM is a solution that stands out when compared to many of its competitors. Some of its major advantages are that it has good payroll and personnel administration, it’s a powerful tool for maintaining company data, and has valuable SuccessFactors talent modules.

According to Dave D., Project Manager at Telecom Namibia, “[SAP HCM] allows us to do all of our HR management processes, including payroll and personnel administration.” He also adds, “Technical support is excellent."

“I think that it's a very powerful tool for maintaining your company data. When you maintain your data in SAP, you can generate any kind of HR report with one click,” says Sameer Y., Team Leader at Fauji Meat Limited.

Another PeerSpot reviewer, Arsala A., SAP HCM / SF Consultant at a computer software company, explains what she likes most about SAP HCM: "Payroll processing is my favorite HCM feature, and I like all the SuccessFactors talent modules also. SAP is making good progress on enhancements to the features in the SF modules."

SAP

At UKG, our purpose is people — real people with real challenges, and a simple request. Help me keep my employees productive, connected, and happy. So that’s what we did.

We’ve created an unmatched suite of HR and workforce management solutions, backed by our people who care about yours. Our solutions deliver global workforce experiences that truly reflect the connection between life and work today. That means insights are deeper. Work is easier. And interactions are more meaningful.

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.

Tesla, Marriott, Yamaha, Aramark, Feeding America, Samsung, Sony Music, Dave & Buster's, Revlon

SAP HCM vs. UKG