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Databases · head to head

Firebolt vs SAP BusinessObjects

Firebolt logo

Firebolt

Databases

Sub-second analytics at cloud data warehouse scale

From
$1.84/hour
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SAP BusinessObjects logo

SAP BusinessObjects

Business Intelligence

Enterprise business intelligence suite

From
$400/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Firebolt compute billed per second on Arm-based processors; small instances still incur measurable costs during idle periods despite auto-stop; SAP BusinessObjects sAP BusinessObjects Private Cloud Edition is listed on UK G-Cloud 14 as a Cloud software service by SAP (UK) Limited titled 'SAP Business Objects Private Cloud Edition', alongside a reseller listing from NTT DATA Business Solutions; the G-Cloud search results describe it as subscription-based but show no per-user or per-month figure in the listing summary
  • They diverge on capability: Firebolt covers Sub-second Queries, SAP BusinessObjects covers Crystal Reports.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Firebolt and SAP BusinessObjects actually diverge.

Attributes where Firebolt and SAP BusinessObjects differ
AttributeFireboltSAP BusinessObjects
Starting price$1.84/hour$400/month
Pricing modelusage-basedsubscription
PlatformsCloud (AWS, GCP, Azure preview), Docker, KubernetesWeb, Desktop, Mobile
CategoryDatabasesBusiness Intelligence
Founded20191972

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Firebolt

  • Sub-second Queries
  • Sparse Indexes
  • Data Pruning
  • Decoupled Storage/Compute
  • SQL Support
  • Semi-structured Data
  • Workload Isolation
  • Airflow

Only in SAP BusinessObjects

  • Crystal Reports
  • Web Intelligence
  • Lumira
  • Analysis for Office
  • Live Office
  • SAP HANA
  • SAP ERP
  • Oracle

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Firebolt

  • Data analytics teams running gigabyte-to-petabyte datasets with sub-second query requirementsnot SAP BusinessObjects
  • Real-time business intelligence platforms requiring ACID transactions and snapshot isolationnot SAP BusinessObjects
  • Applications needing vector search on analytical data for similarity queriesnot SAP BusinessObjects

SAP BusinessObjects

  • Enterprise reportingnot Firebolt
  • Executive dashboardsnot Firebolt
  • Regulatory compliancenot Firebolt
  • Strategic planningnot Firebolt
  • Operational analyticsnot Firebolt

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Firebolt

  • Compute billed per second on Arm-based processors; small instances still incur measurable costs during idle periods despite auto-stop
  • Storage pass-through charged at $0.0264/GB monthly on compressed data; uncompressed storage could exceed this
  • Azure deployment currently in Preview status; production recommendations unclear
  • Vector indexes limited to float arrays; other data types require alternative indexing strategies
  • Free tier credits ($200) limited; no perpetual free tier for production use

SAP BusinessObjects

  • SAP BusinessObjects Private Cloud Edition is listed on UK G-Cloud 14 as a Cloud software service by SAP (UK) Limited titled 'SAP Business Objects Private Cloud Edition', alongside a reseller listing from NTT DATA Business Solutions; the G-Cloud search results describe it as subscription-based but show no per-user or per-month figure in the listing summary

Pricing, plan by plan

Firebolt

$1.84/hour

No published plan breakdown. See the Firebolt review.

SAP BusinessObjects

$400/month
  • Standard$400/month
    • Core BI Tools
    • Web Intelligence
    • Crystal Reports
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Full Suite
    • Advanced Features
    • Premium Support

Which should you pick?

Choose Firebolt if

  • You need sub-second queries.
  • You work on Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure preview), Docker, Kubernetes.
  • You also want sparse indexes.
Firebolt review

Choose SAP BusinessObjects if

  • You need crystal reports.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, Mobile.
  • You also want web intelligence.
SAP BusinessObjects review

Questions people ask

Is Firebolt or SAP BusinessObjects better?
Neither clearly leads. Firebolt starts at $1.84/hour and SAP BusinessObjects at $400/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Firebolt or SAP BusinessObjects?
Firebolt starts at $1.84/hour and SAP BusinessObjects at $400/month.
Does Firebolt or SAP BusinessObjects run on more platforms?
Firebolt runs on Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure preview), Docker, Kubernetes. SAP BusinessObjects runs on Web, Desktop, Mobile.
What is Firebolt best used for?
Firebolt is most often used for data analytics teams running gigabyte-to-petabyte datasets with sub-second query requirements, real-time business intelligence platforms requiring acid transactions and snapshot isolation, applications needing vector search on analytical data for similarity queries. Of those, data analytics teams running gigabyte-to-petabyte datasets with sub-second query requirements and real-time business intelligence platforms requiring acid transactions and snapshot isolation are not what SAP BusinessObjects is typically brought in for.
What can Firebolt do that SAP BusinessObjects cannot?
Firebolt covers Sub-second Queries, Sparse Indexes, Data Pruning, Decoupled Storage/Compute. SAP BusinessObjects covers Crystal Reports, Web Intelligence, Lumira, Analysis for Office. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Firebolt: How does Firebolt's compute billing model work?

Firebolt uses per-second billing with scale-to-zero capability. The smallest S tier costs $1.84 per hour with 8 vCPU and 64GB memory, while the largest 4XL tier costs $58.88 per hour with 256 vCPU. Users only pay when compute is running.

Source
Firebolt: What is the cost for data storage on Firebolt?

Storage costs $0.0264 per GB per month on object storage, billed as pass-through cost at cloud provider rates.

Source
Firebolt: What free credits or trial does Firebolt offer new users?

New users receive $200 free credits to get started with the platform.

Source
Firebolt: Does Firebolt publish pricing for commitment-based discounts?

The pricing FAQ lists a question about commitment-based discounts but does not provide published answers on the pricing page. This requires direct inquiry with sales.

Source
Firebolt: What deployment options does Firebolt offer besides managed service?

Firebolt offers self-hosted open source deployment (unlimited) and Bring Your Own Cloud (BYOC) options in addition to managed service.

Source
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