SAP Business One review

SAP Business One is SAP's product for smaller companies, and SAP describes it as an affordable ERP for managing accounting and financials, purchasing, inventory, sales, customer relationships and reporting in one system. SAP says more than 85,000 customers use it, mostly in wholesale distribution, light manufacturing, retail and professional services, and that there is no minimum company size. It can run in the cloud or on premise, which still matters for some manufacturers and distributors with local IT. The downside for a first ERP is the buying process: pricing is by quote, and most companies work with a partner to implement it. Next to Business Central or Odoo, you will see less pricing transparency and a heavier setup. Ask the partner to price the license, migration and training as separate lines so you can compare them.

Who it is for

Distributors and light manufacturers that want an SAP system and may need on-premise deployment.

Price

See vendor pricing (USD check pending).

US price check pending. See the vendor pricing page.

Key features

• Accounting and financials
• Purchasing and inventory management
• Sales and customer relationship management
• Built-in reporting and analytics
• Cloud or on-premise deployment

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Cloud or on-premise deployment options
• Strength: Used by over 85,000 customers
• Strength: Clear upgrade path within SAP as the company grows
• Weakness: Pricing only by quote
• Weakness: Usually needs a partner for setup
• Weakness: Interface and setup feel heavier than newer cloud tools

Key facts

• Customers: Over 85,000
• Deployment: Cloud or on premise
• Pricing: Quote based

Where it ranks

SAP Business One is No. 9 in our Best ERP for Small Business verdict.