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Business Intelligence · head to head

SAP BusinessObjects vs Snowflake

SAP BusinessObjects logo

SAP BusinessObjects

Business Intelligence

Enterprise business intelligence suite

From
$400/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Snowflake logo

Snowflake

Machine Learning

The AI Data Cloud for enterprise data warehousing

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Snowflake has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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; Snowflake no flat subscription price is published - cost varies by edition, cloud provider, and region and requires a separate calculator or credit-consumption table
  • They diverge on capability: SAP BusinessObjects covers Crystal Reports, Snowflake covers Separated Compute/Storage.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where SAP BusinessObjects and Snowflake differ
AttributeSAP BusinessObjectsSnowflake
Starting price$400/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Desktop, MobileWeb, API
CategoryBusiness IntelligenceMachine Learning
Founded19722012

Identical on both: 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 SAP BusinessObjects

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

Only in Snowflake

  • Separated Compute/Storage
  • Near-zero Maintenance
  • Data Sharing
  • Time Travel
  • Cloning
  • Multi-cluster Warehouse
  • Semi-structured Data
  • dbt

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

SAP BusinessObjects

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

Snowflake

  • Cloud data warehousing and SQL analyticsnot SAP BusinessObjects
  • Data engineering and ELT pipelinesnot SAP BusinessObjects
  • Data sharing and marketplacenot SAP BusinessObjects
  • AI/ML workloads via Snowpark and Cortexnot SAP BusinessObjects
  • BI backend for tools such as Tableau and Power BInot SAP BusinessObjects

Where each one falls short

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

Snowflake

  • No flat subscription price is published - cost varies by edition, cloud provider, and region and requires a separate calculator or credit-consumption table
  • Free trial is capped at $400 in credits or 30 days, whichever comes first, not a perpetual free tier
  • During the trial, certain features (external network access, hybrid tables, Openflow) are capped at 10 credits/day until a payment method is added
  • Total cost combines compute credits, storage, and data transfer billed separately

Pricing, plan by plan

SAP BusinessObjects

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

Snowflake

Free
  • Standard$undefined/mo
    • Consumption-based, per-credit pricing
  • Enterprise$undefined/mo
    • Consumption-based, per-credit pricing
  • Business Critical$undefined/mo
    • Consumption-based, per-credit pricing
  • Virtual Private Snowflake$undefined/mo
    • Consumption-based, per-credit pricing

Which should you pick?

Choose SAP BusinessObjects if

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

Choose Snowflake if

  • You need separated compute/storage.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want near-zero maintenance.
Snowflake review

Questions people ask

Is SAP BusinessObjects or Snowflake better?
Neither clearly leads. SAP BusinessObjects starts at $400/month and Snowflake at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, SAP BusinessObjects or Snowflake?
Snowflake has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $400/month for SAP BusinessObjects and Free for Snowflake.
Does SAP BusinessObjects or Snowflake run on more platforms?
SAP BusinessObjects runs on Web, Desktop, Mobile. Snowflake runs on Web, API.
Can I use Snowflake for free?
Yes. Snowflake has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. SAP BusinessObjects starts at $400/month.
What is SAP BusinessObjects best used for?
SAP BusinessObjects is most often used for enterprise reporting, executive dashboards, regulatory compliance, strategic planning. Of those, enterprise reporting and executive dashboards are not what Snowflake is typically brought in for.
What can SAP BusinessObjects do that Snowflake cannot?
SAP BusinessObjects covers Crystal Reports, Web Intelligence, Lumira, Analysis for Office. Snowflake covers Separated Compute/Storage, Near-zero Maintenance, Data Sharing, Time Travel. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Snowflake: How is Snowflake priced?

Snowflake uses a consumption based model. Compute is billed in credits and storage is charged monthly on the average amount stored after compression. Capacity can be bought on demand or pre-paid.

Source
Snowflake: What Snowflake editions are there?

Snowflake sells four editions: Standard as the entry level offering, Enterprise for high growth and large scale customers, Business Critical for regulated industries handling sensitive data, and Virtual Private Snowflake for a completely isolated environment.

Source
Snowflake: Does Snowflake publish a per credit price?

Not on its pricing options page. Snowflake directs buyers to its Credit Consumption Table and a pricing calculator for the rates, which vary by edition, region and cloud provider.

Source
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