Are you frustrated with how hard it is to get accurate ERP pricing information online? ERP software publishers often hide their costs behind "contact us for a quote" buttons, making it nearly impossible to budget effectively.
We know that no ERP platform is right for every business, and pricing is only one of the factors you have to consider. For example, Acumatica often provides better value for small and midsized businesses, but NetSuite has functionality advantages for large enterprises with global operations. Whichever case you fit, you deserve to know how pricing works as you consider your other requirements for the right ERP solution.
After helping dozens of businesses implement ERP systems over decades, our team members at Stellar One have seen the real numbers.
This comprehensive breakdown will cut through the marketing fluff and give you the actual pricing details you need to make an informed decision between Acumatica and NetSuite.
- Understanding ERP Pricing Models
- NetSuite Pricing Model
- NetSuite Service Tiers
- NetSuite Add-On Modules
- Hidden NetSuite Costs
- Acumatica Pricing Model
- Acumatica's Simpler Pricing Approach
- Which Platform Fits Your Budget, NetSuite or Acumatica?
- When NetSuite's Higher Costs Make Sense
- Choosing the Right ERP Platform for Your Business
Understanding ERP Pricing Models
Before exploring specific costs, it's important to understand that Acumatica and NetSuite approach pricing differently. NetSuite uses a user-based model combined with consumption tiers, while Acumatica offers resource-based pricing without charging for every user. This fundamental difference affects everything from your initial investment to long-term scalability costs.
NetSuite Pricing Model
Core NetSuite Components
NetSuite's pricing includes three main elements: software licenses, user fees, and service tiers. The foundation starts with SuiteSuccess industry bundles that include core ERP and CRM functionality.
Software License Options:
- SuiteSuccess Starter: Starting around $19,200 annually (limited to 10 users)
- SuiteSuccess Standard: Varies by industry, typically $22,800-$54,000 annually (maximum 30 users)
- SuiteSuccess Premium: Generally $42,000-$96,000 annually (designed for larger organizations)
User Licensing Costs: Every NetSuite user requires a license at $1,200 per year for full access. Limited self-service users cost $600 annually and are sold in five-user packs. This per-user model can quickly increase costs as your team grows.
NetSuite Service Tiers
Here's where NetSuite pricing gets complicated. The platform uses consumption-based service tiers that many customers don't fully understand until after implementation. The Standard Tier does not add a fee to the base software license, but the three higher tiers will, as follows:
- Standard Tier: Included with base license (100 users max, 200,000 monthly transaction lines)
- Premium Tier: $60,000 annually (1,000 users, 2 million transaction lines)
- Enterprise Tier: $102,000 annually (2,000 users, 10 million transaction lines)
- Ultimate Tier: $444,000 annually (4,000 users, 50 million transaction lines)
These transaction lines include every document created in the system—sales orders, invoices, purchase orders, and more. A company processing 10,000 orders monthly could easily generate 600,000+ transaction lines due to system workflows, pushing them into higher tiers.
NetSuite Add-On Modules
NetSuite charges separately for many features that other platforms include as standard:
- Advanced Financials: $7,200-$24,000 annually
- OneWorld (multi-currency support): $24,000 annually
- Advanced Manufacturing: $18,000 annually
- Electronic Banking: $6,000-$12,000 annually
- Grid Order Management: $3,000 annually
Hidden NetSuite Costs
Several costs often surface after NetSuite implementation:
SuiteCloud Plus Licenses: For businesses with integrations or high-volume data processing, these licenses cost $24,000-$36,000 each annually and are often necessary for proper system performance.
Premium Support: NetSuite's basic support only covers critical outages. For actual help with non-emergency issues, premium support costs 10% of your license fees annually.
Renewal Price Increases: After initial contract terms end, many customers see 50-100% price increases as discounts disappear.
Acumatica Pricing Model
Consumption-Based Approach
Acumatica uses a fundamentally different pricing model based on computational resources rather than user counts. This approach offers several advantages for growing businesses. Acumatica does have general ranges of user counts for its pricing tiers, but you won’t be charged for every additional user as you grow.
Recommended User Counts for Acumatica Pricing Tiers:
- Essentials: 10 users or fewer
- Select: 50 users or fewer
- Prime: 200 users or fewer
- Enterprise: 200+ users
Core Pricing Tiers:
- Essentials: Starting at $533 monthly
- Select: Starting at $1800 monthly
- Prime: Starting at $2268 monthly
- Enterprise: Starting at $5926 monthly
Acumatica Industry Editions
Acumatica offers industry-specific editions with relevant functionality included:
Distribution Edition:
- Essentials: Starting at $1054 monthly
- Select: Starting at $2579 monthly
- Prime: Starting at $3249 monthly
- Essentials: Starting at $7153 monthly
eCommerce Edition:
- Essentials: Starting at $1054 monthly
- Select: Starting at $2579 monthly
- Prime: Starting at $3249 monthly
- Essentials: Starting at $7153 monthly
What's Included vs. Add-On
Acumatica includes many features as standard that NetSuite charges extra for:
Included features:
- Unlimited users
- Multi-currency support
- Basic integrations
- Standard reporting
- Mobile access
- Regular updates
Add-ons with extra fees:
- Advanced Warehouse Management
- CRM integrations (Salesforce, HubSpot)
- Shipping carrier integrations
- Specialized industry modules
Acumatica's Simpler Pricing Approach
Unlike NetSuite's more complex service tiers, Acumatica's consumption model is straightforward. You pay for the computing resources you use, not the number of people using the system. This makes scaling much more predictable.
Real-World Pricing Comparison
Let's look at a practical example: a wholesale distribution company with 50 employees needing 25 system users and a monthly transaction volume of 5,000 orders.
NetSuite Costs (Annual):
- SuiteSuccess Standard Distribution: $36,000
- 25 user licenses: $30,000
- Likely Premium Service Tier upgrade: $60,000
- SuiteCloud Plus license (for integrations): $24,000
- Total First Year: $150,000+
Acumatica Costs (Annual):
- Distribution Select Edition: $36,000
- M3 tier upgrade: $8,172
- Total First Year: $44,172
The difference becomes even more dramatic over time. NetSuite customers often face significant price increases at renewal, while Acumatica offers capped at no more than 10% increase per year for the life of the subscription.
Which Platform Fits Your Budget, NetSuite or Acumatica?
NetSuite works best for:
- Large enterprises with substantial IT budgets
- Companies comfortable with per-user licensing costs
- Organizations with dedicated technical teams to manage complexity
- Businesses that can commit to long-term contracts for better pricing
Acumatica advantages for small and midsized businesses (SMBs):
- Unlimited user access encourages company-wide adoption
- Transparent pricing with no hidden consumption fees
- Price protection prevents unexpected increases
- Lower total cost of ownership for growing businesses
- Faster implementation with fewer surprises
When NetSuite's Higher Costs Make Sense
Despite the pricing advantages Acumatica offers smaller businesses, NetSuite justifies its premium in several scenarios:
Global Operations at Scale: NetSuite's OneWorld platform supports 190 currencies, 27 languages, and 217 countries with sophisticated local compliance features. Large multinational corporations often find NetSuite's global capabilities more mature than Acumatica's.
Advanced Industry Specialization: NetSuite offers 20+ vertical industry solutions with deep, pre-built functionality for sectors like software companies, professional services, and complex manufacturing. Companies in these specialized industries may find NetSuite's industry-specific features worth the premium.
Complex Revenue Recognition: Large enterprises with intricate revenue models, subscription billing, or multi-element arrangements often benefit from NetSuite's advanced financial modules, even at their higher cost.
Enterprise-Grade Integrations: Companies already invested in Oracle's ecosystem or requiring complex integrations with enterprise software may find NetSuite's mature integration platform more suitable, despite the additional SuiteCloud Plus licensing costs.
The key question isn't just which platform costs less, but which delivers better value for your specific business requirements and growth trajectory. NetSuite's complex pricing model has more risk of unexpected costs that strain budgets and limit growth for smaller businesses. But for very large, well-capitalized businesses, extra costs may not be a significant issue.
Choosing the Right ERP Platform for Your Business
It’s crucial to get the best fit from your ERP solution. The right ERP platform becomes a competitive advantage that scales with your success. Companies that choose poorly often find themselves locked in expensive contracts with limited flexibility. Or they may find limited functionality holding them back. If needed capabilities require additional modules, module fees can push costs far beyond initial projections. Worse, a business may need to switch systems entirely—a costly and disruptive process.
Your Next Step: Are You a Fit for Acumatica or NetSuite?
You may read this description and think right away that NetSuite could be right for your business. Or you may recognize yourself as the kind of business that might do better with Acumatica’s pricing model.
At Stellar One, we've helped hundreds of businesses navigate these decisions successfully. Our approach focuses on understanding your specific needs and growth plans, then matching you with the platform that truly fits your business model and budget.
We are an Acumatica Gold-Certified Partner, which means we have the highest level of expertise recognized by Acumatica. But we’re not going to recommend Acumatica for you unless your business is a true fit for the strengths of this ERP solution, including the pricing model.
The best way to understand which solution works for your organization is to experience it firsthand. That's why Stellar One offers a completely Risk-Free trial of our Acumatica platform. You'll get 45 days of hands-on experience with the system, see exactly how it handles your business processes, and understand the predictable cost structure.
Ready to see what transparent, reliable ERP pricing looks like?
Check out our guide to Stellar One’s pricing with our 5-year price guarantee.