Paylocity vs SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Paylocity and SAP are both solutions in the Cloud HCM category. Paylocity is ranked #30, while SAP is ranked #11 with an average rating of 8.3. Paylocity holds a 0.9% mindshare in CHCM, compared to SAP’s 0.9% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Paylocity users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of SAP users who would recommend it.

Paylocity

Read 1 Paylocity review

1,507 Views
904 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

SAP SuccessFactors Employee...

Read 3 SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central reviews

1,188 Views
1,188 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Paylocity

SAP SuccessFactors Employee...

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 3, 2026

Paylocity and SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central are major players in HR solutions, competing in the HR software market. Paylocity is often seen as the better choice for cost-effectiveness and customer support, while SAP SuccessFactors stands out with its comprehensive features suitable for larger enterprises.

Features: Paylocity provides a user-friendly platform with payroll capabilities, automated tax compliance, and reporting functionalities. SAP SuccessFactors includes advanced integration with other SAP modules, talent management features, and scalability, making it well-suited for larger organizations seeking extensive functionality.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Paylocity offers straightforward deployment and responsive customer service, appealing to smaller organizations for a quick setup. SAP SuccessFactors, with more complex configurations for larger companies, offers an extensive support network suitable for complex integrations, requiring more resources and time.

Pricing and ROI: Paylocity's cost-effective approach includes lower initial fees, promising faster ROI for tighter budgets. SAP SuccessFactors, despite higher upfront investment, provides a potentially greater long-term ROI with its extensive capabilities, making it attractive for businesses seeking a comprehensive solution.

To learn more, read our detailed Cloud HCM Report (Updated: September 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Cloud HCM

September 2026

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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

Paylocity

Ranking in Cloud HCM

30th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

5.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Benefits Administration (30th), Talent Management (37th)

SAP SuccessFactors Employee...

Ranking in Cloud HCM

11th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

3.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2026, in the Cloud HCM category, the mindshare of Paylocity is 0.9%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central is 0.9%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Cloud HCM Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central	0.9%
Paylocity	0.9%
Other	98.2%

Cloud HCM

Featured Reviews

Rae Passo

HR Specialist with 201-500 employees

Has a comprehensive and intuitive knowledge base, and time saving payroll administration features

Paylocity is not great at communicating customer support related issues such as account manager changes. They claim to provide concierge level of support, but it has not been great. Some of the Paylocity systems are limited. For example, I can't create custom offer letters. I can create generic offer letters with a logo, but I can't edit them or create sections. It does not read like a MS Word document and needs to be more robust. At present, I can't send attachments, add hyperlinks to videos, or embed questions in videos. Also, the number of notifications regarding benefits needs to be increased so that new employees get reminders more than once.

Read full review

SajidFarooq

Senior Consultant at a consultancy with 11-50 employees

Comprehensive payroll and reporting have improved HR insights but still require reduced duplication

There are some activities that we perform in SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central and similar activities that we must also perform in Employee Central Payroll. If information has been entered in Employee Central, why is there a need to add the same information in another module of SAP SuccessFactors? This duplication of activities is a concern we have faced. One thing is opened in SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central, and the same activity must be performed in Employee Central Payroll as well. If the product is the same and contains two to three modules, why does SAP require us to perform duplication of work under the same product? The pricing is very high. There is significant competition in the market, and we face challenges in selling the product due to the high prices that SAP is offering. SAP needs to reconsider their pricing strategy.

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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

"My favorite feature is payroll administration, which has been awesome. You can import as many batches as you want to and run them synchronously or asynchronously. Since I work in a finance company with commissions, bonuses, and distribution, it's great to be able to do that. I can upload multiple things. Also, I can upload different sets of commission lists into the same payroll batch and upload the time card imports and overtime imports if I want to and separate them. I can create multiple batches around an individual or one one set of audit backing, and then I can approve them or leave them open. The way that Paylocity has set up their payroll system is really good and saves us a lot of time. It's very specific and helpful."

"With just a single click, you can retrieve comprehensive information about an employee, such as their current profile, where they work, how many organizations they have changed, their years of experience, and their capacities and capabilities."

"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

"Some of the Paylocity systems are limited. For example, I can't create custom offer letters. I can create generic offer letters with a logo, but I can't edit them or create sections. It does not read like a MS Word document and needs to be more robust."

"There are some activities that we perform in SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central and similar activities that we must also perform in Employee Central Payroll. If information has been entered in Employee Central, why is there a need to add the same information in another module of SAP SuccessFactors?"

"SAP can improve RDP and reports by making them more user-friendly, as there are complex processes in understanding and handling them."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Construction Company

19%

Outsourcing Company

15%

Comms Service Provider

14%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Outsourcing Company

Insurance Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

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What needs improvement with SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central?

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What is your primary use case for SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central?

SAP Business One targets small to medium-sized enterprises, while SAP Cloud ERP targets large enterprises. There is a clear difference between the target markets for these two products. I am curren...

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What advice do you have for others considering SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central?

SAP Cloud ERP, previously called Grow with SAP, had its name changed last year in 2025. It is a complete SaaS model ERP with more modules included, such as sales, purchase, production, after-sales ...

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Comparisons

UKG vs Paylocity

Compared 18% of the time

BambooHR vs Paylocity

Compared 11% of the time

Workday HCM vs Paylocity

Compared 8% of the time

Netsuite SuitePeople vs Paylocity

Compared 7% of the time

PeopleSoft vs Paylocity

Compared 6% of the time

More Paylocity Competitors

SAP SuccessFactors vs SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central

Compared 21% of the time

Workday HCM vs SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central

Compared 13% of the time

SAP HCM vs SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central

Compared 12% of the time

Infor CloudSuite vs SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central

Compared 9% of the time

More SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cloud HCM

September 2026

Download Paylocity product report

Buyer's Guide

Cloud HCM

September 2026

SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central report

Download SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central product report

Overview

Paylocity offers HR and payroll solutions tailored to streamline processes for businesses, enhancing efficiency through automation and accessibility. Its flexible tools empower organizations to manage their workforce effortlessly.

Paylocity addresses key HR and payroll challenges with a suite of features designed to optimize workforce management. By providing seamless integration and customization, it caters to businesses seeking scalable solutions. Its user-friendly platform allows HR professionals to focus on strategic initiatives while efficiently handling everyday operations. Leveraging advanced technology, it ensures compliance and boosts productivity.

What are the essential features of Paylocity?

Payroll Management: Automates calculations and tax filing, reducing errors and saving time.
Time and Labor: Tracks employee hours and attendance accurately for better workforce planning.
Talent Management: Supports recruitment and performance tracking to enhance employee development.
Benefits Administration: Manages enrollment and compliance efficiently, providing easy access for employees.

What benefits and ROI should be considered?

Cost Savings: Reduces manual work and enhances accuracy, leading to financial efficiency.
Time Efficiency: Streamlines processes which allows HR teams to focus on higher-value tasks.
Employee Engagement: Improves access to HR resources, leading to higher satisfaction and productivity.
Scalability: Adapts to growing business needs, offering flexibility for expansion.

Paylocity is widely adopted across industries such as manufacturing, retail, and healthcare where it improves efficiency and compliance. Its tailored approach ensures that each sector can harness its full potential, addressing specific with customized features and support.

Paylocity

SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central is a cloud-based HRIS designed to streamline global HR processes and provide real-time insights for informed HR decisions.

With automated workflows and intelligent services, SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central facilitates end-to-end HR management rather than treating tasks individually. It enhances operational efficiency, delves into deeper insights, and strengthens business results by standardizing HR functions worldwide.

What are the key features of SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central?

Employee Profile & Org Structures: Effectively manage employee data and organizational setups.
Global HR Compliance: Maintain HR compliance across over 100 countries and industries.
Self-Service Tools: Enhance productivity with intuitive self-service functionalities and notifications.
Benefits & Absence Management: Simplify management with built-in capabilities for benefits and absence handling.

What benefits or ROI should users look for?

Increased Efficiency: Streamlined HR processes lead to improved time and resource management.
Improved Decision-Making: Real-time insights aid in making informed HR decisions.
Global Scalability: Capability to seamlessly manage HR functions worldwide.

SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central is implemented across various industries to support HR processes tailored to specific industry needs. Its flexibility allows for adaptation, ensuring HR compliance and boosting productivity in diverse business sectors.

SAP

Sample Customers

POLYWOOD, University Clinical Healthcare, New England Authentic Eats, Revere Plastics, Stonewall Kitchen, Circuit Transit, Powerhouse Retail, Mountainside Fitness, Crafton Tull, Noble House Hotels & Resorts, Gurley Leep Automotive, Taco Johns

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