Best for
Best for small and mid-sized businesses that want a full open-source ERP they can self-host or run managed, without per-user fees.
- Small and mid-sized
ERP Comparison
ERPNext vs. QAD Adaptive ERP
At a glance
At a glance
Best for
Best for global manufacturers that want an ERP shaped around production, traceability and supply chain rather than a horizontal suite.
- Small and mid-sized
- Enterprise
Cataleo does not name a winner. Both statements come from the vendors themselves.
Full Comparison
| Criterion | ERPNext | QAD Adaptive ERP |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free (self-hosted, open source); managed Frappe Cloud hosting from $5 / month Self-hosting is free under AGPL-3.0. Frappe Cloud uses compute-based pricing that scales with usage, not per-user fees. | Price on request QAD does not publish a price list. QAD Adaptive ERP is quoted per customer through QAD sales or a partner, after a demo. |
| Free trial | Free and open source to self-host at no cost | Not stated |
| Commercial use | Yes | Not stated |
| API | Yes, REST API | Yes, through the QAD Integration Platform, built with Boomi; QAD states its APIs are not restricted to that platform |
| Hosting | Cloud (Frappe Cloud) or on-premise (self-hosted) | QAD Cloud, a managed SaaS service with replicated disaster recovery and an uptime SLA above 99.5 percent |
| Project costing | Yes, via the Projects module with tasks, timesheets and expense tracking | No, project costing and project accounting are not among the QAD Adaptive ERP modules |
| Invoicing | Yes, sales orders, invoicing and pricing rules with full accounting | Yes, via accounts receivable, with credit management, automated self-billing and collections tracking |
| Digital receipt capture | No, not in core. The manual creates a Purchase Invoice by hand, from a Purchase Order or a Purchase Receipt, or on a recurring schedule for a supplier that bills the same amount each period; invoice OCR comes from third-party apps on the Frappe Cloud marketplace rather than from ERPNext itself | No, QAD documents no optical character recognition or document capture for supplier invoices; the accounts payable automation stops at approval workflows and matching |
| Reporting and controlling | Yes, general ledger, financial statements and multi-currency reporting | Yes, a real-time general ledger with drill-down and dynamic reporting, plus analytics and KPI dashboards with what-if simulations |
| Time tracking | Yes, timesheets in the Projects module | Yes, operational data capture in Production Execution records order, operation, employee and equipment events on the shop floor |
| Integrations and API | Yes, REST API with an API-first architecture | Yes, the QAD Integration Platform with an integration engine, event stream, transaction repository and monitoring |
| Deployment | more entries Cloud (SaaS), Browser-based, On-premise | Cloud (SaaS), Browser-based |
| Support | Email helpdesk, Community forum | Email helpdesk, Phone |
| Onboarding | more entries Documentation and knowledge base, Video tutorials, Live online demos and webinars | Documentation and knowledge base, Personal consulting |
| Company size | Small and mid-sized | more entries Small and mid-sized, Enterprise |
| Integrations | Shopify, PayPal, Stripe | Boomi, Avalara AvaTax, EDI |
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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
- Starting price ERPNext Free (self-hosted, open source); managed Frappe Cloud hosting from $5 / month QAD Adaptive ERP Price on request
- Deployment ERPNext Cloud (SaaS), Browser-based, On-premise QAD Adaptive ERP Cloud (SaaS), Browser-based
- Company size ERPNext Small and mid-sized QAD Adaptive ERP Small and mid-sized, Enterprise
- Hosting ERPNext Cloud (Frappe Cloud) or on-premise (self-hosted) QAD Adaptive ERP QAD Cloud, a managed SaaS service with replicated disaster recovery and an uptime SLA above 99.5 percent
- Support ERPNext Email helpdesk, Community forum QAD Adaptive ERP Email helpdesk, Phone
Every line is one datapoint from the table above, picked automatically. Nothing here is written text.
The trade-offs
Strengths and Limitations
ERPNext
Strengths
- Open source under AGPL-3.0, with no per-user or license fees
- Broad module coverage: accounting, invoicing, inventory, manufacturing, CRM and projects
- Self-host for free or run managed on Frappe Cloud
- API-first with a REST API and integrations such as Shopify, PayPal and Stripe
Limitations
- Self-hosting requires technical setup and ongoing maintenance
- Managed hosting and advanced support are paid
QAD Adaptive ERP
Strengths
- Built specifically for manufacturers and their supply chains
- Financials cover a real-time general ledger, three-way matching in accounts payable and tax across more than 60 countries
- QAD Cloud is a managed service with 24x365 support, disaster recovery and an uptime SLA above 99.5 percent
- Shop floor capture records order, operation, employee and equipment events on a touch interface built for gloved operators
- Certified to ISO 27001, ISO/IEC 20000-1, SSAE18 and CSA Star Level 2
Limitations
- No published price list; every quote runs through QAD or a partner
- Scope is manufacturing and supply chain, a poor fit for other kinds of business
- Quality management, supply chain planning, transportation execution and global trade compliance are sold as separate solutions alongside the ERP
Plans
Pricing
ERPNext
- Self-hosted $0 Open source under AGPL-3.0. Self-host on your own server with no license or per-user fees.
- Frappe Cloud $5 Per month, from. Managed hosting on Frappe Cloud with compute-based pricing that scales with usage, not per user.
QAD Adaptive ERP
- Custom Not stated Quoted on request; contact QAD sales or a partner for pricing.
What users say
Review Scores · opens after launch
ERPNext
- 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.
QAD Adaptive ERP
- 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
ERPNext https://erpnext.com · checked against the official source on 2026-09-06
QAD Adaptive ERP https://www.qad.com · checked against the official source on 2026-09-06
This table lists factual criteria taken from information the vendors publish themselves. For how we put it together, see the methodology.