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ERP · head to head

Blue Link ERP vs Epicor

Blue Link ERP logo

Blue Link ERP

ERP

Enterprise software for wholesale distribution

From
$500/month
Rated
-
Epicor logo

Epicor

ERP

A portfolio of separately acquired ERP products, not one system

From
$750/month
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Blue Link ERP no QuickBooks integration; Epicor epicor is a portfolio of separately acquired products rather than one system, so reviews, references and analyst coverage about Epicor as a brand can be misleading about the specific product you are being sold.
  • They diverge on capability: Blue Link ERP covers Distribution management, Epicor covers Kinetic.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Blue Link ERP and Epicor actually diverge.

Attributes where Blue Link ERP and Epicor differ
AttributeBlue Link ERPEpicor
Starting price$500/month$750/month
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidCloud, On-premise, Hybrid
Founded19921972

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

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 Blue Link ERP

  • Distribution management
  • Inventory control
  • Order management
  • Warehouse management
  • Financial management
  • QuickBooks
  • Shopify
  • Amazon

Only in Epicor

  • Kinetic
  • Prophet 21
  • Eclipse
  • BisTrack
  • Cloud deployment
  • Extensibility tooling
  • Manufacturing execution
  • Industry compliance

What people use each for

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

Blue Link ERP

  • Wholesale distributionnot Epicor
  • Multi-warehouse operationsnot Epicor
  • B2B commercenot Epicor

Epicor

  • A discrete manufacturer moving off spreadsheets and an accounting package onto a system that models routings and job costsnot Blue Link ERP
  • A wholesale distributor whose pricing, rebate and purchasing rules exceed what a general ERP handles without customisationnot Blue Link ERP
  • An electrical or plumbing distributor needing counter sales and trade-specific workflow out of the boxnot Blue Link ERP
  • A building materials dealer needing yard operations, delivery scheduling and configured product ordering in one systemnot Blue Link ERP

Where each one falls short

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

Blue Link ERP

  • No QuickBooks integration
  • Outdated user interface that some users find difficult to navigate
  • Requires third-party integrations for sales tax calculation and credit card processing
  • Occasional technical issues during peak usage periods such as timeouts and freezing

Epicor

  • Epicor is a portfolio of separately acquired products rather than one system, so reviews, references and analyst coverage about Epicor as a brand can be misleading about the specific product you are being sold.
  • The products are highly customisable and are routinely customised, and heavily customised installations become expensive to upgrade, which is why long-standing customers frequently run versions several releases behind current.
  • Cloud delivery is single-tenant hosting rather than multi-tenant SaaS, so you still own an upgrade decision and the regression testing that comes with it, and buyers who expected the SaaS model of no upgrades are surprised.
  • Sales and delivery run through a mix of direct staff and partners depending on product and region, so accountability for a failed implementation can be genuinely ambiguous unless it is fixed in the contract before signature.
  • The strongest coverage is in North American manufacturing and distribution, so an international group needing statutory compliance and local support across many countries has to test that coverage carefully rather than assume it.

Pricing, plan by plan

Blue Link ERP

$500/month
  • Professional$500/month
    • Core distribution
    • Inventory management
    • Order processing
  • Enterprise$1000/month
    • Multi-warehouse
    • EDI integration
    • Advanced analytics

Epicor

$750/month
  • Starter$750/month
    • Core ERP
    • Manufacturing
    • Financial management
  • Professional$1500/month
    • Advanced ERP
    • Advanced CRM
    • Analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose Blue Link ERP if

  • You need distribution management.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want inventory control.

Choose Epicor if

  • You need kinetic.
  • You work on Cloud, On-premise, Hybrid.
  • You also want prophet 21.

Questions people ask

Is Blue Link ERP or Epicor better?
Neither clearly leads. Blue Link ERP starts at $500/month and Epicor at $750/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Blue Link ERP or Epicor?
Blue Link ERP starts at $500/month and Epicor at $750/month.
Does Blue Link ERP or Epicor run on more platforms?
Blue Link ERP runs on Web, iOS, Android. Epicor runs on Cloud, On-premise, Hybrid.
What is Blue Link ERP best used for?
Blue Link ERP is most often used for wholesale distribution, multi-warehouse operations, b2b commerce. Of those, wholesale distribution and multi-warehouse operations are not what Epicor is typically brought in for.
What can Blue Link ERP do that Epicor cannot?
Blue Link ERP covers Distribution management, Inventory control, Order management, Warehouse management. Epicor covers Kinetic, Prophet 21, Eclipse, BisTrack.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Blue Link ERP: Does Blue Link ERP offer a free trial?

Blue Link ERP does not offer a free trial, but prospective customers can request a free demo and access product videos to explore features.

Source
Epicor: Which Epicor product am I actually being sold?

Ask explicitly, by name. Kinetic, Prophet 21, Eclipse and BisTrack are different systems with different roadmaps. Then ask for references on that specific product, in your industry, at your size.

Blue Link ERP: Can Blue Link ERP integrate with QuickBooks?

No. Blue Link ERP does not integrate with QuickBooks, which is a limitation for businesses that use QuickBooks for accounting.

Source
Epicor: Is Epicor Kinetic a true SaaS product?

It is delivered as a hosted single-tenant service on Azure. You get vendor-managed infrastructure, but you do not get the multi-tenant model where the vendor upgrades everyone at once and no upgrade project exists.

Blue Link ERP: What platforms does Blue Link ERP support?

Blue Link ERP is cloud-based and accessible via web browsers and mobile applications. Native apps are available for both iOS and Android.

Source
Epicor: How much should I customise?

Less than you will want to. Every modification is something to retest and potentially rework at each upgrade, and the accumulation of them is the main reason customers get stranded on old versions. Push hard on whether a requirement is genuinely a differentiator before building for it.

Blue Link ERP: What industries does Blue Link ERP serve?

Blue Link ERP is designed for wholesale, distribution, retail, and eCommerce businesses, with specific solutions for apparel, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, construction, and furniture industries.

Source
Epicor: Direct or partner implementation?

Both exist. The partner's track record on your product and industry matters more than the vendor's, so ask who will staff the project, request their references, and put named staff into the statement of work.

Blue Link ERP: Does Blue Link ERP require third-party tools for taxes and payments?

Yes. US sales tax calculation requires integration with third-party tools like Zip2Tax or Avalara, and credit card processing requires separate third-party software.

Source
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