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ERP · head to head

IFS Applications vs QAD ERP

IFS Applications logo

IFS Applications

ERP

ERP for asset-heavy and service-heavy industries, now delivered as IFS Cloud

From
$3000/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: IFS Applications iFS Applications 10 is the older line and the current product is IFS Cloud, so an existing customer's move is a re-implementation with data migration and process redesign rather than an upgrade, and it needs its own budget and business case.; QAD ERP no published pricing; requires custom quote
  • They diverge on capability: IFS Applications covers Enterprise asset management, QAD ERP covers Manufacturing execution.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which IFS Applications and QAD ERP actually diverge.

Attributes where IFS Applications and QAD ERP differ
AttributeIFS ApplicationsQAD ERP
Starting price$3000/month$600/month
Founded19831979

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Cloud, Web, Mobile), 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 IFS Applications

  • Enterprise asset management
  • Field service management
  • Project-based operations
  • Manufacturing
  • Maintenance, repair and overhaul
  • Financials
  • Supply chain
  • Regular release cadence

Only in QAD ERP

  • Manufacturing execution
  • Supply chain management
  • Quality management
  • Financial management
  • Business analytics
  • Quality systems
  • Supplier management
  • Analytics

What people use each for

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

IFS Applications

  • An aerospace or defence organisation performing regulated maintenance, repair and overhaul with full traceabilitynot QAD ERP
  • A utility or energy company managing distributed physical assets and the field crews who maintain themnot QAD ERP
  • A manufacturer that services and maintains the equipment it sells and wants that revenue in the same systemnot QAD ERP
  • An engineering or construction firm running long projects where cost control and progress billing drive the financesnot QAD ERP

QAD ERP

  • Enterprise resource planningnot IFS Applications
  • Manufacturing operationsnot IFS Applications
  • Supply chain managementnot IFS Applications

Where each one falls short

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

IFS Applications

  • IFS Applications 10 is the older line and the current product is IFS Cloud, so an existing customer's move is a re-implementation with data migration and process redesign rather than an upgrade, and it needs its own budget and business case.
  • The partner and consultant pool is far smaller than for SAP, Oracle or Microsoft, so experienced implementers are scarce, expensive and concentrated in a few firms, and availability rather than price often sets your start date.
  • IFS Cloud ships on a regular release cadence, so you must fund regression testing and change communication repeatedly rather than treating an upgrade as an occasional event you can plan around a quiet quarter.
  • Deployment is commonly private cloud or on premise rather than shared multi-tenant, so infrastructure management, environment refreshes and operational responsibility remain yours or your partner's.
  • The product's depth is in asset-heavy and service-heavy industries, and outside those sectors, for example in retail or consumer goods, you would be paying for capability you do not need while competing products fit better.

QAD ERP

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

Pricing, plan by plan

IFS Applications

$3000/month
  • Core$3000/month
    • Financial management
    • Field service
    • Asset management
  • Premium$5500/month
    • Advanced modules
    • IoT integration
    • Priority support

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 IFS Applications if

  • You need enterprise asset management.
  • You work on Cloud, Web, Mobile.
  • You also want field service management.
IFS Applications review

Choose QAD ERP if

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

Questions people ask

Is IFS Applications or QAD ERP better?
Neither clearly leads. IFS Applications starts at $3000/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, IFS Applications or QAD ERP?
IFS Applications starts at $3000/month and QAD ERP at $600/month.
Does IFS Applications or QAD ERP run on more platforms?
Both run on Cloud, Web, Mobile, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is IFS Applications best used for?
IFS Applications is most often used for an aerospace or defence organisation performing regulated maintenance, repair and overhaul with full traceability, a utility or energy company managing distributed physical assets and the field crews who maintain them, a manufacturer that services and maintains the equipment it sells and wants that revenue in the same system, an engineering or construction firm running long projects where cost control and progress billing drive the finances. Of those, an aerospace or defence organisation performing regulated maintenance, repair and overhaul with full traceability and a utility or energy company managing distributed physical assets and the field crews who maintain them are not what QAD ERP is typically brought in for.
What can IFS Applications do that QAD ERP cannot?
IFS Applications covers Enterprise asset management, Field service management, Project-based operations, Manufacturing. QAD ERP covers Manufacturing execution, Supply chain management, Quality management, Financial management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

IFS Applications: Is IFS Applications still current?

No. IFS Applications 10 is the older line and IFS Cloud is the current product, which combined the separate ERP, asset management and field service products into one. Check your support dates for Applications and plan the transition explicitly.

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
IFS Applications: Why choose IFS over SAP or Oracle?

Because asset management and field service are in the core rather than integrated alongside. If your business revolves around maintaining physical assets or dispatching technicians, that single data model removes a class of integration and reconciliation work. If it does not, the argument largely disappears.

IFS Applications: What does the move from IFS Applications to IFS Cloud involve?

Data migration, reconfiguration and retraining, closer to a new implementation than an upgrade. Get a scoped estimate before committing, and be clear about how long your existing version remains supported so the deadline is a known quantity.

IFS Applications: How do I manage the release cadence?

Budget for regular regression testing as a standing operational cost, automate the tests that cover your critical processes, and assign an owner for reviewing each release's changes. Organisations that treat each release as a surprise project struggle with this model.

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