What Is the Difference Between SAP PI and SAP PO? A Clear Comparison

In today’s digitally connected enterprise ecosystem, seamless integration between systems is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. SAP, a global leader in enterprise solutions, offers powerful integration tools to help businesses connect applications, streamline workflows, and ensure data consistency. Two such tools are SAP PI (Process Integration) and SAP PO (Process Orchestration).

At first glance, SAP PI and PO may appear interchangeable, but they serve distinct purposes and offer different levels of functionality. As organizations plan their IT transformation journeys—especially those considering upgrades or migrations—understanding the differences between SAP PI and SAP PO becomes essential.

This blog provides a clear, side-by-side comparison of SAP PI and SAP PO, helping you understand their capabilities, architecture, and strategic value. Whether you're an SAP consultant, developer, architect, or decision-maker, this guide will equip you with the insights needed to make an informed integration strategy.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction to SAP PI and SAP PO

2. Architectural Differences

3. Functional Differences

4. Performance and Scalability

5. Licensing and Upgrade Path

6. Use Cases

7. Transitioning from SAP PI to SAP PO

8. Future Outlook: SAP PO vs. Integration Suite

9. Conclusion: Which One Should You Choose?

10. Final Thoughts

1. Introduction to SAP PI and SAP PO

What is SAP PI (Process Integration)?

SAP PI is a middleware platform that enables the integration of different systems across heterogeneous IT landscapes. Formerly known as SAP XI (Exchange Infrastructure), PI helps in data transformation, routing, and communication between internal SAP and external non-SAP systems.

Key features of SAP PI:

• Supports multiple protocols like HTTP, IDoc, SOAP, and JDBC.
• Acts as a central middleware for enterprise application integration.
• Utilizes adapters to communicate with external systems.
• Focuses mainly on message-based integration (A2A and B2B).

What is SAP PO (Process Orchestration)?

SAP Process Orchestration (PO) is an advanced integration platform that combines the functionalities of:

• SAP PI (Process Integration)
• SAP BPM (Business Process Management)
• SAP BRM (Business Rules Management)

In essence, SAP PO is a superset that includes PI along with orchestration and business rule capabilities, allowing companies to design, execute, and monitor complex business processes.

2. Architectural Differences

3. Functional Differences

4. Performance and Scalability

SAP PO has a modern, Java-only architecture, making it more lightweight and scalable compared to the older dual-stack PI version. With AEX, message throughput is significantly improved, and resource usage is optimized.

• SAP PI: Higher resource consumption in dual-stack installations.
• SAP PO: Better message queuing, faster processing, and reduced downtime due to decoupled components.

5. Licensing and Upgrade Path

Factor	SAP PI	SAP PO
Licensing	Licensed per integration usage	Licensed for broader orchestration
Upgrade Support	Limited for older dual-stack versions	Recommended by SAP for future use
SAP Roadmap	Being phased out	SAP’s long-term strategy for integration

 

SAP has been encouraging customers to migrate from PI to PO as part of its modernization roadmap. The latest innovations and support are now focused on PO and SAP Integration Suite (cloud-based).

6. Use Cases

7. Transitioning from SAP PI to SAP PO

For enterprises still using PI, upgrading to PO provides the following benefits:

• Unified platform for all integration and orchestration needs.
• Reduced Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) by eliminating dual-stack environments.
• Access to BPMN-based workflows, human task flows, and business rules.

SAP also provides tools and migration support for moving from PI to PO or further to SAP Integration Suite (cloud-first strategy).

8. Future Outlook: SAP PO vs. Integration Suite

While SAP PO is the present integration platform for many businesses, SAP is gradually moving towards SAP Integration Suite (formerly CPI) — a cloud-native iPaaS (Integration Platform as a Service) solution.

However, for many on-premise landscapes and hybrid needs, SAP PO remains relevant and critical.

• Choose SAP PI if you only need basic message-based system integration and are already on an existing setup.
• Choose SAP PO if you require advanced orchestration, BPM workflows, and decision-making capabilities.
• Consider SAP Integration Suite if you're moving towards cloud integration, API management, and real-time integration.

Quick Summary Table

10. Final Thoughts

Understanding the differences between SAP PI and SAP PO is essential for building a scalable, future-ready integration strategy. While PI served as a strong foundation in its time, PO enhances integration capabilities with orchestration, workflows, and rules that align better with today’s complex business needs.

If your organization is still using PI, now is the time to assess the cost, benefits, and timelines for upgrading to PO or moving toward SAP’s cloud-first integration model.