SAP BTP Cloud Foundry vs Kyma Runtime: Which One Should You Choose?

SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) is the go-to innovation platform for building, integrating, and extending enterprise apps. But when it comes to choosing a runtime environment, things can get confusing—especially between two popular options:

• 🔹 Cloud Foundry (CF) Runtime

• 🔹 Kyma (Kubernetes-based) Runtime

Both are powerful. Both run on SAP BTP. But their philosophies, tooling, and use cases differ greatly.

In this blog, we’ll compare Cloud Foundry and Kyma Runtime head-to-head, explore use cases, pros and cons, and help you figure out which one fits your needs better.

Here’s a human-written, insightful, and technically sound blog post that compares SAP BTP Cloud Foundry vs SAP BTP Kyma Runtime, helping developers, architects, and technical decision-makers choose the right runtime based on their needs.

SAP BTP Cloud Foundry vs Kyma Runtime: Which One Should You Choose?

SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) is the go-to innovation platform for building, integrating, and extending enterprise apps. But when it comes to choosing a runtime environment, things can get confusing—especially between two popular options:

• 🔹 Cloud Foundry (CF) Runtime

• 🔹 Kyma (Kubernetes-based) Runtime

Both are powerful. Both run on SAP BTP. But their philosophies, tooling, and use cases differ greatly.

In this blog, we’ll compare Cloud Foundry and Kyma Runtime head-to-head, explore use cases, pros and cons, and help you figure out which one fits your needs better.

Quick Overview

Feature	Cloud Foundry (CF)	Kyma Runtime (Kubernetes)
Architecture	Buildpack-based PaaS	Kubernetes-native microservices runtime
Deploy Model	cf push (simplified)	Helm charts, YAML, kubectl
Language Support	Multi-language (Node.js, Java, Python, etc.)	Container-based (any runtime that runs in Docker)
Developer Experience	Simple, opinionated	Flexible, DevOps-centric
Extensibility	Limited by CF tooling	Full Kubernetes control + Kyma custom resources
Learning Curve	Beginner-friendly	Intermediate to advanced

What is Cloud Foundry Runtime?

Cloud Foundry (CF) is a Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) runtime where developers can deploy apps by simply pushing code. It handles most infra-level complexity for you: build, run, scale.

 When to Use:

• You want to quickly deploy Node.js, Java, Python apps

• You don't want to deal with Kubernetes or containers

• You need tight integration with SAP services (like destinations, XSUAA, CAPM)

• You're building CAP-based apps or extensions to SAP S/4HANA

 Limitations:

• Less flexible for advanced networking, service mesh, or container-based workloads

• Not ideal for low-level control or advanced DevOps use cases

What is Kyma Runtime?

Kyma Runtime is SAP’s managed Kubernetes environment built on open-source Kyma. It’s for teams who want more control, modularity, and the ability to run event-driven, container-native microservices.

When to Use:

• You’re building event-driven extensions (e.g., reacting to S/4HANA events)

• You want custom workloads in Docker containers

• You need fine-grained infrastructure control

• You're comfortable with Helm charts, YAML, Kubernetes CRDs

Limitations:

• Steeper learning curve

• More setup and configuration needed compared to CF

• Requires knowledge of Kubernetes concepts (pods, deployments, services)

 Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	Cloud Foundry Runtime	Kyma Runtime
Deployment Simplicity	✔️ One command (cf push)	❌ Requires container build + Helm/YAML
Infrastructure Control	❌ Abstracted by SAP	✔️ Full control (K8s + custom resources)
Event-Driven Architecture	⚠️ Possible, but limited	✔️ Native event mesh (SAP Event Mesh/Kyma Mesh)
Service Bindings (XSUAA, Dest.)	✔️ Native support	⚠️ Manual or via Service Catalog
DevOps Tooling	Basic (Logs, scale, restart)	Advanced (Istio, observability, autoscaling)
Cold Start Time	Fast (CF-managed)	Can vary (depends on K8s config)
Language/Runtime Flexibility	Predefined buildpacks	Any Docker image

Example Use Cases

Cloud Foundry

• Build a CAPM Node.js backend that connects to SAP HANA Cloud

• Deploy a Java-based REST API that uses XSUAA for user login

• Create a lightweight SAP Fiori app deployed to Launchpad

Kyma Runtime

• Build an event-driven extension reacting to Business Events from S/4HANA

• Deploy a Go-based microservice that interacts with third-party APIs

• Use Istio-based service mesh for microservice observability and traffic control

Developer Insight: CF is for Builders, Kyma is for Architects

• 🛠 CF = Focused on simplicity – Write code, bind services, deploy. Great for rapid delivery and SAP-aligned apps.

• 🧱 Kyma = Built for scale and flexibility – Choose this if you want Kubernetes features like eventing, observability, autoscaling, and container-native apps.

Final Thoughts: Pick Based on What You Want to Optimize

If you want to...	Use...
Focus on speed and simplicity	Cloud Foundry
Build container-native workloads	Kyma Runtime
Integrate deeply with SAP CAP	Cloud Foundry
Handle event-driven extensions	Kyma Runtime
Scale services with full control	Kyma Runtime

What’s Next?

If you’re just starting out with SAP BTP:

• Use Cloud Foundry to build your first extension app.

• Once you're comfortable and need more advanced architecture—explore Kyma for flexibility.

Want tutorials on deploying a CAPM app to both Cloud Foundry and Kyma? Drop a comment or reach out—I’ll gladly write it next!