DarwinBox vs UKG comparison

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DarwinBox

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

UKG and DarwinBox compete in the human capital management solutions category. DarwinBox seems to have the upper hand with superior features, while UKG is more compelling for cost-conscious buyers due to its pricing and support.

Features: UKG offers comprehensive payroll management, workforce scheduling, and integrates third-party applications with a user-friendly interface. DarwinBox provides employee engagement, AI-driven analytics, and customizable modules, emphasizing adaptability and innovation in HR automation.

Room for Improvement: UKG could enhance its mobile app functionality, simplify its complex interface for new users, and increase integration flexibility. DarwinBox can improve its customer support availability, expand global compliance features, and enhance onboarding modules to suit diverse industries.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: DarwinBox offers agile deployment with robust technical support for quick integration. UKG's deployment focuses on stability and confidence through a thorough process, though more time-intensive, offering comprehensive support.

Pricing and ROI: UKG features scalable pricing with predictable cost structures, enhancing ROI through accessible entry points. DarwinBox requires a higher initial investment but targets long-term value through enhanced automation and efficiency gains.

To learn more, read our detailed DarwinBox vs. UKG Report (Updated: February 2026).

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DarwinBox vs. UKG

February 2026

Helped 881,707 peers since 2012

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

DarwinBox

Ranking in Talent Management

9th

Ranking in Cloud HCM

10th

Ranking in HR Analytics Software

7th

Ranking in Talent Acquisition

8th

Average Rating

6.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

UKG

Ranking in Talent Management

6th

Ranking in Cloud HCM

5th

Ranking in HR Analytics Software

2nd

Ranking in Talent Acquisition

6th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

125

Ranking in other categories

Benefits Administration (4th), Employee Scheduling Software (1st), Employee Time Tracking Software (1st), AI-Agents for HR (2nd)

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Cloud HCM category, the mindshare of DarwinBox is 2.9%, up from 2.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of UKG is 4.9%, up from 4.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Cloud HCM Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
UKG	4.9%
DarwinBox	2.9%
Other	92.2%

Cloud HCM

Featured Reviews

SHANOOPCHATHOTH PARAMBIL

Program Manager at Intelliswift

Enhancing attendance and leave management but needs better performance customization

Our primary use case for DarwinBox includes managing attendance, payroll-related tasks, and employee appraisal cycles DarwinBox has provided a significant return on investment for our finance team. Managing payroll and attendance manually would require more team members, so using DarwinBox…

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Harish_Mahanta

Works

Streamlined time tracking boosts operational efficiency across multiple regions

The time tracking feature is the most effective for employee management. UKG is used in Europe, the United States, Australia, and East Asian countries for HR activities like payroll. The application is like an ERP, providing comprehensive features for organizations, simplifying their processes, and reducing the need to use multiple software solutions.

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 most valuable features of the solution are organogram and position-based mapping."

"The solution that we used previously was very complex. As a result, without referring to the manuals and consulting an expert, it was difficult for a newly hired employee to navigate the platform. However, this is not the case with Darwinbox. It has a very intuitive user interface, and anyone can use it and implement it without having to use a guide or a walk through process. It's very simple."

"In our company, we use DarwinBox to maintain the data of our employees and for recruitment purposes."

"The leave-related modules are comprehensive, offering built-in functionalities for optional leaves."

"The most valuable feature is being able to get time management reports which break out reclassified jobs and departments to separate areas of the company. This allows for better tracking of hours spent in certain jobs and where more hours may be needed."

"The fact that I can see the whole HR information in a single point is valuable. There is a unified view of everything, which is good. Previously, we had many different systems for each part of the information. Now, it is all centralized. It is very good."

"The setup process is straightforward."

"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."

"We use the tool for various functions, including payroll, HR, recruiting, onboarding, and workforce management. We've implemented all these modules across all the clients I've worked with."

"The employee self-service feature is most valuable. This is the restaurant industry, and they have a mobile app that allows employees to go in and manage their data. So, employees can manage direct deposit accounts, emergency contacts, and other things in the app. That's definitely the biggest benefit."

"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."

"UKG allows us to customize our home screen so that we can easily monitor important items on a daily basis."

More UKG pros

Cons

"Like most software, it has a base version, the vanilla, out-of-the-box version, and customization is required to match it to the unique processes of each company. The Darwinbox team seems to be having difficulty with the customization process. They have to be a little more mature to customize it as per every company's need."

"DarwinBox is not a stable solution...DarwinBox is not a scalable solution."

"The solution's API integration with third-party applications should be improved."

"Customization in performance management is cumbersome."

"Since UKG is a SaaS software, other parts of the application or add-on solutions are not the best in class or very configurable."

"The system is slow sometimes."

"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."

"UKG could be a little more flexible in some areas."

"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."

"The platform's features need enhancement while being used as a recruiting tool."

"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."

More UKG cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"My company makes some yearly payments towards the licensing costs attached to DarwinBox."

"Compared with SuccessFactors, there is no major difference in DarwinBox's cost."

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

"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."

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

"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."

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

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Comms Service Provider

14%

Computer Software Company

11%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Comms Service Provider

11%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Construction Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	48
Midsize Enterprise	43
Large Enterprise	48

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about DarwinBox?

The most valuable features of the solution are organogram and position-based mapping.

What needs improvement with DarwinBox?

Customization in performance management is cumbersome. Processes like six-month appraisals lack easy configurations, and any significant customization requires working with vendors.

What is your primary use case for DarwinBox?

Our primary use case for DarwinBox includes managing attendance, payroll-related tasks, and employee appraisal cycles.

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...

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Product Reports

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Cloud HCM

January 2026

Download UKG product report

January 2026

Also Known As

No data available

UKG Pro, UKG Dimensons, UKG Ready

Overview

Darwinbox is a cloud-based, feature-rich human resources management system that emphasizes on usability and data protection. ... The software unifies all your HR processes, enabling you to be on top of your employees' whole lifecycle with a centralized, singular platform.

DarwinBox

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

Myntra, GVK BIO, Bisleri, Times Internet, Delhivery, Aarti

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