Sage Intacct vs Oracle Netsuite Part 3 — Pricing

Welcome to the third & final part of our series comparing Sage Intacct and Oracle NetSuite. We’ve already looked at Customizing & Scaling of both solutions and compared the Best-of-Breed approach that Intacct takes against the single-vendor Suite approach NetSuite is known for. In this blog, we’re jumping into one of the most salient things that businesses look at when choosing a new business system: cost. The bottom line is a crucial measure for commercial businesses and not-for-profits alike, so it makes sense to compare Intacct and NetSuite in those terms. Let’s go!

 

Pricing Models

Quick note: Every company is unique, so it would be impossible to give you a concrete cost of implementation of either solution, but we’ll review as much as we can.

Both are offered on a SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) offering, meaning a smaller monthly payment for the length of your use of the software instead of an upfront software purchase. There will be up-front costs for implementation and configuration though.  Going forward, additional users require additional user licenses, which would also get paid on a monthly basis. On-going support may also be added on a per-month basis. 

 

NetSuite Pricing

NetSuite’s model, generally, is based on five factors: base subscription, advanced applications/modules, number of users, resources used and support.

NetSuite, as a powerful global company, has the ability to offer deep up-front discounts on implementations. They even offer free implementations on Starter Editions of the Suite. Many of these free implementations are undertaken from thousands of miles away from where your office is located.  It is important to note that it is only the implementation cost that is discounted: licenses, support, and integrations are not included. As we mentioned in Blog #2 , according to G2 research, a typical NetSuite implementation will also require 35% input from your team across ~6.5 months, so while there may be a discount on the NetSuite side, there will still be internal costs.

Post-implementation, SuiteSuccess has a fixed cost, plus any additions that you may have selected. Unfortunately, add-ons can often be pricey with NetSuite. For example, OneWorld, which mentioned in the previous blogs, is available for $1,999 USD per month.

As these are curated editions, there can often be a disconnect between what’s in the bundle and what your company needs. The edition may lack modules you classify as essential, while having modules you find redundant. It is likely that many modules will be bolted on, not just at the time of implementation, but in the years following. As your company grows, you may also need to upgrade your technical resources like storage space or bandwidth. It is worth mentioning that NetSuite has a reputation of being expensive and not being very transparent about their pricing. This can easily be seen in user reviews and testimonials from those who have left the platform. Some even say their bills jumped from 5 to six figures.

Support is also a big outlay for NetSuite users. For example, if using the Starter Edition, deployed with free implementation, off-shore support during local office hours is at a rate of $40 USD per hour. The North America-based support and professional services are offered at anywhere between $175 USD and $235 USD per hour.

 

Sage Intacct Pricing

Sage Intacct is modularly priced and user licenses are charged individually. Licenses vary in cost depending on the permissions the user needs. Furthermore, add-ons can amend the base product with additional functionality. On top of this, you can add professional services that are handled by your partner – The ‘Value-Added’ in ‘Value-Added Reseller’, or VAR. 

Sage Intacct is sold by Verified Resellers in Canada. This means that your implementation team can be in your country and able to travel to your premises, if needed. It also means they have detailed knowledge of Canadian industries, understanding of government policies & potential grant options, and will know not to call you during Olympic hockey season. According to that same G2 research, Intacct’s average implementation time is roughly 90% less than NetSuite, with less work needed from your in-house team (only 25% input). 

One of the benefits of being Best-of-Breed, and being lean, is that you only pay for what you need. You choose what add-ons you want. Each has its own associated cost. This prior knowledge helps you budget and prioritize, should cash flow be limited or your needs change over time. 

 

Sage Intacct is beginning to come into its own and with what we’ve explored across the blogs on Customizing and Scaling the solutions and their respective approaches, it is no surprise.
You can also get in touch with one of our Intacct experts here.

Questions?