Personio vs SAP SuccessFactors (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Personio and SAP SuccessFactors share a 1.8 GPA, neither has a free plan and their prices can't be set side by side, so the choice depends on whether you care more about platforms, where Personio grades higher, or features, where SAP SuccessFactors does.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick Personio if
- Fits if you're a European company that wants HR, payroll and hiring together
- Works for teams that already use a separate shift planner
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to see a price before talking to sales
- Not for you if you want to plan shifts inside your HR tool, as that needs a partner app
- Tight if managers mostly work from their phones, as setup and most workflows need the web
- Watch out: the pages we read don't list the countries where its payroll works
- Watch out: the listing shows no performance reviews or onboarding, so ask before you buy
Pick SAP SuccessFactors if
- Fits if you run HR for a large company and want one suite from SAP
- Works for organisations already on other SAP products
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a price before a sales call, as none is published
- Too light for a price comparison, since the package contents on its pricing page could not be read
- Skip it if you are a small team, because it is built for enterprise HR
- Watch out: SAP's site refused automated page views of the pricing page
How we grade them
| 1.8GPAPersonioWeak | 1.8GPASAP SuccessFactorsWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CWe couldn't read a price: Personio's pages turned our reader away, so plans and prices aren't on record and we can't say what a ten-person company pays. With no figure to compare, it's a C. | CNo price is published, only a quote, so value cannot be graded against the category and sits in the middle. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan or trial on record. Its pages turned our reader away, so a trial may exist that we couldn't confirm. | FNo free plan and no trial on record in the listing, and a money-back guarantee would not count as one. |
| Features | CRecords and documents, time off, working hours, an approvals inbox, recruiting and payroll, with an API and webhooks. The basics are there, but the listing shows no reviews or onboarding, and shifts need a partner app. | BCore HR and payroll, recruiting, learning, talent management, an AI assistant and mobile apps. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core work, though what each package contains was not readable. |
| Ease of use | CNo App Store rating on record. The app covers absences, hours, approvals and documents, and everything else, setup included, happens on the web. | CNo store rating on record. An enterprise suite is built and configured with partners, so it is not something you start using on day one. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with a public API, webhooks and more than 200 integrations. No desktop app. | CThe listing records web only. Its features mention mobile apps, but no integrations or platforms are named. |
| Best for | European firms wanting HR and payroll together | enterprise HR suites, quote only |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Personio and SAP SuccessFactors. How we grade
Where they differ
- Personio also covers time tracking and time off.
- SAP SuccessFactors also covers payroll.
In commonWebApplicant trackingEmployee records
At a glance
| Personio | SAP SuccessFactors | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | Not published | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Personio SE & Co. KG | SAP SE |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Personio
- Prices could not be confirmed: personio.com and its help center answered with a bot check, so plans, prices and any trial are not recorded.
- It presents itself as built for Europe; the pages read do not list the countries where its payroll works.
- The mobile app covers absences, time, approvals and documents; other workflows and set-up need the web app.
- Shift planning comes through partner apps that sync with Personio, where shifts are created and changed.
SAP SuccessFactors
- No prices are published; SAP asks buyers to request a quote, so this listing has no price.
- SAP's pricing page lists Base and Premium HCM packages, but the pages read did not show their contents or costs.
- SAP's site refused automated page views of the pricing page, so package details could not be read in full.
Key features
Personio
- Employee records and documents
- One place for employee data and HR documents, which staff can open, download or share from the mobile app.
- Absences and time off
- Employees request time off and see their balance, and can check upcoming absences and team availability where the company allows it.
- Working-time tracking
- Staff record and review their hours on the web or phone, and approved times from partner apps can be sent back into Personio.
- Inbox for approvals
- Managers see open requests and tasks in one inbox and approve or decline them, including from the mobile app.
- Recruiting
- Applicants can be passed into Personio's recruiting module through its Recruiting API, alongside core HR and payroll.
- API, webhooks and marketplace
- Custom integrations read employees, attendance, absences and documents through the API, and webhooks push changes in real time.
SAP SuccessFactors
- Core HR and payroll
- Employee records and payroll processing, listed on SAP's product pages as the foundation of the suite.
- Recruiting and applicant tracking
- SmartRecruiters for SAP SuccessFactors is described as SAP's AI-powered recruiting and applicant tracking system.
- Learning
- A learning module, with SAP's learning site offering material for human capital management products.
- Talent management
- Talent management modules sit alongside core HR in the suite's product navigation.
- Joule AI assistant
- SAP says Joule Base is included with HCM Base or Premium plans at no additional cost.
- Mobile apps
- SAP lists mobile apps for the suite on its product pages.
Plans
Personio
Pricing could not be confirmed. See personio.com.
SAP SuccessFactors
Pricing could not be confirmed. See sap.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Personio or SAP SuccessFactors?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Personio has no price we could confirm, and SAP SuccessFactors has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Personio or SAP SuccessFactors?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Personio nor SAP SuccessFactors has a free plan.
Which platforms do Personio and SAP SuccessFactors run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Personio lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.