SAP Business ByDesign vs SAP ERP vs SAP S/4HANA Cloud comparison

The compared SAP Business ByDesign and SAP ERP solutions aren't in the same category. SAP Business ByDesign is ranked #6 in CE , with an average rating of 8.5, and holds a 7.5% mindshare in the category. SAP ERP is ranked #2 in ERP , with an average rating of 7.9, and holds a 17.2% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of SAP Business ByDesign users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 87% of SAP ERP users who would recommend it.

SAP Business ByDesign

Read 16 SAP Business ByDesign reviews

957 Views
555 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

SAP ERP

Read 107 SAP ERP reviews

12,769 Views
10,854 Comparison Views

87% willing to recommend

SAP S/4HANA Cloud

Read 55 SAP S/4HANA Cloud reviews

2,426 Views
1,237 Comparison Views

89% willing to recommend

SAP Business ByDesign

SAP ERP

SAP S/4HANA Cloud

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between SAP Business ByDesign, SAP ERP, and SAP S/4HANA Cloud based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Oracle, NetSuite, SAP and others in Cloud ERP.

To learn more, read our detailed Cloud ERP Report (Updated: August 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Cloud ERP

August 2025

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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:

Mindshare comparison

Cloud ERP Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
SAP Business ByDesign	7.5%
Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP	20.6%
NetSuite ERP	18.6%
Other	53.3%

Cloud ERP

ERP Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
SAP ERP	17.2%
SAP S/4HANA	9.6%
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central	6.5%
Other	66.7%

ERP

Cloud ERP Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
SAP S/4HANA Cloud	15.2%
Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP	20.6%
NetSuite ERP	18.6%
Other	45.6%

Cloud ERP

Featured Reviews

Majid-Mustafa

Senior SAP Technical Consultant at Tallimax Consultancy

Provides custom versions of reports personalized for users

For AI initiatives, you need to purchase a separate AI license to integrate with SAP Business ByDesign. I'd recommend SAP Business ByDesign for large companies that want to check data graphically, especially for monthly income, expenses, and taxes in the millions or trillions. Overall, for large-scale companies, I'd rate it ten out of ten.

Read full review

Achmad Dimyati

IT Service Management Team Lead at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees

Long-term adaptation and evolution meets changing technology trends

SAP ERP is not really real-time. We use the HANA database which is supposed to be memory data in memory, but we are still not very happy. It is supposed to be real-time and come very quickly, but in reality, it still takes time to run. That is why we use BW of SAP, Business Objects, and now we have moved to the Analytic Cloud where we start using predictive AI. SAP recently implemented Databricks, and they started investing significantly in the analytic environment. SAP ERP has been left behind as they moved to S/4HANA with the HANA database. They restructured the whole table structure of SAP ERP, introduced simple finance, simple logistics, and moved HR to SuccessFactors. They have the BTP layer where they manage everything from integration to master data management. The challenge with SAP is that they move very fast to different products and buy different products. It requires significant investment and many skills to catch up because all of these have different sets of technology. The fundamental has changed differently. It is not monolithic anymore but different products under one name, SAP. You have to buy it model by model for additional models. Products such as SuccessFactors, Ariba for procure to pay, Concur for travel, and Facility Management use totally different technology. They try to integrate with each other, but it remains a challenge for SAP to make them have the same management, technology, and operational approach.

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Ramesh Pampana

Manager, SAP Practice at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Extensive real-time analytics and superior support enhance decision making but continued product evolution impacts existing investments

Improvement is needed, and they need to slow down. When I say slow down, they need to do more validation. Things are going rapidly and changing fast. For example, they moved from SAP SRM product to SAP CLM. They bought IBM CLM and marketed it as SAP CLM. Shortly after, they bought SAP Ariba and discontinued the SAP CLM product. Now they state that SAP SRM is outdated and has reached sunset. The challenge is that if a customer has already deployed the entire solution on-premises, it becomes difficult to immediately convert to the new product and manage new license costs. From a consulting perspective, it appears that SAP's biggest competitor is itself, as they sometimes discontinue their own products to promote new ones.

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

"The standard system is stable."

"When comparing SAP Business ByDesign to much larger ERP solutions, such as SAP ECC 6.0 or SAP S/4HANA, SAP Business ByDesign is more user-friendly and easier to implement."

"It has a quick implementation and onboarding of users. It is flexible with reports and powerful."

"The most valuable feature is the feature called Financial Closing Cockpit. This feature allows us to monitor our accounting and processing closely."

"I find the tool’s every feature valuable."

"I have found the consolidation of the business and group reports very useful. There is plenty of features and the manufacturing and finance aspect of the solution are strong."

"I like the tool’s customization."

"ByDesign's best features are its speed, real-time data, and reporting."

More SAP Business ByDesign pros

"The most valuable features of SAP ERP are its stability, industry-specific package, and adaptable configuration."

"ERP can help manage all enterprise resources. It brings them together and provides some analytical data to inform management decisions."

"The solution is very mature."

"It has been quite stable so far."

"The most valuable features of SAP ERP are that its robust, user-friendly, and secure."

"The product’s most valuable feature is a centralized system integrating different departments within the organization."

"The most valuable features are that it's very customizable and it's flexible."

"I like that SAP ERP is very robust and stable."

More SAP ERP pros

"The most valuable features of SAP S/4HANA Cloud are the ease of use from the cloud, CapEx analysis report, and everything being connected together well."

"Speed has improved and getting analytical reports has been simplified."

"The manufacturing area is a good feature."

"SAP S_4HANA Cloud has OLTP and OLAP together in the same system."

"The integration between SAP EWM and S4HANA Cloud is seamless."

"SAP S/4HANA Cloud provides easy database access."

"With the newer update, there are more funnels as well as ample opportunity to customize the solution. With the SAP Optimizer, companies are using about five to ten percent of the product as-is while the other ninety to ninety five percent is customized to automate and standardize processes."

"S4HANA Cloud is reliable and accurate. Our existing team also has expertise in SAP, so it was simple to migrate to the cloud solution. S4HANA Cloud has advantages because we don't need to maintain the infrastructure, and there aren't any huge upfront costs."

More SAP S/4HANA Cloud pros

Cons

"Scalability is difficult."

"The Purchase to Pay process could benefit from further sophistication and additional functionality. It would be helpful for the user community to receive clearer information about the future roadmap of the business. Unfortunately, there were some confusing articles in the German press towards the end of last year about the future of SAP Business ByDesign. Therefore, more clarity is needed in the support function to address this."

"One disadvantage was that we had the legacy system, SAP Business One, and we could not migrate our data to SAP Business ByDesign. They should have provided a migration path."

"The database needs to be more customizable."

"There is room for improvement in the reporting capability. To use it properly, you need intensive IT support. You cannot write your own reports."

"I would say budget controlling needs improvement. I mention this because it does not have all the functionalities that we need in terms of managing the budget."

"I would like the tool’s interface to be better. Currently, we use a client application to access the product. I want that to be replaced with a web version. I would like to improve the tool’s internet availability. I also want the product’s setup to be easier."

"The Arabic localization is neglected. It should have an Arabic interface. It lacks Arabic translation or support from right to left."

More SAP Business ByDesign cons

"I believe there's room for improvement in terms of user experience."

"Poor ergonomics."

"The initial setup of SAP ERP is complex and it took a lot of time."

"Small and medium companies can struggle with the pricing."

"There should be better support provided to be able to migrate to S/4HANA easier."

"The integration with others application could be easier. There are many different features that this solution offers which could be easier to implement."

"The reporting could be improved, such as the casework, production, and activity reports. Our consultants in a subsidiary enterprise have requested that we develop a new production report. They could also improve production, financial, and HR analysis."

"Its user interface should be improved."

More SAP ERP cons

"It's a huge software, and they need to make it look less complex and more user friendly. They need to work on user stories and user experiences."

"The initial setup can be complex, depending on the environment."

"SAP promotes the cloud, but customers are worried about the security of their data. SAP suggests they have SAP S4HANA with RISE, which is a private cloud environment, but it is difficult to sell many of the customers on the cloud concept because of the privacy issues."

"Analytics could be improved."

"The proposition by SAP does not match the value realization."

"The system is very heavy and requires a lot of resources and a dedicated team. It is costly to maintain, demanding trained professionals, which adds to the expenses."

"The product can be improved by including a module for after-sales service modules."

"One thing that could be better in SAP S/4HANA Cloud, especially in the public cloud, is how easily you can make changes."

More SAP S/4HANA Cloud cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing depends on company size. It's cheaper for small companies and more expensive for large ones."

"The cost starts anywhere between fifty thousand dollars and up depending on the number of licenses."

"The tool’s subscription is yearly. There is no flat pricing involved and everything has a range. Pricing depends on the functionality that you would use. You need to also pay for the additional hosting and maintenance costs."

"I rate the price of SAP Business ByDesign a seven out of ten."

"The price of SAP Business ByDesign is less expensive than SAP S/4HANA. However, the price is on par with other similar competitors, such as Microsoft."

"The tool’s pricing is expensive."

"The price of the solution could be better. They have to come up with a new strategy."

"Everything is included in the licensing cost of the solution. However, they use a per-user model for additional charges."

More SAP Business ByDesign pricing and cost advice

"I rate SAP ERP's pricing a six or seven out of ten."

"This is a costly product."

"The licensing costs are slightly on the higher side. They need to make it more competitive."

"When we talk about pricing it is expensive. On a scale of one to ten, it would rank a two. There are no additional fees but the user licenses are high."

"The solution is expensive so I rate cost a five out of ten."

"The product has high pricing."

"SAP ERP is an expensive tool."

"It could always be cheaper. They don't have a very easy model of licensing, but large entities would get the upper hand in negotiating the license."

More SAP ERP pricing and cost advice

"S/4HANA is an enterprise solution that many can't afford. You must invest a lot to get the most out of it. It isn't cheap. I rate the price seven out of 10."

"The license for S/4HANA is expensive, and the licensing structure is hard to understand. The admin license is something like 500 euros per user. Other ERP solutions allowed you to pick only the modules you need. The SAP ECC version requires you to take all the modules even if you are not using them."

"The price of SAP S/4HANA Cloud is expensive. However, the benefits are good. We did not purchase any upgrades."

"On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing a seven out of ten."

"I don't remember the specifics about the licensing, but it's scaled and modular. You pay for what you use. It's not a one-size-fits-all license. You have a license for every single module. It's similar to Oracle."

"It's very expensive."

"The solution is affordable."

"The solution's costs have significantly increased, and we have not seen any anticipated cost savings."

More SAP S/4HANA Cloud pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

22%

Healthcare Company

Manufacturing Company

Real Estate/Law Firm

Manufacturing Company

14%

Computer Software Company

11%

Retailer

University

Computer Software Company

16%

Manufacturing Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

Healthcare Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	7
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	5

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	31
Midsize Enterprise	30
Large Enterprise	76

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	24
Midsize Enterprise	8
Large Enterprise	29

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about SAP Business ByDesign?

The most valuable features of SAP Business ByDesign are customer invoicing and cost and revenue, from which I get the...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SAP Business ByDesign?

The price is high, as every year SAP increases the price by 3.5%.

See all answers

What needs improvement with SAP Business ByDesign?

We received a few complaints about the slowness in SAP Business ByDesign last year, so I think SAP can focus on impro...

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Is Anaplan better than SAP ERP?

There are different aspects of both Anaplan and SAP ERP that I like and dislike. Anaplan improves forecast accuracy a...

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What do you like most about SAP ERP?

The solution has made the most significant impact on our human resources function, specifically in HR operations and ...

See all answers

What needs improvement with SAP ERP?

SAP ERP is fine as it is at the moment. It is difficult to comment on improvements for this version. I know HANA has ...

See all answers

What do you like most about SAP S/4HANA Cloud?

The manufacturing area is a good feature.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SAP S/4HANA Cloud?

SAP S/4HANA Cloud is very expensive, both to purchase and maintain. It's important to evaluate the costs of recruitin...

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What needs improvement with SAP S/4HANA Cloud?

While SAP S/4HANA Cloud offers numerous functional benefits and powerful integration capabilities, there remain certa...

See all answers

Comparisons

SAP S/4HANA vs SAP Business ByDesign

Compared 26% of the time

Microsoft Dynamics AX vs SAP Business ByDesign

Compared 10% of the time

Infor LX vs SAP Business ByDesign

Compared 10% of the time

More SAP Business ByDesign Competitors

Infor M3 vs SAP ERP

Compared 12% of the time

Microsoft Dynamics AX vs SAP ERP

Compared 11% of the time

Infor LN vs SAP ERP

Compared 10% of the time

SAP S/4HANA vs SAP ERP

Compared 10% of the time

Anaplan vs SAP ERP

Compared 10% of the time

More SAP ERP Competitors

Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP vs SAP S/4HANA Cloud

Compared 22% of the time

SAP Business One vs SAP S/4HANA Cloud

Compared 12% of the time

Oracle E-Business Suite vs SAP S/4HANA Cloud

Compared 11% of the time

NetSuite ERP vs SAP S/4HANA Cloud

Compared 8% of the time

IFS Cloud Platform vs SAP S/4HANA Cloud

Compared 7% of the time

More SAP S/4HANA Cloud Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

SAP Business ByDesign

August 2025

Download SAP Business ByDesign product report

Buyer's Guide

SAP ERP

August 2025

Download SAP ERP product report

Buyer's Guide

SAP S/4HANA Cloud

August 2025

Download SAP S/4HANA Cloud product report

Also Known As

No data available

SAP S4HANA Cloud

Overview

SAP Business ByDesign is a cloud-based business management software that supports everything from finance to CRM – and is available anytime, anywhere, on almost any device. It helps medium-sized businesses seize new opportunities and accelerate growth – and it helps subsidiaries take advantage of head office resources, while keeping their flexibility.

Streamline end-to-end processes and maximize efficiency across your organization
Gain timely business insights with integrated analytics and reporting powered by SAP HANA
Manage your business from anywhere, at any time, with built-in mobile apps
Rely on highly secure data centers that are managed, monitored, and maintained by SAP experts

SAP

SAP ERP addresses the core business software requirements of midsize and large organizations in all industries and sectors. SAP ERP includes four individual solutions that support key areas of enterprise resource planning: human capital management, financials, operations, corporate services.

SAP

SAP S/4HANA stands for SAP Suite 4 HANA. It is a next-generation integrated enterprise resource planning (ERP) software that is designed for businesses of all sizes, in all industries, that require deep and broad functionality combined with a high degree of flexibility. SAP S/4HANA was launched in 2015 and been adopted by more than 3,200 customers over a period of sixteen months. SAP S/4HANA is materially different from anything SAP has done before and represents the company’s biggest innovation since SAP R/3.

SAP S/4HANA is intended to provide a digital core for an organization. It is fully architected for the most advanced in-memory platform, SAP HANA, and is designed on the most modern design principles with the SAP Fiori user experience to create a personalized and simple feel on users’ device of choice (tablet, laptop, mobile). SAP S/4HANA aims to simplify an organizations’ system landscape and reduce total cost of ownership by shrinking the data footprint while at the same time improving productivity levels in the form of higher throughput. Timelines for cloud deployments average around six months.

SAP S/4HANA is designed to drive business innovation by connecting people, devices, and business networks in real time to support the development of new business models. It will also help accelerate the adoption of, and connection to, the Internet of Things and Big Data. SAP S/4HANA can analyze big data at unprecedented speed allowing users to access real-time information from anywhere, any way they’d like and thus help managers make truly insightful decisions. The simplified data model allows customers to reimagine their IT, helping to drive lower costs and deliver IT efficiency. This, coupled with the SAP S/4HANA prediction and simulation capabilities allow it to anticipate the impact of business outcomes. By doing all the above, SAP S/4HANA aims to provide ultimate sophistication in the simplest possible manner.

To learn more about SAP S/4HANA, visit http://go.sap.com/product/enterprise-management/s4hana-erp.html

SAP

Sample Customers

Standard Bank of South Africa, AOK Bundesverband, PT XL Axiata Tbk, Tvoy Dom, Schaidt Innovations GmbH & Co. KG, DeLaval International AB, EMC Corporation, Lenovo, Castle Importing Inc., Unilever, Rifle Paper Co., RAK Ceramics, Rough Country, B&G Manufacturing, Life is good Inc., Joy Global Inc., City of Cape Town

B&G Manufacturing, Unilever, Life is good Inc., Joy Global Inc., City of Cape Town, Bhopal Municipal, Corporation (BMC), adidas Group, Butcher & Packer Supply Company, Franklin Valve L.P., Evoshield, Prime Meats, a Norsan Group company, EMC Corporation, Varian Medical Systems Inc., FC Bayern Mªnchen AG, AkzoNobel Chemicals B.V., T¾V Rheinland, Pacific Drilling S.A., Fire & Rescue New South Wales, University of Amsterdam, Pa_alon S.A.

La Trobe University, Carrefour Comércio e Indústria Ltda, Delaware Consulting and Corning Inc.

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