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ERP · head to head

IFS Applications vs Rootstock

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
Rootstock logo

Rootstock

ERP

Manufacturing ERP built natively on the Salesforce platform

From
On request
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.; Rootstock every Rootstock user also needs a paid Salesforce platform licence, so the true cost is two subscriptions stacked; third-party estimates put a fully loaded seat around 200 to 500 US dollars per user per month, which is far above the Rootstock line item alone.
  • They diverge on capability: IFS Applications covers Enterprise asset management, Rootstock covers Native Salesforce architecture.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which IFS Applications and Rootstock actually diverge.

Attributes where IFS Applications and Rootstock differ
AttributeIFS ApplicationsRootstock
Starting price$3000/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsCloud, Web, MobileWeb, Salesforce Platform, iOS, Android
Founded1983Unknown

Identical on both: 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 IFS Applications

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

Only in Rootstock

  • Native Salesforce architecture
  • Production and work orders
  • Materials and MRP
  • Inventory management
  • Order to cash
  • Project accounting
  • Quality and compliance
  • Salesforce reporting and Flow

Both cover

  • Financials

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 Rootstock
  • A utility or energy company managing distributed physical assets and the field crews who maintain themnot Rootstock
  • A manufacturer that services and maintains the equipment it sells and wants that revenue in the same systemnot Rootstock
  • An engineering or construction firm running long projects where cost control and progress billing drive the financesnot Rootstock

Rootstock

  • A discrete manufacturer already running Salesforce Sales Cloud that wants configured quotes to become works orders without an integration layer between two systemsnot IFS Applications
  • An engineer-to-order equipment maker that needs project cost tracking and CRM opportunity data in one database for margin reportingnot IFS Applications
  • A medical device supplier that needs lot and serial traceability under the same security and audit model as its customer recordsnot IFS Applications
  • A manufacturer replacing an on-premise ERP whose IT team wants to stop maintaining servers and standardise administration on a platform it already supportsnot 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.

Rootstock

  • Every Rootstock user also needs a paid Salesforce platform licence, so the true cost is two subscriptions stacked; third-party estimates put a fully loaded seat around 200 to 500 US dollars per user per month, which is far above the Rootstock line item alone.
  • Rootstock publishes no pricing whatsoever, so budget-setting depends on reseller and analyst figures rather than vendor rates, and there is no public benchmark to test a quote against.
  • Building on Salesforce means inheriting Salesforce governor limits and API constraints, which surface as batch size and data volume ceilings in high-transaction manufacturing that a purpose-built ERP would not hit.
  • Your ERP is now hostage to another vendors commercial decisions: Salesforce list price rises, edition changes or licence policy shifts flow straight into your ERP running cost with no alternative supplier.
  • Implementation is a serious project, commonly quoted in the tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars and measured in months, and the partner pool that genuinely knows both manufacturing and Salesforce-native ERP is small, which lengthens timelines and raises day rates.

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

Rootstock

On request
  • Rootstock Cloud ERP$undefined/year
    • Manufacturing, inventory and supply chain modules
    • Runs as a managed package on the Salesforce Platform
    • Salesforce platform licences purchased separately for every user

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 Rootstock if

  • You need native salesforce architecture.
  • You work on Web, Salesforce Platform, iOS, Android.
  • You also want production and work orders.
Rootstock review

Questions people ask

Is IFS Applications or Rootstock better?
Neither clearly leads. IFS Applications starts at $3000/month and Rootstock at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, IFS Applications or Rootstock?
IFS Applications starts at $3000/month and Rootstock at On request.
Does IFS Applications or Rootstock run on more platforms?
IFS Applications runs on Cloud, Web, Mobile. Rootstock runs on Web, Salesforce Platform, iOS, Android.
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 Rootstock is typically brought in for.
What can IFS Applications do that Rootstock cannot?
IFS Applications covers Enterprise asset management, Field service management, Project-based operations, Manufacturing. Rootstock covers Native Salesforce architecture, Production and work orders, Materials and MRP, Inventory management. Both handle Financials.

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.

Rootstock: Do I need Salesforce to run Rootstock?

Yes, and it is not optional. Rootstock is a managed package on the Salesforce Platform and every user requires a Salesforce licence in addition to the Rootstock subscription.

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.

Rootstock: What does Rootstock actually cost?

Rootstock does not publish rates. Third-party estimates put the ERP subscription at roughly 150 to 300 US dollars per user per month before Salesforce licences, with implementation quoted separately.

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.

Rootstock: Is it suitable for process manufacturing?

It is built for discrete manufacturing. Recipe and batch-driven process manufacturers are a poor fit and should look elsewhere.

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.

Rootstock: Has Rootstock been acquired?

No. Rootstock remains independent and was itself the acquirer, buying Salesforce-native applications firm Ascent Solutions in March 2026.

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