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ERP · head to head

Metasfresh vs SAP S/4HANA

Metasfresh logo

Metasfresh

ERP

Open-source ERP for mid-sized wholesale and manufacturing

From
€99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SAP S/4HANA logo

SAP S/4HANA

ERP

SAP's current ERP, running only on the HANA database, with a migration deadline behind it

From
$5000/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; SAP S/4HANA implementation and integration costs routinely run to several times the software cost, and the subscription clock typically starts long before go live, so the first contract year buys much less usable production time than the headline suggests.
  • They diverge on capability: Metasfresh covers Supply chain, SAP S/4HANA covers HANA in-memory database.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Metasfresh and SAP S/4HANA actually diverge.

Attributes where Metasfresh and SAP S/4HANA differ
AttributeMetasfreshSAP S/4HANA
Starting price€99/month$5000/month
PlatformsSelf-hosted, Cloud, WebCloud, Windows, Linux
Founded20151972

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 SAP S/4HANA

  • HANA in-memory database
  • Core finance
  • Supply chain and manufacturing
  • Country localisations
  • Fiori interface
  • Deployment options
  • Business Technology Platform
  • Embedded analytics

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 SAP S/4HANA
  • Hosting an ERP in a German data centre on a dedicated servernot SAP S/4HANA
  • Self hosting an ERP where the source code must be inspectablenot SAP S/4HANA

SAP S/4HANA

  • An existing ECC customer facing the end of mainstream maintenance and choosing between migration and replacementnot Metasfresh
  • A multinational needing statutory compliance and consolidation across many countries in one system of recordnot Metasfresh
  • A large manufacturer whose supply chain complexity exceeds what mid-market ERP can modelnot Metasfresh
  • A group standardising a fragmented estate of divisional ERP systems onto a single templatenot 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

SAP S/4HANA

  • Implementation and integration costs routinely run to several times the software cost, and the subscription clock typically starts long before go live, so the first contract year buys much less usable production time than the headline suggests.
  • Custom ABAP from an ECC installation must be assessed against the simplification list and either retired or rebuilt, and this remediation is normally the largest and most underestimated line in a brownfield conversion.
  • The public cloud edition constrains modification by design, so organisations that depend on non-standard processes are pushed either to change the process or to pay for the private edition, and that decision is often made after the contract is signed.
  • SAP intends extensions to live on the separately licensed Business Technology Platform, so the extensibility model that makes upgrades safe also adds a second subscription and a second set of skills to the total cost.
  • Exit is effectively impossible at reasonable cost, because the data model, the accumulated configuration and the trained staff around a large installation represent a switching cost that outweighs any competing vendor's discount, so the decision binds for a decade or more.

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

SAP S/4HANA

$5000/month
  • Cloud Standard$5000/month
    • Core ERP functionality
    • Cloud deployment
    • Real-time analytics
  • Cloud Premium$8000/month
    • Advanced features
    • AI and ML capabilities
    • Priority support

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 SAP S/4HANA if

  • You need hana in-memory database.
  • You work on Cloud, Windows, Linux.
  • You also want core finance.
SAP S/4HANA review

Questions people ask

Is Metasfresh or SAP S/4HANA better?
Neither clearly leads. Metasfresh starts at €99/month and SAP S/4HANA at $5000/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Metasfresh or SAP S/4HANA?
Metasfresh starts at €99/month and SAP S/4HANA at $5000/month.
Does Metasfresh or SAP S/4HANA run on more platforms?
Metasfresh runs on Self-hosted, Cloud, Web. SAP S/4HANA runs on Cloud, Windows, Linux.
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 SAP S/4HANA is typically brought in for.
What can Metasfresh do that SAP S/4HANA cannot?
Metasfresh covers Supply chain, Inventory, Manufacturing, Purchasing. SAP S/4HANA covers HANA in-memory database, Core finance, Supply chain and manufacturing, Country localisations.

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
SAP S/4HANA: What is the actual deadline for leaving ECC?

SAP has set mainstream maintenance for the older Business Suite to end in 2027, with paid extended maintenance available for a further period to 2030. Confirm the current dates and terms with SAP directly, because the commercial detail has been adjusted more than once and it determines your negotiating window.

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
SAP S/4HANA: Greenfield or brownfield?

Brownfield carries your existing configuration and custom code forward, which is faster to start and slower to finish because everything must be remediated. Greenfield rebuilds on standard processes, which costs more in change management and leaves a cleaner system. The right answer depends mostly on how much of your existing configuration you would defend to a board.

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
SAP S/4HANA: Is the public cloud edition cheaper?

To run, generally yes. Whether it is cheaper overall depends on whether your processes fit within its extensibility limits. If they do not, the savings evaporate into workarounds or into a move to the private edition.

SAP S/4HANA: How should I approach pricing negotiation?

Treat licence, infrastructure, BTP, the integrator and the internal backfill as one number and negotiate against it. Also settle indirect and digital access terms explicitly in writing, since usage from connected systems has been a recurring source of unbudgeted cost.

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