SAP Build Apps

1. Introduction: SAP's No-Code Gambit

SAP acquired AppGyver in February 2021 and rebranded it as SAP Build Apps, making one of the enterprise world's most expensive software companies suddenly offer a free no-code development platform. This acquisition defines everything about the platform: SAP Build Apps exists to keep organizations building within the SAP ecosystem rather than adopting independent no-code tools that might eventually replace SAP workflows.

After three months building two SAP-connected applications, an inventory management app connected to S/4HANA materials management and an employee onboarding workflow connected to SuccessFactors. I found SAP Build Apps delivers genuine capability for its target use case. The native SAP integration eliminates the middleware complexity that plagues independent no-code tools trying to connect to SAP systems. The visual builder handles real application logic. And the price, free for community use, is genuinely remarkable for a platform with enterprise-grade data connectivity.

The critical caveat: SAP Build Apps makes sense almost exclusively within the SAP ecosystem. If your organization runs SAP (S/4HANA, SuccessFactors, SAP CRM, SAP Analytics), the platform provides a free, natively integrated path to building internal applications. If your organization doesn't run SAP, the platform offers no compelling advantage over Bubble, Retool, Glide, or any independent no-code tool, and it comes with significant disadvantages including a smaller community, enterprise-dense UX, and documentation that assumes SAP familiarity.

Who am I to evaluate this? I've assessed no-code platforms across both independent tools (Bubble, Retool, Glide, Adalo) and enterprise ecosystem tools (SAP Build Apps, Microsoft Power Apps, Salesforce Lightning). Our evaluation compared SAP Build Apps against these alternatives for an organization that runs SAP S/4HANA and SuccessFactors, the ideal deployment scenario. Even in this favorable context, SAP Build Apps showed clear strengths and limitations.

My testing framework evaluates platforms across build experience quality, data integration depth, learning curve, community resources, deployment flexibility, performance, and pricing value. SAP Build Apps scored highest on SAP integration and pricing (free), competitive on build capability, and lowest on community resources and learning curve accessibility.

2. What is SAP Build Apps? Understanding the Platform

SAP Build Apps (formerly AppGyver) is a no-code/low-code visual development platform within SAP's Business Technology Platform (BTP) ecosystem. The platform provides a component-based visual builder for designing application interfaces, logic flows for implementing business logic without code, data integration with SAP systems (native connectors) and non-SAP systems (REST APIs, OData services), and cross-platform deployment to web, iOS, and Android from a single codebase.

AppGyver was originally founded in 2010 in Helsinki, Finland as an independent no-code platform. The company built a capable visual development environment with a formula language, logic flows, and REST API connectivity. SAP acquired AppGyver in 2021 to address the growing demand for citizen development within SAP customer organizations, enabling business users and IT teams to build applications connected to SAP data without traditional ABAP development.

The platform's position within SAP's ecosystem creates a specific value proposition: SAP customers already have complex, mission-critical data in SAP systems. Building applications that access this data traditionally requires ABAP development (SAP's proprietary programming language) or complex middleware integration. SAP Build Apps provides visual, no-code access to SAP data, enabling applications that would otherwise require specialized developers.

The target customer is an SAP-running organization (typically 500+ employees, often much larger) where IT development backlogs prevent internal tool creation. Business units request internal applications, inventory lookup tools, employee onboarding workflows, maintenance request forms, quality inspection apps, and IT can't build them all with traditional development resources. SAP Build Apps enables either citizen developers (business users building with IT governance) or IT developers (building faster than traditional SAP development) to create these applications.

3. SAP Build Apps Pricing: The Free Advantage

3.1 Community Edition. Free and Functional

SAP Build Apps' community edition is free, no per-user cost, no app limits, no trial period. You get the full visual builder, logic flows, REST API connectivity, and deployment to web. This free pricing is extraordinary for an enterprise-adjacent platform. Bubble charges $32-349/month. Retool charges $10-50/user/month. Microsoft Power Apps charges $20-40/user/month. SAP Build Apps charges nothing.

Limitations: The free community edition doesn't include native SAP system connectors (S/4HANA, SuccessFactors), SAP BTP service integration, enterprise authentication (SSO/SAML), enterprise deployment management, or priority support. Mobile deployment (iOS/Android) has restrictions.

3.2 Enterprise Edition. SAP BTP Licensing

Enterprise features, native SAP connectors, BTP service integration, SSO, enterprise deployment, and support, require SAP Business Technology Platform licensing. BTP pricing is custom, negotiated, and typically bundled with existing SAP contracts. Expect BTP costs to range from $5,000-50,000+/year depending on usage, services, and negotiation.

Pricing Comparison With Enterprise No-Code Platforms

SAP Build Apps is the only no-code platform with native SAP system connectors. For SAP organizations, this native connectivity eliminates the middleware complexity and ongoing maintenance of API-based SAP integrations. For non-SAP organizations, the native SAP connectivity provides zero value, making independent platforms better choices.

4. Key Features Deep Dive

4.1 Native SAP Integration. The Core Value

SAP Build Apps connects natively to SAP systems through OData services and SAP BTP destination services. Configure a connection to S/4HANA, browse available entities (materials, customers, orders, employees), select the data you need, and bind it to application components. No middleware, no custom integration code, no API configuration beyond selecting the SAP service.

Our inventory management app connected to S/4HANA's materials management module. The app displayed material master data, allowed warehouse staff to update stock counts through a mobile interface, and wrote changes back to S/4HANA in real-time. Setting up the SAP connection took approximately 2 hours, dramatically faster than the 2-3 weeks a traditional ABAP developer would need to build the same integration.

Our employee onboarding app connected to SuccessFactors' employee data and organizational structure. New hires viewed their onboarding tasks, completed electronic forms, and submitted equipment requests, all connected to SuccessFactors for HR tracking and S/4HANA for procurement.

4.2 Visual Builder. Powerful but Enterprise-Dense

The visual builder provides a component library (buttons, inputs, lists, containers, images, icons, maps, charts), a canvas for visual layout, a style system with theme management, and responsive design controls. Components are dragged onto the canvas and configured through property panels, standard no-code builder patterns.

The builder is more powerful than simpler no-code tools (Glide, Adalo), it handles complex layouts, conditional visibility, dynamic styling, and responsive breakpoints. Component configuration exposes detailed properties that provide significant control over appearance and behavior.

The tradeoff is accessibility. The interface feels enterprise-grade, dense, information-heavy, and functionally deep. Where Glide presents a clean, minimal interface that anyone can navigate, SAP Build Apps presents an interface with multiple panels, nested configuration options, and terminology that assumes technical understanding. A business user comfortable with Excel can build in Glide within an hour. The same user needs a full day (or more) to build confidently in SAP Build Apps.

4.3 Logic Flows. Visual Programming for Business Logic

Logic flows implement business logic through a visual flowchart-style editor. Connect trigger nodes (button tap, page load, data change) to action nodes (set variable, call API, navigate, show dialog) with conditional branching, loops, and error handling. The logic flow system is one of the platform's strongest capabilities, handling genuine application logic without code.

Our inventory app's logic flows handled: barcode scanning → material lookup in S/4HANA → stock count adjustment → validation (is the adjustment within allowed range?) → confirmation dialog → write back to S/4HANA → success notification. This multi-step workflow with conditional branching, API calls, and user interactions implemented entirely through visual logic flows, no scripting required.

The formula language (inherited from AppGyver's pre-SAP era) supports data transformation, string manipulation, mathematical operations, and conditional expressions. The formula language is powerful but has a unique syntax that doesn't match JavaScript, Python, or Excel formulas exactly, requiring learning time even for experienced developers.

4.4 Cross-Platform Deployment

Build once, deploy to web, iOS, and Android. The visual builder produces responsive layouts that adapt to different screen sizes. Mobile deployment generates native app packages (through SAP Mobile Services for enterprise, or third-party build services for community).

Cross-platform deployment is valuable for SAP organizations building field applications, warehouse staff using Android devices, managers using iPads, and office workers using web browsers all access the same application. Our inventory management app deployed to Android tablets for warehouse use and web for office-based inventory management.

4.5 REST API and OData Integration

Beyond SAP-native connectors, SAP Build Apps connects to any REST API and OData service. Configure endpoints, set authentication headers, map request/response data, and bind to components. This connectivity enables applications that combine SAP data with non-SAP systems, an employee directory pulling from SuccessFactors and Slack, or a customer tool combining SAP CRM data with third-party analytics.

The REST API integration is competent, comparable to other no-code platforms. Configuration through the data integration panel is straightforward for standard REST patterns. Complex API scenarios (OAuth 2.0 flows, WebSocket connections, GraphQL) require workarounds or aren't supported.

4.6 Theming and Design System

A theming system manages colors, fonts, spacing, and component styles across the application. Create a custom theme matching your organization's brand and apply it consistently. The theming provides better design consistency than configuring individual components but doesn't produce consumer-grade visual polish, applications look professional and functional, not elegant.

5. SAP Build Apps Pros

Free Pricing Is Genuinely Remarkable

No platform cost for the community edition, in a market where competitors charge $10-50/user/month. For SAP organizations already paying for BTP, adding Build Apps is incrementally free (included in BTP licensing). This pricing removes the budget barrier that prevents many internal tool projects from starting.

Native SAP Integration Eliminates Middleware Complexity

Direct connectors to S/4HANA, SuccessFactors, and other SAP systems bypass the middleware complexity that makes SAP integration through independent tools time-consuming and fragile. What takes 2-3 weeks with custom integration took 2 hours with native connectors. For organizations where SAP data access is the primary app requirement, this native connectivity is transformative.

Genuine Application Logic Capability

The logic flow system handles real business logic, conditional branching, data validation, multi-step workflows, API orchestration, and error handling. This positions SAP Build Apps above simpler no-code tools (Glide, Adalo) that handle data display well but struggle with complex application logic.

Cross-Platform From Single Codebase

Web, iOS, and Android deployment from one project reduces development effort for organizations needing applications across devices. Field workers on mobile, managers on tablets, and office workers on web all use the same application without separate development efforts.

Enterprise-Grade Data Security

SAP BTP integration provides enterprise authentication (SSO/SAML), role-based access control, audit logging, and data governance that SAP organizations' security teams require. Applications built on SAP Build Apps inherit the security posture of the SAP BTP platform, meeting enterprise security requirements without additional security engineering.

6. SAP Build Apps Cons

Small Community Limits Problem-Solving Resources

SAP Build Apps' community is dramatically smaller than Bubble, Retool, or even Microsoft Power Apps. Community forums have sparse activity. Third-party tutorials are few. Stack Overflow questions specific to SAP Build Apps rarely have answers. When you encounter problems, you're largely reliant on SAP's documentation (variable quality) and SAP support (enterprise-speed response times).

Enterprise-Dense UX Creates Steep Learning Curve

The interface is powerful but overwhelming for new users. Multiple panels, nested configuration, and enterprise terminology create a learning curve measured in days rather than hours. Non-technical business users, the "citizen developers" that SAP marketing targets, need significant training and ongoing support to build effectively.

Our test business users (operations managers familiar with SAP but not development) required 3-4 days of guided training before building independently. Compare to Glide (productive within an hour) or Adalo (productive within a day). The learning investment is justified for teams building multiple applications but disproportionate for one-off tool needs.

SAP Ecosystem Dependency Limits Relevance

Outside the SAP ecosystem, SAP Build Apps offers no compelling advantage over independent alternatives. The native SAP connectors, the platform's primary differentiator, provide zero value without SAP systems. The enterprise-dense UX, smaller community, and SAP-centric documentation actively disadvantage the platform compared to Bubble, Retool, or Glide for non-SAP use cases.

Documentation Quality Is Inconsistent

Some features have excellent documentation with examples and tutorials. Others have minimal documentation that assumes SAP BTP knowledge. The documentation has been in transition since the AppGyver acquisition, mixing pre-acquisition AppGyver docs with newer SAP-branded content. Finding accurate, current documentation for specific features sometimes requires checking both sources and comparing.

Enterprise Support Speed

SAP support follows enterprise support patterns, ticket-based, SLA-driven, and not optimized for the rapid iteration that no-code development enables. Support requests during testing took 3-7 business days for initial responses. For teams accustomed to same-day responses from SaaS support teams, SAP's enterprise support cadence feels slow.

7. Setup & Implementation Timeline

The Real Timeline

Community Edition (Non-SAP):

Hours 1-4: Platform Orientation Create SAP account, access Build Apps, explore the interface. The initial orientation is the steepest part of the learning curve, understanding the workspace layout, component library, and logic flow editor.

Days 2-4: First Application Build a simple application connected to REST APIs. The first app takes longest as you learn platform patterns. Subsequent apps build significantly faster.

Week 2: Iteration and Deployment Refine the application based on testing. Deploy to web. Evaluate whether the platform fits your development patterns before investing in enterprise features.

Enterprise Edition (SAP-Connected):

Week 1: BTP Setup and Connectivity Configure SAP BTP tenant (if not existing). Set up destination services for SAP system connections. Configure authentication. This step requires SAP Basis/BTP administrator involvement, not a no-code task.

Week 2: SAP Data Integration Connect to SAP systems through native connectors. Browse available data entities. Map SAP data to application components. Build the first SAP-connected prototype.

Weeks 3-4: Application Development Build complete applications with SAP data integration, logic flows, and UI design. Test with real SAP data. Deploy to target devices (web, mobile).

Weeks 5-8: Citizen Developer Enablement (Optional) Train business users on the platform. Establish governance for SAP data access. Deploy initial citizen-developed applications with IT review.

8. SAP Build Apps vs Competitors: Detailed Comparisons

SAP Build Apps vs Microsoft Power Apps: SAP vs Microsoft Ecosystems

The most relevant comparison for enterprise organizations. Both platforms provide no-code app development within their respective ecosystems. Power Apps integrates natively with Microsoft 365 (SharePoint, Teams, Dataverse, Outlook). SAP Build Apps integrates natively with SAP systems (S/4HANA, SuccessFactors).

Power Apps has a significantly larger community, more documentation, deeper AI integration (Copilot), and broader adoption. Power Apps' per-user pricing ($20-40/user/month) is more expensive than SAP Build Apps' free community edition but often included in existing Microsoft 365 enterprise licenses.

Choose SAP Build Apps for SAP-centric organizations where SAP data is the primary app data source. Choose Power Apps for Microsoft-centric organizations, organizations where Microsoft 365 is the primary data ecosystem, or teams wanting the larger community and ecosystem.

SAP Build Apps vs Bubble: Enterprise vs Independent

Bubble is the leading independent no-code platform with the largest community, most templates, and most flexible building environment. Bubble builds full web applications, including customer-facing products, not just internal tools. Bubble has no native enterprise system connectors (SAP, Salesforce, Microsoft), all integrations through REST APIs.

SAP Build Apps provides native SAP connectivity that Bubble can't match. Bubble provides design flexibility, community resources, and customer-facing capability that SAP Build Apps can't match. The platforms serve fundamentally different users and use cases.

Choose SAP Build Apps for internal SAP-connected applications. Choose Bubble for customer-facing web applications, non-SAP organizations, or teams wanting the largest no-code community.

SAP Build Apps vs Retool: Different Internal Tool Philosophies

Retool builds internal tools through a component-based builder with native database connectivity. Retool connects directly to SQL databases, REST APIs, and multiple SaaS services. Retool requires more technical skill than SAP Build Apps' visual logic flows but provides more flexibility for complex tools.

Both target internal tools. Retool serves development teams. SAP Build Apps serves SAP organizations (both developers and citizen developers). Retool's community and documentation significantly exceed SAP Build Apps'.

Choose SAP Build Apps for SAP-connected internal tools where native SAP connectivity matters. Choose Retool for database-connected internal tools in non-SAP environments, or when developer experience and community resources matter.

Feature Comparison Table

9. Best Use Cases and Industries

SAP-Connected Internal Tools. Perfect Fit

Inventory management, equipment maintenance, quality inspection, and material lookup tools connected to S/4HANA. These applications represent the core use case, putting SAP data into the hands of frontline workers through mobile-friendly interfaces without ABAP development.

HR Self-Service Applications. Strong Fit

Employee onboarding, leave request, training management, and organizational directory applications connected to SuccessFactors. HR processes that currently require SuccessFactors portal access can be streamlined through purpose-built mobile applications.

Field Service and Warehouse. Strong Fit

Mobile applications for warehouse workers (inventory counts, pick-pack, receiving), field technicians (work orders, equipment history, parts lookup), and delivery drivers (route information, proof of delivery). Cross-platform deployment puts applications on the devices field workers actually use.

Approval Workflows. Good Fit

Purchase requisition approval, expense report review, and document sign-off workflows connected to SAP financial systems. Logic flows handle the multi-step approval pattern well. Mobile access enables approvals on-the-go.

10. Who Should NOT Use SAP Build Apps

Non-SAP Organizations

Without SAP systems, SAP Build Apps' primary differentiator (native SAP connectivity) provides zero value. The smaller community, steeper learning curve, and enterprise-dense UX make it inferior to Bubble, Retool, Glide, or Power Apps for non-SAP use cases. Don't choose SAP Build Apps because it's free, choose the platform that fits your ecosystem.

Teams Building Customer-Facing Products

SAP Build Apps builds internal tools, not consumer products. The visual design quality is functional, not elegant. The deployment model isn't optimized for public-facing applications with thousands of users. Use Bubble for customer-facing web apps or FlutterFlow/Draftbit for customer-facing mobile apps.

Teams Wanting Immediate Productivity

The learning curve requires days of investment before productive building. Teams with urgent tool needs should choose Glide (productive in hours) or Retool (productive in a day) for immediate results. SAP Build Apps is a medium-term investment, the learning curve pays off across multiple applications but delays the first delivery.

Small Businesses Without SAP

Small businesses (<50 employees) don't typically run SAP systems. Without SAP integration value, the platform's complexity and limited community make it a poor choice. Glide, Adalo, or Airtable Interfaces provide simpler, more community-supported paths to internal tools for small organizations.

11. Security, Support & Performance

Security

Enterprise security inherits SAP BTP's comprehensive certification portfolio. SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, and multiple industry-specific compliance frameworks. For enterprise IT teams evaluating no-code platforms, SAP's security credentials significantly reduce procurement friction. Community edition security is adequate but lacks enterprise controls.

Customer Support

Enterprise support through SAP's standard support channels, ticket-based with SLA response times. Support quality is knowledgeable but response times follow enterprise patterns (3-7 business days for non-critical issues). Community edition support is primarily self-service through documentation and community forums.

Documentation is a mixed experience. Core platform documentation (visual builder, logic flows, component reference) is adequate. SAP integration documentation is good but assumes SAP system knowledge. Community-contributed content is sparse compared to other no-code platforms. SAP Learning Hub provides structured training courses (some paid, some included with SAP licenses).

Performance

The visual builder loads in 3-5 seconds. Logic flow execution is fast for standard operations. SAP data retrieval depends on SAP system performance and network connectivity, local S/4HANA systems return data in 200-500ms, cloud systems in 500-1500ms depending on query complexity.

Deployed applications perform well for internal tool use cases (50-200 concurrent users). Mobile apps run natively on iOS and Android with acceptable performance. Web applications load in 2-4 seconds for typical internal tools.

12. Final Verdict

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

SAP Build Apps is the right tool for the right context. For SAP organizations wanting no-code internal app development with native SAP connectivity, the platform provides unique capability at an unbeatable price (free). The native SAP integration eliminates middleware complexity that makes SAP-connected apps expensive and fragile through other platforms. For non-SAP organizations, the platform offers no compelling advantage and significant disadvantages (small community, steep learning curve, enterprise-dense UX) compared to independent alternatives.

Not Recommended For: Non-SAP organizations, teams wanting consumer-grade design quality, customer-facing applications, or teams needing large communities and extensive third-party resources.

ROI Assessment

SAP Organization (Free + existing BTP, $0 incremental platform cost):

• Built 2 SAP-connected internal apps in 3 months (estimated 6-month traditional development)
• ABAP development cost avoided: estimated $50,000-80,000 per application
• Total development cost avoidance: $100,000-160,000 for initial applications
• ROI: Infinite (platform cost is $0; value is development cost avoidance)

SAP Organization (New BTP licensing, estimated $15,000/year):

• Same development cost avoidance: $100,000-160,000 for 2 applications
• Additional applications built over time reduce per-app cost further
• ROI: 7-11x BTP licensing cost from development cost avoidance in Year 1

The Bottom Line

SAP Build Apps answers a question that only SAP organizations ask: "how do we build internal applications connected to SAP data without ABAP development or expensive middleware?" For that question, the answer is compelling, free no-code platform with native SAP connectors, genuine application logic capability, and cross-platform deployment. The platform converts internal tool requests that would wait months in IT development queues into applications that business-adjacent developers can build in weeks. For the estimated 400,000+ organizations running SAP globally, this capability has significant practical value. For everyone else, the answer to "should I use SAP Build Apps?" is simply: "no, use Bubble, Retool, or Glide instead."