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Professional Services · head to head

BigTime vs Netsuite OpenAir

BigTime logo

BigTime

Professional Services

The all-in-one solution for growing, single-entity firms

From
$20/user/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Netsuite OpenAir logo

Netsuite OpenAir

Professional Services

Oracle's professional services automation product, separate from NetSuite ERP

From
$500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: BigTime advanced and Premier pricing not specified; requires contacting sales; Netsuite OpenAir openAir is a separate application from NetSuite rather than a module of it, so customers, projects and employees exist in two places and a synchronisation must be configured, monitored and repaired when it drifts.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which BigTime and Netsuite OpenAir actually diverge.

Attributes where BigTime and Netsuite OpenAir differ
AttributeBigTimeNetsuite OpenAir
Starting price$20/user/month$500/month
PlatformsWebCloud, Web, Mobile
FoundedUnknown2006

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Professional Services).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in BigTime

Nothing recorded that Netsuite OpenAir does not also cover.

Only in Netsuite OpenAir

  • Resource management
  • Timesheets and expenses
  • Project accounting
  • Billing
  • Project management
  • Utilisation reporting
  • NetSuite integration
  • Multi-currency support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

BigTime

  • Professional services time trackingnot Netsuite OpenAir
  • Project-based billingnot Netsuite OpenAir
  • Multi-team resource managementnot Netsuite OpenAir

Netsuite OpenAir

  • A consultancy that needs to forecast staffing demand against a pipeline before it commits to delivery datesnot BigTime
  • A services firm whose revenue recognition on fixed price work is currently maintained in a spreadsheetnot BigTime
  • An organisation already running NetSuite finance whose project module cannot handle its resource planningnot BigTime
  • An agency or integrator that needs accurate billable utilisation by consultant, practice and clientnot BigTime

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

BigTime

  • Advanced and Premier pricing not specified; requires contacting sales
  • Specific feature costs for optional modules not disclosed

Netsuite OpenAir

  • OpenAir is a separate application from NetSuite rather than a module of it, so customers, projects and employees exist in two places and a synchronisation must be configured, monitored and repaired when it drifts.
  • It overlaps with NetSuite's own project and services capability, so buyers inside the Oracle estate face a choice between two products from the same vendor and rarely get a straight comparison from the sales conversation.
  • The product has been renamed and repositioned more than once, which leaves documentation, training material and community knowledge fragmented across names and makes it harder to establish what applies to your version.
  • Licensing is per user, so a firm with many occasional timesheet submitters pays full seats for people who sign in twice a month, and the model suits billable-heavy organisations far better than mixed ones.
  • The user interface and administration reflect the product's age rather than current design conventions, which raises training effort and makes consultant adoption of timesheet discipline harder than it needs to be.

Pricing, plan by plan

BigTime

$20/user/month
  • Essentials$20/user/month
    • Time tracking
    • Invoicing
    • Expense management
  • Advanced$null/user/month
    • Multi-currency expense management
    • Custom reporting center
    • Project templates
  • Premier$null/user/month
    • Multi-currency invoicing
    • Custom cost and rate management
    • Project budgeting
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • Custom pricing
    • Multi-entity, multi-currency
    • Optional modules for Services CPQ and Resource Management

Netsuite OpenAir

$500/month
  • Basic$500/month
    • Project tracking
    • Time tracking
    • Basic reporting
  • Advanced$1200/month
    • Full PSA
    • Resource planning
    • Advanced analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose BigTime if

Nothing in the data separates BigTime from Netsuite OpenAir on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

BigTime review

Choose Netsuite OpenAir if

  • You need resource management.
  • You work on Cloud, Web, Mobile.
  • You also want timesheets and expenses.
Netsuite OpenAir review

Questions people ask

Is BigTime or Netsuite OpenAir better?
Neither clearly leads. BigTime starts at $20/user/month and Netsuite OpenAir at $500/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, BigTime or Netsuite OpenAir?
BigTime starts at $20/user/month and Netsuite OpenAir at $500/month.
Does BigTime or Netsuite OpenAir run on more platforms?
BigTime runs on Web. Netsuite OpenAir runs on Cloud, Web, Mobile.
What is BigTime best used for?
BigTime is most often used for professional services time tracking, project-based billing, multi-team resource management. Of those, professional services time tracking and project-based billing are not what Netsuite OpenAir is typically brought in for.
What can BigTime do that Netsuite OpenAir cannot?
Netsuite OpenAir covers Resource management, Timesheets and expenses, Project accounting, Billing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

BigTime: What is BigTime's starting price per user?

BigTime's Essentials plan starts at $20 per user per month and includes time tracking, invoicing, expense management, and payments.

Source
Netsuite OpenAir: Is OpenAir part of NetSuite?

No. It is a separate Oracle application that integrates with NetSuite. It is sold alongside NetSuite and often bought by NetSuite customers, but it has its own data model, interface and administration.

BigTime: What features are included in BigTime's Essentials tier?

Essentials includes time and expense tracking, project portfolio management, billing and invoicing, automatic reconciliation, QuickBooks integration, and AI Assistant.

Source
Netsuite OpenAir: Should I use this or NetSuite's own project modules?

If your problem is invoicing project work and tracking basic costs, NetSuite's own capability may be enough and avoids a second system. If your problem is resource planning, skills-based staffing and utilisation forecasting across a large delivery organisation, that is what OpenAir was built for.

BigTime: What additional capabilities does the Premier plan add?

Premier adds multi-currency invoicing, custom cost and rate management, project budgeting, and multi-level approvals to all Advanced features.

Source
Netsuite OpenAir: Can it be used without NetSuite?

Yes, it can run against another finance system, but then you are building and maintaining that integration yourself, which removes the main reason most buyers choose it over an independent professional services automation product.

BigTime: What modules are available as add-ons in BigTime?

BigTime offers three optional modules: Services CPQ (BigTime Quotes), Resource Management, and Data Hub available for additional fees.

Source
Netsuite OpenAir: What is the hardest part of implementing it?

Getting consultants to submit accurate timesheets on time, and agreeing how revenue recognition should work on fixed price engagements. Neither is a software problem, and both determine whether the reports are trusted.

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