Updated 04 September 2026.

SAP Hybris was renamed SAP Commerce Cloud several years ago, but the old name has not gone away. Procurement teams still search for “SAP Hybris,” implementation partners still reference Hybris architecture, and thousands of enterprises are still running Hybris on premise today. So this comparison uses both terms deliberately, because both audiences are reading it.

What has changed since we first published this comparison is the urgency behind the decision. Mainstream maintenance for SAP Commerce on premise (the final Hybris release, version 2205) ended on 31 July 2026. Businesses still running that on  premise build are now operating without SAP security patches, compliance updates or guaranteed fixes, which makes this less of a routine platform review and more of a genuine replatforming decision for a lot of SAP customers.

This article sets out where Cloudfy and SAP Commerce Cloud diverge across ten criteria that matter to a B2B buyer: implementation model, time to value, total cost, B2B functionality, ERP integration, customisation, maintenance, AI, customer experience and migration fit.

Hybris, SAP Commerce, SAP Commerce Cloud: A Quick Note on Naming

For clarity, here is how the naming has evolved:

• Hybris was the original Munich founded ecommerce platform, acquired by SAP in 2013.
• SAP Hybris was the branded name used through the mid 2010s, including the on premise architecture many enterprises still run.
• SAP Commerce is the current product name for the core commerce engine.
• SAP Commerce Cloud is SAP’s cloud hosted delivery of that engine, available as Cloud Edition or the newer ERP Edition, and it is where SAP has focused all ongoing development.

In practice, “Hybris,” “SAP Commerce” and “SAP Commerce Cloud” are used interchangeably across the market, so this comparison treats them as the same evaluation for the purposes of a Cloudfy alternative assessment.

At a Glance: Cloudfy vs SAP Commerce Cloud

Criterion Led Comparison

1. Implementation Model

Cloudfy is delivered as a cloud native SaaS platform. B2B functionality such as PunchOut, contract pricing and reorder workflows is already built, so implementation is largely configuration rather than custom development.

SAP Commerce Cloud is an enterprise platform, delivered through an SAP implementation partner. It is genuinely powerful, but most B2B specific functionality is built out during the implementation project rather than switched on.

2. Time to Value

This is where the two platforms diverge most sharply. Cloudfy’s own SAP connected implementations typically launch in weeks, using prebuilt ERP connectors.

For SAP Commerce Cloud, independent implementation guides put standard builds at three to twelve months, and enterprise migrations from Hybris on premise to Commerce Cloud at nine to eighteen months for more complex scenarios. G2’s pricing data, based on real user reviews, puts average time to implement at around five months, with return on investment typically realised within thirteen months. There are faster exceptions: specialist SAP partners have delivered focused Commerce Cloud go lives in as little as 90 days under the SAP Activate methodology, but that is the fast end of the spectrum, not the norm.

Case Study: Heineken selected Cloudfy Enterprise through a competitive RFP process specifically for its SAP integration and configuration speed. Working across global IT standards and a local language requirement, the Cloudfy team delivered a fully operational B2B ecommerce platform connected to Heineken’s SAP system in just over six weeks

“Great work by the Cloudfy team launching our B2B portal in record time.” Tilen K, Ecommerce Manager, Heineken (Pivovarna Laško Union Brewery)

Read the full case study.

3. Total Cost Considerations

Cloudfy runs on a subscription model, which keeps implementation and ongoing platform costs within day-to-day operating expenditure rather than requiring a large capital outlay.

SAP Commerce Cloud is priced on order volume or gross merchandise value rather than a flat licence fee. Independent market research puts three-year total cost of ownership in the region of $700,000 to over $4 million, depending on scale and customisation. That figure covers licensing, implementation, integration and ongoing partner support, and it is a meaningful budget commitment even before development resource is factored in.

4. B2B Functionality

Both platforms support serious B2B commerce. SAP Commerce Cloud includes company accounts, contract pricing, purchase approval workflows, bulk ordering and customer specific catalogues as standard capabilities of the platform, but they are configured and extended during implementation.

Cloudfy was built specifically for B2B trading from the outset, so functionality such as PunchOut, EDI, quote workflows, aged debt management and multi storefront catalogue management is available without a lengthy build phase.

5. ERP Integration

SAP Commerce Cloud’s clearest advantage is native integration with the wider SAP ecosystem, particularly S/4HANA, without needing middleware. For an organisation whose finance, inventory and operations already run on SAP, that depth of integration is hard to match.

Cloudfy takes a different approach: certified, out of the box connectors for SAP S/4HANA and SAP Business One as well as Microsoft Dynamics 365, NetSuite, Sage, Oracle Fusion, Epicor and QuickBooks, with near real time synchronisation of inventory, pricing, orders and customer records. Cloudfy is a certified SAP partner, so SAP connected businesses get much of the integration depth without committing to the full SAP commerce stack.

6. Customisation

SAP Commerce Cloud’s Java based architecture allows extensive custom development, which is genuinely valuable for organisations with highly specific requirements. The trade off is that heavy customisation adds cost, timeline and long term technical debt, since every custom extension has to be maintained and retested through future upgrades.

Cloudfy takes a configuration first approach, backed by an open API for bespoke integrations, which covers the large majority of B2B requirements without custom code.

7. Maintenance

This criterion has shifted since our last comparison. SAP Commerce Cloud (the cloud hosted, public cloud line) continues to receive quarterly updates from SAP and is unaffected by the 2026 deadline. However, SAP Commerce on premise, the platform most of the market still calls Hybris, reached end of mainstream maintenance on 31 July 2026. Businesses still running that on premise build no longer receive SAP security patches, legal compliance updates or guaranteed fixes.

Cloudfy’s subscription model includes continuous platform updates as standard, so there is no separate patching cycle or maintenance contract for the customer to manage.

8. AI

Cloudfy’s AI Assistant is live now, allowing buyers to search and order using plain language rather than product codes or category navigation. AI generated product descriptions, an AI page creator and an AI OCR scanner that converts emailed or photographed purchase orders directly into system orders are in active development.

SAP’s AI capability, delivered through its Business AI and Joule initiatives, is broader in scope but generally sits at the platform and business technology layer rather than being built natively into the commerce storefront experience, so accessing it typically means licensing additional SAP components.

9. Customer Experience

SAP Commerce Cloud can support sophisticated, highly tailored B2B and B2C experiences at genuine enterprise scale, particularly across multiple brands, regions and languages. That capability is proven: SAP Commerce Cloud counts organisations such as Nestlé, Coca Cola Hellenic Bottling Company and Brisa among its users. The experience layer is largely custom built during implementation, which is where much of the cost and timeline sits.

Cloudfy’s buyer experience is purpose built for B2B trading from the outset, including self service reordering, credit and invoice management, complex catalogue search, and a dedicated sales rep app, without requiring a custom front end build.

10. Migration Fit

For large enterprises already committed to the SAP ecosystem, running S/4HANA, and with the internal resource and budget for a longer, more customised rollout, SAP Commerce Cloud remains a credible and often sensible route, particularly given how much of an existing Hybris customisation and data model can carry forward into a Commerce Cloud migration.

For manufacturers, distributors and wholesalers who want SAP grade ERP connectivity without an SAP scale implementation project, Cloudfy is designed to close that gap: a platform built specifically for B2B trading, with certified SAP connectivity, live in weeks rather than months.

Why the Hybris End of Maintenance Deadline Changes the Calculus

If your business is still running SAP Commerce on premise, the 31 July 2026 deadline has already passed. That does not mean the platform has stopped working, but it does mean SAP has stopped issuing security patches, compliance updates and bug fixes for it. Every month running past that deadline adds risk, particularly for regulated sectors like manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and food and beverage.

Broadly, businesses in this position have three routes forward: migrate to SAP Commerce Cloud and stay within the SAP ecosystem, replatform to an alternative built for B2B such as Cloudfy, or accept SAP’s customer specific maintenance, which carries no SLA and no guarantee of new fixes. The right route depends heavily on how deep your organisation’s SAP dependency actually is, and how much of your current Hybris build is genuinely custom versus standard.

Which Platform Fits Your Business?

Choose SAP Commerce Cloud if: your organisation is deeply embedded in the SAP ecosystem, you are running or planning to run S/4HANA, you operate at large multi brand or multi region scale, and you have the budget and internal resource to support a longer implementation and ongoing custom development.

Choose Cloudfy if: you want SAP grade ERP connectivity without a twelve month plus implementation, your priority is B2B specific functionality that works out of the box, you want predictable subscription costs rather than GMV based enterprise pricing, and you want AI powered ordering and content tools included as part of the platform rather than licensed separately.

Speak to one of our experts to work through which route fits your business, your ERP and your timeline.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is SAP Hybris the same as SAP Commerce Cloud? Not exactly. SAP Hybris was the original branded name; SAP Commerce is the current product name for the underlying engine, and SAP Commerce Cloud is the cloud hosted delivery of that engine. Most people searching for “SAP Hybris” today are actually asking about SAP Commerce Cloud.

Is SAP Hybris still supported? SAP Commerce Cloud, the public cloud line, is actively supported with quarterly updates. SAP Commerce on premise, the platform most people still call Hybris, reached end of mainstream maintenance on 31 July 2026, so it no longer receives new security patches or compliance updates.

How long does a SAP Commerce Cloud implementation take? Standard implementations typically take three to twelve months. Complex, multi region or heavily customised builds, and enterprise migrations from Hybris on premise, commonly take nine to eighteen months. Cloudfy implementations, by comparison, are typically live in weeks using pre built ERP connectors.

What does SAP Commerce Cloud cost compared to Cloudfy? SAP Commerce Cloud is priced on order volume or gross merchandise value, with independent research putting three year total cost of ownership between roughly $700,000 and $4 million or more depending on scope. Cloudfy runs on a monthly subscription model, keeping costs predictable and within operating expenditure.

Does Cloudfy integrate with SAP S/4HANA? Yes. Cloudfy is a certified SAP partner with an out of the box SAP S/4HANA connector that synchronises inventory, orders, pricing and customer records in near real time, alongside connectors for SAP Business One and the wider SAP ecosystem.

We are migrating off Hybris. Do we have to move to SAP Commerce Cloud? No. Businesses migrating off Hybris on premise generally have three options: move to SAP Commerce Cloud and stay within the SAP ecosystem, replatform to a B2B native alternative such as Cloudfy, or take on SAP’s customer specific maintenance as a short term holding position. The right choice depends on how SAP dependent your operations are and how much of your current build is genuinely custom.

Does Cloudfy offer AI features comparable to SAP? Cloudfy’s AI Assistant is live now for natural language ordering, with AI product descriptions, an AI page creator and an AI OCR order scanner in active development, all included as part of the platform. SAP’s AI capability is broader but generally accessed through its wider Business AI and Joule offering rather than built natively into the commerce storefront.

Speak to one of our experts today to explore how Cloudfy can support your growing business.