As you probably already know, SAP will end Marketing Cloud development and platform support in 2026.
If you’re still using SAP Marketing Cloud, you have 11 months to evaluate platforms (6-8 weeks), select vendors (4-6 weeks), negotiate contracts (4-8 weeks), implement your replacement (12-24 weeks), and stabilize operations (4-8 weeks). The timeline is tight.
For most B2B enterprises (€50M-€500M revenue), platform selection depends on three factors:
This analysis covers three leading replacement options for B2B enterprises: HubSpot Marketing Hub, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, and Adobe Marketo Engage.
1. Critical SAP Marketing Cloud Capabilities You Cannot Lose
2. Platform Comparison: HubSpot vs Salesforce vs Marketo for SAP Users
3. HubSpot Marketing Hub: Fastest SAP Integration Path
4. Salesforce Marketing Cloud: The Enterprise Powerhouse
5. Adobe Marketo Engage: The B2B Lead Management Specialist
6. SAP Integration: What You Need to Know
7. Implementation and Migration Timeline
1. Critical SAP Marketing Cloud Capabilities You Cannot Lose
SAP Marketing Cloud provided five core capabilities for European B2B enterprises:
Your replacement platform needs to maintain these five capabilities. Preserving SAP integration continuity is critical for commercial operations.
2. Platform Comparison: HubSpot vs Salesforce vs Marketo for SAP Users
| Capability | HubSpot Marketing Hub | Salesforce Marketing Cloud | Marketo An Adobe Company |
| SAP Integration Complexity | Medium (middleware connectors) | High (MuleSoft or custom) | Medium (AEP or custom) |
| Integration Setup Timeline | 8-12 weeks | 8-12 weeks | 6-10 weeks |
| Annual Platform Cost (€) | 60K-150K | 150K-300K+ | 100K-200K |
| Middleware Solution Cost (€/year) | 5K-40K (Zapier, Boomi, ElixirSync, etc) | 20K-100K (MuleSoft required) | 10K-50K (custom connectors) |
| Integration Development Cost (€) | 40K-80K | 100K-200K+ | 75K-150K |
| 3-Year TCO (€) | 250K-450K | 650K-1.2M+ | 475K-900K |
| Team Training Time | 2-4 weeks | 6-8 weeks | 4-6 weeks |
| User Adoption Rate | Highest | Medium | Medium |
| B2B Capabilities | Strong | Strong | Strongest |
| B2C Capabilities | Medium | Strongest | Weak |
| Unified CRM Included | Yes | No (separate purchase required; additional SalesHub licensing needed) | No (separate purchase) |
| Multi-Language Support | EN, DE, FR, NL, ES | Comprehensive | Comprehensive |
| Change Management Risk | Low | High | Medium |
Disclaimer: Cost estimates based on European mid-market implementations (100-500 marketing users, €50M-€200M revenue). Your costs will vary based on user count, customization requirements, and existing technology stack.
3. HubSpot Marketing Hub: Fastest SAP Integration Path
What it is: Unified CRM and marketing automation platform designed for B2B commercial operations.
Core strengths:
HubSpot provides the fastest path from SAP Marketing Cloud to operational marketing automation. The platform combines marketing, sales, and service capabilities in a single system, simplifying integration.
Marketing capabilities:
SAP C4C Integration Architecture:
HubSpot connects to SAP via middleware solutions:
Standard integration scope:
Integration setup process:
Total timeline: 12 - 16 weeks from kickoff to production.
Proven SAP integration examples:
An international food ingredients company (10,000+ employees, €5B revenue, 100+ countries) implemented HubSpot Marketing Hub Enterprise integrated with SAP CRM. Started with Belgium pilot to validate purchase-based segmentation strategy. Order history data now syncs automatically, enabling marketing to identify active buyers of specific product lines and target them with cross-sell campaigns. Team gained ability to measure campaign impact tied directly to purchasing behavior. Belgium implementation serves as template for global rollout across remaining markets.
Read more about HubSpot x SAP-integration possibilities here
Best for SAP Marketing Cloud users:
What to watch:
What it is: Enterprise-grade multi-channel marketing platform, part of the broader Salesforce ecosystem. Known for scale and sophistication.
Core strengths:
SAP C4C Integration Architecture:
SAP integration capabilities: Integration requires MuleSoft or custom API development. More complex architecture with higher technical expertise needed. Integration often requires dedicated middleware specialists and Salesforce/SAP integration experts.
Typical integration setup: 8–12 weeks with higher technical requirements than alternatives for mid-market
Bidirectional sync is possible with proper implementation, but the path is more complex.
Best for SAP Marketing Cloud users:
What to watch:
Lastly, organizations with straightforward B2B marketing needs (single-channel campaigns, basic automation) often don't utilize Salesforce's advanced capabilities, making the cost-to-value ratio unfavorable
What it is: Enterprise marketing automation focused on B2B, part of Adobe Experience Cloud. Known for sophisticated lead management and scoring.
Core strengths:
Advanced lead scoring and nurturing
Sophisticated segmentation and personalization
Comprehensive program management
SAP C4C Integration Architecture:
Integration via Adobe Experience Platform or custom connectors. Supports bidirectional data flow with proper setup. Requires technical implementation expertise and often involves Adobe consulting or certified partners.
Typical integration setup: 6-10 weeks with certified Adobe/SAP integration expertise. Additional middleware often recommended.
Best for SAP Marketing Cloud users:
What to watch:
How does each CRM platform integrate with SAP C/4HANA?
HubSpot approach: Integrates with SAP systems through middleware platforms that provide the necessary connectors. Real-time synchronization can be set up for standard objects, ensuring marketing and CRM data flows smoothly. For a mid-market migration, setup typically takes 12–16 weeks, depending on data complexity and workflows. While the technical effort is generally lower than a full enterprise CRM migration, there is no native connector for SAP C/4HANA, so middleware is always required to link HubSpot and SAP systems.
Read more about HubSpot x SAP-integration possibilities here
Salesforce approach: MuleSoft integration platform or custom API development. More complex architecture. Setup typically 8-12 weeks. Higher technical requirements. May require dedicated Salesforce/SAP integration specialists on staff or retainer.
Marketo approach: Adobe Experience Platform or custom connectors. API-based integration. Setup typically 6-10 weeks. Needs certified Adobe/SAP integration expertise. Additional middleware often recommended.
All three can maintain your SAP connectivity. HubSpot gets there faster with less complexity. Salesforce and Marketo require more technical investment.
HubSpot migration: Timeline: 12-16 weeks typical for a full project. Data migration straightforward with established tools. Team training: 2-4 weeks to proficiency. User adoption is highest among the three options. Business disruption risk: Low.
Salesforce migration: Timeline: 16-24+ weeks typical. Data migration complex and requires data architecture planning. Team training: 6-8 weeks to proficiency. User adoption is moderate (steep learning curve). Business disruption risk: Medium-High.
Marketo migration: Timeline: 14-20 weeks typical. Data migration has moderate complexity. Team training: 4-6 weeks to proficiency. User adoption moderate. Business disruption risk: Medium.
You have 11 month until December 2026. Factor in platform evaluation (6-8 weeks), vendor selection (4-6 weeks), contract negotiation (4-8 weeks), implementation, and stabilization. You're looking at 6-9 months minimum from decision to go-live.
With a December 2026 deadline and 6-9 month minimum timeline from decision to stabilization, you should begin evaluation by Q1 2025.
Read more our migration service here
We specialize in complex implementations for B2B enterprises. We've migrated multiple organizations off SAP Marketing Cloud and connected HubSpot to various SAP environments.
Our approach combines SAP integration expertise with HubSpot implementation experience. We understand both systems, which matters for successful migrations.
We offer a free discovery meeting that includes: