Open SAP is a free online course platform launched by SAP to democratize access to its technologies. It attracted thousands of learners worldwide… before being replaced in 2024 by SAP Learning. Discover why it made such an impact and how to continue learning effectively!
Learning SAP is often seen as a daunting task: expensive courses, intimidating jargon, opaque platforms… Yet, SAP remains the technological backbone of thousands of companies worldwide. In short: if you deal with management, finance, the supply chain, or IT, you will inevitably come across this platform.
To make learning simpler, free, and engaging, SAP launched a free online course platform open to all, with no prerequisites: Open SAP. An initiative that was a massive success. More than 5 million enrollments, 820,000 unique learners, and a completion rate that would make any academic MOOC blush.
However, note this: in July 2024, SAP officially closed Open SAP to migrate its content to the new unified platform SAP Learning. A desire to simplify and harmonize the training offering. So, we will review what Open SAP offered and explain how to continue your learning today. Follow the guide!
A free training platform with phenomenal success
Launched in 2013 by publisher SAP SE, Open SAP is a free online training platform dedicated to solutions, tools, and innovations in the SAP universe. But beware, it’s far from just a simple tutorial catalog: Open SAP adopts a true MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses) logic, with time-framed sessions, quizzes, certifications, and an active community.
Whether you’re a student, employee, consultant, or just curious, the platform allows any profile to take SAP courses remotely, independently but with structure. The goal is clear: democratize access to strategic technological knowledge, often reserved for only the initiated.
And it works: in its first year, Open SAP registered 110,000 unique learners and more than 250,000 course enrollments. Today, the platform boasts more than 5 million cumulative enrollments across approximately 250 courses.
Better yet: active participation exceeds 50%, and nearly 30% of users go on to earn a certification. Figures far above industry standards, where traditional MOOCs struggle to reach 10% completion. It is therefore the ideal gateway into the SAP world, without financial or technological barriers.
A course format that breaks the mold
Where many technical training programs get bogged down in jargon or academia, Open SAP plays the card of effective, concise, and engaging pedagogy. Courses are divided into brief video capsules, punctuated with interactive quizzes, practical exercises, and community activities (forum, peer review, comments).
We are talking about “learning by doing”, without overload or distraction. The platform operates in a few-week sessions, with a flexible weekly rhythm. You watch the videos, complete the quizzes, and at the end, if your score exceeds a threshold, you obtain a Record of Achievement (RoA).
A concrete proof of your skills, which you can display on LinkedIn or mention in a resume. Another strong point: access to cloud environments for practice, particularly on tools like SAP HANA or SAP BTP. The learner is not passive. They manipulate, test, and learn by building.
A broad offering beyond the technical
Don’t be misled by the name: Open SAP doesn’t just discuss ERP or cloud computing. The platform also offers courses on crossover, strategic, or societal topics, always anchored in the digital transformation.
Yes, you will find training on SAP S/4HANA, SAP Fiori, SAP Integration Suite, or SAP Analytics Cloud. But you can also take modules on sustainability and ESG impact, UX design applied to SAP tools, cybersecurity, or even digital leadership.
The idea is to train hybrid profiles, capable of understanding the tools, but also the business challenges that surround them. This global approach allows Open SAP to address a varied audience: developers, consultants, business executives, project managers, but also students or people in transition. And this partly explains its worldwide success, with learners from 175 countries and a wide age range of 23 to 45 years on average.
Why does it appeal to professionals and students alike?
If Open SAP attracts so many, it’s no coincidence. The platform checks all the boxes of a modern training tool: free, flexible, recognized, and immediately useful. For students, it’s an entry point into a highly sought-after ecosystem. For professionals, it’s a practical solution to acquire skills without disrupting their schedules.
In just a few hours a week, you can take an up-to-date course designed by SAP engineers and experts themselves, and validated by thousands of other learners. On average, courses have more than 20,000 enrollments each, with sometimes 600 messages per week on the forums. The proof of an active community, ready to help each other.
But most importantly, the high completion rate (25–30%) shows that users stay engaged. Far from platforms where people enroll never to return, Open SAP creates a concrete learning dynamic. Obtaining a certificate (the famous RoA) is experienced as a small victory and can sometimes influence a hiring or promotion.
Another reason for its success: the reliability of the content. Each course is constructed in connection with the real-world evolution of the SAP ecosystem, whether it’s an S/4HANA update, a novelty in SAP BTP, or a significant regulatory change.
Top of the most popular courses
Among the dozens of courses offered on Open SAP, some have become veritable classics, regularly updated and followed by thousands of learners. The course “Get Started with SAP HANA Cloud” is perfect for understanding the basics of SAP cloud, with accessible and concrete labs.
For an overview of SAP’s strategy and how all the modules interact, “SAP’s Integrated Intelligent Suite” is ideal. For developer profiles who want to get hands-on, the best choice is the course “Developing with SAP Business Technology Platform”.
More transversal, “Digital Skills for Today’s Business” touches on the sought-after digital soft skills in any organization. These courses combine technical content, practical cases, and regular tests, with sometimes additional resources (documentation, cloud access, interviews). They well illustrate the philosophy of Open SAP: train quickly, train well, and train for what truly serves.
Training that remains limited
While it is an ideal solution for discovering SAP, Open SAP presents some weaknesses compared to real training provided by an organization like DataScientest. First limitation: the certifications awarded are not official diplomas. A “Record of Achievement” proves your participation and success, but it does not replace an SAP certification recognized by employers or partners.
Rather, it serves as proof of motivation and concrete skill enhancement, particularly on recent topics. Second point: personal discipline is key. Courses are often short (3 to 6 weeks), but require a minimum of weekly rigor.
Like all MOOCs, Open SAP relies on autonomy. There is no instructor to push you. However, the forums are lively, and resources well-thought-out to guide you without overwhelming. Finally, Open SAP does not replace intensive training or certifying programs like those offered by DataScientest. It is perfect for discovering, updating, or exploring a related field, but for a real “deep dive” skills gain, it must be complemented by structured training.
What remains of Open SAP today?
Open SAP officially closed its doors in July 2024, after more than ten years of loyal service. The courses, certifications, and user profiles have been migrated to the SAP Learning platform, with an aim of consolidation.
This new platform retains the spirit of Open SAP: free, accessible, online modules. However, it offers a stronger integration with professional certifications and a redesigned ergonomics for regular learners.
Former users of Open SAP can therefore continue their learning without loss, while new entrants discover a more homogeneous experience, aligned with the standards of SAP Learning Hub.
Open SAP, a gateway into the SAP ecosystem
Open SAP achieved its goal: breaking the barriers of SAP training, opening its doors to the widest audience, and creating an active community around useful, flexible, and recognized learning. Since July 2024, the platform has been closed and its content migrated to SAP Learning, the new official reference. A name change, but not DNA: the ambition remains the same.
It is now one of the best gateways to enter the SAP universe, but it is no substitute for certifying training. Looking to go further? For those who wish to deepen their SAP skills in a more structured, professional, and certifying manner, there is a high-level alternative: the SAP Consultant training from DataScientest.
It allows you to master key modules like SAP S/4HANA, SAP Fiori, and SAP BTP, to understand business flows, data challenges, and integration processes. It’s also the best way to prepare for official SAP certifications, while working on concrete practical cases.
With our project-oriented pedagogy, you will learn by directly handling SAP tools, and be accompanied by experts to quickly and effectively improve your skills. The training is available in bootcamp, continuous, or alternation mode. Discover DataScientest and give a true turn to your SAP career!
You know everything about Open SAP. For more information on the same topic, discover our complete article on SAP and our article on S/4HANA.
