Softwr

ERP · head to head

Metasfresh vs Sage X3

Metasfresh logo

Metasfresh

ERP

Open-source ERP for mid-sized wholesale and manufacturing

From
€99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sage X3 logo

Sage X3

ERP

Mid-market ERP sold and implemented almost entirely through Sage partners

From
$1500/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; Sage X3 sage sells X3 through partners rather than direct, so implementation quality varies more than the software does, and a weak partner produces a failed project on a product that works fine elsewhere.
  • They diverge on capability: Metasfresh covers Supply chain, Sage X3 covers Multi-company and multi-legislation finance.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Metasfresh and Sage X3 actually diverge.

Attributes where Metasfresh and Sage X3 differ
AttributeMetasfreshSage X3
Starting price€99/month$1500/month
PlatformsSelf-hosted, Cloud, WebCloud, Windows, Web
Founded20151981

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
  • Accounting
  • Wholesale management
  • Custom modules
  • EDI systems
  • Business analytics
  • User roles

Only in Sage X3

  • Multi-company and multi-legislation finance
  • Inventory and warehouse
  • Sales and pricing
  • Project accounting
  • Quality control
  • Development framework

Both cover

  • Manufacturing
  • Purchasing

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 Sage X3
  • Hosting an ERP in a German data centre on a dedicated servernot Sage X3
  • Self hosting an ERP where the source code must be inspectablenot Sage X3

Sage X3

  • A group with subsidiaries in several countries consolidating from separate accounting systems into one ledgernot Metasfresh
  • A food or chemical manufacturer needing lot traceability and formulation alongside standard financialsnot Metasfresh
  • A distributor with multiple warehouses and complex customer specific pricing that spreadsheets no longer containnot Metasfresh
  • A business that has outgrown a small business accounting package but cannot justify a tier one ERP programmenot 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

Sage X3

  • Sage sells X3 through partners rather than direct, so implementation quality varies more than the software does, and a weak partner produces a failed project on a product that works fine elsewhere.
  • Payroll is not part of X3 in most markets and is bought as a separate product or a third party service, so an organisation assuming a complete back office in one licence finds an extra vendor, an extra integration and an extra bill.
  • The product uses its own development language and toolset rather than a mainstream stack, so the pool of people who can maintain a customised installation is small, expensive and largely employed by partners.
  • Heavy customisation is possible and consequently common, and customised installations are harder to upgrade, which surfaces years later as a business running an old version because taking the current one means retesting and reworking every modification.
  • The North American partner ecosystem and third party add-on market are thinner than for the products X3 competes with, so niche requirements are more often met by custom development than by buying something already built.

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

Sage X3

$1500/month
  • Standard$1500/month
    • Core ERP functionality
    • Financial management
    • Inventory management
  • Enterprise$3000/month
    • Multi-company support
    • Advanced manufacturing
    • Business intelligence

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 Sage X3 if

  • You need multi-company and multi-legislation finance.
  • You work on Cloud, Windows, Web.
  • You also want inventory and warehouse.
Sage X3 review

Questions people ask

Is Metasfresh or Sage X3 better?
Neither clearly leads. Metasfresh starts at €99/month and Sage X3 at $1500/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Metasfresh or Sage X3?
Metasfresh starts at €99/month and Sage X3 at $1500/month.
Does Metasfresh or Sage X3 run on more platforms?
Metasfresh runs on Self-hosted, Cloud, Web. Sage X3 runs on Cloud, Windows, 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 Sage X3 is typically brought in for.
What can Metasfresh do that Sage X3 cannot?
Metasfresh covers Supply chain, Inventory, Accounting, Wholesale management. Sage X3 covers Multi-company and multi-legislation finance, Inventory and warehouse, Sales and pricing, Project accounting. Both handle Manufacturing, Purchasing.

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
Sage X3: Is Sage X3 a cloud product?

It is offered as a hosted subscription, commonly on AWS, but it is not a multi-tenant SaaS product in the way Plex or NetSuite are. You still have your own instance and you still own the upgrade decision, which is both more control and more work.

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
Sage X3: How do I choose a partner?

Ask for two references at your revenue, in your industry, on the version you are buying, and speak to them without the partner present. Ask who specifically will be on your project, how long they have worked on X3, and what happens if they leave mid engagement.

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
Sage X3: Does the licence cost tell me what the project costs?

No. For mid-market ERP the services bill commonly matches or exceeds the first year of software, and the subscription clock usually starts before go live, so the first year of licence buys considerably less usable time than it appears to.

Sage X3: Who should not buy X3?

A single entity operating in one country, because the multi-company and multi-legislation depth is the main reason to pay for this rather than something simpler, and a business paying for it without using it has overbought.

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