Startups are joining companies outgrowing entry-level accounting systems like QuickBooks andthose saddled with older, on-premises enterprise resource planning software and turning tocloud ERP systems to run their core business processes.
Oracle NetSuite and Sage Intacct were two of the first cloud ERP software providers and areoften on the short lists of companies making ERP buying decisions. While both are true cloudERP solutions with multitenant architectures and popularchoices for growing and midmarketcompanies, there are some important differences that any business making an ERP purchaseshould consider.
Three major evaluation points where the solutions are substantially different are the abilityto support an international business, manage multiple entities, and easily pull reports onany piece of the business. NetSuite also offers industry-specific versions of its softwarewith the features, configurations, and reports and dashboards companies in those sectorsneed.
What Is ERP?
ERP is a suite of applications that automate a company’s core operations, includingfinancials, inventory and order management, customer service, procurement, sales, marketing,and more. Because all modules operate from a single database, a modern ERP system delivers automation, collaborativeworkflows across departments, and sophisticated business reporting. More robust ERP systemsalso offer human resources management, professional services automation, ecommerce, andother capabilities.
Key Takeaways
- NetSuite and Sage Intacct are two popular SaaS ERP systems with some similarities, butthey have meaningful differences in functionality and system architecture.
- Intacct may have a lower upfront cost, but after a recent price increase Intacct’scostper full-access user license is now more than twice that of NetSuite. In addition,Intacct charges extra for subsidiaries, reporting, and customization that can quicklydrive up the total cost of ownership.
- NetSuite’s native capabilities for financial consolidations, reporting, CRM, andprofessional services automation (PSA) stand above Intacct’s, and the vendor lacksasolution comparable to OneWorld for multinational and multisubsidiary businesses.
- NetSuite’s SuiteSuccess implementation methodology that helps customers go livefaster at a predetermined price is a key differentiator, as are the platform’snumerous tools to customize and integrate the software with other applications.
NetSuite vs. Sage Intacct: An Overview
Both NetSuite and Intacct are cloud-based ERP systems with multitenant,software-as-a-service (SaaS) deployment models. In a cloud ERP deployment, the software vendor maintains thesoftware and database in its own data center. Customers access the software via the internetand typically pay a subscription fee.
With multitenant cloud suites, all customers are on the sameversion of the software thanks to automatic upgrades, which makes updates easier and createseconomies of scale. Customer data is separated at the database level for privacy.
While there is some overlap between NetSuite and Intacct, their differences can best besummed up by the fact that NetSuite was designed to run an entire business, while Intacctwas built to handle only accounting and finance. NetSuite offers significantly more breadth,including modules for robust customer relationship management(CRM), manufacturing, ecommerce and human capital management (HCM).
Intacct fills in some of these gaps with add-on applications, but the product doesn’toffer the same level of functionality as NetSuite’s modules. For example,Intacct’s subledger architecture inherently limits reporting, and its English-onlysupport and difficulty with currency conversions pose challenges for those that conductbusiness internationally.
Additionally, NetSuite has a larger partner ecosystem and advantages when it comes toimplementation services that ERP buyers may want to consider.
NetSuite has a greater breadth of functionality with modules for additional functions, so businesses canstart with a core financial package and add features as they grow.
How 4 Companies Dropped Intacct for NetSuite
See how these four businesses transformed billing,international expansion, and integrations—all by switching to NetSuite.Diveinto the details to find out if that’s the best move for your business.
Product Maturity and History
NetSuite was cofounded in 1998 by Evan Goldberg, an entrepreneur and early Oracle employee,and Oracle founder Larry Ellison. Goldberg approached Ellison with an idea for a new ventureafter struggling to find a single system on which to run a previous business he had started.The resulting company, NetSuite, was a pioneer of the SaaS model and went public in 2007.
Sage Intacct was founded in 1999 as a suite of accounting applications for small and midsizebusinesses by David Chandler Thomas, an economist and professor at Ball State University,and Odysseas Tsatalos, a technologist. It received several rounds of venture funding butnever filed for an IPO.
While the software products are close in age, NetSuite boasts a much larger customer base andan expansive global footprint. It has more than customersin 200-plus countries and territories. Intacct has roughly 24,000 customers, mostly in NorthAmerica. It also has operations in Australia, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, butlittle support for businesses with non-English speakers.
Video: NetSuite vs. Intacct
Acquisitions by Sage and Oracle
NetSuite was acquired by Oracle in 2016 for $9.3 billion and is now run as a separatebusiness unit within the company. Oracle’s backing enabled NetSuite to more quicklyexpand its international operations and open new data centers based on the powerful Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI)(opens in anewtab).
The Sage Group plc acquired Intacct in 2017 for $850 million. At the time, Sage operated avariety of on-premises accounting systems used primarily in the UK and had made littleprogress shifting to the cloud. The acquisition of Intacct gave it a bigger footprint in theUnitedStates and a viable cloud offering.
NetSuite vs. Sage Intacct: Vertical Industries
Below is a breakdown of core industries that NetSuite and Intacct serve.
| Industry | NetSuite | Intacct |
|---|---|---|
| Financial Services | ||
| Software | ||
| Wholesale Distribution | ||
| Manufacturing | ||
| Retail and Ecommerce | ||
| Professional Services | ||
| Healthcare | ||
| Restaurants and Hospitality | ||
| Construction and Real Estate | ||
| Advertising, Media, and Publishing | ||
| Nonprofit | ||
| Transportation and Logistics |
NetSuite also offers editions for what it calls “microverticals” in areas likeapparel, footwear and accessories, food and beverage manufacturing, health and beauty,campus stores, education, professional sports, and more.
NetSuite vs. Sage Intacct
While there are obvious similarities in their cloud-based approach to financial software,there are some significant differences between NetSuite and Intacct that buyers need toconsider before making a purchase. The most obvious is NetSuite’s suite-based approachto its platform. Beyond financials and HCM, which are standardERP offerings, NetSuite offers modules for CRM, ecommerce, and PSA, as well as functionalityfor product-based companies like supply chain andwarehouse management.
Although Intacct typically has a lower upfront cost than NetSuite, some businesses findthemselves quickly outgrowing the software. While Intacct typically provides thefunctionality needed for those switching from an entry-levelaccounting system, as they expand, growing companies often confront limitations,like a limited number of reports and complexity that makes building new reports difficult.The costs to add the capabilities these companies need, starting with more users, add upquickly, as shown below.
| Total Cost of Ownership with Intacct | |
|---|---|
| New users | Each new full-access Intacct user now costs $3,000peryear, more than twice what NetSuite charges. |
| Subsidiaries | Intacct charges extra for each entity that uses thesystem, such as branch offices or country-specific operations.Consolidation of those entities for accounting and reporting purposescomes at an additional cost. Further complicating matters, Intacct hasthree different consolidation methods, each with different price points.In all, this can add as much as tens of thousands of dollars to yourannual bill. |
| Customization | If an organization needs to create custom fields,reports (which still have limitations), or views, they must purchaseIntacct’s customization service. This costs a few thousand dollarsper year. |
| Interactive Custom Report Writer | Users have limited ability to customize or createcustom Intacct reports unless they buy the interactive custom reportwriter. |
| Interactive Visual Explorer | The Intacct equivalent of NetSuite’sSuiteAnalytics reporting engine, the Interactive VisualExplorer, offers more ways to visualize data. However, unlike withSuiteAnalytics, users can only visualize certain linked datasets in thesystem. The Explorer adds another four figures to the yearly bill. |
| Platform Services | If a business wants to customize other elements likeworkflows, email and XML templates, and custom menus, they need tosubscribe to Intacct’s expanded platform services. Note that theplatform services subscription eliminates the need for the customizationservice subscription. |
| Web Services | If companies want to handle integrations between SageIntacct and other applications themselves, they must purchasea web services developer license for around $2,000 peruser, per year. Since Intacct does not have a wideselection of modules like NetSuite, you’ll likely need tointegrate your ERP with other systems, and the cost of those connectionsadd up quickly. |
| Sandbox | Intacct’s test environment only includes fourfree sandbox refreshes per year—after that, customers must payprofessional services’ hourly rate. NetSuite, on the other hand,includes one complimentary sandbox refresh for each month the customerhas the license. |
In all, customizing Sage Intacct to meet the needs of your business over time can add asubstantial amount to the annual contract. With NetSuite, all of these capabilities areincluded in the licensing cost.
NetSuite offers the financial functionality that businesses moving off spreadsheets orentry-level accounting systems need while continuing to support them as they grow. In fact,62% of technology IPOs since 2011 are NetSuite customers. And that support extends to firmsgrowing internationally—the system’s multilanguage, multicurrency,multisubsidiary,and international tax and regulatory compliance capabilities simplify global operations.
Additionally, NetSuite’s comprehensive, well-honed implementation methodology getscustomers up and running quickly and lets them add functionality as they need it.
What happened with us on the Intacct side was that there weren't alot of opportunities to have the application grow with us. NetSuite so far has beenable to grow with us.
Jim Calabrese
CFO, Finalsite
How NetSuite Compares to Sage Intacct
Financials
While there is overlap when it comes to the products’ financial managementcapabilities, Intacct’s licensing structure introduces cost and complexity, as thetotal cost of ownership table illustrates. To access features like value-added tax (VAT)compliance and advanced reporting capabilities, for example, Intacct customers must purchaseadditional modules. As we’ve seen, all of this adds to the total cost of ownership andcan hinder growth. Companies require more features as they grow and evolve, and withIntacct,each of those represents an added expense.
| Core Financials | NetSuite | Intacct |
|---|---|---|
| Accounts Payable | ||
| Accounts Receivable | ||
| General Ledger | ||
| Cash Management | ||
| Native Customizable Reporting | ||
| Fixed Assets Management | ||
| Subscription Billing | ||
| Revenue Recognition | ||
| Forecasting and Budgeting | ||
| Multicompany Consolidation | ||
| Multicurrency | ||
| Financial Planning and Analysis | ||
| Global Accounting and Consolidation | ||
| Global Tax Management | ||
| Governance, Risk, and Compliance |
International management
For businesses with global operations, or those hoping to expand internationally, there aresome important considerations when choosing between NetSuite and Intacct. NetSuite ERPincludes multilevel consolidations out of the box. NetSuite OneWorld supports 27 languages, more than190 currencies, transactions in 90-plus bank formats, and tax and reporting standards formore than 100 countries. That explains why NetSuite has customers in 200-plus countries andterritories.
NetSuite OneWorld also offers multicurrency consolidations, allowing businesses to easilyroll up data from subsidiary to parent level, and the system facilitates intercompanyconsolidation. That helps organizations establish consistent business processes.Additionally, your number of subsidiaries or need for customized reports does not impactNetSuite OneWorld pricing.
Intacct supports only English and as a result does not have a significant presence outside ofEnglish-speaking countries. Each business entity requires its own licenses and, because ofIntacct’s subledger architecture, entities cannot access real-time data. Customersmust subscribe to Intacct’s customization or platform services to run custom reportson subsidiaries.
Multisubsidiary consolidation is also difficult with Intacct, requiring a separateconsolidation module and multiple consolidation methods to choose from with varying costs.Intercompany reports also require subscriptions to Intacct’s customization services,platform services, or custom report writer.
CRM
Intacct does not have a CRM offering. Instead, it relieson an integration with Salesforce.com. NetSuite has its own full CRM suite that includes sales force automation, customer service management, and marketing automation. And, because the CRMmodule is built on the NetSuite platform, it has real-time access to important data, likebilling and inventory. That gives sales, customer service, and marketing teams theinformation they need to do their jobs better.
NetSuite also offers a connector to Salesforce.com CRM, and businesses that use it willbenefit from the fact that those CRM records sit inside of NetSuite. That means anorganization’s vast CRM data elements are fully searchable and reportable for valuableinsights.
Some businesses may not have a need for CRM today. But that could change, especially as theyadd more products or a services component. By choosing Sage Intacct, sales and marketingwill not realize the benefits of a CRM that’s embedded in their ERP system.
| Customer Relationship Management | NetSuite | Intacct |
|---|---|---|
| Sales Force Automation | ||
| Customer Service | ||
| Marketing Automation | ||
| Sales Reporting and Analysis | ||
| Salesforce.com (SFDC) Integration |
Human resources management system (HRMS/HCM)
NetSuite and Intacct also differ in their core human resources functionality.
NetSuite SuitePeople covers payroll, employee recognition and performance management, andworkforce management. Together, these provide accurate and on-time payments to employees,staff scheduling and time tracking, clear employee goals, and timely performance reviews.The system’s comprehensive payroll functionality eases what can be a difficultprocess—without the right software, making sure employees are paid properly andpromptly is complex and time-consuming.
NetSuite SuitePeople also provides the sophisticated analytics and reporting needed to managea global HR organization.
Intacct offers some core HR functionality via its Sage People application. However, this is aseparate software package, as is its payroll offering powered by ADP. Both require complexand expensive integrations.
The value of NetSuite’s unified data model again shows with HR software. Like with CRM,native support for HR means an organization can easily map data to NetSuite even if itdoesn’t use SuitePeople for payroll or HR. This is not the case with Sage Intacctbecause the solution has never offered native HCM/payroll capabilities. This means SageIntacct ERP and Sage People use separate data models that make it more difficult to seeinformation on payroll and operational productivity side-by-side, for example.
| Human Capital Management | NetSuite | Intacct |
|---|---|---|
| Human Resource Management | ||
| Unified Platform for HR, Payroll, and ERP | ||
| Workforce Reporting and Analytics | ||
| Global HR |
Reporting and analytics
NetSuite and Intacct both offer business intelligence andanalytics capabilities with reports and dashboards, including self-servicereporting. But once again, there is a significant difference in the depth of the offering,along with data model limitations. Intacct offers 60 reports for core financials out of thebox compared to NetSuite’s 200.
Intacct offers a report writer that allows users to combine operational and financial data,but it carries an additional charge, and there are limits to its configurability and thedata elements that may be included. This is due to Intacct’s architecture—it hasseparate data tables, each with information on a specific part of the business. Customerscan access greater functionality with a range of bolt-on solutions, though these are oftendifficult to use and bring added expense.
In online reviews, businesses evaluating cloud ERP systems have reported that Intacct’sdashboards are more difficult to use than expected based on the demos they were shown. Thisis because screens and dashboards shown during the demonstration are suggestions for thefinished product rather than a standard part of the software package. The solution you getdepends largely on the competence and experience of your implementation team, addinguncertainty.
There are no concerns about data tables with NetSuite because it stores and shares all datain the same database. This makes it much easier for staff to get the data they need from thesystem. NetSuite provides self-service reporting through what it calls “Saved Searches,” andits global search bar and reminders portlet can access any information across thesystem—finance, supply chain, CRM, HR, and more. Dashboards and reports sorted by roleand industryare populated with real-time data from the platform and easy for your staff to adjust totheir preferences.
Finally, Excel exports from NetSuite maintain formats and formulas so various employees canconduct ad-hoc analysis as needed. There’s no simple way to do that with Intacct.
Professional services automation
Both NetSuite and Intacct deliver functionality for services businesses, but NetSuite’soffering is more robust. With SuiteProjects, it provides a full PSA application withbilling, project management for collaboration and status updates, resource management toensure the right people are on the right job at the right time, project accounting toconnect projects directly to the finance system, timesheet management, and expensemanagement. SuiteProjects also includes Project 360, which gives project managers a singledashboard to track critical KPIs and project performance through visualizations. This helpsthem make decisions that boost bottom-line results and mitigate risk.
Intacct offers some of this functionality, but it’s not as fully developed anapplication. For project management, the company offers some Gantt charts and a projectsmodule that provides billing along with some resource, expense, and timesheet managementfeatures. But Intacct’s projects solution only comes with five reports, compared to20-plus with NetSuite SuiteProjects.
| Professional Services Automation | NetSuite | Intacct |
|---|---|---|
| Timesheet Management | ||
| Billing | ||
| Project Management | ||
| Project Accounting | ||
| Resource Management |
Production and supply chain
For businesses that manufacture, sell, or distribute physical goods, production and supplychain capabilities are another key consideration when selecting an ERP system. Below is abreakdown of how the capabilities of Intacct and NetSuite compare in areas that matter tothese organizations.
| Production Management | NetSuite | Intacct |
|---|---|---|
| Product Data Management | ||
| Work Order Management | ||
| Demand/Supply Planning and Forecasting | ||
| Quality Management | ||
| Manufacturing Execution System (barcoding, HMI) | ||
| WIP and Routing |
| Supply Chain and Warehouse Management | NetSuite | Intacct |
|---|---|---|
| Order Management | ||
| Inventory Management | ||
| Procurement | ||
| Global Supply Chain Planning and Execution | ||
| Warehouse and Fulfillment | ||
| Warehouse Management System (WMS) | ||
| Demand Planning |
Omnichannel commerce
When it comes to omnichannel sales, NetSuite offers more functionality than Intacct throughits SuiteCommerce modules. Here are how the two solutions compare in key functional areas:
| Omnichannel Commerce | NetSuite | Intacct |
|---|---|---|
| Real-time Omnichannel Tracking | ||
| Native B2B Functionality | ||
| Embedded Promotions Tool | ||
| Content Management Tools |
Mobile support
NetSuite and Sage Intacct are both cloud applications accessed through an internet browser,meaning teams can access their data from anywhere with an internet connection. One keydistinction is that Intacct does not have a mobile app, while those on tablets andsmartphones can take advantage of NetSuite’s free mobile app for a better experience.
Intacct encourages users to access the system through mobile browsers, but consider theadvantages of a dedicated app:
- Better user experience and adoption. Many employees prefer mobile appsover mobile websites, as suggested by the fact that they spend 88% of their time(opens in new tab) on mobile apps and just12% oftheir time on mobile websites.
- Enhanced safety and security. Native apps must meet security standardsto earn approval from the major app stores where users download them.
- Greater efficiency. A well-designed mobile app is generally much fasterthan a mobile site. Apps usually store their data locally on mobile devices instead ofthe web servers that websites use, meaning data retrieval is faster in apps.
- Ability to work offline. Apps might require internet connectivity toperform most tasks but can still offer basic functionality to users in offline mode.Mobile sites may be able to use caching to load web pages without a connection, butit’s unpredictable and limited.
Implementation Considerations
Intacct and NetSuite are both cloud-based systems, which negates the need to install andmaintain hardware and data centers, as required by on-premises ERP systems. However, thereare still many challenges in an ERPimplementation that can disrupt a business’s operations. That makes finding atrusted partner well-versed in proven ERP implementation bestpractices a vital factor in an ERP selection.
NetSuite customers often work with NetSuite Professional Services or a NetSuite partner tocomplete their projects successfully. NetSuite has also pioneered an ERP implementation andcustomer engagement process it calls SuiteSuccess. The SuiteSuccess methodology is based on data gatheredover NetSuite’s 25 years of successful ERP implementations and includesindustry-specific best practices, templates, rapid implementation methodologies, and customcode. It provides dashboards and KPIs that are customized by role and industry.
| Customer Experience | NetSuite | Intacct |
|---|---|---|
| Implementation Type | In-House Emphasis | Partner Emphasis |
| Implementation Price Model | Fixed Bid | Time & Expense |
| Depth of Integration Experience | ||
| Customer Engagement Methodology | ||
| Dedicated Account Management | ||
| Preconfigured Instance | ||
| Cloud Customer Community |
As a result, SuiteSuccess customers can get their ERP systems up and running in as few as 100days. And, SuiteSuccess includes post-implementation support to help businesses expandbeyond core financials into areas like CRM, PSA, HR, and ecommerce whenthey’re ready to do so.
While Intacct’s small in-house team—or, more likely, its partners—implementthesystem for customers, the provider has nothing analogous to SuiteSuccess. The quality of thefinished product depends largely on the knowledge and expertise of the implementationpartner.
Database and Architecture Considerations
NetSuite runs on the Oracle Database. And, since its acquisition by Oracle, NetSuite hasmigrated most of its customers to instances hosted in OCI datacenters spread around the globe. Additionally, as NetSuite transitions to Oracle’s Gen2 Cloud Infrastructure, customers will enjoy even greater security, availability,scalability, and expandability, plus a path to the advanced Oracle Autonomous Database(opens in a newtab) and artificial intelligence.
Intacct also runs on the Oracle Database in two data centers based in Sacramento and SanJose, California, that are run by Quality Technical Services and Equinix, respectively. Bothare third-party data center service providers. It also operates a data center in Dublin forUK customers and Montreal, Canada, via Amazon Web Services (AWS) Canada.
Platform and Integration
Both vendors offer developer platforms based on industry-standard JavaScript for customersand partners who wish to develop their own customizations, functionality, and applications.Both also provide integrated development environments (IDEs) and APIs to connect otherapplications to their platforms. However, Sage Intacct is starting to charge for API calls,while NetSuite does not charge per call or for the total number of API calls made.
Beyond these capabilities, NetSuite offers integration and platform tools includingout-of-the-box REST- and SOAP-based web services APIs to connect the ERP system with otherapplications; a JavaScript API to create custom REST endpoints; a no-code workflow designercalled SuiteFlow; VS Code and WebStorm IDEs that make it easier for developers to write codein NetSuite; and a SQL connector to export data from the system.
NetSuite’s platform API options give developers and partners flexibility so they canbuild powerful business applications called SuiteApps that enhance the ERP solution’scapabilities.
NetSuite’s integration API options give integrators and developers flexibility since itcomes with standard support for JSON/XML data formats and options to define customintegration formats. Developers can define powerful server-side business logic and expose itfor external RESTful consumption to extend out-of-the-box APIs to support additionalautomation and complex integrations.
NetSuite also empowers developers to query and analyze data by issuing SQL statements viaREST API with SuiteQL. This enables RESTful access to NetSuite datasets created withSuiteAnalytics tools.
The Sage Intacct accounting platform also offers customization and integrations through open,Xms-based APIs and software development kits (SDKs). But it cannot match NetSuite’srobust customization options and customers must pay for access to REST API.
For both NetSuite and Intacct, customizations automatically carry forward with each upgrade.
| Platform | NetSuite | Intacct |
|---|---|---|
| True Cloud | ||
| Partner App Store | ||
| Mobile | ||
| Seamless Upgrades | ||
| Ease of Customization | ||
| All Customers on Latest Version | ||
| Single Data Model | ||
| Customizable Workflow Automation (Beyond Approvals) |
Partner Ecosystems
Intacct offers three distinct partner programs: one for value-added resellers, one foraccountants, and a marketplace where partners have built around 50 complementaryapplications on the Intacct platform. Other offerings on the Sage Intacct Marketplace areprimarily integrations partners have created to connect their solutions to Intacct throughWeb Services. In all, Intacct features just 200 or so complementary add-on applications.
NetSuite’s partner ecosystem also offers programs for value-added resellers, solutionproviders, and an accountant-specific program, along with an Alliance Program for globalsystem integrators and a business process outsourcing (BPO) partner program for companiesthat offer accounting, customer support, and ecommerce services.
Its SuiteApp.com(opens in a new tab) marketplace featuresmore than 700 add-on apps that are either built on the NetSuite platform or tightlyintegrated with it.
NetSuite Pricing vs. Sage Intacct Pricing
Both Intacct and NetSuite base their pricing on the per-user/per-month model that is typicalin the SaaS industry. Both vendors offer more functions for additional monthly fees, andboth require one-year contracts renewed annually, at a minimum.
Intacct charges extra for each entity that uses the system, such as branch offices orcountry-specific operations. Companies with more than a handful of subsidiaries pay a flatfee rather than for each one separately. Either way, that can quickly get expensive forgrowing businesses or franchisers. The price of NetSuite OneWorld, however, does not changebased on the number of subsidiaries.
Discover how NetSuite is the right system for your business, andmakea switch.
Support Services
NetSuite has live customer support available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It alsoassigns a dedicated account manager to each customer. The company offers three levels ofsupport—Basic, Premium, and Advanced—supplemented with a self-serve knowledgebasecalled SuiteAnswers and a user community to help answer questions.
Intacct provides multiple levels of support, but its live agents are only available 24 hoursa day on weekdays. After that, it sends urgent issues to an after-hours line. The companyalso has a user community that may help answer questions. Businesses that use Intacct mustlog into an entirely separate system to view and manage their support tickets.
What Are the Functional Differences Between NetSuite and Sage Intacct?
Let’s look at three specific areas.
Subledger architecture
Unlike Intacct, NetSuite’s unified database does not rely on subledgers or batchprocessing. NetSuite saves all transactions in real time and transfers full details to thegeneral ledger for more complete data.
Subledgers are a series of transactions grouped by type, such as sales accounts or fixedasset accounts. Systems like Intacct rely on subledgers. Intacct transfers items fromjournal to ledger to financial statement in a linear order—because the system cannotunifyall the data in a single database, that linear process is the only way to keep inaccuraciesfrom entering the general ledger. Batches are then posted to the books.
Even though Intacct claims “real-time batch processing” or “continuous batching,” asignificant portion of its help documentation is dedicated to helping customers navigatebatch discrepancies, subledger reconciliation implications, and subledgercautions/considerations. This problem never has nor will exist with NetSuite.
Subsidiary management
Intacct’s subledger architecture also makes multisubsidiary consolidation difficult anddependent on an additional consolidation module, as noted earlier. In contrast, NetSuiteusers have easy access to detailed subsidiary data through its Subsidiary Navigator tool.They can also click through consolidated reports for a more detailed view of any one entity.
The consolidations process in Intacct does not allow companies to drill drown to sourcetransactions from the consolidated trial balance when dealing in multiple currencies.Customers find themselves spendingconsiderable time on workarounds to calculate a fully auditable trial balance.Intacct’s subsidiary management mimics intercompany accounting by using customer booksand custom journal entry methods without posting real entries into entity-level books. Thismakes the process fast and easy in some ways, but you lose traceability of theconsolidations process.
NetSuite also provides out-of-the-box tools to make intercompany accounting easier. Thesystem’s multientity capabilities automate matching and elimination of intercompanytransactions to simplify the intercompany netting process. It makes numerous intercompanyaccounting reports available out of the box.
In contrast, Intacct does not provide intercompany reports out of the box. Instead, Intacctdelivers interentity reporting as a customized reporting package, thus users must subscribeto customization services or platform services to access it. Even then, accessing reportsfor varied business units or countries requires navigating multiple dropdowns and browsertabs.
Workflows
Both Intacct and NetSuite offer configurable workflows, but Intacct’s are moreconstrained and support only basic processes. This may create a lack of visibility thatcould grow into a compliance issue.
NetSuite SuiteFlow lets employees automate business processes without writing any codethrough a drag-and-drop, What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) interface. SuiteFlow is apowerful tool that works across modules and lets companies automate complex processes basedon configurable business rules.
Intacct also has a tool to create automations, but it is not as visual or simple as SuiteFlowand has limited applications. With Intacct, you can only set up basic approval processes foritems like journal entries and purchase orders.
Find the Right ERP for You
Discover nine questions you should ask software vendorsand the specific system capabilities you need in this one-page guide.
NetSuite Is a System for Growth
While Intacct often offers a lower upfront cost, NetSuite is typically the financial software of choice for growingcompanies, particularly those that require the more advanced functionality andscalability that NetSuite delivers and may be targeting IPOs. Companies with internationaloperations or aspirations also tend to select NetSuite OneWorld thanks to its multilanguage,multicurrency, and multisubsidiary management capabilities.
NetSuite vs. Intacct FAQs
Is NetSuite easier to use than Sage Intacct?
Both NetSuite and Sage Intacct have intuitive user interfaces accessible through webbrowsers. However, some customers have reported it’s difficult to tailor dashboards totheir needs in Intacct, which is a straightforward process in NetSuite. It can also bechallenging to drill down to the source data in certain Intacct reports compared toNetSuite.
Are NetSuite and Sage Intacct cloud-based solutions?
Yes, both NetSuite and Sage Intacct are cloud systems provided via a SaaS model. This meansthe vendor manages all infrastructure, upgrades, and other updates, so all customers arealways on the same version of the software.
Does NetSuite offer more advanced reporting and analytics capabilitiesthan Intacct?
NetSuite comes standard with more reporting capabilities and out-of-the-box financial reportsthan Intacct. The architecture of Intacct can lead to certain limitations with reporting andrequire add-ons that aren’t necessary with NetSuite because all information is in oneshared database.
Does NetSuite offer better customer support and training thanIntacct?
Both software vendors offer multiple levels of support, but NetSuite has live agentsavailable 24/7 while Intacct customers must contact an after-hours line on weekends. Inaddition, NetSuite Learning Cloud Support (LCS) provides extensive training options withon-demand access to role-based curriculums and live trainings.
How customizable are NetSuite and Intacct to meet specific businessneeds?
NetSuite and Intacct are both designed to be configured and customized to meet the uniqueneeds of your business. The two systems have tools that let business users build workflows,but NetSuite SuiteFlow is more powerful than Intacct’s offering.
Which software is better for ecommerce businesses, NetSuite orIntacct?
Ecommerce is one of the core industries NetSuite serves and there are many well-known onlineretailers that use NetSuite. NetSuite also has SuiteCommerce, a native ecommerce solutionfor B2B and B2C sites, which Intacct lacks. Both providers have solutions to integrate theERP system with popular ecommerce software like Shopify and Magento.
Does NetSuite or Intacct offer better multicurrency support?
Intacct has some issues with currency conversions and only supports English, so most of itscustomers are in North America. NetSuite OneWorld has multicurrency and language support,which is why customers in more than 200 countries and territories use the software.
