The choice of an ERP system can determine business success. That’s why your organization needs the best ERP software. Start an ERP system by assessing your firm, its goals, and how to achieve them. It takes strategic planning, and your processes and performance depend on the solution you choose. Two popular cloud-based ERPs, NetSuite and Acumatica, have transformed how firms integrate and manage their operations. Choosing between Acumatica and Oracle NetSuite is about selecting the best partner for your business’s efficiency and growth. To simplify ERP selection, we compared NetSuite vs. Acumatica head-to-head.

NetSuite Overview

NetSuite, founded in 1998 by Evan Goldberg, has developed from an online accounting tool to an award-winning cloud system that helps organizations manage everything. Oracle’s 2016 $9.3 billion acquisition of NetSuite showed the cloud company’s growing importance. World-leading cloud software vendor NetSuite has over 37,000 customers. Numerous firms benefit from NetSuite:

  • Medium-sized firms seeking growth
  • Large firms seeking simplification
  • Global businesses that deal with currencies or languages

NetSuite is adaptable enough for wholesale distribution, manufacturing, retail, and services.

Acumatica Overview

Acumatica grew swiftly in ERP after its 2008 founding. It meets the needs of small to mid-sized organizations in specific verticals with cloud-based and on-premise solutions. Acumatica’s flexible pricing and platform-growth promise set it apart. Today, it serves many customers, showing its growing ERP market importance. Acumatica suits numerous businesses:

  • Medium-sized businesses seeking a scalable ERP solution
  • Companies that need precise project accounting and financial control
  • Companies that value mobile ERP access for mobile staff

Acumatica’s flexible platform, project-focused functionality, and mobility should be weighed against a company’s needs. Acumatica is a forward-thinking solution for businesses willing to change due to its growth and AI use. Every company’s path is different, so choosing the ideal ERP fit means matching your business’s trajectory with an ERP platform’s capabilities and flexibility.

NetSuite vs. Acumatica: Brief Comparison

Cloud ERP systems are one example of how businesses are moving toward cloud-based solutions to improve operations. For ERP market comprehension, NetSuite’s and Acumatica’s architectures, deployment methodologies, and histories must be examined. What SaaS ERP solutions can these platforms offer for modern businesses?

Financial Management

Acumatica and NetSuite offer ERP features like the general ledger, accounts receivable, accounts payable, cash management, currency management, tax management, deferred revenue accounting, intercompany accounting and reconciliation, recurring revenue management, billing, fixed assets, and payroll management. 

Multi-book accounting is available in NetSuite, although Acumatica lacks key essential accounting functionalities. NetSuite helps companies comply with industry-specific, national, regional, or mixed accounting requirements when applying different accounting treatments to the same business event. Maintaining multiple book streams streamlines compliance reporting. Changes to Acumatica GL’s core code are costly, dangerous, and require a third-party IT consulting team.

International Management 

NetSuite contains important elements that Acumatica lacks for international or expanding enterprises. Over 190 currencies and 27 languages can be transacted in NetSuite. Over 200 countries and territories use NetSuite. Acumatica users must manually revalue currencies. NetSuite offers basic localization and translation tools, but local partners provide the necessary functionality. Acumatica lacks multibook accounting and cannot handle overseas firms that must follow IFRS and GAAP.

Customer Relationship Management 

CRM capabilities from Oracle NetSuite and Acumatica include sales force automation, service and support automation, integrated marketing, and a customer self-service portal.

Administration of Human Resources

Partners provide all other human resources management features, even though Acumatica’s core system can handle payroll. However, NetSuite, based on the primary ERP platform, provides comprehensive payroll processing and essential HR features. HR managers can use tools like performance management, employee self-service, workforce management, and HR reporting with SuitePeople HR.

Analytics and Reporting

Both Acumatica ERP and NetSuite include prebuilt dashboards, business intelligence, analytics, and reports. While both Acumatica and NetSuite offer self-service reporting, Acumatica offers fewer workflow and update options that don’t require users to be coders.

Features of E-Commerce and Retail

Even though both businesses facilitate e-commerce and retail operations, NetSuite provides more comprehensive functionality, like

  • Point of Sale
  • Mobile Point of Sale
  • Automation of Marketing
  • Product Content Management
  • Order and Inventory Management
  • E-commerce

The features of Acumatica are inferior to those of NetSuite. Among Acumatica’s e-commerce and retail functionalities are the following:

  • Point of Sale
  • Mobile Point of Sale
  • E-commerce
  • Order & Inventory Management
  • Marketing Automation

Project Management

Acumatica and NetSuite both offer project management features, including tracking project management costs, time and expense management, and advanced billing. Professional services automation (PSA) is a feature of NetSuite that includes resource management.

Deployment and Infrastructure Options

Acumatica and NetSuite are cloud ERPs. Acumatica offers cloud, on-premises, and hybrid approaches, while NetSuite uses multitenant cloud SaaS. Although some clients may prefer in-house software management, most analysts agree that reputable SaaS providers offer better security, uptime, and performance. Scale economies and customization-preserving upgrades benefit customers.

Integration

SuiteCloud from NetSuite powers multi-tenant cloud computing. Based on JavaScript, it offers an API and IDE for platform programs. SuiteTalk, NetSuite’s SOAP-based web services platform, integrates cloud and on-premises software. We integrate utilizing SuiteTalk or APIs. The Acumatica xRP Cloud Platform supports Visual Studio, C#, ASP.NET, and the .NET framework and runs REST and SOAP web services.

Ecosystem of Partners

NetSuite implementation time vs. Acumatica both depend on partners. However, while NetSuite sells and implements its solutions, Acumatica relies entirely on its partners to make all business decisions. Additionally, NetSuite’s partner ecosystem is much stronger due to its maturity.

The Costing

In contrast to Acumatica, which bases its pricing on the amount of computer power used and allows for “unlimited users,” NetSuite charges by the number of users. However, in practice, Acumatica vs. NetSuite pricing models are impacted by user counts since, as one might expect, an organization’s computer resources increase with the number of users it has. Rapidly growing companies usually favor the per-user approach since fewer employees need to access the ERP system than there are transactions.

License

Small businesses often choose between NetSuite and Acumatica. The strategy offered by Acumatica appeals to smaller companies that are just beginning to use ERP and those who want to give many employees access to the financial system. NetSuite offers similar benefits to smaller organizations, but its methodology is more reliable, and tier transfers are less unclear.

Service Implementation and Support

The NetSuite implementation service offers support through its professional services, support teams, and partners, who are typically local or industry specialists. Global NetSuite support is available 24/7 in either case. Acumatica uses partners for implementation and support, a rare commercial software model. This method saves Acumatica money by not hiring an internal professional services team and benefits its channel partners.

Why is the NetSuite ERP System a Better Option?

Ultimately, choosing between Acumatica and NetSuite for global businesses depends on your company’s requirements and expansion goals. Both ERP systems are competent, but for finance-driven companies seeking Acumatica scalability over NetSuite and sophisticated features, NetSuite frequently emerges as the better option. 

NetSuite has more capabilities and module connectivity, so your team won’t outgrow it as your organization grows. NetSuite has built-in functionality for sophisticated revenue recognition, multi-book accounting, and multi-currency consolidation, unlike Acumatica. Industry-specific NetSuite versions are advantageous. 

Many companies find that NetSuite matches their industry standards from the start, reducing customization. Global organizations need NetSuite’s ability to manage tax compliance, multiple currencies, languages, and local legislation. NetSuite is the best ERP option for finance teams and expanding companies, even though Acumatica is a strong ERP for smaller firms. Here’s why:

  • Scalability: NetSuite’s ability to effortlessly manage intricate financial systems and substantial transaction volumes enables it to assist companies of all sizes. Despite its adaptability, Acumatica primarily caters to smaller businesses and may require additional customization for successful scaling.
  • Industry specialization: By offering best-practice workflows, reports, and customizations right out of the box, NetSuite’s pre-built SuiteSuccess industry editions span a larger number of industries than Acumatica.
  • NetSuite, with its built-in functionality for revenue recognition, multi-subsidiary consolidation, multi-currency transactions, and compliance automation, is the preferred choice for finance-driven companies. For comparable capabilities, Acumatica needs more manual configuration.
  • Global capabilities: Designed with international business in mind, NetSuite supports various currencies, tax laws, and native languages. While NetSuite’s extensive financial and compliance capabilities make it a superior choice for companies with international operations, Acumatica offers some global functionality.
  • Extensive ecosystem and integrations: Acumatica’s partner network is still smaller than NetSuite’s, despite its growth, thanks to its vast SuiteApps marketplace and Oracle-backed ecosystem, which guarantees smooth connections with third-party solutions.
  • Cost structure predictability: The NetSuite implementation cost is clear and scales predictably. Although Acumatica’s resource-based pricing allows for an infinite number of users, it may result in unforeseen expenses as business activities expand.

Final Verdict | Choose a Suitable Partner for NetSuite Implementation

We think NetSuite has more features, clearer pricing, and more support than Acumatica, but we can’t say which ERP system is best for your company. To choose the right ERP system for your needs, you must decide exactly what you want from an ERP system, whether you need extra capabilities (such as PSA, e-commerce, and CRM), and how you expect your business to evolve over the next ten or so years. If your company is considering using NetSuite ERP, our DevteamPro team of qualified NetSuite ERP solution providers can help you from the beginning of the project to the go-live. To obtain a price quote based on your company’s needs, refer to our other blogs, such as Oracle ERP Cloud vs. NetSuite.