Sage Intacct vs. NetSuite: What You Should Know

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It’s a clash of the titans, Sage Intacct vs NetSuite. Two accounting and ERP systems vying for the top spot in the ERP space, both throwing out fancy stats to try and prove their points. There have been many claims, counter-claims, and half-truths thrown around so we thought we would clear up the mess a little bit. So which architecture delivers the maximum amounts of functionality, business agility, and cost-effectiveness? Let’s break it down.

 

Tool Box vs. Single Hammer

NetSuite has its name for a reason. NetSuite trying to make you build a suite of code to fill your needs. The standard in software used to be that you would license your applications separately. Then it would be up to you to make them all work together. This included setup and maintenance if something broke down or changed versions. NetSuite steps in and makes all of the systems work together for you but it is all custom code put together by NetSuite coders. They own the responsibility for delivering the “suite” of applications with all of the integration done for you.  This means that building and connecting your systems is still up to you, but carried out by NetSuite. You can have the best looking and functioning CRM system in the world, but you’ll need to pay them to develop it. Then pay them again when it needs to be updated or breaks.

Now the cloud world has shifted to a landscape of open API and multiple choices. No longer are closed proprietary interfaces and prepackaged suites necessary or desired. Web-service architecture lays down the framework for applications to communicate which Sage Intacct has harnessed and built on. Sage gives you the option of working with countless of vendors to suit how your company does business. This creates competition in the market to develop the best integrations and products available. There is a treasure trove of marketplace partner with functions like AP/AR, sales tax, budgeting, banking, and much much more. Cloud computing has even gotten so advanced that you can configure (not customize) Salesforce.com to fit your business easier than ever. You don’t HAVE to build a system from the ground up anymore!

Advantage: Sage Intacct

The Product Focus

Which company puts its product first? Who spends time and resources improving their core functionality?

Sage Intacct has a core product offering with a few advanced modules you can select from. With offers such as dynamic allocations, budgeting & planning, and an interactive custom report writer there is something offered beyond the initial software. The main difference, as we listed earlier, is that Sage Intacct also opens their system up to other developers to build a virtual bazaar of add-ons and integrations. This affords Sage Intacct the ability to focus their team on making the core system the best it can be. This is evident by their quarterly updates and their addition of customer-requested features all of which are free and don’t require hours to implement. This also lets you replace your accounting system without having to change other aspects of your business. If you have software in place, it can be connected to Sage Intacct with help from your implementation team.

NetSuite has the word suite in its name. Now say you want to use NetSuite for only your core financials. That goes against their core design. They are built for their modules to work together so you may end up having to purchase and implement modules you don’t need to make processes run correctly. This adds complexity and cost both in software and implementation as well as the possibility that other teams other than accounting are affected. One size fits all generally doesn’t fit most when applied in a business setting.

Advantage: Sage Intacct

What the Users Have to Say

Who has a better view of software than it’s users? G2 Crowd is the top site for software users to review the programs they use in several different categories. This allows for a true scoring system based on people who use these programs every day of their work life. Let’s see how they stack up, shall we?

In nearly every category Sage Intacct is leading NetSuite. You can check out the full comparison On the G2 Crowd comparison page but the results really tell the story. These ratings have led Sage Intacct to be named a Top 50 Mid-Market Software for 2019 as well as a G2 Leader for the past year.

Advantage: Sage Intacct

Now, this is just the surface. There are plenty of other variables that you could compare all day long. But as it stands it looks like Sage Intacct pulls ahead of NetSuite in their approach, their product focus, and especially their customer satisfaction. Now you may be wondering about pricing. That’s where we can help. Give us a call at 855-913-3228 or email us at info@altavistatech.com and we can run some numbers for you and get an estimate.