Comparing SAP C4C with Salesforce

CRM Stands for Customer Relationship Management. It is a software which stores Customer information such as Contact persons and Addresses, Product details such as Products and related Price books and Transactional data such as Opportunities, Quotes, Orders, Invoices and so on and so forth. We can also store information related to Services such as Assets, Cases, … It helps to make a report using the above data and increase the sales revenue. Salespersons can easily get the information related to the organization and make decisions accordingly. It helps to maintain data at a centralized place so that, every person can access the same data. Now, we understood the importance of CRM. You may have a confusion in choosing the best CRM for your Business.

Salesforce CRM

Salesforce CRM shines when you need a flexible, cloud-first platform. It offers easy setup, a friendly interface, and a massive ecosystem of apps on the AppExchange. You get built-in AI with Einstein and social tools with Chatter and Quip. If you want fast time-to-value and deep marketing insights, Salesforce leads the pack.

Launch in minutes with no servers or installs.
Tap into 4,000+ apps on the AppExchange marketplace.
Use Einstein AI to spot sales trends and predict deals.
Collaborate in real time with Chatter and Quip docs.
Accept payments, chat, and track cases from one dashboard.

SAP C4C Sales

SAP Cloud for Customer (C4C) focuses on big-ticket, industry-specific needs. It runs on HANA, so you get real-time analytics and tight ERP ties. For manufacturing, utilities, or pharma with complex processes, C4C delivers out-of-the-box workflows. If you already use SAP ERP, C4C slides right into place with minimal glue code.

Prebuilt templates for 15+ industry workflows.
In-memory HANA engine powers instant reports.
Deep link to SAP ERP for master data sync.
Mix cloud and on-premise modules as needed.
Built-in compliance for finance, audit, and security.

Here, we are comparing SAP’s C4C CRM and Salesforce CRM to find out the advantages and disadvantages of both and choose the best.

SAP Cloud for Customer (C4C) and Salesforce are both leading Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms, but they cater to different business needs and have distinct strengths. Salesforce is a broader CRM platform with a strong emphasis on Sales and Service capabilities, widely adopted across small to enterprise businesses. On the other hand, SAP C4C is deeply integrated with SAP’s ERP ecosystem and is particularly known for offering robust, industry-specific solutions and scalability for large-scale enterprises.

Salesforce is a cloud-based CRM, which mainly concerned about Sales and Services. It offers applications for small, midsize and enterprise.

C4C stands for ‘Cloud for Customer’. It runs on SAP HANA Cloud Platform and offers Sales and Services. It’s suitable for a large scale enterprise.

When coming to User Interface, Salesforce User interface is very easy and SAP User Interface is not user-friendly. Considering a Salesforce Chatter UI, it’s very easy to use as it is taken from Facebook’s UI.
Salesforce is also working on ‘Lightning’ which is being built on users feedback and enables salespersons to work faster and smarter.
When you are highly interested in Industry-related components and solutions, SAP is very good at it. Salesforce is still limited to B2C. Maintaining third-party components is difficult due to frequent releases in Salesforce.
The SAP provides 24/7 worldwide toll-free support for all non-technical queries. It takes time and energy to resolve the issues. Salesforce not only provides the support it also helps Customers to make decisions and grow their business. It has different levels of support based on which the response time can be reduced. There is phone support for which the customer has to pay 12-15% of their subscription charges.
Salesforce acquired Krux, a data management platform, and it’s artificial intelligence software, Einstein to enhance the Salesforce Marketing Cloud. SAP BW provides Budget planning, tracking marketing spending, funds management & tracking ROI to organizations.
Salesforce also has a mobile app. Custom apps can be built for Android and IOS and they can directly list in the App Stores. SAP Hybris helps to enhance the existing solution with microservices and software-as-a-service applications.
Quip is acquired by Salesforce to centralize the team’s work and communication. Salesforce also enabled its users to use Single Sign-On (SSO) to access Quip with their Salesforce username and password. Salesforce provides Live Apps to centralize work into one place. In this, teams and users can embed anything from a Salesforce record to a poll, calendar, or full-blown native app into a Quip document.
SAP has a cloud-based enterprise social networking suite called SAP Jam. It’s an app which helps organizations to connect their customers, partners, and employees in the cloud. It also offers project collaboration tools, task management, discussions and polls, instant messaging, discussions and chat rooms, document and content sharing, microblogging, and personal profiles.

CRM Comparison: Salesforce vs SAP C4C

Category	Salesforce CRM	SAP C4C CRM
Platform	Cloud-based CRM focused on Sales & Services	Runs on SAP HANA Cloud Platform; suitable for large-scale enterprises
User Interface	Easy, modern UI; Inspired by Facebook; Chatter UI; Lightning UI for productivity	Not user-friendly; less intuitive UI
Industry Solutions	Limited to B2C; Industry-specific versions are costly/time-consuming	Strong industry-specific capabilities across 15 industries
Customization & Integration	Strong in cloud integration, app customization, third-party extensibility	Performs best within the SAP ecosystem; limited integration with non-SAP apps
Support	Tiered support with faster response times (paid 12-15% of subscription); advisory services	24/7 toll-free support for non-technical queries; slower issue resolution
Data & Analytics	Einstein AI, Krux DMP for enhanced marketing intelligence	SAP BW for budget planning, fund tracking, ROI, and marketing spend
Mobile & App Development	Mobile app available; Build & list custom apps on app stores	SAP Hybris allows microservices and SaaS enhancements
Collaboration Tools	Quip: Centralized work, live apps, SSO support	SAP Jam: Social networking, collaboration, chat, microblogging, task management
Deployment Flexibility	Only available in the cloud	Available both on-premises and cloud globally
Target Business Size	Suitable for small to enterprise	Ideal for large enterprises; may not suit SMEs

Pros & Cons Summary

CRM	Pros	Cons
Salesforce	– Strategic advisory services – Superior UI & social selling – Strong cloud capabilities	– Industry-specific solutions are costly – Limited on-premise integration
SAP C4C	– Rich industry-specific features – Seamless SAP ERP integration – Flexible deployment	– Less intuitive Ul – Limited support/help desk efficiency – Not ideal for SMBs

From the above, both CRM systems can address a wide range of business requirements including small and complex. CRM system should be chosen based on the business requirement and which can handle your future enhancements in the business. You should also consider the current system you are using and its compatibility with the new CRM. If you are using SAP ERP Applications, SAP CRM can seamlessly integrate with it. Considering a cloud-based ecosystem, Salesforce performs better with respect to cloud integration, software customization, and third-party extensibility.

Which One Is Right for You?

Pick Salesforce if:

You need a fast, no-code launch in the cloud
You want a slick, Facebook-style UI and mobile app
Your team relies on social collaboration and AI-driven insights
You plan to tap a large marketplace of third-party apps
You serve B2C or mixed B2B/B2C models

Pick SAP C4C if:

You’re a large enterprise with deep SAP ERP investment
You require industry-specific processes and templates
Real-time in-memory analytics are critical to your line of business
You need flexible cloud or on-prem deployment options
Your use cases include complex manufacturing or supply-chain flows

Now, you can easily integrate your SAP ERP and Salesforce CRM to automate the business process!

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