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Infor M3 vs SAP Business One comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 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

Infor M3
Ranking in ERP
10th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.3
Number of Reviews
15
Ranking in other categories
Activity Based Costing Software (8th)
SAP Business One
Ranking in ERP
4th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.3
Number of Reviews
70
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the ERP category, the mindshare of Infor M3 is 5.2%, up from 4.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SAP Business One is 3.4%, down from 6.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
ERP
 

Featured Reviews

Pravinkumar Bhandare - PeerSpot reviewer
The solution is a reliable, stable, and cost-saving ERP
Different countries have different finance practices, but I believe they need to fine-tune their practices to match industry standards. Practices vary from country to country, for example, in India, it is different than in the US. Sometimes, clients require alternate processes that are not standard, but they claim that these are the standard practices in their industry. At those times, we feel that the option required is not available with the solution. This is not the case only for Infor M3. Other ERPs also have the same problem. We can't mold the ERP to fit the customer's requirements. There are some standards in place because many screens and programs are integrated into the finance process. We can't make modifications to fit the client's requirements. The customer needs specific screens for different users, so if that program is in place, we have one planning tool in Infor M3. Planners need to know all things related to manufacturing, purchase, and sales in order to make decisions about planning. In one of my clients, I came across the requirement that they were asking for user authority in the planning tool. This is not the case though, because all planners need to know all things. However, on the manufacturing side, we can say that the person who is working with machine operations only needs to know machine-related information and doesn't need knowledge of products or sales. That standard industry is available, so we can give access to the user as per their needs. If the maintenance people are there, we can give them limited access, but if the planner is there, we need to give them all access according to industry standards. However, this requirement from the client side is not possible with the standard Infor software, but Infor can consider implementing it if the need is larger for many customers.
Hatem Mohamed Nageeb Salama - PeerSpot reviewer
Provides efficiency for small businesses, but requires costly add-ons for broader capabilities
I am currently using SAP products but not primarily selling SAP. Regarding real-time data processing capabilities, it is partially helpful for decision-making. It has built-in capability for real-time data, but it's not interactive data analytics. People need another solution such as Power BI to be integrated to get real-time data with interactive analytics. When it comes to customizing reporting in SAP Business One, it has the capability to customize reports via SAP Crystal Reports. It has a good amount of reports, but for each business, you need to understand exactly what the customer needs to customize their reports. The solution includes a mobile app to access key business information, though it is a very weak mobile app. The main benefit SAP Business One provides to users is ease of access. It's very good to present to customers, both from the interface and capabilities perspective. It's suitable for small to medium companies, making the buy-in for the solution very good. The pricing for SAP Business One is very competitive. Overall, SAP Business One is a very good solution for small to medium businesses. If your company is looking for an ERP to run end-to-end business, this is the solution. You need specific add-ons to run in specific industries, but it's approximately 70% good for most small to medium companies. My overall rating for SAP Business One is 7 out of 10.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It's very stable, and it handles all types of industrial and manufacturing businesses in very good ways. I've found it to be easy."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is the Infor GL tool that allows us to do our application support and development."
"Overall, I rate Infor M3 nine out of ten for a positive experience."
"Its ease of use is most valuable. Inquiries are transparent, and it shows good information on each screen. We don't have to go to 14 different screens to find out about one item, which is a big advantage."
"Infor M3 has tailor-made packages for each and every industry."
"It's simple to use. You don't need any complex training to use it."
"Infor M3 has ready-made processes, which provide the best workflows."
"M3 has several useful features for managing supply chains, production, and customer orders. It's an excellent system that helps me meet all my requirements for fixed costs."
"The sales and wholesale distribution are great."
"It's fully integrated with great dashboard and interface."
"I like that it's stable."
"Technical support is quite good. They are helpful and responsive. We are quite satisfied with their level of support."
"Business One's best feature is transport management and collections."
"We are using it for accounts and finance and also for maintaining third-party transactions and non-CRM transactions."
"The most valuable features of SAP Business One are that it has plenty of features and an easy general ledger entry. Additionally, we have an internal team that supports the solution and they provide is good. The solution is easy for us to support."
"The relationship map is very useful for us."
 

Cons

"Here in Infor M3, you have certain limitations where the main components cannot be modified—you must work around or use bolt-ons."
"The product's technical support has certain shortcomings. Sometimes, my company doesn't get a proper response from their end."
"Its initial setup was probably complex, but it is a very good system."
"It should be improved in terms of procurement of the supply chain and business intelligence analysis. We have the Infor BI tool, but it's more complex to use than, for example, Power Pivot or QlikView in the market."
"The solution is stable but not agile."
"We can't make modifications to fit the client's requirements."
"Customer support from Infor is responsive and addresses issues, but the response time can be delayed, which sometimes leads me to explore private vendors."
"Infor should create one product to handle the whole business. At present, they make ERP systems for each type of business, and then sell additional features. I would like to have one system handing all organizations or all the business in deep ways and not have to buy additional features."
"While SAP has been a leader in the enterprise and SME segments, many competitors have emerged with new features, especially in analytic modules like Salesforce and Oracle. The rise of cloud tools from providers like Amazon, Google, and Azure, offering analytics and visual analytical tools, has contributed to this shift.It seems SAP Business One may not have focused as much on this aspect, prioritizing the basic functioning of the enterprise. As a result, the latest user experience, particularly in digital aspects of data consumption, may not be on par with what's available in the market."
"It would be ideal if the reporting and dashboards were improved upon."
"The initial implementation is not straightforward. It took approximately three months to complete. The process could be easier."
"The price could improve for SAP Business One."
"The solution could improve by adding HR and payroll, and consolidation should be included by default."
"The extension of dashboards into mobiles is something which SAP Business One has to improve on."
"We don't have the functionality of the supply chain and mobile applications."
"SAP Business One could be improved if SAP creates one platform to integrate different solutions, particularly having a multi-company concept rather than having different databases. The solution could be similar to SAP S/4 Hana and the SAP Business ByDesign concept."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"If you compare Infor M3 to SAP, Infor M3 is less expensive than SAP, but if you compare Infor M3 to Dynamics 365, Infor M3 is more expensive. It also depends on the model that you buy. It depends on whether you have the complete package or whether you have separate models."
"The cost is between $50 and $100 per user annually."
"Infor M3 is a tier-two product and is cheaper than tier-one products such as SAP and Oracle. However, it is more expensive than some other tier-two products. The licensing cost is dependent on the number of users. Also, if you purchase other tools from Infor as a package, then there may be other discounts offered."
"There is a yearly licensing cost. The price is based on the modules you need. There are several modules, such as HR module, accounting module, sales module, scheduling module, etc., and the price will vary depending on the number of modules you choose. The customers always say that it's very expensive. It can cost a lot of money if your organization is huge. It's not implemented in a lot of organizations in my country because it's too expensive."
"The tool’s licensing is yearly."
"I'm not part of the team that manages Infor M3 pricing, but it depends on the client, integration, ship-out, and training levels. You get the price from the solution provider, but it would be best to discuss it because nothing is set in stone regarding pricing."
"We recently acquired the license, so we are using the latest version."
"SAP has a high cost of licensing."
"SAP Business One is moderately priced."
"I rate the price of SAP Business One a seven out of ten."
"The licensing cost for SAP Business One is affordable, and I'd rate it as four out of five. The license covers the software, the configuration, and the services, but if you want technical support, you'd need to pay for that separately."
"The price is a bit expensive."
"We pay annually. It is around 800 a month."
"Business One's prices are really high."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Wholesaler/Distributor
7%
Retailer
7%
Computer Software Company
16%
Manufacturing Company
14%
Healthcare Company
6%
Financial Services Firm
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Infor M3?
The product's initial setup phase is easy.
What needs improvement with Infor M3?
Some customers expect more out-of-box reports, and in some areas, they should provide more reports. However, Infor has introduced a report tool so that key users or global champions can generate re...
What is your primary use case for Infor M3?
Infor M3 is specifically dominant in fashion, food and beverages, and chemicals manufacturing; it works into micro-verticals. In food and beverage, it specializes in meat processing, confectionery,...
Are there any advantages of SAP S4 HANA over SAP Business One (SAP B1) apart from the cost?
SaP Business One is a complete solution for business management. The software applications are broad, ranging from accounting to project management and human resources. It is very versatile and com...
What do you like most about SAP Business One?
It's user-friendly and comes with comprehensive manuals. So, it is easy to learn to use SAP Business One
 

Also Known As

Infor Lawson M3, Lawson M3
Business One
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Grosfillex, High Five Sportswear, L_derach, OTK Group, PHS Group, Propper International, Red Wing Shoe Company, Reynolds Catering Supplies, Saudi Diesel, Sheetz, Zeppelin, Zodiac Aerospace
Ego Pharmaceuticals Pty. Ltd
Find out what your peers are saying about Infor M3 vs. SAP Business One and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
860,168 professionals have used our research since 2012.