Top ERP systems for small businesses

Finding the right ERP for a small business can be frustrating. Many systems are designed for large enterprises, forcing smaller companies to pay for features they don’t need. Others lack essential tools, making it difficult to scale effectively.

Recommended reading: Find the right ERP for your small business with this step-by-step guide

This guide highlights ERP solutions that balance cost, functionality, and flexibility to help you choose the best fit for your business.

The best ERP solutions for small businesses

Here are some top ERP options worth considering:

• Odoo
• ERPAG
• SAP Business One
• ERP Next 
• DEAR Systems

Each offers distinct advantages depending on your industry and operational needs. Let’s explore them in detail. When you're ready, you can add them to your shortlist using our free ERP comparison tool.

Odoo

Odoo is a suite of open-source business apps covering eCommerce, accounting, CRM, inventory point of sale, and many other offerings that your company may need.

Odoo is a versatile software solution for small businesses, trusted by millions of medium and large businesses as well. With over 27,000 apps, an intuitive interface, and GDPR compliance, Odoo scales with your business as it grows. A free version is available, alongside support packages and expert consultants to meet your needs.

If you choose Odoo, you can implement it on-premises with your server and network.  Or, you can implement it in the cloud as SaaS.  Either way, it can be a good choice for your small business and is an ideal apparel ERP solution.

ERPAG

This cloud ERP software is designed specifically for small manufacturers. It promises to connect and streamline all your processes in a single ERP. 

You can sell, purchase, manufacture, and fulfill orders to meet your customer requirements.  ERPAG automates workflows using a simple and effective Blockly script engine that can be customized without coding knowledge.

It already has integration with eCommerce systems like Amazon and Magento.  Payment processors like Stripe are ready to use to capture your customers’ payments automatically.

You get multi-level bills of material and detailed inventory tracking. Track time, labor, and materials using work orders.

The price is easy on the wallet too; their basic plan is just $49 a month with 5 users included. ERPAG is also running an introductory offer on their professional and advanced plans, also at $49 a month for the first three months.

Additional users are only $9 a month extra across all three plans. Cloud ERP could be the perfect fit for your SME if you own a manufacturing business.

SAP Business One

SAP Business One is built for small and midsize businesses, offering a single platform to manage finances, sales, customer relationships, inventory, and reporting without the need for multiple tools.

With real-time data access, built-in analytics, and dashboards, it delivers instant insights to support smarter decisions. Flexible deployment options, on-premise or cloud, cater to different business needs and IT setups.

Scalable and adaptable, SAP B1 grows with your business through additional modules and third-party integrations.

ERPNext

ERPNext is a free, open-source SMB ERP software built on MariaDB. It offers a wide range of modules, including accounting, HR, manufacturing, sales, CRM, and even a built-in website for content management. With a clean, modern interface and easy setup wizards, ERPNext is highly customizable to fit your business needs.

Self-hosting ERPNext is completely free, though managed hosting and extended support plans are available at a cost. With over 30,000 users worldwide, ERPNext is a versatile option worth considering for your business.

DEAR Systems

DEAR Systems is an ERP for manufacturers, retailers, and multi-channel sellers.  Included are usual ERP modules like accounting, inventory management, purchasing, manufacturing, warehouse, and point of sale.  On top of that, you get eCommerce, B2B payments, and a B2B portal so this one is right up to date on some of the needs of small businesses.

The B2B portal allows your customers to manage their orders subject to your rules while you add value by delivering the products and services your customers want.

You can work faster and better by automating many of your inventory management processes and taking care of small tasks while you look forward to a better future.

At the core of any business is its ability to track inventory accurately. DEAR Systems includes batch tracking of products for traceability and can assign serial numbers for warranty purposes. 

For businesses managing inventory and eCommerce, DEAR Systems is a strong contender.

Why open-source ERP is gaining popularity

Two of these (Odoo and ERPNext) are open-source ERP systems.  These systems offer:

• Lower cost: No licensing fees for self-hosted versions.
• Customization: Modify the software to fit unique business needs.
• Community support: Large user communities contribute ongoing improvements.

For budget-conscious businesses, open-source ERPs provide an excellent alternative.

Tip: If you need remote access, lower upfront costs, and automatic updates, cloud-based ERPs are a great option.

A look at previous picks

Oracle NetSuite

Originally designed to be a pure accounting system, Netsuite has become a sophisticated ERP system since being acquired by Oracle.

The product is delivered as a SaaS (Software as a Service) entirely capable of handling from 50 to 100 employees. Major functional values include;

• Financial management
• GAAP accounting
• Integrated analytics
• Payment management
• Order and billing management
• Supply chain management
• Inventory management

The system is also entirely compliant with Oracle’s ERP backend including its sophisticated RDBMS framework. The platform will operate with a range of browsers including; Microsoft IE, Firefox, Safari, Opera, and others.

As a SaaS system, data security is ensured through NetSuite’s data center and built-in security controls.

BizAutomation Cloud

BizAutomation Cloud ERP is designed for firms with 10 or fewer employees.

As the brand name suggests this application is another SaaS offering, and consequently harbors a low price-to-entry value. Major functions include:

• GAAP accounting
• Order management
• Inventory
• Customer relationship management (CRM)
• Sales commission
• e-commerce (including a business portal)
• Materials purchase planning
• Project management

The product is focused on small wholesale/distributors, retail sales, and organizations with single-product manufacturing needs. The software is priced on a per-user, per-month basis.

CGS: Blue Cherry

This provider offers a host of ERP values for mid-sized companies operating in the textiles design and production market.

The product is suitable for midsize apparel manufacturers, harboring from 50 to 100 employees, offering on-premise and cloud-based deployment. Major functional values include:

• Planning
• Design
• Product development
• Materials source management
• Integrated logistics
• Sales processing
• Dynamic workflow management  
• Order-to-cash management
• Financial management
• Purchasing and receiving
• Production management
• Predictive and actual costing
• Tailored reporting
• Business intelligence

Acquired data can be displayed in charts, graphs, and in summary form that can be delivered via web browser, email, or text message. Pricing is per module, plus user license fees. Email and phone support are available.

xTuple Software

This open-source ERP system is tailored to support small enterprises at the 20 or fewer employee threshold. The company offers both on-premise and cloud operations. Major functional values include;

• GAAP accounting
• Sales management
• Supplier-chain management
• Inventory management
• Production distribution

The system accepts various modes of manufacturing ranging from discrete manufacturing, process manufacturing, and engineer-to-order manufacturing to made-to-order products.

xTuple offers online support to all its customers during business hours.

ERP vendors that focus on small to medium-sized businesses

Vendors who offer ERP software for SMBs also include:

• Oracle NetSuite
• BizAutomation Cloud
• CGS Blue Cherry
• xTuple Software
• Sage
• SYSPRO
• abas ERP
• Genius ERP

Once you’ve used our white paper to help put together a shortlist of SMB ERP vendors, why not compare them with this free tool to see which ERP is the best fit for your business?