The Top 30 ERP Systems for Small Business

• Cloud-based ERP solution for back-office operations and financial processes
• Unified business insights to support swift decision-making
• Designed to support innovation and business growth
• Trusted by over 24,000 global customers

• Scalable, flexible, award-winning cloud financial management system
• Built-in industry-specific functionality for different business needs
• Real-time dashboards for instant visibility into operations and finances
• Multi-dimensional analysis for deeper financial and operational insights

• Delivers “tier 1” enterprise-level feature breadth at significantly lower cost than traditional systems
• Built on a long history, combined with fully modernized cloud/SaaS technology
• Direct, friendly, and transparent approach
• Owns the technology (no reliance on “bolt-ons”)
• Offers software directly with no markup (not through third-party VARs)
• Provides close, attentive in-house support

• Best suited for small to mid-sized manufacturers (discrete, mixed-mode, ETO, make-to-order) that require a unified ERP.
• Ideal for companies that need deep integration between production, quality, inventory, and financials, without needing numerous bolt-ons.

• Designed for mid-market manufacturers and distributors, particularly mixed-mode operations (make-to-stock, make-to-order, engineer-to-order, etc.)
• Modular/suite-based structure: core ERP + suites for manufacturing and distribution
• Pay-for-active-user licensing (only pay for users that log in), which helps with scalability and cost control as the business grows

• Real-time shop-floor data collection via mobile/tablet (employees clocking in, tracking job status, posting material use, etc.).
• Inventory control with features like lot and serial tracking, multiple bins/locations, FIFO/LIFO/average/standard cost methods.

• Next-generation ERP system built on the SAP HANA in-memory database
• Integrated suite covering finance, supply chain, manufacturing, sales, procurement, and more
• Advanced AI, machine learning, and predictive analytics embedded in processes
• Strong industry-specific capabilities across sectors (manufacturing, retail, utilities, healthcare, etc.)
• Flexible deployment options: cloud, on-premise, or hybrid
• Scalable to support global enterprises 

• Cloud-first ERP from Microsoft, tightly integrated with the broader Microsoft ecosystem (Office 365, Teams, Power BI, Azure)
• Strong financial management features for small-to-mid-sized businesses
• Seamless CRM-light functionality for sales, customer service, and project management
• Power Platform integration (Power BI, Power Apps, Power Automate) for analytics, app building, and workflow automation
• Customization through low-code/no-code extensions rather than heavy development
• Scalable licensing model, making it affordable to start small and expand

• Unique consumption-based licensing provides flexibility and facilitates collaboration.
• Acumatica is the only ERP vendor offering free online training via Acumatica Open University.
• Acumatica's formal Customer Bill-Of-Rights, a unique commitment in the software industry, ensures fair and ethical treatment of customers and trading partners.

• Industry-specific ERP designed for apparel, footwear, accessories, and soft goods companies.
• Strong product lifecycle management (PLM) capabilities, including style, color, and size matrix management.
• Integrated tools for demand forecasting, order allocation, and production planning.
• Supports multi-channel distribution, including wholesale, retail, and e-commerce.
• Robust inventory and warehouse management tailored to seasonal and fast-changing product lines.

• Strong recipe and formula management with support for versioning, scaling, substitutions, and unit of measure conversions.
• Supports co-products and by-products during production.
• Advanced lot tracking and traceability for ingredients and finished goods.
• Built-in quality management system with inspections, approvals, and compliance checks.

• Built on Oracle NetSuite
• A complete beverage business management platform designed for the specific needs of beverage manufacturers.
• Industry-specific modules with separate features for breweries, wineries, and distilleries.

• Product formulation/recipe management with the ability to handle multiple formulas, ingredients, and versions.
• Regulatory compliance features: SDS, safety and hazard documentation, labeling, traceability (“cradle-to-grave” lot tracking), etc.
• Deployment flexibility: On-premise or hosted/cloud options.

• Designed specifically for batch and process manufacturers with built-in capabilities for formulation, lot traceability, and compliance.
• “One system” philosophy: most necessary functionality is native (no need for bolt-ons), including QC, warehouse management (WMS), direct store delivery (DSD), ecommerce, and EDI.
• Real-time inventory management: tracks batch numbers, best-before dates, weights, GS1-128 bar coding, etc.
• Strong regulatory & quality features: certificate of analysis (CoA), safety data sheets (SDS), food safety / FDA, GHS, FSMA, etc.

• ERP purpose-built for manufacturing, especially discrete and repetitive manufacturing industries.
• Strong shop floor and production monitoring with real-time data collection from machines.
• Robust MES (Manufacturing Execution System) integration — one of the strongest in its class.
• Advanced quality management system (QMS) with built-in compliance and traceability tools.
• Strong support for plastics, automotive, medical devices, and other regulated industries.
• Unified platform (ERP + MES + QMS) without the need for multiple third-party add-ons.

• Industry-focused ERP tailored for wholesale distributors across multiple sectors.
• Comprehensive financial management integrated with sales, purchasing, and logistics.
• Advanced inventory and warehouse management with lot tracking and serial number control.
• Built-in demand forecasting and order management tools to optimize stock levels.
• Integrated EDI (electronic data interchange) for streamlined communication with suppliers and customers.
• Multi-channel sales support, including wholesale, retail, and e-commerce integration.
• Route management and transportation planning features for efficient delivery operations.

• Well-suited for medium-sized manufacturers, especially those in discrete, mixed-mode, engineer-to-order, job shop operations.
• Robust quality control and inspection features.

• Specifically tailored for the steel and metals industries (steel service centers, metal processors, fabricators).
• Real-time inventory tracking and optimization, including modules for coil and sheet inventory management and slitting/cutting operations.
• Sales & order management with functionality specialized for metals: pricing, customer-specific attributes, metal-specific purchasing, and sales workflows.

• Curated solutions based on 50 years of deep and broad experience in ERP software
• Purpose-built with and for building materials suppliers and distributors, and metal service centers
   

• Built in partnership with thousands of successful distributors
• End-to-end distribution software with industry-specific functionality
• Comprehensive eCommerce that promotes online business growth
• Modernize your sales approach and customer relationships

• Supports multiple manufacturing modes, such as discrete, batch process, repetitive, build-to-stock, build-to-order, and mixed mode.
• Robust materials management capabilities include BOMs, inventory control, purchasing, master scheduling, lot & serial tracking, and shop routing.
• Strong order management features include quotes, forecasts, committed orders, available-to-promise, shipments, return authorizations, and credit checks.

• Strong inventory management with real-time inventory tracking, multi-location warehouses, lot & serial tracking, and parts & multi-bin support
• Order & fulfillment workflows include order entry, sales and purchase order processing, shipping, and order status tracking.
• Manufacturing/work order support features include BOMs, work orders, and production planning for light manufacturing use.
• Seamless integration with QuickBooks for synchronization of inventory with financials.

• Built specifically for the food industry (distributors, processors) with capabilities for catch/variable weights, breaking cases, etc.
• Strong traceability tools: lot control & tracking, attribute tracking (quality grade, origin), product aging, catch weights

• Built exclusively for the metal service center/metal distribution/metal processing industries.
• Includes metal-specific business flows such as stock picks, processed orders, contracts, buyouts, direct ship, outside processing, and toll processing.
• Product attribute–based inventory (inventory defined by metal attributes rather than generic part numbers) to reflect real metal business logic.
• Configurable system: over 300 configuration options to enable or disable features as needed.

• Strong recipe and formula management with support for scaling and version control.
• Advanced traceability tools for ingredients, batches, and finished goods to ensure food safety and recall readiness.
• Built-in compliance features for FDA, USDA, HACCP, FSMA, and other global food safety regulations.
• Shelf-life and expiration date management to reduce waste and improve inventory control.
• Integrated quality management system for inspections, audits, and testing.

RealSTEEL ERP System is designed specifically for steel and metals processing with an intrinsic focus on inventory management.

Increased production capacity, integration with CAD and accounting, Dynamic BOMs, purchase-to-inventory or project tracking, and a geotargeted time collection app available on mobile. Full project visibility with real-time reports, Inventory management, part tracking, release parts to procurement in stages, issue and revise RFQs and POs in a few clicks, and quality control.

• Affordable pricing with a lower total cost of ownership compared to large ERP vendors.

• Not suitable for companies with over $100 million revenue
• No on-premise deployment available

• Limited manufacturing features; does not have Materials Management nor Production Management modules

• Not ideal for service-based or retail businesses.
• No “HR” or “Payroll” inside the platform; requires integrating to a third-party payroll system.

• Primarily focuses on the needs of discrete manufacturers, which may differ from the needs of process manufacturers.

• Minimum user requirement. May not be cost-effective for very small companies. 

• Not suited for companies over $50 million in revenue.

• The system is enterprise-level and is not suitable for small businesses or startups.

• May not scale as well for very large enterprises with complex needs.
• May not be ideal for businesses needing specialized vertical features out of the box.

• Acumatica is devoted to the midmarket. It is not a great fit for large enterprises in need of fully global support.

• May not scale well for very large, complex global enterprises outside of the apparel space.

• Functions primarily as a manufacturing add-on and relies on integration with host ERPs for financials and core business processes.
• Best suited for small to mid-sized process manufacturers; may not scale well for very large, global enterprises.

• May lack customization flexibility as it is an “out of the box” system. 

• This product is not intended for discrete manufacturing or heavy distribution.

• Not suited for very small manufacturers or startups with limited budgets, as the cost and complexity would outweigh the benefits.

• DELMIAworks IQMS is not a fit for non-manufacturing environment businesses.

• Limited to Distribution Enterprises, not suitable for complex manufacturing.

• Does not support batch manufacturing.

• Not built for very small companies with minimal complexity

• Not appropriate for process manufacturers

• This solution is not optimized for non-durable goods distributors.

• Not ideal for engineer-to-order environments or custom job shops.

• Not well-suited for large enterprises with complex, global operations. 

• QuickBooks is required for full financial features.

• Not well-suited for companies outside of metal, steel, or metal processing.

• Highly specialized for food and beverage; not suitable for other industries.

Total ETO is not designed for repetitive manufacturing.

• Not built for very large enterprises.