Our Rating: 9.2
Our Verdict
We like NetSuite for its advanced features, extensive customization, and powerful integrations. NetSuite offers industry-specific software editions to generate leading practice reports and boost out-of-the-box functionality. It integrates with eCommerce platforms, point-of-sale applications, and more.
However, NetSuite can be costly due to expensive implementation fees and annual subscription plans. Organizations must invest time and resources in training staff on the software, as the sheer number of functionalities offered can come with a learning curve.
NetSuite is a cloud-based, developer-hosted ERP platform supporting finance, operations, sales, service, and HR needs. Widely viewed as the first cloud software company, NetSuite offers robust built-in modules, including inventory control, eCommerce, HR, procurement, project management, and accounting. NetSuite’s tax engine accommodates multiple schedules for local taxes across subsidiaries.
Who Is NetSuite For?
We recommend NetSuite for medium-sized businesses in the distribution, information technology, and professional services sectors. Based on our internal review activity, the median size of organizations considering NetSuite is 30 employees. Due to its cost and complex feature set, NetSuite might be too expensive and intricate for startups and small businesses.
| Pros | Cons |
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Our Ratings
| Usability - 9 | Interface could be more streamlined but is navigable and modern; offers a powerful global search function; dashboard and workstation views are highly customizable; can work with any payment gateway. |
| Support - 9 | Provides 24/7 support via phone and email; offers free live and online NetSuite training; offers Basic and Premium support packages; no live chat support. |
| Scalability - 9 | Offers integrations to meet industry-specific needs (nonprofit, hospitality, warehouse management, etc.); has a mobile app for iOS and Android, but workflows can be slow. |
| Security - 10 | Provides user access permissions at the task, search, and record levels; can export data in PDF, CSV, Word, and Excel formats; supports two-factor authentication. |
| Value - 8 | Expensive annual subscription plan; steep implementation time and costs; usually requires in-house technical staff or outside consultants specializing in NetSuite. |
| Performance - 10 | Real-time general ledger updates; quickly drill down into individual transaction records from high-level reports; bill payment screens show relevant account balances in real-time. |
| Key Features - 10 | Reporting offers drill-down visibility to customer, employee, or transactional details; offers multi-entity support; built-in payroll module integrates with general ledger. |
What Features Are Missing?
- Transparent pricing: Companies interested in NetSuite will need to reach out for a pricing consultation. Cost varies depending on user count, support expectations, module selections, implementation needs, and other factors.
- Simple implementation: NetSuite often requires the help of an outside consultant for implementation and data migration purposes. However, working with a Value Added Reseller (VAR) allows you to customize the platform to your specifications and receive ample post-implementation support.
NetSuite Pricing
NetSuite does not publish subscription costs on its website. Those interested in the software will need to schedule a consultation for pricing. NetSuite pricing options generally start around $1,000/mo, with additional licensing costs dependent on module selection, support level, and user requirements.
How Do I Get Started?
Because NetSuite implementation is often complex, you typically work with a VAR rather than NetSuite directly to get started. goVirtualOffice is an example of a VAR that helps configure the software correctly the first time around and maximize your investment through its BOOST program.
How Do I Build A Report?
We found building a report in NetSuite to be simple and intuitive. For example, to create a basic income statement, follow these steps:
- Click on Reports in the top navigation bar to trigger a dropdown menu.
- Select the Financial > option, then Income Statement from the submenu.
- Adjust date ranges in the Period fields at the bottom of the screen.
- Choose Parent (Consolidated) or a specific selection from the Subsidiary context field.
- Click the Column field to break out data by department, location, class, accounting period, etc.
- Select the Excel, PDF, etc. icons in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen to Export.
- Click the Print icon to print.
- Select the Email icon to send reports to specific users or automate recurring financial reporting.
Which Companies Use NetSuite?
Examples of companies using NetSuite include Crumbl Cookies, e.l.f. Cosmetics, Inc., Land O’Lakes, Quicken, and TechSoup. Over 34,000 customers worldwide use NetSuite ERP. Industry types include healthcare, light manufacturing, professional services, retail, transportation, wholesale distribution, and advertising.
Is NetSuite Worth It For Small Businesses?
NetSuite might not be the best fit for new businesses due to high implementation and maintenance fees. The software’s wide range of features can also overwhelm organizations needing the next step up in accounting and inventory solutions, like Odoo and AccountingSuite.
However, small companies with capital to invest in launching a new ERP system might find it easier to absorb these expenses. In that case, NetSuite is comprehensive, flexible, and scalable, meaning it will grow with your business.
Alternatives
Summary
We recommend using NetSuite if you’re a mid-sized business that has outgrown its basic accounting solution and now needs functionality in inventory control, time tracking, and supply chain management. It’s optimal for distribution and light manufacturing businesses. NetSuite is a popular choice in the professional services market, where distributed workforces benefit from anytime, anywhere access provided by the web-based client software.
However, NetSuite is not a great fit for smaller companies with fewer than 20 employees. It does not have the functionality to handle process manufacturing and will likely require a high degree of customization to be usable.
NetSuite is a strong ERP pick for businesses looking for comprehensive, out-of-the-box functionality that scales with their growth.
Product Overview
User Reviews of NetSuite ERP
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NetSuite seemed to work. It was what we expected for cost. They were able to help us with our e-comm sales but we also do deal and distributor sales too. The other options were either e-comm or heavy manufacturing. We came from QuickBooks Enterprise to this software. QuickBooks was very forgiving and good out of the box when you’re first starting your company. But when we put good information into QuickBooks we would ask ourselves what is that coming out? So we would do our inventory and we were like, what is happening with that? That was probably the biggest thing where with NetSuite you put good information in, you’re going to get solid information out. With NetSuite we trust the information we have. We’re happy with it!
Reliable system
None
We reviewed numerous programs before landing on NetSuite and found the competitors were either independent companies and we were not confident in their support or we were directed to third party resellers who inflated the costs. NetSuite came highly recommended and we were able tro work directly with an Oracle provider. We were also confident in their abilities because they are such a large company.
For construction companies, Oracle and NetSuite can definitely be used as a construction software. They will build it out and customize it exactly to what you want and it would be a great program.
However, we ruled them out pretty quickly because we looked at other construction accounting and management softwares that already were built out for our industry and we felt would be a better fit.
Can custimize it for any industry
There are already programs set up for the construction industry
We liked its ease of use. NetSuite is very intuitive. It also connects with Shopify, which we use. It’s a high end system. If you’re looking for the cheapest option it’s not the right thing but I’d highly recommend it. It’s really good and it scales well too… like it kinda infinitely scales. You’re not going to have issues running out of space.
We’re multinational. We have operations in the United States and operations in Brazil. NetSuite is really good for that. I’ve researched lots of ERPs and CRMs and inventory stuff and a lot of it is specific to the US. That’s fine but if you’re looking for something that supports multinational businesses, NetSuite is really good.
Ease of use, connects with Shopify, scalable, works well with international business
None
A year was spent trying to implement Netsuite but after $30,000 plus spent, we had to move on. The initial implementation was set up incorrectly and as the go live date approached, we pushed them to move it back, realizing the software was in no way ready to meet our needs. We were continually told no but had little support to help us through the process. We realized with the lack of support, we would need a team memeber well versed in the software. As we have little to no tech team, and had spent the year with little resolution, we took the loss and moved on.
We were looking for a replacement ERP to Syspro. Several systems were reviewed but in the end Netsuite was the stand out choice, not limited in any area, able to do basically everything we asked of them. As a manufacturer and supplier we needed to assure all areas of the business were met. The pricing and support were also in line with our expectations.
NetSuite was a good solution but they priced themselves out of consideration for us. They wanted $60,000 for an implementation fee which immediately we ruled out. Other than the price it was a great solution.
Good features Ability to be customized to our business
$60k Implementation is far too expensive
Extremely robust and customizable, yet archaic, poor interface, and too expensive. Nefarious sales ethic.
The ability to customize just about anything your organization wants is rewarding. And if you are willing to spend, you can have your system fit your business processed like a glove. Integration apps, along with native can put your business in a “semi-autopilot mode.” Practically limitless reporting capabilities. You can manage almost every aspect of the your organization while enforcing internal controls and monitoring employees with full visibility. I would recommend for enterprises with no less than 5M in sales and with 8 or more users to leverage the full functionality of this role-based system. Netsuite is built to fit the needs of each role within your organization, from the sales rep and warehouse manager to the A/R clerk and controller.
Nasty corporate culture. No accountability for system issues, error, or outages. Sneaky contracts that will hook you with discounts and raise fees exorbitantly after your are stuck with your data and huge conversion costs. Nightmarish implementation that Netsuite outsources to foreign “professional” services that know pretty much the same as you would do from the get go. They barely speak English—incorrect setup caused us much lost revenues and frustrated, burned-out employees. Never believe Netsuite reps who say implementation can be done in 3 months. Be prepared to spend a hundreds of hours to understand the software - it is not always intuitive. Plan comprehensive employee training. As a retail and distribution company that grew out of Quick Books Desktop, Netsuite was apparently the the next solution. Although I still believe the software has much to offer, user interface is about 10 years behind time. My dream is that super user-friendly QuickBooks Online launches an Enterprise version one day.
Does Accounting great/Retail Sales and ERP not so much
Able to customize just about everything. Integrated accounting to ERP system. Ability to build reports exactly how I want them. Able to use from anywhere with no hardware to manage. Able to audit employees work. Easy drill downs make it easy and quick to access info you need. Easy to change/fix mistakes - every record is editable. From a top level executive/accounting perspective, awesome system.
If you have a big product catalog and take phone orders or in store sales, it is a big FAIL. Very few easy ways to look at stuff in a sales order. Each gridded item is an individual which is good for accounting and very bad for looking stuff up. Every other system, you find an item by the matrix parent and then choose your grid item - not netsuite, you have to scroll through all your matrix sub-items to pick what you want -quite cumbersome if you have big grids and a large catalog with similar items. When looking up, you have to know exactly what you are looking for - or use wildcards for any word that might not be in order (so more typing - sounds trivial but when you get a lot of phone and in store pick up orders, it is a nightmare). Otherwise a big “search” screen is used, you fill out multiple fields, click look, then you scroll… our old system, you just type a few words not necessarily in order and matches came up. You can’t search directly by MPN. You can’t take a quick look at a grid to check stock - you have to run a report for that. You can’t print barcodes directly to printer. You have to download to a file and then send to printer and then the barcodes don’t scan because it is lost in translation - have to buy an expensive add-on if you actually want to print a barcode label to an actual barcode printer. You can’t split payments on a cash sale. To do on a sales order a very cumbersome “deposit” method. You can’t do an exchange - you must do a credit memo, then an invoice, then marry the two - (so MUCH WORK). Barcode scanning only works in a few transaction types - and then not all the time. If you want to use it for inventory adjustments, etc, forget it - unless you pay more… Looking items up for a sales order takes forever, with popups and clicking and looking… If you get like one phone order an hour and have 10 products, you will be fine…Otherwise, prepare for frustration. Quickbooks is better for syncs to banks and credit card agencies. You can import data, but it is very particular, so you need to get your CSV’s then reformat to make netsuite happy - when we were on quickbooks, everything connected on it’s own. No great way to reconcile paypal - again it connected in our old system and a daily reconcile was easy - now it has to be done with manual imports and matching. This system was built for service organizations not retail. It’s a shame, because I LOVE a lot of things about this software from a high level perspective but for my poor staff trying to do day-to-day activities, it has slowed them down considerably from our old systems (counterpoint sql and quickbooks).
Netsuite has a pretty solid, versatile, and all-encompassing product
Netsuite is an all in one solution “so it claims”…it’s not actually.
Its good for sales but very behind on many other functions. Looks like its from the dark ages.
Going to try and keep this concise. Poor sales ethic, poor service, lack of emails replied, software is basic in some parts, graphics are poor, the number on their website doesn’t even work. Accounts team are poor, legal are as bad - I would strongly avoid, I wish I had!
We were blown away by the presentation. We cancelled our review of some other options because of how much we liked this option.
This solution has way too much functionality than we need and is far too expensive. We spent $100,000 to get the software and now have to pay $38,000 a year for a system where we don’t even use half the functions
We selected NetSuite ERP. They provided the best solution at the optimal price. Oracle provides grants to nonprofits, so, it reduced our cost by 50%, which fit well into our tight budget.
The cost continues to go up, The solution doesn’t handle our HR or billing needs for being DCAA compliant
I demoed the program and feel it is a great program but quite expensive. It’s cool, easy, and functional. The best feature is the document management, which allows me to save quotes, orders, and customer emails. However, at $1,000 a month, it was a stretch for our budget.
We are a nonprofit and we have been using their for-profit version and not their non profit version, which means that there is a lot of functionality we don’t use. Cloud based is important to our board. Netsuite is setup more for sales than for fund management, and it is not flexible for a CRM and doesn’t allow the diversification required for managing contacts
Bottom line it came down to money. I had to convince myself it would do everything I wanted to do, and it appears it will. We are implementing it next month. Most other solutions have similar features, and other software had features that stood out, but NetSuite has a deal for eligible nonprofits to receive the software at a discounted rate (it cut out the subscription cost and left us with only upfront costs).
Satisfies our needs. Implementation went smoothly. Still learning to use bits and pieces of it but we are happy with it.
Nothing in particular. Works as it is supposed to.
None
Used Netsuite for about 4 years and moved to a different solution because the user interface and friendliness was old and tired. We negotiated what we felt was a great deal when we initially bought for a multiyear contract. But when renewal time came, our price went up almost 50% on a per user basis overall. Web Site very clunky and not very mobile friendly. Honestly, if you are a smaller business (under 100 employees) be prepared to pay serious annual fees, plus support. Support is bad, and customer service was not good. They know that they have your data and they know that it would take alot for you to move off.
Adding custom fields and manipulating workflows was very easy. In general, customizing the system was very intuitive.
The company themselves. Support was horrible, and when we had to deal with customer service because of 50+% increase over what we originally paid, we were met with fierce resistance.
We are a small non-profit with complicated financials. We purchased NetSuite from a VAR and the implementation took months. The system is complicated for the average user to customize and there is no real support from NetSuite without a service contract $$. I also use NetSuite payroll which actually process through Ceridian’s payroll system. I’ll just say I can’t wait to migrate off of it. Customer service is outsourced over seas and they have no access to your system other than via WebEx remote sessions. Every call takes 20 minutes minimum and you can count on them having to put you on hold while they try to find an answer. Mostly you get the canned script reply. Other than it’s ability to do consolidated financials, I was happier on QuickBooks.
Web based and seamless consolidations.
Payroll system is beyond frustrating. We have five subsidiaries and the system allows you to setup customers with a parent/child relationship. The system to setup vendors is completely different. I was forced to include a subsidiary code within each vendor name which prevents you from going to one place to see what all subsidiaries may owe the same vendor.
ease of use and report capabilities
drop downs could use some stickies of last pick choosen
Purchased NetSuite OneWorld and still in the implementation process.
We were looking for one international solution that would allow our remote offices to transact business in local currency and to allow the corporate office to have “real time” access to the activity of said location. The consolidated reporting is of great interest to us.
No sure yet, have not begun to use the product. It seems great and fully functional for everything we need on paper
