In the fast paced world we live in, starting and growing your business with the amount of options out there to do so can be daunting. Thankfully, systems have been developed to help merge these processes and streamline your systems.
Utilizing Cloud Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software unifies individual business functions into a single, cohesive system which provides an affordable, easy-to-use, and secure way to manage your business.
Unlike traditional enterprise resource planning systems, cloud ERP options can support all business processes including financial management, supply chain management, inventory management, project management, human resources, and more. Because this type of ERP software is dedicated to running your business processes in the cloud, it provides real-time access to your data and provides access to multiple types of devices across different locations. Below you will find the best options for Cloud ERP software for your business regardless of size, industry, or resource planning needs as well as questions to ask yourself before diving in.
Top 12 Cloud ERP Software
- ERPNext – Most Accessible Cloud ERP Software
- SAP Business One – Best Cloud ERP Software for Small Businesses
- Netsuite – Most Experienced Cloud ERP Software
- Workday – Most Adaptable Cloud ERP Software
- Acumatica – Most Ethical Cloud ERP Software
- FinancialForce ERP – Most Customer-Centric Cloud ERP Software
- SAP S/4 HANA – Best International Cloud ERP Software
- Striven – Best Value Cloud ERP Software
- Microsoft Dynamics 365 – Most Productive Cloud ERP Software
- Epicor ERP – Best Distribution and Manufacturing Cloud ERP Software
- Alere – Best General Purpose Cloud ERP Software
- Sage Intacct – Best Financial Cloud ERP Software
#1 ERPNext – Most Accessible Cloud ERP Software
Pricing – Starting at $25/mo
ERPNext was designed to be the most agile ERP on the planet by being both versatile and powerful in helping your business. ERPNext boasts of being the best free and open source ERP on the market where you as the business owner are only paying for hosting and support if needed. This makes it a wallet friendly choice when you’re building a small business looking to grow or you’re ballin’ on a budget.
| PROS | CONS |
| Budget Friendly | Learning curve if you’re not used to ERP software |
| Easy-to-Use Interface | Newer to the market and still in the process of working out upgrades and building trust |
| Eliminates custom programing needs with metadata modelling tools | Not able to be utilized by large enterprises |
| Easily integrates into different systems | Some upgrading issues with customization |
| Can be used on-site or through Cloud |
#2 SAP Business One – Best Cloud ERP for Small Businesses
Pricing – Not Provided by Vendor/Custom Only
SAP Business One is a popular ERP solution for small and medium enterprises which can be deployed in the cloud or on site. There is a monthly subscription for software upgrades as business grows and there are many customization options on how the software can be used to receive payments, check reports, capture images of receipts and track business miles. The price of SAP Business One can be adjusted based on the number of users and the functionality required which makes it great if you’re a small business owner looking to grow.
| PROS | CONS |
| Upgrades to grow with your business are readily available | Doesn’t include payroll capabilities |
| Simple and easy to use interface with the ability to utilize mobile integration | Difficult to do multi-currency reconciliations |
| Simple reporting for clarity and analytics | Limited browser support |
| Intuitive sale order functions |
#3 NetSuite – Most Experienced Cloud ERP Software
Pricing – Begins at $499/mo+
NetSuite is the world’s most deployed ERP Software as it was the first on the scene in this industry, which also makes it one of the world’s most trusted. With it’s extensive experience NetSuite has been able to cater a growing market as it allows for it’s users to streamline their business processes through their robust platform. NetSuite recently got acquired by Oracle to make their offerings and services even more robust and all-encompassing to meet your needs.
| PROS | CONS |
| Leader and most trusted ERP software on the market | Can be quite expensive with increases in pricing over time |
| Real-time visibility from any browser | Limited support available and is dependent upon plan chosen |
| Large partner network to help with your business needs | |
| Eliminates the need for IT maintenance |
#4 Workday – Most Adaptable Cloud ERP Software
Pricing – Contact only
Workday is a mainstream and well trusted Cloud ERP Software that can be used for all levels of enterprise. Workday specializes in financial management and applications and human capital management to help grow the team within your business as you scale. As this is a company that is ever changing and adapting to growth, there are new applications being added frequently to help streamline your business with the bonus being most of your customers have probably heard of it due to its accessibility and ease of use.
| PROS | CONS |
| Leader in the industry with adaptability | Limited support depending on the plan chosen |
| Best HR Capabilities to Connect and Grow your Team | Instillation can be costly |
| Easy to use interface with task management and email integrations for clients | |
| No need to code on the interface due to regular updates to the system |
#5 Acumatica – Most Ethical Cloud ERP Software
Pricing – Not provided by vendor/ contact only
Acumatica is a technological leader within Cloud ERP Software and it continues it’s customer service by being the most ethical around their business practices. Acumatica offers a Customer Bill of Rights for it’s platform to cater to its customers in the best way possible. With intuitive and scalable features, Acumatica is able to provide a system that connects you anywhere to increase your productivity as you grow your business.
| PROS | CONS |
| Best Ethical Business Practices with a Customer Bill of Rights | Confusing pricing structure |
| Modern System Updates to Increase Productivity | Intermediate Integration knowledge needed |
| Connects anywhere and updates your Dashboard in Real-Time | Still growing as a company to reach maturity |
| 24/7 Customer Portal for Support |
#6 FinancialForce ERP – Most Customer-Centric Cloud ERP Software
Pricing – Not provided by vendor/ contact only
FinancialForce ERP is a customer-centric cloud ERP and CRM solution with personalized analysis, next-generation UX, payroll, HCM capabilities and more. FinancialForce ERP was made to be an all-in-one platform to be personalized to your business needs through it’s simplified dashboard and robust tools available.
| PROS | CONS |
| Great Data Security | Limited scalability |
| Salesforce integration built-in | Heavily Financial/Accounting Focused |
| Social Feed for clear communication between departments | |
| Great Financial Manager |
#7 SAP S/4 HANA – Best International Cloud ERP Software
Pricing – Not provided by vendor/ contact only
SAP S /4HANA is used in 25 different industries and is available in 37 different languages which makes it the best international cloud ERP on the market. From client operating systems, web and Windows deployments, cloud and on-premises to an intelligent integrated ERP system that operates in-memory databases, SAP S/4HANA is a great choice when it comes to finding an all-in-one solution for your business.
| PROS | CONS |
| Available for multiple industries and languages | Better for large scale enterprises |
| Built in decision making functions | 6 months+ for integration |
| Leverages your data for future productivity | |
| Wide visibility |
#8 Striven – Best Value Cloud ERP Software
Pricing
- $20/user/month + $99 Hosting Fee/mo
- $15/user/month + $299 Hosting Fee/mo
- $10/mo for Unlimited Users + $499 Hosting Fee/mo
Striven offers the best value for your buck when it comes to Cloud ERP Software. Striven was designed specifically for small to mid-sized enterprises which allows it to grow with your business through it’s strategic integrations and upgrades in pricing for the amount of users needed. Striven is known for providing some of the greatest functionality to increase your productivity and scale alongside your business at a great value.
| PROS | CONS |
| Functional and efficient to use for productivity | Not suitable for large enterprises |
| Built for success through connectivity | Consistent updates can be erratic |
| Great support for technical issues | Limited Educational Resources |
| Lower than average per-user pricing |
#9 Microsoft Dynamics 365 – Most Productive Cloud ERP Software
Pricing – Varies depending on needs/ customizable
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Cloud ERP Software allows you to have the most productive business possible by combining its portfolio of business applications to meet your needs. Microsoft is well trusted in industry and this software is able to be used by all sized enterprises as it easily allows you to track all of the data you need on a single platform. This also allows for its integrations and applications to be optimized while growing alongside your current operations. This is ideal for someone who already has a microsoft account or is used to their systems for easiest integration.
| PROS | CONS |
| Portfolio of business applications available to users | Intermediate interface that takes some time to learn |
| Pricing is dependent upon needs of the business | Pricing structure can be difficult with all the options available |
| Optimized system to align teams | |
| Predictive insights with suggestive decisions |
#10 Epicor – Best Distribution and Manufacturing Cloud ERP Software
Pricing – $175/user/mo
Manufacturers rely on cloud-based ERP systems to better plan, manage and improve business performance. Epicor is a niche Cloud ERP Software as it caters to the distribution and manufacturing industries. Yes, other Cloud ERPs can do the same, but there is something about having a software that specializes in your industry that can set your business apart. Epicor allows you to streamline your operations system and boost profitability by taking part in this specialization. If you’re in this industry, then Epicor is for you!
| PROS | CONS |
| Industry Specific functionalities for Distribution and Manufacturing | Not a great fit for all industries |
| Caters to different specialities for a personalized experience on the platform | Limited capabilities |
| Great education portal for learning and wonderful support along the way | |
| Easy to use and simple interface |
#11 Alere – Best General Purpose Cloud ERP Software
Pricing- Not provided by vendor/contact only
Alere utilizes it’s flexibility to become the best general purpose cloud ERP software through it’s easy-to-customize system making day to day operations a breeze. Alere has a robust system that allows you to combine a CRM, Financial Management, Manufacturing, data, documents and more into this simple platform to help you scale your business.
| PROS | CONS |
| Easily Customizable | Upfront starting cost is high |
| Good for any industry | May not have specific applications to your niche |
| One-stop-shop for all of your business needs | |
| Single purpose apps with real-time updates |
#12 Sage Intacct – Best Financial Cloud ERP Software
Pricing- Not provided by vendor/ contact only
Sage Intacct is an award winning financial cloud ERP software that is both flexible and powerful. By being natively connected, intuitive, and combining advanced functionality, Sage Intacct is able to streamline your business like never before! It was built by those in the finance industry to meet needs that can occasionally be glossed over by other ERP softwares. This provides an easy to access platform that is not only simple, but can grow with your business.
| PROS | CONS |
| Best Financial Cloud ERP on the Market | No real-time tracking available |
| Intuitive interface and advanced functionality | Add-on module pricing is inaccessible without a representative |
| Analytics that create specific reports as needed | |
| Great support available if needed |
Making the Best Choice
As you see, there are a lot of options out there for your business (even more than listed here) and the choice of a Cloud ERP Software is an important one as it is the foundation of all of your business operations. To help you make the best choice for your business a few must-haves to keep in mind are:
- Is the platform user-friendly?
- Is this Cloud ERP Software affordable and sustainable?
- Does this software allow for my business to grow and scale overtime?
- Is the software I’m choosing modern and have regular updates as needed?
- Are there applicable applications that can be utilized?
- Does the software provide real-time updates to my dashboard?
- Will this software allow for the visibility I am seeking?
- What current systems can I streamline by utilizing this software?
- How long will the software take for integration?
- Do I have support if I need it?
These are just a few questions to ask yourself to make your life easier as you’re building the foundation of your business and beginning to work within Cloud ERP Software.
REFERENCES
- softwareconnect.com/erp/small-business
- erpnext.com
- netsuite.com/portal/products/erp.shtml
- softwareadvice.com/erp/web-based-erp-software-comparison
- pcmag.com/picks/the-best-erp-software
- softwareconnect.com/erp/cloud
- sap-erpcloud.com
- predictiveanalyticstoday.com/top-cloud-erp-software
- workday.com
- financialforce.com
- striven.com
- dynamics.microsoft.com/en-us
- epicor.com/en-us
- tiwcorp.com
- sageintacct.com