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Recruitment · head to head

SAP SuccessFactors vs Totara

SAP SuccessFactors logo

SAP SuccessFactors

Recruitment

Human experience management

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Totara logo

Totara

LMS

Open source learning, performance and collaboration platform derived from Moodle and sold through partners

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: SAP SuccessFactors complex configuration and customization required; Totara you cannot buy from the vendor. Every purchase runs through a partner who sets its own hosting, services and support pricing, so identical platforms are quoted at materially different totals and buyers must run a partner comparison as well as a product comparison.
  • They diverge on capability: SAP SuccessFactors covers Core HR, Totara covers Organisational hierarchies.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which SAP SuccessFactors and Totara actually diverge.

Attributes where SAP SuccessFactors and Totara differ
AttributeSAP SuccessFactorsTotara
PlatformsWeb, CloudWeb, iOS, Android, Linux
CategoryRecruitmentLMS
Founded2001Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in SAP SuccessFactors

  • Core HR
  • Payroll
  • Talent Management
  • Learning
  • Recruiting
  • Performance
  • Succession Planning
  • Analytics

Only in Totara

  • Organisational hierarchies
  • Compliance and certification
  • Totara Perform
  • Totara Engage
  • Self-hosting
  • Programs and learning plans

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

SAP SuccessFactors

No use cases recorded yet. See the SAP SuccessFactors review.

Totara

  • Health services and government bodies that must evidence mandatory training by job role across a large hierarchynot SAP SuccessFactors
  • Organisations with data residency rules that require the platform to run on their own infrastructurenot SAP SuccessFactors
  • Moodle users who need appraisal, competency and compliance features the academic product does not carrynot SAP SuccessFactors
  • Buyers who want exit rights over the platform code rather than dependence on a single hosted vendornot SAP SuccessFactors

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

SAP SuccessFactors

  • Complex configuration and customization required
  • Steep pricing for enterprise implementations
  • Implementation requires extensive project timelines

Totara

  • You cannot buy from the vendor. Every purchase runs through a partner who sets its own hosting, services and support pricing, so identical platforms are quoted at materially different totals and buyers must run a partner comparison as well as a product comparison.
  • Open source does not mean cheap. Subscription plus partner hosting plus implementation and version upgrade services commonly lands near commercial system cost, and the saving is in control and exit rights rather than in the invoice.
  • The administrative interface carries its Moodle lineage and is dense, so administrator training is a real project cost rather than an afterthought.
  • Major version upgrades are projects, especially where a partner has customised the deployment, and organisations that customise heavily find upgrades slower and dearer over time.
  • The learner facing experience is functional rather than engaging, and organisations wanting a consumer grade learning experience usually front it with something else.

Pricing, plan by plan

SAP SuccessFactors

On request
  • SuccessFactors HXM$undefined/month
    • Core HR
    • Payroll
    • Talent Management

Totara

On request
  • Totara subscription via partner$undefined/year
    • Sold only through distribution partners
    • Partner sets hosting, implementation and support pricing
    • Source available under the GPL, but subscription required for supported releases

Which should you pick?

Choose SAP SuccessFactors if

  • You need core hr.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want payroll.
SAP SuccessFactors review

Choose Totara if

  • You need organisational hierarchies.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Linux.
  • You also want compliance and certification.
Totara review

Questions people ask

Is SAP SuccessFactors or Totara better?
Neither clearly leads. SAP SuccessFactors starts at On request and Totara at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, SAP SuccessFactors or Totara?
SAP SuccessFactors starts at On request and Totara at On request.
Does SAP SuccessFactors or Totara run on more platforms?
SAP SuccessFactors runs on Web, Cloud. Totara runs on Web, iOS, Android, Linux.
What can SAP SuccessFactors do that Totara cannot?
SAP SuccessFactors covers Core HR, Payroll, Talent Management, Learning. Totara covers Organisational hierarchies, Compliance and certification, Totara Perform, Totara Engage.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

SAP SuccessFactors: What is SAP SuccessFactors used for?

SAP SuccessFactors is a cloud-based HCM solution for talent management, recruitment, learning, and onboarding. It helps organizations manage employee data, recruiting workflows, performance management, learning programs, and succession planning.

Source
Totara: Is Totara free because it is open source?

No. The source is available under the GPL, but supported releases require a subscription, and it is sold through partners who add hosting, implementation and support costs.

SAP SuccessFactors: Can SAP SuccessFactors integrate with other systems?

Yes. SAP SuccessFactors can integrate with SAP HCM S/4HANA, other SAP ERP systems, and third-party HRIS, background check providers, and sourcing tools through APIs and integration adapters.

Source
Totara: How is it different from Moodle?

Moodle is built around courses and academic delivery. Totara adds organisational hierarchies, role based automatic assignment, recurring certification and appraisal, which is what workplace compliance reporting needs.

Totara: Can we host it ourselves?

Yes. Self hosting is a genuine option and is one of the main reasons regulated and public sector buyers choose it over a hosted only competitor.

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