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ERP · head to head

Metasfresh vs Plex Manufacturing Cloud

Metasfresh logo

Metasfresh

ERP

Open-source ERP for mid-sized wholesale and manufacturing

From
€99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
P

Plex Manufacturing Cloud

ERP

Multi-tenant manufacturing ERP with MES built in, owned by Rockwell Automation

From
$500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Metasfresh cloud hosting is charged separately from user licences at EUR 299 per month on monthly billing or EUR 249 per month on annual billing; Plex Manufacturing Cloud there is no on premise option, so a plant whose line-side terminals must keep working through a network outage needs a mitigation plan, and connectivity becomes a production dependency rather than an IT concern.
  • They diverge on capability: Metasfresh covers Supply chain, Plex Manufacturing Cloud covers Built-in MES.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Metasfresh and Plex Manufacturing Cloud actually diverge.

Attributes where Metasfresh and Plex Manufacturing Cloud differ
AttributeMetasfreshPlex Manufacturing Cloud
Starting price€99/month$500/month
PlatformsSelf-hosted, Cloud, WebCloud, Mobile, Web
Founded20151995

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 Metasfresh

  • Supply chain
  • Inventory
  • Manufacturing
  • Purchasing
  • Accounting
  • Wholesale management
  • Custom modules
  • EDI systems

Only in Plex Manufacturing Cloud

  • Built-in MES
  • Quality management
  • Lot and serial traceability
  • Production scheduling
  • Inventory and warehouse
  • Supply chain and EDI
  • Financials
  • Single version delivery

What people use each for

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

Metasfresh

  • Open source ERP for procurement, sales, warehouse and accountingnot Plex Manufacturing Cloud
  • Hosting an ERP in a German data centre on a dedicated servernot Plex Manufacturing Cloud
  • Self hosting an ERP where the source code must be inspectablenot Plex Manufacturing Cloud

Plex Manufacturing Cloud

  • An automotive component supplier that must hold complete traceability and pass customer quality auditsnot Metasfresh
  • A manufacturer replacing a separate ERP and MES pair that never reconcile with each othernot Metasfresh
  • A multi-plant discrete manufacturer that wants one system of record across sites rather than one per plantnot Metasfresh
  • An organisation that has repeatedly deferred an ERP upgrade and wants the upgrade problem removed from its futurenot Metasfresh

Where each one falls short

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

Metasfresh

  • Cloud hosting is charged separately from user licences at EUR 299 per month on monthly billing or EUR 249 per month on annual billing
  • The EUR 79 per user per month annual rate requires minimum user quantities that depend on company size; monthly billing costs EUR 99 per user per month
  • The mandatory starter package covering setup, customisation, project management and training is priced individually on request
  • Standard support is email only during business hours; a 24/7 SLA is a separate contract on request
  • All published prices exclude VAT
  • Projects larger than the L size starter package require an individual quote

Plex Manufacturing Cloud

  • There is no on premise option, so a plant whose line-side terminals must keep working through a network outage needs a mitigation plan, and connectivity becomes a production dependency rather than an IT concern.
  • Every customer runs the same version on the vendor's schedule, so you cannot defer a release to fit around a plant shutdown or a customer audit and must absorb regression testing on the vendor's cadence.
  • Customisation is limited to the platform's own configuration and extension tools, which is what makes the single version model possible but means a process you cannot express within those tools has to change rather than be accommodated.
  • The financial modules are less developed than the operational ones, so groups with complex multi-entity consolidation, statutory reporting in several countries or sophisticated planning requirements often keep a separate finance system alongside it.
  • Country localisations and language coverage are narrower than the tier one vendors offer, which limits the product for a manufacturer expanding into markets with demanding local tax and reporting rules.

Pricing, plan by plan

Metasfresh

€99/month
  • Starter Package$null/custom
    • Initial system setup
    • Customization of windows and documents
    • Project management
  • User Fee$99/month
    • Monthly billing
    • Access to all developments
    • Support and integration
  • User Fee (annual)$79/month
    • Annual billing minimum
    • Access to all developments
    • Support and integration
  • Cloud Hosting$299/month
    • Monthly billing
    • Secure data transfer
    • Real-time backup

Plex Manufacturing Cloud

$500/month
  • Standard$500/month
    • Core manufacturing
    • Financials
    • Inventory
  • Enterprise$1500/month
    • Advanced modules
    • IoT integration
    • Advanced analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose Metasfresh if

  • You need supply chain.
  • You work on Self-hosted, Cloud, Web.
  • You also want inventory.
Metasfresh review

Choose Plex Manufacturing Cloud if

  • You need built-in mes.
  • You work on Cloud, Mobile, Web.
  • You also want quality management.
Plex Manufacturing Cloud review

Questions people ask

Is Metasfresh or Plex Manufacturing Cloud better?
Neither clearly leads. Metasfresh starts at €99/month and Plex Manufacturing Cloud at $500/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Metasfresh or Plex Manufacturing Cloud?
Metasfresh starts at €99/month and Plex Manufacturing Cloud at $500/month.
Does Metasfresh or Plex Manufacturing Cloud run on more platforms?
Metasfresh runs on Self-hosted, Cloud, Web. Plex Manufacturing Cloud runs on Cloud, Mobile, Web.
What is Metasfresh best used for?
Metasfresh is most often used for open source erp for procurement, sales, warehouse and accounting, hosting an erp in a german data centre on a dedicated server, self hosting an erp where the source code must be inspectable. Of those, open source erp for procurement, sales, warehouse and accounting and hosting an erp in a german data centre on a dedicated server are not what Plex Manufacturing Cloud is typically brought in for.
What can Metasfresh do that Plex Manufacturing Cloud cannot?
Metasfresh covers Supply chain, Inventory, Manufacturing, Purchasing. Plex Manufacturing Cloud covers Built-in MES, Quality management, Lot and serial traceability, Production scheduling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Metasfresh: What is metasfresh's monthly user fee?

metasfresh charges per-user monthly fees starting at 99 euros per user with monthly billing or 79 euros per user with annual billing (minimum user quantity required based on company size). This includes access to all ERP developments, support, integration, and custom configuration.

Source
Plex Manufacturing Cloud: Can I run Plex on my own servers?

No. It is delivered as multi-tenant cloud software only. If you need an on premise deployment, this product cannot meet that requirement at any price.

Metasfresh: How much does metasfresh cloud hosting cost?

metasfresh Cloud Hosting costs 299 euros per month with monthly billing or 249 euros per month with annual billing. This includes secure data transfer, real-time backup, dedicated German server infrastructure, and comprehensive support.

Source
Plex Manufacturing Cloud: What happens to my customisations at upgrade time?

There are no customisations in the traditional sense. Extensions are built with the platform's own tooling and are carried forward by the vendor. That is the trade you are making: less freedom to modify, no upgrade project.

Metasfresh: Is there a one-time setup fee for metasfresh?

Yes, metasfresh includes a Starter Package with one-time costs for initial system setup, customization, project management, and multiplier training with online meeting room access. Exact pricing is available upon request based on company size and requirements.

Source
Plex Manufacturing Cloud: Has Rockwell's ownership changed the product?

It has placed Plex inside a portfolio with Rockwell's automation, maintenance and analytics products, which pulls the roadmap towards integration with that estate. Whether that helps depends on whether your plant runs Rockwell equipment. Ask about the specific roadmap items you care about.

Plex Manufacturing Cloud: Is the finance module enough on its own?

For a single country manufacturer, usually yes. For a group consolidating several entities across countries with statutory reporting obligations, ask specifically about your requirements, because this is the part of the product most likely to fall short.

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