What Is The Difference Between SAP HANA And SAP S/4HANA?
What Is The Difference Between SAP HANA And SAP S/4HANA?
With both SAP HANA and SAP S/4HANA being widely spoken about throughout the industry, getting the two confused is an easy mistake to make. While the two are related, they are completely different products. Simply put, SAP HANA is an in-memory database and application platform, and SAP S/4HANA is the next-generation ERP suite specifically built to run on SAP HANA.
As SAP phases out older ERP systems, S/4HANA has become the company’s flagship suite. Planning for migration is now crucial, but the timelines vary depending on which ERP version your business is currently using. 
What is SAP HANA?
SAP HANA is an in-memory database and application development platform, originally released in 2010. It allows data analysts to query large quantities of data in real time.
HANA also features programming capabilities that enable businesses to develop and run bespoke applications directly on top of the database. It can run alongside other SAP applications, allowing users to access live data without waiting for scheduled reports.
By storing data in columnar formats, SAP HANA delivers real-time transactions and analytics, providing faster data access and processing than traditional row-based memory formats.
What is SAP S/4HANA?
SAP S/4HANA is the ERP suite built specifically on the HANA platform. Its purpose is to cover day-to-day business processes such as order-to-cash, plan-to-product, and request-to-service.
S/4HANA moves away from traditional transactional systems, providing real-time decision support based on internal and external data sources. It allows organisations to digitise finance, manage product lifecycles, and implement industry-specific functionality.
Maintenance and Migration in 2026
SAP has been gradually phasing out mainstream support for legacy ERP systems. Mainstream maintenance for SAP ERP 6.0 with older enhancement packs (EhP 0–5) ended on 31 December 2025, while EhP 6–8 will be supported until 31 December 2027. Extended maintenance is available for select customers through 31 December 2030.
Most organisations are being encouraged to plan migrations to SAP S/4HANA sooner rather than later to benefit from ongoing innovation, cloud capabilities, and modernised data models
Looking for SAP experts?
The need for experts who can integrate legacy systems is only going to rise. If you’re looking for a change in your career, then take a look at the SAP HANA and SAP S/4HANA roles we have available.
