Softwr

ERP · head to head

Epicor vs QAD ERP

Epicor logo

Epicor

ERP

A portfolio of separately acquired ERP products, not one system

From
$750/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
QAD ERP logo

QAD ERP

ERP

Cloud ERP for global manufacturers

From
$600/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; QAD ERP no published pricing; requires custom quote
  • They diverge on capability: Epicor covers Kinetic, QAD ERP covers Supply chain management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Epicor and QAD ERP actually diverge.

Attributes where Epicor and QAD ERP differ
AttributeEpicorQAD ERP
Starting price$750/month$600/month
PlatformsCloud, On-premise, HybridCloud, Web, Mobile
Founded19721979

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 Epicor

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

Only in QAD ERP

  • Supply chain management
  • Quality management
  • Financial management
  • Business analytics
  • Quality systems
  • Supplier management
  • Analytics
  • Custom integrations

Both cover

  • Manufacturing execution

What people use each for

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

Epicor

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

QAD ERP

  • Enterprise resource planningnot Epicor
  • Manufacturing operationsnot Epicor
  • Supply chain managementnot Epicor

Where each one falls short

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

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.

QAD ERP

  • No published pricing; requires custom quote
  • Sales-oriented contact model

Pricing, plan by plan

Epicor

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

QAD ERP

$600/month
  • Standard$600/month
    • Core manufacturing
    • Financial management
    • Supply chain
  • Advanced$1500/month
    • Advanced modules
    • Quality management
    • Advanced analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose Epicor if

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

Choose QAD ERP if

  • You need supply chain management.
  • You work on Cloud, Web, Mobile.
  • You also want quality management.
QAD ERP review

Questions people ask

Is Epicor or QAD ERP better?
Neither clearly leads. Epicor starts at $750/month and QAD ERP at $600/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Epicor or QAD ERP?
Epicor starts at $750/month and QAD ERP at $600/month.
Does Epicor or QAD ERP run on more platforms?
Epicor runs on Cloud, On-premise, Hybrid. QAD ERP runs on Cloud, Web, Mobile.
What is Epicor best used for?
Epicor is most often used for a discrete manufacturer moving off spreadsheets and an accounting package onto a system that models routings and job costs, a wholesale distributor whose pricing, rebate and purchasing rules exceed what a general erp handles without customisation, an electrical or plumbing distributor needing counter sales and trade-specific workflow out of the box, a building materials dealer needing yard operations, delivery scheduling and configured product ordering in one system. Of those, a discrete manufacturer moving off spreadsheets and an accounting package onto a system that models routings and job costs and a wholesale distributor whose pricing, rebate and purchasing rules exceed what a general erp handles without customisation are not what QAD ERP is typically brought in for.
What can Epicor do that QAD ERP cannot?
Epicor covers Kinetic, Prophet 21, Eclipse, BisTrack. QAD ERP covers Supply chain management, Quality management, Financial management, Business analytics. Both handle Manufacturing execution.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

QAD ERP: How is QAD ERP priced?

QAD does not publish pricing on their website. Potential customers are directed to request a demo or contact QAD sales directly to discuss pricing and specific requirements.

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.

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.

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.

Share

Related pages

More on Epicor

More on QAD ERP

Keep looking

Other head to heads