SAP HANA Licensing in 2026. Runtime, full use, and the memory metric.

SAP HANA is licensed on memory. The metric is the active runtime memory of the HANA database, measured in 64 GB blocks. The license comes in two flavors. The runtime license caps the workload to SAP application data. The full use license removes the cap and allows any data, any application.

The runtime price sits at roughly 8 percent of the underlying SAP application list price, paid in addition to the application. The full use price runs at 30,000 to 35,000 EUR per 64 GB block, with deep discount only past 5 TB.

Read this alongside the SAP knowledge hub, the SAP services page, the SAP licensing guide, the RISE TCO calculator, and the Vendor Shield subscription.

How HANA pricing works

HANA pricing has two distinct mechanics. The runtime license follows the SAP application license. The full use license is a standalone HANA database license. Recognizing which one is in scope is the single most important step on a renewal.

Three pillars of the HANA price model

1. Memory metric. The active runtime memory at peak, measured in 64 GB blocks. Disk size does not count.
2. Workload scope. Runtime allows SAP application data only. Full use allows any data.
3. Tied to S/4HANA or standalone. S/4HANA carries an embedded HANA runtime. ECC on HANA carries a separate HANA runtime line.

The HANA runtime license

The runtime license is the lowest cost path to HANA. It is tied to a specific SAP application and only allows that application's data inside the database.

Five runtime rules every buyer should know

• Tied to one application. A runtime license bought for ECC cannot run a Business Warehouse workload.
• Eight percent rule. The runtime list is roughly 8 percent of the underlying SAP application list price.
• Embedded with S/4HANA. S/4HANA on premises includes the HANA runtime in the application license fee.
• No third party data. A non SAP table inside the runtime database tips the audit position to full use.
• Application stack joined. A view joining a non SAP table outside HANA into a SAP table inside HANA also counts.

Runtime price by application family

SAP application	Runtime % of app list	Indicative price per 1 TB
S/4HANA on premises	Embedded	0 EUR (in app)
SAP ECC on HANA	8 percent	120K to 180K EUR
SAP Business Warehouse on HANA	8 percent	110K to 170K EUR
SAP Fiori, Cloud Apps	Embedded	0 EUR (in app)

The HANA full use license

The full use license unlocks every workload on the HANA database. Any data, any application, any custom developed schema is inside scope.

When the full use license is required

1. Non SAP application data inside HANA. A custom data warehouse, a Salesforce mirror, or a Snowflake replica inside HANA tips to full use.
2. Multi tenant database services. A platform that hosts non SAP tenants on HANA requires full use.
3. Analytics on third party data. A Tableau or Power BI workload pulling from HANA tables that contain non SAP data requires full use.
4. Custom built apps on the HANA platform. A native HANA application not licensed under another SAP application family requires full use.

Full use price band by estate size

Estate size	List per 64 GB	Net per 64 GB at typical discount
Up to 1 TB	32,000 to 35,000 EUR	22,400 to 28,000 EUR
1 TB to 5 TB	32,000 EUR	16,000 to 20,800 EUR
5 TB to 20 TB	32,000 EUR	10,000 to 14,000 EUR
20 TB plus	32,000 EUR	6,000 to 9,500 EUR

The memory metric and the GB band

The HANA memory metric measures the active runtime memory of the HANA database at peak load. The unit is the 64 GB block. A 1 TB workload at peak counts as 16 blocks, regardless of disk size.

Three mechanics on the memory metric

• Peak, not average. The audit measures the peak in memory footprint over the audit period.
• Round up. A 1.05 TB peak counts as 17 blocks, not 16.
• Live data only. Compressed and disk only data does not count toward the metric.

Worked example: a 5 TB SAP estate

The example below maps a 5 TB estate split across S/4HANA, an ECC on HANA legacy database, and a Business Warehouse workload.

Five TB estate breakdown

Workload	Active memory	License flavor	Indicative price
S/4HANA production	1.5 TB	Embedded runtime	0 EUR (in app)
ECC on HANA legacy	2.0 TB	Runtime, 8 percent	240K to 360K EUR
Business Warehouse	1.0 TB	Runtime, 8 percent	110K to 170K EUR
Custom data lake on HANA	0.5 TB	Full use	250K EUR list, 130K EUR net

HANA Cloud and the RISE shift

HANA Cloud and the RISE bundle remove the memory metric from the buyer side conversation. The capacity unit replaces the 64 GB block, and the consumption is metered against a contracted capacity pool.

Three shifts when moving to RISE or HANA Cloud

1. Capacity unit pricing. The 64 GB block is replaced by a capacity unit measured in compute, memory, and storage.
2. Bundle pricing. The HANA license is bundled into the RISE subscription with no separate runtime line.
3. SAP managed. The DBA function moves to SAP, not the customer.

SAP HANA audit positions

The annual SAP audit covers HANA usage as part of the standard system measurement. The auditor pulls the peak in memory footprint over the period and applies the metric.

Five HANA audit positions to anticipate

1. Peak memory measurement. The audit captures the peak, not a 90th percentile.
2. Non SAP data flag. Any non SAP table flips the database to full use scope.
3. Cross database joins. Smart Data Access joins to non SAP databases count if the join touches HANA memory.
4. Multi tenant containers. Each MDC tenant carries its own metric, summed at the system level.
5. Standby and DR. Active standby instances count toward the metric. Cold standby does not.

Seven HANA negotiation levers on a renewal

Seven levers procurement carries to the table

1. Tier cold data to NSE. Move infrequently accessed data out of memory before the audit period.
2. Quote the runtime to full use swap math. Force SAP to quote both paths on the same workload.
3. Negotiate a price hold. A three year price hold protects against a mid term unit price increase.
4. Cap the annual uplift. Lock the maintenance uplift at zero or a published index.
5. Consolidate to one HANA system. Sum across smaller systems to cross a discount band threshold.
6. Quote HANA Cloud as the alternative. Force a like for like price comparison against the standalone HANA license.
7. Lock the audit method in writing. Specify peak measurement, NSE exclusion, and DR exclusion in the renewal LOI.

What to do next

The eight step checklist takes a HANA license inventory from a standard SAP system measurement to a buyer side renewal position.

1. Pull the system measurement file for every HANA system in scope.
2. Map the workload scope to runtime or full use on each database.
3. Inventory non SAP tables inside HANA across all systems.
4. Score the NSE opportunity for tiered cold data.
5. Cost the runtime to full use math on every system at risk.
6. Quote HANA Cloud against the standalone HANA license on at least two workloads.
7. Open the renewal nine months early with the workload scope and the cost math in writing.
8. Lock the seven levers in a renewal LOI before the SOW.

Frequently asked questions

How Redress engages on SAP HANA license reviews

Redress runs SAP HANA license advisory inside the Vendor Shield subscription, the Software Spend Assessment, the Renewal Program, and the Benchmark Program.

Read the related SAP hub, the SAP services page, the SAP licensing guide, the RISE TCO calculator, the RISE negotiation white paper, the SAP audit defense guide, the benchmarking page, the about us page, and the contact page.