Gaining a competitive advantage is becoming more difficult these days because technology is a leveler. With the increasing number of affordable ERPs and other enterprise software, businesses of all sizes can go toe to toe.
To gain an edge and get value for money, you’d have to do a lot more than splash the cash on random technology.
You need to sift the chaff and select the right solutions for you. And that’s where comparing two ERP options like Epicor and NetSuite comes in.
There is no need to draw up a chart; we’ve created a relatively detailed analysis of both ERPs, comparing their key features to help you make the right choice for your business.
Continue reading to learn how Epicor and NetSuite fare in a head-to-head battle.
Epicor vs. NetSuite – The Complete Comparison
NetSuite is a full-scale cloud-based ERP software for businesses of all sizes.
It is efficient in the distribution and manufacturing sectors and serves well in the services industries.
Its key modules include financial management, accounting software, customer relationship management, order management, inventory management, global business management, etc.
Epicor Kinetic (formerly ERP) is a scalable ERP software that boasts robust functionalities for different sectors with more emphasis on manufacturing, distribution, and retail.
While Epicor offers multiple products, its Kinetic ERP focuses on supply chain management, HR and finance management, customer relationship management, sales management, and more.
Let’s delve into deeper details that would pull the weight on which you decide to go for.
Pricing
Let’s begin with NetSuite. Data on the details of NetSuite’s pricing system is sparse.
Prospective clients can only get information on a quote basis. This means that quotes are assigned to each company per its needs.
However, NetSuite’s pricing is based on these factors: the modules needed, the number of users, a base fee, and add-ons.
Additional information from third-party websites and users put the monthly fee around $999. Depending on application and specifications, modules cost between $149 to $499. And each newly added user costs $99.
These same sources suggest that NetSuite’s users are not charged maintenance and update fees.
Epicor has a service-oriented structure and is modular-based. This simply means that customers can acquire just the necessary modules without being obligated to buy other modules.
However, the complexity of each module impacts its costs. And its price per user starts at $175 per month. But this excludes the charges of additional modules, consultation fees, and the like.
Verdict: NetSuite seems the better in this aspect.
Combine the fact that its users are free of maintenance and update fees, and Epicor’s modules are complex, which incurs higher costs, and the additional charges for additional modules and consultation fees; you’d see the costs would be considerably higher than the base price quoted earlier.
Features
Financial Management
NetSuite’s financial management module is a system of functionalities for managing enterprise financial operations end to end and getting financial data for making informed business decisions.
It provides near-perfect coverage of finances and tracks every transaction. Sub-modules included are:
- Accounting functionalities: general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, fixed assets management, cash management, etc.
- Budgeting and forecasting features: budgeting automation, revenue planning, scenario modeling, etc.
- Billing: recurring subscription, automated invoicing, billing based on multiple pricing models, etc.
- Reporting and Analytics: prebuilt and custom financial reports compliant with industry standards, multi-book financial reporting, multidimensional analysis, etc.
Having been a player in the industry for several decades, it’s no surprise that Epicor’s financial management module is just as impressive and extensive.
It caters to all regular accounting operations and provides tools for advanced financial management, including:
- A general ledger with charts of accounts, multiple books, consolidation, and more.
- Accounts payable features that support AP invoicing and payments, petty cash, automated clearinghouse, etc.
- Accounts receivable features that support AR invoicing and payments, multiple payments instruments, deferred revenue accounting, and more.
- Financial planning and analysis – machine learning-powered revenue forecasting, consolidation, financial statements, role-based analytics, etc.
- Tax automation
- Global business management – multi-currency and multi-lingual systems, country-specific functionalities, etc.
Verdict: There’s no clear victor in this section.
Supply Chain Management
NetSuite’s supply chain management module lets you monitor and optimize the production and movement of goods through your supply chain.
The procurement functionalities ensure accurate product sourcing from suppliers.
Then inventory management and demand planning improve the production and delivery processes. You get:
- A real-time display of production, financial, and inventory data.
- Forecasting tools
- Capacity planning, production planning, and scheduling tools
- Automated procurement and production instructions.
- Centralized vendor management and more
The Supply chain management module in Epicor is every bit as impressive.
The suite of applications combines to help you improve supply chain velocity, increase profitability, and enhance customer experience by meeting expectations.
The module’s key capabilities include:
- Purchase management
- Inventory management
- Supplier relationship management
- Warehouse management
- Advanced material management
- Advanced requisition management
Verdict: Again, both ERPs perform excellently in this category, but NetSuite just edges Epicor as its breakdown of the module’s functionalities is less overwhelming.
Customer Relationship Management
When thinking of NetSuite’s CRM module, imagine a centralized system for managing relationships with prospects, customers, partners, and suppliers, because that’s what it is. In this category, NetSuite pulls no punches as usual.
It provides all the tools you need to deliver excellent customer service, automate marketing and sales processes and manage quotes and commissions.
Here’s an overview of NetSuite CRM’s functionalities:
- Salesforce automation – integrated sales processes for the sales team
- Marketing automation – campaign management, automated lead qualification, integrated lead forms, etc.
- Customer service management – case creation and automation, customer self-service portal, online knowledge base, etc.
- Partner relationship management – manage joint marketing campaigns, partner commissions, royalties, order processing, etc.
- Mobile – view and update customer data, create quotes, and more, on mobile devices.
Again, Epicor doesn’t disappoint. Its centralized CRM caters to the most critical customer relationship management tasks such as:
- Contact management – for customers, vendors, and suppliers
- Case management – customer interactions record, user-defined roles and workflows, and other tools for standardizing case resolution.
- Lead and opportunity management – customer life cycle management, revenue forecasts, etc.
- Marketing management – campaign monitoring, targeted emails creation,
- Mobile access to the CRM suite.
Verdict: NetSuite wins this round because its CRM module includes more marketing and sales management functionalities.
User Experience
In terms of user experience, NetSuite stands out as being highly customizable, having detailed dashboards and robust reporting capabilities.
This attention to detail is also NetSuite’s weakness, as users say setting up the ERP and getting familiar with it can be tedious without the right help.
But they believe the system’s expansive automation capabilities once it’s up and running make up for the time spent setting it up.
Epicor also boasts a very customizable and flexible system. Reports also suggest that its implementation time is short, and the software includes easy-to-understand dashboards and menus.
However, some users found the system quite buggy and noted that it was difficult to find training materials to help get the hang of the software or onboard other users.
Navigating functionalities like deleting journal entries in the financial management module can be tedious.
Verdict: This round goes to NetSuite. But Epicor is set to catch up soon enough as it keeps improving the relatively new Kinetic platform.
Integrations
Connecting your ERP to an existing ecosystem of applications you already use is key to running your business efficiently.
With NetSuite, this isn’t a problem. Its SuiteCloud Platform allows you to integrate NetSuite with just about any third-party app.
This is possible because SuiteCloud supports integration technologies from REST to SOAP web services, custom REST endpoints to CSV file imports, and ODBC/JDBC.
Epicor mimics NetSuite by having a specialized integration platform.
Tagged Epicor Integration Cloud, the module connects on-premises, cloud, and SaaS business applications to the ERP.
Jitterbit powers Epicor, which ensures you can integrate seamlessly with apps like Shopify, Marketo, and Hubspot, Oracle and SQL Server databases, and data formats like JSON and XML, using various protocols.
Verdict: Both ERPs are neck and neck in terms of integration capabilities.
Customer Support
24/7 Standard support, including a knowledge base, is available on NetSuite to all customers, but you can subscribe to premium or advanced support packages depending on your needs.
Each package delivers assistance via different channels ranging from online case treatment to phone support. You can also get end-user training through NetSuite or one of its partners.
Epicor offers just as much support through EpicCare. It’s a specialized platform with self-help resources, case submission and tracking, and online communities 24/7.
You get access to EpicCare as part of your maintenance and support plan.
Verdict: It’s another tie between both ERPs.
Reviews
What better way to learn more about ERP solutions than listening to what actual users have to say?
That’s precisely what we did. Here are aggregated scores of users awarded to NetSuite and Epicor:
- NetSuite – 4.1/5 stars (809 reviews)
- Epicor – 3.8/5 stars (167 reviews)
- NetSuite – 3.9/5 stars (1,844 reviews)
- Epicor – 3.6/5 stars (358 reviews)
Verdict: On average, both have close aggregated user ratings, but NetSuite typically gets slightly higher scores.
Our research noticed that ease of use, quality of features, and support were some of the subcategories where NetSuite scored higher than Epicor.
NetSuite vs. Epicor – Which is Best?
If you’re looking for a super niche solution, Epicor might catch your eye because it offers specialized ERPs for manufacturing, automotive, building supply, and distribution.
But NetSuite’s more extensive capabilities and flexible structure ensure it can adequately cater to the needs of several industries.
NetSuite is your best bet for taking charge of your enterprise without leaving any loose ends as a fully integrated business management tool. Moreover, it maintains its quality across the board – from supply chain management to CRM, unlike Epicor, which is a little light in CRM features.
Ready to move forward with NetSuite? Click here to read our implementation guide.