SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence vs SAP Crystal Reports comparison

The compared SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence and SAP Crystal Reports solutions aren't in the same category. SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence is ranked #6 in BIT , with an average rating of 8.3, and holds a 2.4% mindshare in the category. SAP Crystal Reports is ranked #13 in RT , with an average rating of 8.0, and holds a 2.5% mindshare. Additionally, 91% of SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 96% of SAP Crystal Reports users who would recommend it.

SAP BusinessObjects Busines...

Read 114 SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence reviews

7,875 Views
5,513 Comparison Views

91% willing to recommend

SAP Crystal Reports

Read 52 SAP Crystal Reports reviews

2,698 Views
2,239 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

SAP BusinessObjects Busines...

SAP Crystal Reports

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence and SAP Crystal Reports based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft, Salesforce, SAP and others in BI (Business Intelligence) Tools.

To learn more, read our detailed BI (Business Intelligence) Tools Report (Updated: April 2026).

Buyer's Guide

BI (Business Intelligence) Tools

April 2026

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Helped 890,027 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:

ROI

Sentiment score

5.8

SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform offers varying ROI, with potential savings and positive returns, depending on usage and implementation scale.

Sentiment score

5.7

SAP Crystal Reports greatly enhances ERP reporting and efficiency, offering ROI over 1000%, despite costly user training.

The initial investment will be more, but the ROI is also good, so they can consider it if they're looking for something in the long run.

Yashwanth H R

Associate Software Enginner at Siddaganga Institute of Technology

For most of my clients using the on-premises version of SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence Platform, the return on investment is positive due to its affordability and ability to handle diverse reporting needs while automating information distribution.

EmmanuelOladinrin

Data Analytics Manager at Dangote Industries Limited

I have seen a return on investment so far in the form of saved time and resources.

Vignesh Kannan

SAP Consultant at Sierra Digital Inc

For more quotes and insights, download the SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the SAP Crystal Reports report

Customer Service

Sentiment score

6.5

SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform support is mixed, with some praising reliability and others noting slow, complex issue handling.

Sentiment score

5.7

SAP Crystal Reports customer support is inconsistent, with mixed reviews, leading users to favor online resources and self-help solutions.

I would rate their technical support as excellent.

reviewer2706471

IT at a marketing services firm with 10,001+ employees

I have experience with SAP technical support and have supported customers, including those in financial services.

EmmanuelOladinrin

Data Analytics Manager at Dangote Industries Limited

Sometimes, they forward my ticket to the technical team, especially when my issue involves technical aspects that basis people may not be familiar with.

Vignesh Kannan

SAP Consultant at Sierra Digital Inc

For more quotes and insights, download the SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence report

I have not encountered any problems requiring assistance.

Salman Mukhtar Baig

SAP Technical Manager at VS Furniture Middle East

For more quotes and insights, download the SAP Crystal Reports report

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score

7.6

SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform is scalable and adaptable, though some report complexity issues in specific scalability scenarios.

Sentiment score

7.6

SAP Crystal Reports supports scalability and is suitable for medium to large enterprises, with room for scalability improvements.

The scalability of SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence Platform is adequate; it is very scalable and grows with my organization's needs.

TarunKumar7

Senior Data Engineer at LTI LATAM and Toubro Improtech

I rate the scalability of SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence Platform as a nine due to performance issues related to optimizing parts.

Vignesh Kannan

SAP Consultant at Sierra Digital Inc

For more quotes and insights, download the SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the SAP Crystal Reports report

Stability Issues

Sentiment score

6.9

SAP BusinessObjects is generally stable, dependable, but performance can vary with configuration, sizing, and resource management challenges.

Sentiment score

7.1

SAP Crystal Reports is stable on Windows, with Unix challenges and improved performance on specialized servers post-2011.

When they tried upgrading from 4.2 to 4.3, they found it buggy in some reports, which was quite problematic.

Declan Dempsey

Senior Consultant at Keyrus

For more quotes and insights, download the SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the SAP Crystal Reports report

Room For Improvement

SAP BusinessObjects needs better integration, improved UI, enhanced scalability, reduced licensing complexity, and improved self-service BI for broader adoption.

SAP Crystal Reports needs better visualization, modern tech integration, improved analytics, compatibility, and enhanced documentation and support.

I've worked with other tools, for example, Microsoft Power BI, which is visualization-wise very strong.

Declan Dempsey

Senior Consultant at Keyrus

SAP BusinessObjects is expected to be phased out by 2027 as reports are moving to SAP Analytics Cloud.

Mo Sayed

SAP enterpise cloud architect at ECC Experienced Certified Consulting

I would appreciate integration with Outlook as an additional feature in the future to make it closer to a perfect score.

reviewer2706471

IT at a marketing services firm with 10,001+ employees

For more quotes and insights, download the SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence report

If it is closed due to any problem, it should be able to recover where I left off, similar to Excel, which should be a feature for SAP Crystal Reports.

Salman Mukhtar Baig

SAP Technical Manager at VS Furniture Middle East

Enabling better practices and testing to enhance data accuracy and efficiency for company sectors.

MUHAMMAD_IMRAN

Inhouse SAP Business One Sr. Consultant at a retailer with 501-1,000 employees

It would be beneficial to have easier integration with Azure, Microsoft Power Platform, and similar cloud technologies.

Chamodr I'M

I'm at DTS Group

For more quotes and insights, download the SAP Crystal Reports report

Setup Cost

SAP BusinessObjects BI is costly and complex, best for large enterprises with significant data needs, compared to cheaper alternatives.

SAP Crystal Reports pricing perceptions vary; some find it costly, but discounts and volume deals can reduce expenses.

SAP BTP is an expensive solution.

Yashwanth H R

Associate Software Enginner at Siddaganga Institute of Technology

The price is very competitive and reliable.

reviewer2706471

IT at a marketing services firm with 10,001+ employees

I rate the pricing for SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence Platform as a seven or eight.

Vignesh Kannan

SAP Consultant at Sierra Digital Inc

For more quotes and insights, download the SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the SAP Crystal Reports report

Valuable Features

SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform offers dynamic scheduling, robust security, and seamless data integration, enhancing reporting efficiency and decision-making.

SAP Crystal Reports provides flexible data connectivity, custom design, and efficient reporting, enhancing decision-making and client communication.

For calculations, SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence Platform outperforms all other tools such as Power BI and Tableau, showing more accuracy, reliability, and flexibility compared to all other BI tools worldwide.

Vignesh Kannan

SAP Consultant at Sierra Digital Inc

Since we started using SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence Platform, we have been able to make faster, data-driven business decisions based on actual data insights and data analysis, which has accelerated our ability to make better decisions for our business productivity.

TarunKumar7

Senior Data Engineer at LTI LATAM and Toubro Improtech

The best feature about it for me, and for them, is the fact that you have a universe that is well made.

Declan Dempsey

Senior Consultant at Keyrus

For more quotes and insights, download the SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence report

SAP Crystal Reports has had a very positive impact and benefits. It's a powerful tool to design any kind of report if you have knowledge of the database, and it can attach to both HANA and SQL databases.

Salman Mukhtar Baig

SAP Technical Manager at VS Furniture Middle East

The efficiency gained by our organization from SAP Crystal Reports is measurable through multiple export formats such as PDF and Excel.

MUHAMMAD_IMRAN

Inhouse SAP Business One Sr. Consultant at a retailer with 501-1,000 employees

The best features SAP Crystal Reports offers are powerful data connectivity, customized report design, interactive and visual reports, import, export, sharing options, and automation and scheduling.

Chamodr I'M

I'm at DTS Group

For more quotes and insights, download the SAP Crystal Reports report

Categories and Ranking

SAP BusinessObjects Busines...

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

114

Ranking in other categories

BI (Business Intelligence) Tools (6th), Data Visualization (5th)

SAP Crystal Reports

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Reporting (13th)

Mindshare comparison

While both are Business Intelligence solutions, they serve different purposes. SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence is designed for BI (Business Intelligence) Tools and holds a mindshare of 2.4%, down 3.9% compared to last year.
SAP Crystal Reports, on the other hand, focuses on Reporting, holds 2.5% mindshare, down 2.7% since last year.

BI (Business Intelligence) Tools Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence	2.4%
Microsoft Power BI	8.0%
Tableau Enterprise	6.0%
Other	83.6%

BI (Business Intelligence) Tools

Reporting Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
SAP Crystal Reports	2.5%
Microsoft Power BI	15.3%
Tableau Enterprise	15.1%
Other	67.1%

Reporting

Featured Reviews

EmmanuelOladinrin

Data Analytics Manager at Dangote Industries Limited

Solution empowers self-service reporting and delivers comprehensive performance insights

Empowering business users means they should be able to work independently without depending on the developer. One advantage of SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence Platform is self-service capabilities, allowing users to do drag and drop to build their own reports and perform analyses without needing technical know-how.The platform has many drivers that I can use to connect to virtually all available databases, making it easy to integrate with Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, and many others. With the cloud version, I can fetch data on-premises and to the cloud for analysis easily. It is so flexible that I can make choices for fetching data. For authentication in an SAP environment, I can choose to integrate with SAP logon for SSO or use AD authentication for convenience, along with the flexible integration options.

Read full review

Salman Mukhtar Baig

SAP Technical Manager at VS Furniture Middle East

Unlock data insights with seamless integration and robust reporting features

I assess the impact of SAP Crystal Reports' dynamic parameters on the customization and flexibility of my reports as very good. Sometimes it creates a problem when it suddenly closes during work due to improper shutdowns, but most of the time it's beneficial since I can fetch the data in one report very efficiently, which is great for the company. The sub reports in SAP Crystal Reports help me enhance the depth and detail of my reports by allowing me to use multiple sets of records, especially when I have very large requirements, such as company dashboards that show what sales, purchases, productions, and HR are doing. Using sub reports as the main report is very beneficial because I can pull multiple department data into the main report. Over the years, SAP Crystal Reports has had a very positive impact and benefits. It's a powerful tool to design any kind of report if you have knowledge of the database, and it can attach to both HANA and SQL databases. I can also connect this data with Excel, which makes it a very powerful tool for me.

Read full review

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Comparison Review

it_user6663

BI Expert at a transportation company with 51-200 employees

May 25, 2013

SAP Business Objects vs. Microsoft BI

A quick look at the whole idea on another weblogs gives you a sense that all of them just talked about very brief things like report refresh feature in BO or cube feature in MS Analysis Service. I choose MS BI and I want to share my reasons and opinions on why I choose it and give you another quick…

Read full review

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

13%

Manufacturing Company

Construction Company

Computer Software Company

Financial Services Firm

13%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Outsourcing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	32
Midsize Enterprise	20
Large Enterprise	68

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	18
Midsize Enterprise	15
Large Enterprise	22

Questions from the Community

Seeking lightweight open source BI software

There are many...It would rather depend what System BI architecture or Enterprise legacy you have at your end...I would recommend as follows: 1) If you have legacies of SAP, Oracle - look for SAP...

See all answers

Tableau vs. Business Objects - Which is a better solution for visualization and analysis?

Both tools have their positives and negatives. First, I should mention that I am relatively new to Tableau. I have been working on and off Tableau for about a year, but getting to work on it consta...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence Platform?

SAP BTP is an expensive solution.

See all answers

What needs improvement with SAP Crystal Reports?

SAP Crystal Reports could be improved with more modern user-friendly interfaces and better integration with cloud platforms and AI tools. It would be beneficial to have easier integration with Azur...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for SAP Crystal Reports?

I have been using SAP Crystal Reports for six months. I am using SAP Crystal Reports to develop data-driven reports and use customer data printing. When I use SAP Crystal Reports for customer data ...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SAP Crystal Reports?

I am aware that the pricing of SAP Crystal Reports gradually changes. When I bought it last time, I don't remember the exact price, and I need to check the current price on the portal. SAP Crystal ...

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Comparisons

SAP Business Data Cloud vs SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence

Compared 24% of the time

Microsoft Power BI vs SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence

Compared 8% of the time

Tableau Enterprise vs SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence

Compared 6% of the time

Oracle OBIEE vs SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence

Compared 5% of the time

IBM Cognos vs SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence

Compared 4% of the time

More SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence Competitors

Microsoft Power BI vs SAP Crystal Reports

Compared 11% of the time

Windward Core vs SAP Crystal Reports

Compared 10% of the time

Tableau Enterprise vs SAP Crystal Reports

Compared 8% of the time

Syncfusion Report Platform vs SAP Crystal Reports

Compared 7% of the time

OZ Report vs SAP Crystal Reports

Compared 7% of the time

More SAP Crystal Reports Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence

March 2026

SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence report

Download SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence product report

Buyer's Guide

SAP Crystals

March 2026

Download SAP Crystal Reports product report

Also Known As

SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform, SAP BusinessObjects, Business Objects, SAP BusinessObjects Dashboards, SAP BusinessObjects Design Studio

No data available

Overview

SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence Platform offers powerful tools for enterprise reporting and data visualization, enhancing strategic decision-making through robust integration and secure analytics capabilities.

Designed for comprehensive enterprise reporting, SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence Platform integrates seamlessly with SAP ERP, supporting organizations in creating detailed financial, operational, and academic reports. The platform allows data manipulation across multiple sources using a semantic layer and provides intuitive tools like Web Intelligence and Lumira for user-driven report creation. It features centralized management, versatile connectors, and supports large-scale data analytics critical for business forecasting.

What are the key features of SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence Platform?

Integration Capabilities: Seamless connection with SAP ERP and various data sources.
Dynamic Scheduling: Automate report generation for timely insights.
Robust Security: Protects data with stringent security measures.
Semantic Layer: Simplifies data manipulation across sources.
Intuitive Tools: Facilitates user-driven report creation with Web Intelligence and Lumira.

What benefits should be considered in reviews?

Comprehensive Reporting: Enables detailed and accurate enterprise reports.
Decision-Making Support: Enhances strategic decisions with reliable data.
Scalability: Efficiently manages large-scale and complex data analytics.
Versatility in Analysis: Offers flexibility for ad hoc analysis and KPI monitoring.

Organizations across sectors like healthcare, education, insurance, and retail leverage SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence Platform for its capability in facilitating detailed reports and integrating dashboards for key performance indicators. Its extensive reporting features support in-depth analytics vital for business prediction and decision-making processes.

SAP

Turn information from almost any data source into a sophisticated, interactive report with SAP Crystal Reports. This powerful, user-friendly application for small businesses and departments can help you deliver key insights to the right decision maker, at the right time, in the right format.

Click here for a free trial

SAP

Sample Customers

SRAM, Kennametal, Fairfax Water, British American Tobacco, Velux, and FedEx.

City of Buenos Aires, ASR Group, Citrix, EarlySense, Usha International Limited, Automotive Resources International (ARI), LivePerson, Coelba (Grupo Neoenergia), RZD Russian Railways, National Basketball Association - NBA, TALLY WEiJL, El Machetazo, Young Heroes, Mozzart, Mitsui Knowledge Industry (MKI) , Surgutneftegas Open Joint Stock Company, The VELUX Group, AOK Bundesverband, AL-KO KOBER GROUP

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BI (Business Intelligence) Tools

April 2026

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