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NetSuite ERP vs SAP Business ByDesign comparison

Why PeerSpot?
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 10, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

NetSuite ERP
Ranking in Cloud ERP
3rd
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.2
Number of Reviews
38
Ranking in other categories
ERP (12th), Activity Based Costing Software (7th), Billing Software (5th)
SAP Business ByDesign
Ranking in Cloud ERP
6th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
16
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2026, in the Cloud ERP category, the mindshare of NetSuite ERP is 20.7%, up from 16.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SAP Business ByDesign is 3.7%, down from 6.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Cloud ERP Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
NetSuite ERP20.7%
SAP Business ByDesign3.7%
Other75.6%
Cloud ERP
 

Featured Reviews

Hubert Wentzel - PeerSpot reviewer
Principle Consultant at iOCO
Accounting processes have become transparent and time tracking supports our consulting projects
The built-in analytics tools of NetSuite ERP are not good enough for my needs. I did not create the accounting reports; my accounting team developed all of those. I know that all the data we need to analyze in CRM and from projects must be exported, and we run reports on those. The built-in analytics tools in NetSuite ERP do not help me identify opportunities or risks at all. I export all the data and use Power BI to analyze it. I do not utilize the customizable dashboards and just use a normal home page. The inventory management feature does not help us because we do not have any inventory or stock. The advanced financial management features are basic, as general ledger functionality is fundamental to accounting. I would not call it advanced. The principles are as old as accounting itself. NetSuite ERP is a cloud-based accounting platform with nothing exceptional to note. Their pricing is a package deal, so the deeper the investment, the more features are available and the more difficult it becomes to leave. I would like to see additional features in the next release to make it more competitive. I only use a fraction of the functionality because we do not have logistics, merchandising, warehousing, or inventory. We are a consultancy that sells software, implements software products, and provides advisory services, so our accounting needs are actually quite basic. I would rate this product an eight overall.
MS
Divisional Manager IT at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Valuable features enhance sales and service capabilities while performance improvements are needed
We received a few complaints about the slowness in SAP Business ByDesign last year, so I think SAP can focus on improving performance, particularly when it becomes slow during data saving and handling. My feedback about the modular architecture and customized features of SAP Business ByDesign is that it is only good, but we have not explored much on this one. The initial setup for SAP Business ByDesign was complex. One disadvantage was that we had the legacy system, SAP Business One, and we could not migrate our data to SAP Business ByDesign. They should have provided a migration path.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"We can install the bundles based on our needs."
"The most valuable aspect of NetSuite ERP is the multi-subsidiary portion, it is the strongest across all the other ERPs. If you want to do consolidations, it works a lot better than other tools."
"The functionality of these three features provides my team and me the ability to customize NetSuite for the craft beverage industry."
"The features that have been most effective in improving the financial management perspective include the budgeting, revenue recognition, and accounting perspectives."
"It's perfect for a company that is growing, that's still on the border of small to midsize, and it fits perfectly from a cost and functionality perspective of them trying to get to standard practices that allows them to grow efficiently."
"The project management aspect and the timesheets are valuable, especially for ensuring that our milestone billings are automated properly. From a manufacturing perspective, it is more to do with the entire management of the inventory, the overall finance, consolidation of books of accounts, and managing the profit and loss in a more effective manner."
"NetSuite's architecture is so phenomenal that you can almost not even imagine."
"The most beneficial feature in Workato is its accessibility; the interface is easily understandable even for a common user, unlike the NetSuite ERP direct website which requires more technical knowledge."
"SAP Business ByDesign is connected to our S/4 HANA system, and we have developed some APIs which help us integrate the system with S/4 HANA."
"It could be used for any financial use case; production companies can use it, wholesale distributors can use it, and any professional services company can use it."
"I have found the consolidation of the business and group reports very useful, there are plenty of features, and the manufacturing and finance aspect of the solution are strong."
"I like the tool’s customization."
"The most valuable features of Business ByDesign are the integration of its modules, analytics, and dashboards."
"The most valuable feature is the feature called Financial Closing Cockpit. This feature allows us to monitor our accounting and processing closely."
"The most helpful feature is the integrations. Integrating the tool with SAP S/4HANA Cloud is easy, facilitating implementation and deployment. The runtime analysis checks for real-time analytics to see if the software works properly. This is a powerful feature."
"The most valuable feature of SAP Business ByDesign is it has a streamlined design."
 

Cons

"Additionally, difficulties for end user to select proper modules from cloud ERP were addressed."
"If some company already has a very large presence, in terms of employees or in terms of their products, and they are fully matured, they have a lot of different complex processes in their business, then NetSuite might not be the right choice for that stage of the business."
"As with any system offering large volumes of data, there are limitations on processing large volumes of data in custom ways."
"The custom reports could be improved."
"The manufacturing aspect needs to improve."
"Some of the features around the payroll and payroll taxes and management of that are lacking. We had to outsource some of that because we found that the functionality isn't there."
"There is a lot of room for improvement. Multiple manufacturing features need to be updated on NetSuite."
"I would like to see improvement around the Revenue Recognition module. Right now, several templates are there, but they are either too complicated, or they are difficult to configure, from a company finance perspective."
"There is room for improvement in the reporting capability. To use it properly, you need intensive IT support. You cannot write your own reports."
"One disadvantage was that we had the legacy system, SAP Business One, and we could not migrate our data to SAP Business ByDesign. They should have provided a migration path."
"There might be some hurdles when integrating with SAP ECC, but integration with SAP S/4HANA Cloud is smooth."
"Scalability is difficult."
"I would like the tool’s interface to be better. Currently, we use a client application to access the product. I want that to be replaced with a web version. I would like to improve the tool’s internet availability. I also want the product’s setup to be easier."
"The database needs to be more customizable."
"SAP Business ByDesign can improve the flexibility and user-friendliness of the reporting during the implementations. Customizing the reports inside the device requires a lot of knowledge and most of the time a developer level is needed. For example, if you want to have a more specific reporting layout."
"I would say budget controlling needs improvement. I mention this because it does not have all the functionalities that we need in terms of managing the budget."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is expensive."
"I would advise that you first meet with and scope out your project with a NetSuite VAR (Value Added Reseller)."
"The price of the solution is quite high."
"It is completely on a subscription basis. We pay yearly and, and you do not have to do anything on a monthly basis. Prices depend on the organization's scale and all those things, but they are doing a good job with the pricing."
"NetSuite ERP has a cost per module you want to use, and then you have the license per user."
"It's very competitively priced due to it being a subscription model. So, clients are quite happy with the pricing. I would rate it an eight out of ten in terms of pricing."
"Regarding costs, it's not just about licensing. Customization recurring costs can become expensive over five to eight years, especially with new releases. However, NetSuite ERP integrates well with third-party applications, so it can still be used for finance while another ERP is used for localized production."
"Pricing for NetSuite ERP is okay, but it could be better. The licensing model for NetSuite ERP is based on the number of modules and users. The standard license covers up to twenty-five users. If you have more than twenty-five users, you'll have to buy the premium license, which would double the price. For one module with five user licenses, the cost is between $40,000 to $50,000."
"The pricing depends on company size. It's cheaper for small companies and more expensive for large ones."
"The cost starts anywhere between fifty thousand dollars and up depending on the number of licenses."
"The price of the solution could be better. They have to come up with a new strategy."
"The price of SAP Business ByDesign is less expensive than SAP S/4HANA. However, the price is on par with other similar competitors, such as Microsoft."
"The tool’s pricing is expensive."
"We have to pay yearly."
"I rate the price of SAP Business ByDesign a seven out of ten."
"The tool’s subscription is yearly. There is no flat pricing involved and everything has a range. Pricing depends on the functionality that you would use. You need to also pay for the additional hosting and maintenance costs."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
9%
Outsourcing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Computer Software Company
8%
Outsourcing Company
13%
Construction Company
11%
Healthcare Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business26
Midsize Enterprise8
Large Enterprise5
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business8
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise5
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for NetSuite ERP?
The initial cost for NetSuite ERP depends on the business size. My IT managers say that some of their features are quite expensive.
What needs improvement with NetSuite ERP?
Regarding room for improvement, I would single out the user interface. The company needs to spend fifty percent of research and development on improving the user interface. The user interface is qu...
What is your primary use case for NetSuite ERP?
The primary use cases are general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, project management, project accounting, and timesheets. I use NetSuite ERP. I have been working with NetSuite ERP, C...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SAP Business ByDesign?
The price is high, as every year SAP increases the price by 3.5%.
What needs improvement with SAP Business ByDesign?
We received a few complaints about the slowness in SAP Business ByDesign last year, so I think SAP can focus on improving performance, particularly when it becomes slow during data saving and handl...
What is your primary use case for SAP Business ByDesign?
Our use case for SAP Business ByDesign is our dealer team accessing their system to perform sales and service; these two functionalities are done through SAP Business ByDesign. SAP Business ByDesig...
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

2Pure, Accuvant, Actian, Adtegrity, Advantage Sign Supply, All-Safe Pool Safety Products, Alton Lane, AMC Liquidators
Standard Bank of South Africa, AOK Bundesverband, PT XL Axiata Tbk, Tvoy Dom, Schaidt Innovations GmbH & Co. KG, DeLaval International AB, EMC Corporation, Lenovo, Castle Importing Inc., Unilever, Rifle Paper Co., RAK Ceramics, Rough Country, B&G Manufacturing, Life is good Inc., Joy Global Inc., City of Cape Town
Find out what your peers are saying about NetSuite ERP vs. SAP Business ByDesign and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.
914,351 professionals have used our research since 2012.