Soon vs UKG (formerly Kronos)
UKG Pro WFM is a deep enterprise suite that takes months of consulting to stand up. Soon gets a scheduling-led team live in under a day. And if you are on Workforce Central, the old Kronos flagship, its retirement in March 2027 forces a decision either way. Here is an honest look at which tool fits which job.
| Feature | Soon | UKG (Kronos) |
|---|---|---|
| Time to go live | Under 1 day, self-serve | Months with implementation partners; full enterprise rollouts often run 6 to 15 months |
| Auto-scheduling | AI-powered, generates in seconds | Rule-based engine, powerful once configured |
| User experience | Modern, intuitive interface | Capable but dense; steep learning curve for admins |
| Pricing transparency | Published on the website: $4 to $16 per user per month | Quote-based; analyst estimates commonly land at $18 to $60+ per employee per month |
| Mobile experience | PWA, works on any device, nothing to install | Native app, features depend on suite configuration |
| Implementation cost | Self-serve, no consulting fees | Services commonly estimated at 40 to 70 percent of first-year software fees |
| Employee self-service | Full: swaps, preferences, time-off | Available but complex to configure |
| AI assistant | Natural language scheduling commands, included on the Scale plan | Bryte AI, rolling out across suite modules |
| Integrations | Slack, Teams, Google and Outlook calendar sync, REST API | Large marketplace, connector-led and partner-configured |
| Contract flexibility | Monthly billing, cancel anytime | Multi-year contracts typical |
| Compliance engine | Working time and contract rules enforced during scheduling | Deeper: certified payroll compliance, union rules, audit trails |
| Payroll integration | Export-ready, growing integrations | Native payroll inside the same suite |
On Workforce Central? The clock is running.
UKG is retiring Workforce Central, the old Kronos flagship. Cloud-hosted support ended on December 31, 2025, and on-premises support ends on March 31, 2027, while the sanctioned migration to Pro WFM is a six-to-fifteen-month rebuild. Our guide to replacing Workforce Central walks through all three real options, with the cost math for your headcount.
The verdict
Soon is the scheduling-first alternative to UKG for teams of 10 to 1,000+ that want to go live in a day instead of a multi-month implementation, with published pricing and a schedule your team will actually use. UKG remains the right call when payroll, time, HR, and compliance must live in one enterprise suite from one vendor. If you are on Workforce Central, the March 2027 end of support forces a decision either way. The Workforce Central replacement guide above walks through all three paths, including the two that do not involve Soon.
Try Soon FreeFrequently asked questions
What is happening to UKG Workforce Central?
UKG is retiring Workforce Central, the old Kronos flagship. Support for cloud-hosted deployments ended on December 31, 2025, and support for on-premises deployments ends on March 31, 2027. UKG's recommended path is a migration to UKG Pro WFM, which implementation partners describe as a rebuild rather than an upgrade: new configuration, new integrations, and retraining, typically taking six months to well over a year. Customers therefore have three real options: rebuild on Pro WFM, move to another enterprise suite, or keep their system of record and move scheduling to a dedicated tool.
Why choose Soon over UKG?
Soon is faster to implement (under 1 day versus months), easier for schedulers and employees to use, and transparent on pricing. It is ideal for teams that need serious scheduling, forecasting, and intraday coverage without buying and configuring a full HCM suite.
Can Soon handle enterprise-scale teams?
Yes. Soon handles teams from 10 to 1,000+ employees across multiple locations, with SAML single sign-on via Microsoft Entra ID, Okta, and Google Workspace on the Enterprise plan. The architecture scales without additional infrastructure.
Does Soon support compliance features like UKG?
Soon enforces working time rules, contract hours, rest period requirements, and certification matching automatically while schedules are generated. UKG's compliance stack goes deeper into certified payroll, union rule libraries, and audit trails. If compliance for you means scheduling rules, Soon covers it; if it means payroll-grade compliance across the whole employee lifecycle, UKG is built for that.
Is migration from UKG or Workforce Central difficult?
Soon provides CSV import for employee data and schedules. Most teams complete migration in a single day, and our team will set up your schedule from an export at no charge. Your team structure, shift templates, and employee data carry over cleanly.
What does UKG offer that Soon does not?
UKG is a full HCM suite with deep payroll, time and attendance hardware, and HR modules. If you need a single vendor for everything from hiring to retirement, UKG covers more ground. If your primary need is scheduling, Soon does it better and faster.
How does pricing compare?
Soon publishes pricing on the website: $4 to $16 per user per month depending on plan, billed yearly, with no implementation fees. UKG pricing is quote-based; analyst estimates commonly land between $18 and $60+ per employee per month, plus implementation services often estimated at 40 to 70 percent of first-year software fees. For most scheduling-led teams, Soon costs a fraction of a UKG deployment.
Can I use Soon alongside UKG?
Yes, and many teams should. Keep UKG as the system of record for payroll, time, and HR, and run day-to-day scheduling in Soon for the departments that need it. Soon exports schedule data in formats compatible with most payroll systems, and single sign-on keeps access simple. This is often the fastest way for one site or department to fix scheduling without a suite-wide project.
What kind of support does Soon offer vs UKG?
Soon offers direct support with fast response times, a comprehensive help center, and in-app guidance. UKG support is tiered, and complex configuration questions often route through implementation partners.
More comparisons
Need the wider field? Read our guides to the best employee scheduling software and best AI shift scheduling software.
How does the switching process work?
Switch from UKG (Kronos) to Soon with confidence.
There are multiple ways to move from UKG (Kronos) to Soon. You can transition at your own pace, or reach out so we can help with your migration.
- 01
Create your Soon workspace
Sign up and create your first team. It takes less than two minutes and no credit card is needed.
- 02
Import your team
Add your employees manually or import them from a CSV file. Set roles, skills, and contract hours.
- 03
Set your scheduling rules
Define shift templates, coverage requirements, rest period rules, and any constraints your team needs.
- 04
Run a pilot alongside your current tool(optional)
Most teams run a 1 to 2 week pilot with one team before rolling out to the full organization.
- 05
Go live
Publish your first schedule and invite your team. Our support team is available if you need help along the way.
Your next schedule could take 2 minutes.
Import your team, set your rules, hit auto-fill. Most teams are live the same day.
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