NetSuite vs. Sage 100 ERP Software: 11 Points to Consider

As ERP consultants for Sage and NetSuite, we are in a great position to help out comparing NetSuite and Sage 100 ERP.   We hope this information is useful to help you start making an informed decision on which ERP software solution will best fit your business.  It is always best to enlist an ERP consultant with for evaluation with a free needs analysis because it's like comparing apples and oranges.

Let’s take a look at 11 top points comparing NetSuite vs. Sage 100 ERP.   First and foremost, the main difference is that NetSuite is a purely cloud-based product and Sage 100 ERP is an on-premise product (unless you choose to host it through a hosting service).  Sage 100 ERP has been around for a long, long time (previously known as Sage MAS 90 or MAS 200) and NetSuite was founded in 1998.  These are two very different products and each offers a great deal of value in their respective worlds.

11 Quick Points on NetSuite:

1. NetSuite is a unified code base system with an Oracle database platform
2. Written in web-based tools (java, html, etc.)
3. Customization capabilities are very strong
4. NetSuite has a variety of optional, bundled features, all based on the same suite
5. Multi-currency and multi-language are native to NetSuite
6. Completely web-based, accessible only via the Internet, most all browsers are supported
7. CRM is very good and is part of the suite, with no integration needed
8. eBusiness is very good and is part of the suite, easy to customize
9. Dashboards and Business Intelligence are very strong and standard to the suite
10. Financial Report writing is average; however, 3rd party add-ons are very strong
11. Implementation time is greatly shortened due to cloud approach

11 Quick Points on Sage 100 ERP:

1. Sage 100 ERP is a fairly new branding of the old products formerly called MAS90 & MAS200
   
   • Sage 100 Standard – this is the old MAS90 product, mostly recommended for up to 10 users
   • Sage 100 Advanced -  this is the old MAS200 product (client server), mostly recommended for over 10 users
   • Sage 100 Premium – this is MAS200 on a SQL platform
2. Requires your own hardware infrastructure, or a 3rd party, hosted private cloud
3. Written in ProvideX, a proprietary language
4. Subscription pricing is available, but you acquire your own 3rd party hosting service if needed, and pay for upgrade services
5. No multi-language, and multi-currency is a 3rd party add-on
6. LOTS of functionality and add-ons, very strong in core accounting, has a decent Payroll module
7. Customizing tools are very good; add fields, tables, scripts, etc.
8. Very basic eBusiness module, relatively limited ability to customize without 3rd party services
9. CRM is external, but has a decent integration
10. Uses Crystal Reports
11. Financial Report writing module is average; however, 3rd party products are very good for this

Pricing Models – NetSuite vs. Sage 100 ERP

NetSuite pricing is based on named users, and there are additional modules that are priced on their own regardless of the number of users.  The per-user, per-month pricing is easy to calculate, but NetSuite bills annually for their licenses/services.  NetSuite does allow multi-year agreements to lock in pricing for up to 3 years.

Sage 100 ERP pricing is either user-based or subscription-based (monthly payments).  There are no hosting services are provided by Sage.  Sage allows users to terminate subscription pricing with 4 months’ notice.

In conclusion, there are several cost-reducing approaches to using the cloud versus an on premise ERP software solution for most any application or business requirement.   Before you purchase a new server, or refresh all of your workstations, look at migrating your applications to the cloud make sure you weigh the pros and cons of what it will mean for your business to go to the cloud, what it costs, and how you get there.  Then you will be in a better position to make an informed decision. Also make sure you check in with your ERP software solution provider to obtain the most up to date prices and options for both products.  For more information, please CONTACT US for a free needs analysis.

In our sphere of ERP software consulting and helping clients with their business management software, it is clear there are many choices and it can get very confusing.  Some ERP solutions are web-only products, like NetSuite, and some can be run locally or be hosted, like Sage Software’s Sage 100 ERP and Sage 500 ERP (formerly MAS 90,  MAS 200 and MAS 500).  For web-only, I happen to like NetSuite.  For those businesses that are very happy with their on-premise solutions, such as Sage 100 ERP (formerly MAS 200) and don’t want to change ERP systems, you can migrate Sage 100 ERP to the cloud and remove the maintenance and expense of local servers.  Technology is available now to secure your entire business in the cloud, not just one application -- via secure web portal, from most any browser, on a MAC or PC.

At ESC Software, we are experts in the products we represent and are uniquely qualified to analyze the specific needs of your business and make recommendations with a free needs analysis or a more in-depth needs assessment to find the solution to address your uniques business challenges. We also help our clients with cloud hosting, ERP software implementation, customization, training, technical support and strategic planning for the future.  As an ERP software consulting and cloud hosting firm, we invest heavily in certifications, training, attending seminars and webinars, reading lots of articles and whitepapers, and watching videos to keep up with technology and ERP software tools that will help better serve our clients.