Best for
Best for Dutch and Belgian organisations that want ERP, HR and payroll on one standardised cloud system.
- Small and mid-sized
- Enterprise
ERP Comparison
AFAS Software vs. Exact Online
At a glance
At a glance
Best for
Best for small and mid-sized companies that want accounting and ERP in one cloud platform, chosen by business type rather than by tier.
- Small and mid-sized
Cataleo does not name a winner. Both statements come from the vendors themselves.
Full Comparison
| Criterion | AFAS Software | Exact Online |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Not stated | From $25 / month US price list, excluding VAT. The ERP packages are priced separately: Time & Billing $158, Project Management from $316, Wholesale Distribution from $237 and Manufacturing from $422 per month. |
| Free trial | Not stated | Yes, a free trial is offered on every package |
| Users | More than 14,000 organisations | More than 675,000 companies use Exact software |
| API | Yes, via Get and Update connectors | Yes, the Exact Online REST API |
| Hosting | Cloud only, with data stored on servers in the Netherlands | Cloud; Exact for Manufacturing can also run on-premise or in a customer cloud |
| Made in | Netherlands | Not stated |
| Project costing | Yes, project administration with real-time insight into hours, budgets and project costs | Yes, via Exact for Project Management, with budget, cost and margin tracking per project |
| Invoicing | Yes, invoices are filled automatically from time registration, purchasing and the project agreements, with configurable work types, hour types and billable costs | Yes, including converting recorded hours into project invoices, with reminders for outstanding items |
| Digital receipt capture | Yes, Scan & herken reads a PDF supplier invoice that arrives without a UBL file, creates an e-invoice from the recognised creditor and amounts and keeps the PDF attached to it; when a user points at a value the position is remembered for that supplier's next invoice. Invoices in a language other than Dutch or English are recognised less reliably | Yes, via the Scan & Recognise add-on, which reads paperwork photographed with a smartphone or tablet |
| Reporting and controlling | Yes, more than 100 pre-built dashboards covering revenue, outstanding invoices, project costs and leave hours, updating automatically | Yes, dashboards across the process from sales to invoicing, plus business analytics and the Exact Insights add-on |
| Time tracking | Yes, hours recorded in the browser or the AFAS Pocket app and passed straight to invoicing | Yes, time registration with a planning board that assigns staff by skill and capacity |
| Integrations and API | Yes, Get connectors read data and Update connectors write it, released per application by an AppConnector token; AFAS Connect is the testing tool | Yes, a REST API with webhooks, plus more than 220 add-ons in the Add-on Center |
| AI features | Yes | Yes |
| Deployment | Cloud (SaaS), Browser-based | Cloud (SaaS), Browser-based |
| Support | Email helpdesk | Not stated |
| Onboarding | more entries Documentation and knowledge base, Video tutorials, Guided onboarding, Live online demos and webinars, Personal consulting, On-site training | Documentation and knowledge base |
| Company size | more entries Small and mid-sized, Enterprise | Small and mid-sized |
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Row where the values differ The small markers point at the lower number, the longer list or the stated feature. They describe the data, they are not a verdict.
The short version
Key Differences
- Company size AFAS Software Small and mid-sized, Enterprise Exact Online Small and mid-sized
- Hosting AFAS Software Cloud only, with data stored on servers in the Netherlands Exact Online Cloud; Exact for Manufacturing can also run on-premise or in a customer cloud
- Users AFAS Software More than 14,000 organisations Exact Online More than 675,000 companies use Exact software
- API AFAS Software Yes, via Get and Update connectors Exact Online Yes, the Exact Online REST API
- Project costing AFAS Software Yes, project administration with real-time insight into hours, budgets and project costs Exact Online Yes, via Exact for Project Management, with budget, cost and margin tracking per project
Every line is one datapoint from the table above, picked automatically. Nothing here is written text.
The trade-offs
Strengths and Limitations
AFAS Software
Strengths
- ERP, finance, HR, payroll, CRM and projects in one system rather than separate modules
- More than 100 dashboards work out of the box, without custom development
- Data stored on servers in the Netherlands
- Standard product is customised without programming
Limitations
- No published prices, everything is quoted
- Cloud only, there is no on-premise option
- Standardisation is the point, so unusual processes have to bend or move to a connected system
Exact Online
Strengths
- Package prices are published, which is uncommon for an ERP of this size
- Separate packages for accounting, wholesale distribution, manufacturing, projects and time and billing
- Documented REST API with webhooks and an Add-on Center with 220+ add-ons
- Scan & Recognise automates entry of invoices and receipts from a phone photo
Limitations
- Scope is tied to the package you buy, so growing into another one is a commercial step
- Warehouse management is an add-on rather than part of the manufacturing package
- Published prices exclude VAT and vary by region
Plans
Pricing
AFAS Software
- Subscription Not stated A fixed amount per month, set by the number of users or employees on the system. Quoted on request; cancellable monthly after the first year.
Exact Online
- Exact for Accounting $25 Per month, excluding VAT. $25 to $38 depending on the edition.
- Exact for Accountancy $131 Per month, excluding VAT. For accountancy practices.
- Exact for Time & Billing $158 Per month, excluding VAT.
- Exact for Wholesale Distribution $237 Per month, excluding VAT. $237 to $554 depending on the edition.
- Exact for Project Management $316 Per month, excluding VAT. $316 to $369 depending on the edition.
- Exact for Manufacturing $422 Per month, excluding VAT. $422 to $739 depending on the edition.
What users say
Review Scores · opens after launch
AFAS Software
- Ease of use
- Not rated yet
- User interface
- Not rated yet
- Onboarding
- Not rated yet
- Support and service
- Not rated yet
- Value for money
- Not rated yet
- Features
- Not rated yet
No reviews yet. Be the first to review this tool. Every review is checked for fairness before it appears, and the vendor cannot have one removed.
Exact Online
- Ease of use
- Not rated yet
- User interface
- Not rated yet
- Onboarding
- Not rated yet
- Support and service
- Not rated yet
- Value for money
- Not rated yet
- Features
- Not rated yet
No reviews yet. Be the first to review this tool. Every review is checked for fairness before it appears, and the vendor cannot have one removed.
Where this comes from
Where this comes from
AFAS Software https://www.afas.com · no check date recorded yet
Exact Online https://www.exact.com · no check date recorded yet
This table lists factual criteria taken from information the vendors publish themselves. For how we put it together, see the methodology.