AWS Lake Formation vs SAP Business Data Cloud comparison

Amazon Web Services (AWS) and SAP are both solutions in the Cloud Data Warehouse category. Amazon Web Services (AWS) is ranked #10 with an average rating of 8.1, while SAP is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.3. Amazon Web Services (AWS) holds a 3.5% mindshare in CDW, compared to SAP’s 3.4% mindshare. Additionally, 85% of Amazon Web Services (AWS) users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 92% of SAP users who would recommend it.

AWS Lake Formation

Read 21 AWS Lake Formation reviews

2,398 Views
1,918 Comparison Views

85% willing to recommend

SAP Business Data Cloud

Read 121 SAP Business Data Cloud reviews

16,796 Views
1,344 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

AWS Lake Formation

SAP Business Data Cloud

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 15, 2026

AWS Lake Formation and SAP Business Data Cloud are two competing products in the field of data management solutions. SAP Business Data Cloud appears to have the upper hand due to its advanced analytics and business intelligence capabilities.

Features: AWS Lake Formation simplifies data lake creation with features like governance, security management, and seamless data integration within the AWS ecosystem. SAP Business Data Cloud provides advanced analytics, robust business intelligence tools, and comprehensive analytics capabilities that help in extracting deeper insights.

Room for Improvement:AWS Lake Formation could enhance its analytics sophistication and offer broader ecosystem integration outside AWS environments. Increasing flexibility in handling non-AWS data sources could also be beneficial. Similarly, SAP Business Data Cloud might improve in simplifying deployment processes, reducing cost barriers for smaller enterprises, and honing integration with non-SAP systems to enhance usability for diverse businesses.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service:AWS Lake Formation offers straightforward deployment for AWS users, benefitting from quick support services. Meanwhile, SAP Business Data Cloud, while having a more complex deployment process, offers exhaustive customer assistance, favoring detailed guidance throughout its setup.

Pricing and ROI:AWS Lake Formation is known for competitive pricing, offering quick ROI due to lower initial costs and efficient scalability. SAP Business Data Cloud, despite higher costs, offers potentially greater long-term ROI by providing a feature-rich environment and superior analytics, appealing to businesses focused on robust data analysis.

To learn more, read our detailed AWS Lake Formation vs. SAP Business Data Cloud Report (Updated: August 2026).

Buyer's Guide

AWS Lake Formation vs. SAP Business Data Cloud

August 2026

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Helped 909,725 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

AWS Lake Formation

Ranking in Cloud Data Warehouse

10th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

5.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

SAP Business Data Cloud

Ranking in Cloud Data Warehouse

5th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

121

Ranking in other categories

Data Integration (6th), BI (Business Intelligence) Tools (3rd), Business Performance Management (2nd), Cloud Analytics (2nd), Predictive Analytics (2nd), Data Governance (4th)

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Cloud Data Warehouse category, the mindshare of AWS Lake Formation is 3.5%, down from 5.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SAP Business Data Cloud is 3.4%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Cloud Data Warehouse Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
SAP Business Data Cloud	3.4%
AWS Lake Formation	3.5%
Other	93.1%

Cloud Data Warehouse

Featured Reviews

Ciro Baldim Guerra

Sr Analytics Engineer at Itau Unibanco S.A.

Has improved data governance by enabling clear ownership and structured access across teams

In my company, Itaú, we don't utilize all AWS offerings due to rigorous security measures. We operate approximately six to eight months behind other available services. I'm uncertain if gaps exist because of this limitation, though the system functions effectively for us. AWS Lake Formation offers column-level access control for databases, but we haven't implemented this feature either because it hasn't been approved by our compliance, governance, or security areas. In our current setup, everyone from my business unit uses the same consumer account. When access is requested for a table, everyone using that business unit account receives access. This could present a security concern, though it benefits new team members who automatically receive all necessary access permissions. However, I struggle to identify specific improvements needed in AWS Lake Formation.

Read full review

Pavlina Pankova

Competence Leader - BI at Sabris CZ s.r.o.

Brings reporting, planning, and prediction together in one seamless workflow

I think the areas of SAP Analytics Cloud that could be improved or enhanced are mentioned by users or companies, and they would definitely mention the price in terms of planning licensing. From a consulting point of view, I don't see any major weaknesses. It is reasonably well-developed, and the perfect strength is that innovations are coming on a quarterly basis. It is slightly behind other tools in terms of the number of graphical outputs. Some tools have it faster, but every increment of innovations contains new features. On the other hand, it is perfectly fitting to the SAP environment, with seamless integration to all SAP modules, not only ERP but also SuccessFactors and other tools from the SAP family, for example, integrated business planning for the production planning. This is really a highlight compared to other tools.

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

"In the shortest form, what I appreciated about AWS Lake Formation was that the schema definition and data cataloging were quite good."

"AWS Lake Formation significantly improves the structure of the data mesh, making it superior to previous structures we used."

"We have observed measurable benefits in terms of cost savings, time savings, resource savings, and efficiency improvements in our workflows."

"The features and capabilities of AWS Lake Formation that I have found most valuable are that it is really convenient to see all the different data assets that were configured and understand who has and what type of service has or does not have access to those services."

"AWS Lake Formation works hand in hand with other products."

"I can easily move data from cold storage to regular storage."

"We use AWS Lake Formation typically for the data warehouse."

"The integration of AWS Lake Formation with the IAM for authentication and authorization is very good; I didn't have any problems in the setup and thought it was simple."

More AWS Lake Formation pros

"Data integration is very good."

"It is the best business intelligence platform."

"I like the connectivity the solution provides with other products, as one can see different data sources, such as SAP ERP and the in-house hub, create a business warehouse, and import multi-dimensional data from flat files and various sources."

"It's very user-friendly and intuitive for both the management and technical team - no matter who uses it, it's not too hard to deal with."

"It is easy to integrate with SAP ERP and BW systems, allowing smooth data transfer and live connections without much development."

"The new Application Design option offers lots of customization options by being able to script in Typescript (similar to Javascript)."

"I strongly recommend this particular product because whatever I do in multiple tools, in reporting or dashboarding, for example, I carry out a planning process where everything is integrated, so I strongly recommend SAP."

"The best feature of SAP Business Data Cloud is that it's a cloud-based solution, making it software as a service, and we save on the BODS license and avoid the costs associated with the Enterprise HANA 48 terabyte box while easily storing petabytes of data for significant cost savings going forward."

More SAP Business Data Cloud pros

Cons

"Information about the pricing, cost, and setup cost of the AWS solutions would be beneficial."

"In our current setup, everyone from my business unit uses the same consumer account. When access is requested for a table, everyone using that business unit account receives access. This could present a security concern, though it benefits new team members who automatically receive all necessary access permissions."

"Lake Formation could enhance its capabilities in audit logs, real-time monitoring, and advanced data governance."

"I haven't seen any measurable benefits from using AWS Lake Formation, such as time saving, resource saving, or efficiency improvements."

"The solution could make improvements around orchestration and doing some automation stuff on AWS front automation. It would be useful if we could use automation to build images and use hardened images which are CIS compliant."

"For the end-users, it's not as user-friendly as it could be."

"I would appreciate online support, which I don't have access to in my corporation at the bank, so that is important."

"There are areas that could be improved in AWS Lake Formation, and functionality that could be included in future releases."

More AWS Lake Formation cons

"I think it would be easier if there was another module created to retrieve only data."

"I would say it is 80 to 90% accurate and reliable, but still, I do not feel satisfied."

"Although it might be too early to assess fully, I have seen some return on investment so far."

"The technology used by the tool is old, making it an area where improvements are required."

"SAP Business Data Cloud is a new tool, and we need much more time to use its full capability and understand the advantages and disadvantages."

"SAP has always had one problem with its products, they make them very closed systems that are difficult to integrate."

"An additional feature that needs to be added to SAP Analytics Cloud is exporting because right now, you can only export to PDF and PowerPoint. It would be good to have multiple export options, for example, to Excel and other apps. Pricing is an area for improvement in SAP Analytics Cloud, apart from exporting."

"There are significant hindrances in the reliability area of SAP Business Data Cloud related to connections. On one project, we created two to three connections for each module; however, when we moved from the development phase to the UAT or quality check phase, we found that our connections had expired, which meant redevelopment work, loss of time and money, and we also lost the trust of the customer."

More SAP Business Data Cloud cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"AWS Lake Formation is a bit expensive."

"SAP Analytics can be very costly to license, which can make it difficult for organizations to implement."

"Its licensing is on a monthly basis."

"It is an expensive solution."

"The platform is about 50% more expensive than Power BI."

"It is a bit expensive, but really worth it, especially if you are already using other SAP tools."

"This solution is pricey."

"Compute and storage features should be sold separately."

"I don't have the exact price for SAP Analytics Cloud, but it could be improved and made cheaper, especially when compared to Power BI."

More SAP Business Data Cloud pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

19%

Construction Company

Outsourcing Company

Manufacturing Company

Media Company

15%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Outsourcing Company

10%

Construction Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	3
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	15

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	47
Midsize Enterprise	21
Large Enterprise	77

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for AWS Lake Formation?

I don't understand much about the pricing of AWS Lake Formation, but I know how to search for the cost of Glue jobs, and I use the calculator in Amazon. I use a tool to preview the cost based on th...

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What needs improvement with AWS Lake Formation?

Regarding areas of AWS Lake Formation that could be improved or enhanced, I prefer not to answer, mainly because I do not believe that I would be the most valuable person to ask, as I have not used...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for AWS Lake Formation?

My usual use cases for AWS Lake Formation involved securing and governing the data resources that we configured in AWS, but we did not use the analytics or machine learning capabilities specificall...

See all answers

Which would you choose - Tableau or SAP Analytics Cloud?

Tableau is easy to set up and maintain. In about a day it is possible for the entire platform to be deployed for use. This relatively short amount of time can make all the difference for companies ...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SAP Analytics Cloud?

I normally do not deal with the commercials, so I am not aware of the pricing part of it.

See all answers

What needs improvement with SAP Analytics Cloud?

See all answers

Comparisons

Amazon Redshift vs AWS Lake Formation

Compared 13% of the time

Snowflake vs AWS Lake Formation

Compared 10% of the time

Databricks vs AWS Lake Formation

Compared 9% of the time

Azure Data Factory vs AWS Lake Formation

Compared 9% of the time

BigQuery vs AWS Lake Formation

Compared 8% of the time

More AWS Lake Formation Competitors

SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence vs SAP Business Data Cloud

Compared 17% of the time

Microsoft Power BI vs SAP Business Data Cloud

Compared 3% of the time

Tableau Enterprise vs SAP Business Data Cloud

Compared 3% of the time

Databricks vs SAP Business Data Cloud

Compared 3% of the time

Anaplan vs SAP Business Data Cloud

Compared 3% of the time

More SAP Business Data Cloud Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

AWS Lake Formation

August 2026

Download AWS Lake Formation product report

Buyer's Guide

SAP Business Data Cloud

July 2026

Download SAP Business Data Cloud product report

Also Known As

No data available

SAP Analytics Cloud, SAP Digital Boardroom, SAP Analytics Hub

Overview

AWS Lake Formation streamlines data lake organization by integrating seamlessly with AWS services, ensuring robust access control, and facilitating effective data management. Its extensible framework and centralized data handling make it ideal for cloud environments that require scalability.

AWS Lake Formation offers comprehensive data synchronization with AWS, robust security through fine-grained policies, and seamless team collaboration tools. It centralizes data assets, supports analytics with Glue, and enhances data mesh structures. Its IAM integration supports efficient governance, with reliable data storage and retrieval backed by extensive documentation. While highly efficient within AWS ecosystems, Lake Formation faces integration challenges with third-party libraries, and users experience clutter in its interface. Aspects such as automation, policy management, and debugging are areas for improvement. Enhancements in orchestration, cross-account sharing, and integrations with services like SageMaker are user recommendations.

What are the key features of AWS Lake Formation?

Data Synchronization: Integrates with AWS services for seamless data management.
Security Policies: Implements fine-grained access control for secure data handling.
Team Collaboration: Facilitates cooperation through centralized data management.
Analytics Support: Enhances data processing with Glue integration.
Extensibility: IAM integration allows scalable governance.

What benefits or ROI can users expect?

Scalability: Efficiently manages expanding data volumes.
Cost Efficiency: Reduces cloud data management expenses.
Data Security: Ensures compliance with robust policies.
Comprehensive Support: Access to detailed documentation and AWS resources.

Organizations utilize AWS Lake Formation across various industries to build and manage data lakes, ensuring effective data governance and storage solutions. It helps integrate and transform data, control permissions, and support analytics. From e-commerce to healthcare, AWS Lake Formation delivers centralized data repositories for structured and unstructured data, securing information while providing scalable infrastructure and efficient resource management.

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

SAP Business Data Cloud (SAP BDC) is a unified, intelligent data platform — part of the SAP Business AI Platform — that governs SAP and third-party data through a business data fabric. As an evolution of our industry-leading data, analytics and planning solutions, Business Data Cloud brings together Datasphere, Analytics Cloud, and Business Warehouse with a unified experience that delivers transformational insights across all lines of business. By harmonizing mission-critical data with the business processes and logic that give it meaning, SAP BDC delivers a trusted foundation for analytics and AI, empowering data teams and business leaders to make faster, more confident decisions.

What are the most important features of SAP Business Data Cloud?

Unified Data Connectivity: Native integration with SAP applications and third-party sources, eliminating data silos
Business-ready data products: Fully managed SAP data products across all business processes, providing immediate access to high-quality, trusted data
Semantic Data Modeling: A business semantic layer ensures data is translated into consistent, business context across the enterprise
End-to-End Data Governance: Built-in lineage tracking, data quality management, access controls, and compliance support
AI-Assisted Analytics and Planning: Go from insights to action instantly with planning and analytics together in one solution
Open Data Architecture: Enable secure and seamless, zero-copy sharing of semantically rich SAP data into existing data platform environments

What benefits or ROI should users look for in SAP Business Data Cloud?

Accelerated Time to Insight: Less time cleaning and validating data means more time analyzing and acting
Reduced Data Management Costs: One platform replaces multiple point solutions, lowering licensing and IT overhead
Improved Data Trust and Quality: Embedded governance reduces the risk of decisions made on inaccurate or inconsistent data
Faster Compliance and Auditability: Built-in lineage and access controls streamline regulatory reporting and audit preparation
Enhanced Business Agility: Real-time data and self-service analytics help teams respond quickly without relying on IT
Maximized SAP Investment Value: Makes existing SAP transactional data fully accessible and analytics-ready
AI Readiness: A clean, governed data foundation accelerates confident AI and ML adoption across the business

SAP Business Data Cloud is a key component of SAP's vision for the autonomous enterprise. By unifying data connectivity, governance, semantic modeling, and analytics in a single cloud-native platform, SAP BDC eliminates fragmentation and complexity — serving as the connective tissue that ties your entire enterprise together and positioning organizations for long-term success in an AI-driven world.

SAP

Sample Customers

bp, Cerner, Expedia, Finra, HESS, intuit, Kellog's, Philips, TIME, workday

Ericsson, Vodafone, Google, Team Liquid, Ryder Cup, Accenture

Buyer's Guide

AWS Lake Formation vs. SAP Business Data Cloud

August 2026

Free Report: AWS Lake Formation vs. SAP Business Data Cloud

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