Choosing the right ERP system for your business is important. With advances in technology, cloud-based ERP technologies are the way of the future. True cloud ERPs (ones that were built for the cloud) allow businesses of all sizes to take advantage of enterprise resource planning software. While there are multiple ERP options to choose from, most businesses typically decide between Acumatica and NetSuite. Here’s what you need to know about both of these ERP options to help you make your choice:

Features	Acumatica	NetSuite
True Cloud	Yes	Yes
Deployment	Cloud, On-site, Hybrid	Cloud only
Mobility	All devices supported	All devices supported
Full Functionality	Yes	Yes
Export Type	Relational Database Export	Non-relational Export
Customization Framework	.NET and C#	Proprietary Software
Pricing	Resources Used Only	Resources and User
Scalability	Very Scalable	Very Scalable

Cloud ERP Technologies

Both Acumatica and Oracle’s NetSuite are true cloud-based ERP technologies. What that means is simple: they were built specifically to work in the cloud. Unlike other ERPs and legacy software that was ported and reworked to have cloud functionality, both Acumatica and NetSuite were designed to utilize the power of cloud computing. The ERP software is accessed over the internet using a browser or a mobile app

True cloud ERPs provide a lot of benefits over other types of software including:

• Multi-tenant architecture
• No version locks
• Scalability
• Flexibility

Round Winner: Tie. Both Acumatica and NetSuite are true cloud options.

ERP Deployment

Once you choose your ERP, it has to be implemented and deployed for your business. This is where the differences start to come in between Acumatica and NetSuite. Because they are both true cloud ERP options, you can have simple cloud deployment with either choice.

But that doesn’t work for every business and some need on-site deployment (or a mixture of on-site and cloud). NetSuite only offers cloud deployment while Acumatica offers cloud deployment, on-site implementation, or hybrid choices.

Round Winner: Acumatica for offering multiple deployment options.

Features And Functionality

Choosing either of these options is going to give you access to most industry-standard verticals, with many functions within each category. These include:

• Financial Management
• Financial Planning
• Supply Chain Management
• Fulfillment and Procurement
• Human Capital Management
• E-Commerce and Retail
• Professional Service Automation
• Reporting
• Dashboards
• And More…

No matter which of these options you go with, you are going to get a fantastic ERP solution. They both integrate eCommerce, customer relationship management, business intelligence, and other core functionalities extremely well.

Small differences matter, though, and that may be what leads you toward one software over another. Inventory management, for example, is handled slightly differently in each ERP. With NetSuite, you can easily choose between different accounting methods including LIFO, FIFO, average, or group average. There are many options for Acumatica as well, but it is missing LIFO.

Perhaps a more serious difference is exporting. One thing that Acumatica handles extremely well is its relational database export. Being able to download your data in a relational format is important if you use other solutions for business analytics and reporting or plan on migrating data later on. This type of data export isn’t available with NetSuite so data migration can be very tedious (and expensive).

Round Winner: Again, both of these are fantastic choices for ERP software. If you have a very specific accounting need, NetSuite is the best bet. Because of their export functionality, though, Acumatica may be a safer choice.

Mobility

One of the greatest features of cloud-based ERP technologies is its ability to be accessed, implemented, and utilized via mobile apps. Both NetSuite and Acumatica do a great job with mobility. Neither ERP solution will require special apps to access or use and they are compatible with all devices.

Round Winner: Tie. Both options are great for mobile access.

Customization

Keep in mind that both of these ERP technologies were built in the cloud for a reason. Being able to configure your ERP to suit your business needs (and change them later) is a hallmark of cloud computing, and you are going to have highly configurable software with both of these options.

Customization is slightly different, though. If you need customization for your ERP, your developers will probably have an easier time with Acumatica. Acumatica was built with this in mind and was created with .NET and C#. Oracle’s NetSuite was created using proprietary software and tools which can make it hard to customize (or at the least get expensive to do so).

Round Winner: Acumatica.

Upgrades And Updates

Multi-tenant architecture is one of the main features that separate both NetSuite and Acumatica from other ERP solutions. Multi-tenant models are great because they allow a shared application (all businesses access the same software). This contrasts with single-tenant architecture where every business has a separate application and separate database.

With multi-tenant ERP technologies, all users will be able to constantly upgrade and update to the latest versions of the ERP software (whereas single-tenant options mean each company would have to be updated one at a time).

If an update is pushed out for NetSuite or Acumatica, you will be able to update your ERP software whenever you need to. The big difference is that Acumatica provides that option for free whereas NetSuite makes you pay if you want to update at a time of your choosing.

Round Winner: Both options allow for upgrading and updating, but Acumatica lets you pick the time of updates for free whereas NetSuite makes you pay.

Scalability And Pricing

Cloud software is made for scalability, and neither of these two disappoints. Acumatica and NetSuite are very scalable and can grow to meet the needs of businesses of any size. Even if you started as a small 5-person business and grew into a corporation with thousands of employees, both ERPs would grow with you.

Perhaps the major difference between these two ERP options is the pricing strategy. Both software packages are located in the cloud and you are charged based on the resources you use. NetSuite adds a fee for each user that you have. If you are a small or medium business trying to keep costs low, paying for both resources and users can quickly add up.

With scalability in mind, Acumatica has a pricing strategy that grows only as your business does. With NetSuite, you end up paying that same scaling resource-use cost as well as a fixed cost for the number of users you have.

Round Winner: Both are scalable, but Acumatica’s pricing options are cheaper than NetSuite.

Final Thoughts

Acumatica and Oracle’s NetSuite are both fantastic options for SaaS ERP software. Both providers offer excellent true cloud ERP technologies that will allow you to take care of everything from CRM and accounting to analytics and e-commerce. The differences lie in the small details, though. With relational database exporting, easier customization, multiple deployment options, and cheaper pricing, Acumatica is a great option for businesses of all sizes. If price isn’t a factor, though, NetSuite can perform much of the same; it will just cost more in the end.

Overall Thoughts: Acumatica 9.5/10, NetSuite 9/10

Here at Biz-Tech, we are certified Acumatica partners and can adapt a variety of ERP products to meet your organizations unique business needs, with full support throughout the implementation process. To see how our knowledgeable ERP consultants could help you take control, contact us.