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NetSuite ERP vs SAP Business ByDesign comparison

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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
2nd
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.0
Number of Reviews
38
Ranking in other categories
ERP (13th), Activity Based Costing Software (8th), 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 November 2026, in the Cloud ERP category, the mindshare of NetSuite ERP is 21.3%, up from 16.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SAP Business ByDesign is 3.9%, down from 7.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Cloud ERP Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
NetSuite ERP21.3%
SAP Business ByDesign3.9%
Other74.8%
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

"NetSuite is a better value than some competing solutions. The fee structure is simpler, and other ERP solutions don't offer as many options for configuration."
"The most valuable feature in NetSuite ERP is the user interface."
"NetSuite ERP has dramatically improved our organization. We went from QuickBooks to NetSuite. You can compare this transition to changing from tennis shoes to a flying car."
"NetSuite ERP is good for a trading company that involves buying and selling."
"You should go for it. You won't regret it! This is the best solution."
"The initial setup is easy."
"I have found there to be many features, such as manufacturing, accounting, financials, inventory, and purchasing."
"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."
"The most valuable features of Business ByDesign are the integration of its modules, analytics, and dashboards."
"When we were using it, we did see an immediate benefit, especially in the inventory on consignment issue. We were a biotech pre-revenue company and most of our manufacturing was outsourced. So being able to track inventory within the system without creating a financial impact was very key for us."
"I like its modern approach. It is very modern and new technology."
"The most valuable features of SAP Business ByDesign are customer invoicing and cost and revenue, from which I get the data for my project reports."
"It has a quick implementation and onboarding of users. It is flexible with reports and powerful."
"The stability has been great, and compared to other products that I have used before, they have been doing really well with stability."
"I find the tool’s every feature valuable."
"ByDesign's best features are its speed, real-time data, and reporting."
 

Cons

"NetSuite is good for data management, but it's missing payroll features."
"I have faced OPI issues during peak times when pushing and pulling data becomes very slow due to API limitations."
"NetSuite is still made for small/medium enterprises and needs to focus on bigger organizations, i.e., the Enterprise Edition."
"The pricing is high. For small companies, it is not very competitive."
"Some clients in my past complained about the accounting setup, as it requires people who already have knowledge about NetSuite ERP."
"The system is quite slow overall; sometimes I wait thirty, forty, or fifty seconds for a screen to refresh."
"The main implementation challenge is finding experienced consultants to translate customer needs into NetSuite ERP's standard functionality. The second challenge is getting enough time from customers for proper implementation."
"Additionally, adding advanced modules such as AI components or customer service modules could help the system become more scalable."
"The solution could improve the stability. It is approximately 60% stable."
"SAP Business ByDesign is a very vast product, but it has to be a bit more centralized. All the models need to be more centralized for a better experience."
"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."
"Scalability is difficult."
"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."
"The solution does not support customization for forms and reports. It's not flexible in case you need some enhancements in business processes."
"Scalability can be an issue. That is why SAP Business ByDesign needs to be more customizable and more flexible."
"ByDesign could be improved by making screen modifications easier."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"NetSuite ERP has a cost per module you want to use, and then you have the license per user."
"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."
"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."
"It is expensive."
"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."
"There is an annual license required to use this solution."
"I would advise that you first meet with and scope out your project with a NetSuite VAR (Value Added Reseller)."
"When people buy ERP, it's a competitive situation and the pricing is paramount."
"The tool’s pricing is expensive."
"The pricing depends on company size. It's cheaper for small companies and more expensive for large ones."
"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."
"I rate the price of SAP Business ByDesign a seven out of ten."
"The price of the solution could be better. They have to come up with a new strategy."
"We have to pay yearly."
"The cost starts anywhere between fifty thousand dollars and up depending on the number of licenses."
"Everything is included in the licensing cost of the solution. However, they use a per-user model for additional charges."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Outsourcing Company
7%
Computer Software Company
7%
Outsourcing Company
13%
Construction Company
11%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Healthcare Company
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.
920,929 professionals have used our research since 2012.