SAP Business ByDesign vs SAP ERP comparison

Why PeerSpot?

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 8.0, and holds a 3.7% mindshare in the category. SAP ERP is ranked #2 in ERP , with an average rating of 9.0, and holds a 9.0% 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

1,593 Views
972 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

SAP ERP

Read 109 SAP ERP reviews

17,894 Views
16,284 Comparison Views

87% willing to recommend

SAP Business ByDesign

SAP ERP

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between SAP Business ByDesign and SAP ERP 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: September 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Cloud ERP

September 2026

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Helped 917,433 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

SAP Business ByDesign

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Cloud ERP (6th)

SAP ERP

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.2

Number of Reviews

109

Ranking in other categories

ERP (2nd)

Mindshare comparison

While both are Enterprise Resource Planning solutions, they serve different purposes. SAP Business ByDesign is designed for Cloud ERP and holds a mindshare of 3.7%, down 7.4% compared to last year.
SAP ERP, on the other hand, focuses on ERP, holds 9.0% mindshare, down 16.1% since last year.

Cloud ERP Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
SAP Business ByDesign	3.7%
Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP	21.3%
NetSuite ERP	21.1%
Other	53.9%

Cloud ERP

ERP Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
SAP ERP	9.0%
SAP S/4HANA	6.2%
Oracle E-Business Suite	4.1%
Other	80.7%

ERP

Featured Reviews

Manoj Sahoo

Divisional Manager IT at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Valuable features enhance sales and service capabilities while performance improvements are needed

We received a few complaints about the slowness in SAP Business ByDesign last year, so I think SAP can focus on improving performance, particularly when it becomes slow during data saving and handling. My feedback about the modular architecture and customized features of SAP Business ByDesign is that it is only good, but we have not explored much on this one. The initial setup for SAP Business ByDesign was complex. 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.

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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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"It could be used for any financial use case; production companies can use it, wholesale distributors can use it, and any professional services company can use it."

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

"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."

"The most valuable features of SAP Business ByDesign are customer invoicing and cost and revenue, from which I get the data for my project reports."

"The most helpful feature is the integrations. Integrating the tool with SAP S/4HANA Cloud is easy, facilitating implementation and deployment. The runtime analysis checks for real-time analytics to see if the software works properly. This is a powerful feature."

"When we were using it, we did see an immediate benefit, especially in the inventory on consignment issue. We were a biotech pre-revenue company and most of our manufacturing was outsourced. So being able to track inventory within the system without creating a financial impact was very key for us."

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

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

More SAP Business ByDesign pros

"The capacity planning, which is useful to see what has been planned and the time that is needed, is also easy to shift and provides one overview."

"SAP ERP provides business efficiency to the basic business functions of finance, inventory, production, customer service, and sales all in one database."

"The solution is quite scalable."

"SAP is a very process controlled application; it does not allow users to manage the data, and once the initial process is set, it works smoothly."

"SAP ERP provides the perfect database and options for additional production. It's also good for finance analytics, production drill-down, and other types of analysis."

"The stability and performance are good."

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

"The solution has many valuable features: the procurement and payment processing aspects are very helpful, the product launch capabilities and plans for builds are very good, and when compared to, for example, Oracle, this solution is much, much bigger."

More SAP ERP pros

Cons

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

"With SAP S/4HANA, you can design your release strategy and modify it to include as many people as possible, which is missing in SAP Business ByDesign."

"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."

"ByDesign could be improved by making screen modifications easier."

"The solution could improve the stability. It is approximately 60% stable."

"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."

"SAP Business ByDesign is a very vast product, but it has to be a bit more centralized. All the models need to be more centralized for a better experience."

"There might be some hurdles when integrating with SAP ECC, but integration with SAP S/4HANA Cloud is smooth."

More SAP Business ByDesign cons

"Although I have had problems with stability, so does every product."

"It is not easily integrated with outside products."

"It could always be cheaper. There is no doubt about it."

"Certain things are off-the shelf, but there are a few things that need to be developed based on client specific or unique business processes."

"Lacks sufficient technical support with slow response times."

"The user interface isn't that great."

"I'm only working on the front end with ERP's user interface, which isn't very easy for end-users. It's an old-school interface, so it's often challenging to find what you need."

"Reporting is why most companies need to acquire business intelligence add-on solutions, and when it comes to SAP ERP, they could improve the reporting graphical representation of the data."

More SAP ERP cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

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

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

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

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

"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."

"We have to pay yearly."

"The tool’s pricing is expensive."

More SAP Business ByDesign pricing and cost advice

"There is an annual subscription for the use of SAP ERP."

"This is a costly product."

"There is a one-time license that is needed to use the solution. The support is what is needed to be renewed annually."

"SAP is a bit on the costly side, but they also provide support and other things. We are paying for licenses and the use of the cloud."

"The product has high pricing."

"The on-premises licensing model comes with annual maintenance whereas the cloud-based licensing model is a yearly subscription. The tool’s pricing is normal and not expensive."

"The solution has moved from a licensing model to a rights-based, subscription model in the cloud."

"I rate the product's price a nine on a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap or affordable, and ten is really expensive. The solution is expensive."

More SAP ERP pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Outsourcing Company

13%

Construction Company

11%

Comms Service Provider

Healthcare Company

Manufacturing Company

16%

Financial Services Firm

Construction Company

Outsourcing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	8
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	5

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	31
Midsize Enterprise	31
Large Enterprise	78

Questions from the Community

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?

See all answers

What is your primary use case for SAP Business ByDesign?

Our use case for SAP Business ByDesign is our dealer team accessing their system to perform sales and service; these two functionalities are done through SAP Business ByDesign. SAP Business ByDesig...

See all answers

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 and drives up the quality of analytics. Rather than spending all of their time co...

See all answers

What needs improvement with SAP ERP?

To make the product better, I notice that deployment must improve, and so should performance; it should be faster, along with pricing.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for SAP ERP?

I have not actually used SAP ERP's analytical tools, but I leverage SAP ERP for human capital management. I am using SuccessFactors for that, and SAP ERP's real-time data insights have contributed ...

See all answers

Comparisons

SAP S/4HANA Cloud vs SAP Business ByDesign

Compared 22% of the time

Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP vs SAP Business ByDesign

Compared 13% of the time

SAP Business One vs SAP Business ByDesign

Compared 11% of the time

NetSuite ERP vs SAP Business ByDesign

Compared 10% of the time

Sage Business Cloud Enterprise Management vs SAP Business ByDesign

Compared 5% of the time

More SAP Business ByDesign Competitors

SAP S/4HANA vs SAP ERP

Compared 20% of the time

Oracle E-Business Suite vs SAP ERP

Compared 4% of the time

Microsoft Dynamics AX vs SAP ERP

Compared 4% of the time

Infor M3 vs SAP ERP

Compared 3% of the time

IFS Cloud Platform vs SAP ERP

Compared 3% of the time

More SAP ERP Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

SAP Business ByDesign

September 2026

Download SAP Business ByDesign product report

Buyer's Guide

SAP ERP

September 2026

Download SAP ERP product report

Overview

SAP Business ByDesign offers real-time integration and a streamlined design with comprehensive management of suppliers and service agents, making it ideal for financial reporting and project management.

SAP Business ByDesign is recognized for its comprehensive capabilities in financial and project management across sectors. With its Financial Closing Cockpit and real-time reporting, it integrates easily with SAP S/4HANA and offers a user-friendly approach to business process management. Challenges may exist in budget management, reporting, and user interface requiring further enhancements. Despite integration challenges, it streamlines operations in education, automotive manufacturing, and professional services.

What features are most important in SAP Business ByDesign?

Financial Closing Cockpit: Streamlines closing processes with automation.
Real-Time Integration: Ensures seamless data flow between systems.
End-to-End Process Capabilities: Supports comprehensive management activities.
Analytics and Dashboards: Provides actionable insights to drive decisions.
Customizable Interface: Allows businesses to tailor functionalities.

What benefits or ROI can users expect to find in reviews?

Streamlined Operations: Enhances efficiency without increasing user count.
Improved Real-Time Reporting: Delivers accurate and timely insights.
Comprehensive Management: Ensures effective handling of suppliers and services.
Reduced Time to Implementation: Facilitates quicker deployment.
Enhanced Performance: Boosts data-driven decision-making and accuracy.

SAP Business ByDesign is leveraged by education, automotive, and professional service industries for enhanced financial reporting and inventory management. It supports sales, service, and CRM functionalities, catering to companies looking to streamline their operations efficiently.

SAP

SAP ERP integrates modules like finance, supply chain, and material management, delivering seamless operations and real-time analytics. Its customization, scalability, and robust security make it ideal for large enterprises across different industries, enhancing decision-making and business efficiency.

SAP ERP is a comprehensive tool designed to streamline enterprise operations across finance, procurement, HR, sales, logistics, and manufacturing. Known for its adaptability and user-friendly interface, it supports real-time data analytics, crucial for informed decision-making. Its scalability ensures suitability for large organizations, while its reliable security measures protect data integrity. Despite its complexity and high initial costs, SAP ERP provides extensive customization options, aligning with specific business practices and enabling enhanced productivity. However, improvements are needed in integration with other systems and reporting features.

What are the key features of SAP ERP?

Module Integration: Seamless connectivity across finance, material management, and supply chain.
Real-Time Analytics: Provides up-to-date data for better decision-making.
Customizable Interface: Adapts to specific business needs for efficient processes.
Scalable Solution: Suitable for growing enterprises with diverse requirements.
Robust Security: Ensures data integrity with centralized measures.

What benefits or ROI should businesses look for when evaluating SAP ERP?

Improved Efficiency: Streamlined business processes enhance productivity.
Data Consistency: Centralized data supports accurate business insights.
Regulatory Compliance: Ensures adherence to industry standards.
Enhanced Decision-Making: Real-time analytics provide crucial information.
Scalability: Adaptation to growing business demands and requirements.

SAP ERP is utilized in sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, and utilities to integrate complex enterprise functions. It aids in production planning, financial control, and maintaining compliance with regulations. Its capability to align with distinct business requirements enables industries to achieve greater operational efficiency.

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.

Find out what your peers are saying about Oracle, NetSuite, SAP and others in Cloud ERP. Updated: September 2026.

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