ERP Comparison
Custom ERP vs SAP — An Honest Comparison
SAP is a market leader for good reasons. But it's not the only option — and not always the best fit.
Custom
SAP
Total cost (3 years)
40,000-120,000 EUR
100,000-500,000+ EUR
Implementation
3-6 months
6-18 months
Customization
Full control
Limited
Systems integration
Included
Add-on required
Data ownership
Full control
Limited
Team training
Included
Add-on required
Custom modules
Full control
Included
Scalability
Included
Included
Reporting
Full control
Included
Updates
Included
Add-on required
Custom Solution
Pros
- Built exactly for your operational processes
- Significantly lower total cost in the long run
- Faster and more flexible implementation
- No expensive per-user licensing fees
Cons
- You don't get SAP's vast ecosystem
- Requires a dedicated dev team or trusted partner
SAP
Pros
- Industry standard with built-in best practices
- Vast ecosystem of certified modules and integrations
- Recognized by auditors and global partners
Cons
- Very high licensing and implementation costs
- Complex implementation taking months or years
- Difficult and expensive to customize
When does a custom ERP make sense?
- 01 Your processes don't fit standard SAP modules
- 02 Your budget doesn't allow for the SAP initial investment
- 03 You need flexibility and rapid iterations
- 04 You want to avoid single-vendor lock-in
- 05 Your team needs a simplified interface, not SAP's complexity
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a custom ERP cost?
A custom ERP starts from 40,000 EUR for a basic system and can reach 120,000 EUR for a complete solution. Over 3-5 years, the total cost is usually lower than SAP.
Can it fully replace SAP?
It depends on your needs. A custom ERP can cover 100% of your specific operational requirements, but SAP offers modules for almost anything. We'll evaluate your specific case.
What happens if the business grows?
A custom ERP built on modern architecture (microservices, cloud-native) scales excellently. There are no artificial licensing limits.
How do you ensure compliance?
We integrate compliance requirements (GDPR, local accounting, etc.) directly into the system. The source code is yours, giving you total transparency.
Think a custom ERP might be right for you?
Let's analyze together whether a custom ERP or SAP is the right choice.