Sage Intacct vs NetSuite: Which ERP for Your Growing Business?

A detailed comparison to help you choose the right mid-market financial system.

Last Updated: June 2025|12 min read

Key Takeaways

•NetSuite is best for companies needing full ERP (inventory, manufacturing, e-commerce)
•Sage Intacct excels at pure financial management, especially for services and nonprofits
•Intacct is typically 30-40% less expensive and easier to implement
•Choose based on your specific needs—there's no universally 'better' option

NetSuite and Sage Intacct are the two dominant mid-market financial systems. Both are excellent products, but they're designed for different use cases. Choosing the wrong one leads to either overpaying for features you don't need or lacking capabilities you require.

Quick Comparison

Factor	NetSuite	Sage Intacct
Primary Focus	Full ERP platform	Financial management
Best For	Product companies, e-commerce, manufacturing	Services businesses, nonprofits, financial-centric
Typical Annual Cost	$40K-$150K+	$25K-$80K+
Implementation Cost	$50K-$150K+	$25K-$75K+
Implementation Time	4-8 months	2-5 months
Complexity	Higher—steeper learning curve	Moderate—more intuitive
Native Reporting	Powerful but complex	Excellent financial reporting
Inventory/WMS	Strong native capability	Basic—needs integration
Multi-Entity	Excellent	Excellent

Choose NetSuite When...

You need inventory management, manufacturing, or warehouse management

You run e-commerce and need unified ERP + commerce platform

You want one system for finance, CRM, and operations

You have complex order management or fulfillment needs

You need extensive customization capabilities

You're planning significant scale and want room to grow

Typical NetSuite customers: E-commerce brands, wholesale distributors, manufacturers, technology companies with physical products, multi-channel retailers.

Choose Sage Intacct When...

Your primary need is financial management and reporting

You're a services business without inventory

You want excellent multi-dimensional reporting out of the box

You prefer a simpler system with faster implementation

You're a nonprofit (AICPA preferred solution)

Budget is a significant constraint

Typical Sage Intacct customers: Professional services firms, SaaS companies, healthcare organizations, nonprofits, financial services, hospitality.

Feature Deep Dive

Financial Reporting

NetSuite

Powerful but complex. SuiteAnalytics provides deep reporting capabilities, but requires significant configuration. Many companies use third-party BI tools for reporting.

Sage Intacct

Excellent native financial reporting. Multi-dimensional reporting with user-defined dimensions. Easier to get standard financial reports without customization. CFOs often prefer Intacct's reporting.

Multi-Entity & Consolidation

Both systems handle multi-entity consolidation well. NetSuite's OneWorld is industry-leading for complex global structures. Intacct's consolidation is simpler but handles most mid-market needs effectively.

Project Accounting

NetSuite

Solid project management built in. Good for project-based businesses needing tight integration with operations.

Sage Intacct

Excellent project accounting through dimensions. Very popular with professional services firms and contractors. Strong time/expense integration.

Making Your Decision

The Simple Test

Do you need inventory management or manufacturing? If yes, lean NetSuite. If no, Sage Intacct likely gives you what you need at lower cost and complexity. Both can handle everything else you'll need at the mid-market level.

Related Resources

ERP Migration Guide

Complete migration planning guide

ERP Implementation Cost

Budget planning for both systems

Need Help Choosing?

Eagle Rock CFO helps companies evaluate and select the right financial systems. Let's discuss your specific needs.

Schedule a Consultation