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SAP HCM vs Workday Human Capital Management comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

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)
Workday Human Capital Manag...
Ranking in Cloud HCM
13th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
8
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Cloud HCM category, the mindshare of SAP HCM is 5.4%, down from 15.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Workday Human Capital Management is 0.8%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Cloud HCM Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
SAP HCM5.4%
Workday Human Capital Management0.8%
Other93.8%
Cloud HCM
 

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.
Amit_Rai - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Software Engineer at a consultancy with 1,001-5,000 employees
Automation has transformed hire to retire processes and delivers powerful HR analytics
In Workday Human Capital Management, I feel that the security part needs to be improved. Workday gives complete control to the implementers regarding security and who is going to see what data. There are sometimes loopholes that are not identified unless fully tested. If Workday had a security alert system, even a small alert would help the security architect secure all information better, especially sensitive data such as payroll. Additionally, customization is another area of improvement, as Workday provides a default blue and yellow theme, which may not align with a company's branding. If Workday provided the option to customize themes based on a company's preferences, it would enhance the user experience.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The payroll function in SAP HCM has been most beneficial for managing global workforces. We plan to use goal management and KPI features to link to payroll through the SAP SuccessFactors module."
"It is a pretty stable solution."
"When you maintain your data in SAP, you can generate any kind of HR report with one click."
"Sometimes, employees may have pending requests that need approval, so you should check those and clear any errors to ensure smooth processing."
"It has the best data management features."
"The stability of the solution is good."
"I feel SAP HCM is very competitive and worth the investment given its capability to integrate modules and provide comprehensive value."
"The platform is simple to use and has a user-friendly dashboard and integration features."
"The product is a complete solution for security."
"Workday Human Capital Management's most valuable feature is self-service."
"Workday Human Capital Management is a user-friendly solution."
"The unique selling point of Workday is its easy-to-use user interface, which is quite difficult in other ERP systems such as SAP or Oracle Fusion."
"The reports I can download with compensation details come in a very organized manner, and I can record any future payments through the software, such as deferred cash bonuses that need to be paid one year later."
"According to me, the most valuable feature is autonomy of business processes and the security configuration within the tenant, specifically the configuration. The solution is highly stable. It’s designed to handle most tasks automatically. I rate it a nine out of ten. The solution is highly scalable. I rate it an eight out of ten. This solution consistently supports its customers through its implementation partners or sales support. The setup is designed to be user-friendly and straightforward. Workday HCM is user-friendly and easier to implement within the organization"
"The most valuable feature of the solution is that it is a cloud-based system and easy to use."
"The solution has good accessibility; it's easy to use and not very confusing."
 

Cons

"It is a bit tedious and manual to work with."
"HCM could improve compatibility, making it more accessible via web applications and graphical interfaces."
"It takes a long time to apply an update patch to the system."
"SAP HCM needs to be more customizable to fit unique organizational processes."
"There are already success factors for the cloud solution which cannot be integrated into S/4 HANA."
"SAP HCM needs to improve its UI."
"SAP HCM is costly compared to other ERPs like Microsoft Dynamics or Oracle, and I would rate the cost as one out of ten."
"It was difficult to deploy. There were challenges regarding configurations and implementation. So, we had a lot of issues."
"The compensation module is not dynamic enough or flexible enough to accommodate the complexities in our salary structure."
"We have had issues with respect to incidents."
"The tool has certain shortcomings when it comes to its integration capabilities with other systems in our company, making it an area where improvements are required."
"The solution should enhance its flexibility and promptly incorporate the brainstormed ideas into the upcoming releases. Typically, after their brainstorming session, it takes one or two update cycles for the changes to reflect in the tenant."
"Currently, the product's payroll feature works only in four countries. It should work for more countries."
"It would be good if the solution provided more extensive training sessions."
"The solution should focus more on user experience and less on the technical side."
"In Workday Human Capital Management, I feel that the security part needs to be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."
"The product is expensive."
"HCM is cheaper than SuccessFactors."
"Licensing fees are paid yearly."
"We purchase the product's yearly license."
"In my view, this product is a waste of money for SMB because there are much better products available and licensing is an issue."
"Licensing is pretty complex. SAP does not have a straight forward way of licensing, and it differs from client to client."
"Each module comes with an additional cost. It operates on a mid-price model. So, there is an additional payment for each module needed. The solution might be costlier for smaller companies, making it more suitable for mid to large-sized enterprises."
"The solution’s pricing is better than SAP SuccessFactors."
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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
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business1
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise7
 

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 do you like most about Workday Human Capital Management?
The most valuable feature of the solution is that it is a cloud-based system and easy to use.
What needs improvement with Workday Human Capital Management?
I have not directly encountered issues in Workday Human Capital Management, but my manager mentioned that the compensation module is not dynamic enough or flexible enough to accommodate the complex...
What is your primary use case for Workday Human Capital Management?
My usual use cases for Workday Human Capital Management are that I am part of the total rewards team. My work cases involve viewing different employees' salary splits, compensation changes, when co...
 

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.
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Find out what your peers are saying about SAP HCM vs. Workday Human Capital Management and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
881,114 professionals have used our research since 2012.