Softwr

Professional Services · head to head

Netsuite OpenAir vs Unanet

Netsuite OpenAir logo

Netsuite OpenAir

Professional Services

Oracle's professional services automation product, separate from NetSuite ERP

From
$500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Unanet logo

Unanet

ERP

Project ERP and CRM built for government contractors and architecture and engineering firms

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Netsuite OpenAir openAir is a separate application from NetSuite rather than a module of it, so customers, projects and employees exist in two places and a synchronisation must be configured, monitored and repaired when it drifts.; Unanet no pricing is published for any Unanet product; every line is quoted per user per month with separate implementation fees, so a small contractor cannot budget the first year without a full sales cycle.
  • They diverge on capability: Netsuite OpenAir covers Resource management, Unanet covers DCAA-oriented timekeeping.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Netsuite OpenAir and Unanet actually diverge.

Attributes where Netsuite OpenAir and Unanet differ
AttributeNetsuite OpenAirUnanet
Starting price$500/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsCloud, Web, MobileWeb, Cloud, iOS, Android
CategoryProfessional ServicesERP
Founded2006Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Netsuite OpenAir

  • Resource management
  • Timesheets and expenses
  • Billing
  • Project management
  • Utilisation reporting
  • NetSuite integration
  • Multi-currency support

Only in Unanet

  • DCAA-oriented timekeeping
  • Indirect rate management
  • Contract type support
  • Resource planning
  • Unanet CRM
  • Compliant invoicing
  • Unanet ERP AE
  • Reporting and dashboards

Both cover

  • Project accounting

What people use each for

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

Netsuite OpenAir

  • A consultancy that needs to forecast staffing demand against a pipeline before it commits to delivery datesnot Unanet
  • A services firm whose revenue recognition on fixed price work is currently maintained in a spreadsheetnot Unanet
  • An organisation already running NetSuite finance whose project module cannot handle its resource planningnot Unanet
  • An agency or integrator that needs accurate billable utilisation by consultant, practice and clientnot Unanet

Unanet

  • A federal contractor moving from QuickBooks and spreadsheets because it has won its first cost-reimbursable contract and needs an accounting system that survives a DCAA adequacy reviewnot Netsuite OpenAir
  • A services firm that must calculate and true up provisional indirect rates each year and cannot do it credibly in Excel any longernot Netsuite OpenAir
  • An architecture and engineering practice tracking utilisation and project profitability across dozens of concurrent jobsnot Netsuite OpenAir
  • A government contractor consolidating a separate CRM, timekeeping tool and accounting package into one system so pipeline and backlog reconcilenot Netsuite OpenAir

Where each one falls short

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

Netsuite OpenAir

  • OpenAir is a separate application from NetSuite rather than a module of it, so customers, projects and employees exist in two places and a synchronisation must be configured, monitored and repaired when it drifts.
  • It overlaps with NetSuite's own project and services capability, so buyers inside the Oracle estate face a choice between two products from the same vendor and rarely get a straight comparison from the sales conversation.
  • The product has been renamed and repositioned more than once, which leaves documentation, training material and community knowledge fragmented across names and makes it harder to establish what applies to your version.
  • Licensing is per user, so a firm with many occasional timesheet submitters pays full seats for people who sign in twice a month, and the model suits billable-heavy organisations far better than mixed ones.
  • The user interface and administration reflect the product's age rather than current design conventions, which raises training effort and makes consultant adoption of timesheet discipline harder than it needs to be.

Unanet

  • No pricing is published for any Unanet product; every line is quoted per user per month with separate implementation fees, so a small contractor cannot budget the first year without a full sales cycle.
  • Implementation is a project rather than a signup, involving chart of accounts design, indirect pool structure and data migration, and third parties report implementation fees reaching five figures for mid-sized deployments, an amount easily missed when comparing per-user rates.
  • The interface is dated compared with modern SaaS finance products, which raises training time for staff who only touch it to enter a timesheet and increases the support burden on the finance team.
  • ERP and CRM are separate products with separate contracts, so a firm that wants pipeline, backlog and actuals in one place pays twice and still deals with an integration boundary between them.
  • Its value is concentrated in United States federal and state contracting compliance, so a firm that does no public-sector work is paying for indirect rate machinery and DCAA audit behaviour it will never use, and a non-US firm gets almost nothing from the product’s main differentiator.

Pricing, plan by plan

Netsuite OpenAir

$500/month
  • Basic$500/month
    • Project tracking
    • Time tracking
    • Basic reporting
  • Advanced$1200/month
    • Full PSA
    • Resource planning
    • Advanced analytics

Unanet

On request
  • Unanet ERP GovCon$undefined/year
    • Project accounting with indirect rate pools
    • DCAA-oriented daily timekeeping and audit trail
    • Cost-plus, T&M and fixed price contract billing
  • Unanet ERP AE$undefined/year
    • Project accounting configured for architecture and engineering firms
    • Resource planning and utilisation reporting
    • Priced per user per month, quoted
  • Unanet CRM$undefined/year
    • Pursuit and opportunity tracking
    • Proposal content library and reuse
    • Sold separately from ERP; quoted

Which should you pick?

Choose Netsuite OpenAir if

  • You need resource management.
  • You work on Cloud, Web, Mobile.
  • You also want timesheets and expenses.
Netsuite OpenAir review

Choose Unanet if

  • You need dcaa-oriented timekeeping.
  • You work on Web, Cloud, iOS, Android.
  • You also want indirect rate management.
Unanet review

Questions people ask

Is Netsuite OpenAir or Unanet better?
Neither clearly leads. Netsuite OpenAir starts at $500/month and Unanet at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Netsuite OpenAir or Unanet?
Netsuite OpenAir starts at $500/month and Unanet at On request.
Does Netsuite OpenAir or Unanet run on more platforms?
Netsuite OpenAir runs on Cloud, Web, Mobile. Unanet runs on Web, Cloud, iOS, Android.
What is Netsuite OpenAir best used for?
Netsuite OpenAir is most often used for a consultancy that needs to forecast staffing demand against a pipeline before it commits to delivery dates, a services firm whose revenue recognition on fixed price work is currently maintained in a spreadsheet, an organisation already running netsuite finance whose project module cannot handle its resource planning, an agency or integrator that needs accurate billable utilisation by consultant, practice and client. Of those, a consultancy that needs to forecast staffing demand against a pipeline before it commits to delivery dates and a services firm whose revenue recognition on fixed price work is currently maintained in a spreadsheet are not what Unanet is typically brought in for.
What can Netsuite OpenAir do that Unanet cannot?
Netsuite OpenAir covers Resource management, Timesheets and expenses, Billing, Project management. Unanet covers DCAA-oriented timekeeping, Indirect rate management, Contract type support, Resource planning. Both handle Project accounting.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Netsuite OpenAir: Is OpenAir part of NetSuite?

No. It is a separate Oracle application that integrates with NetSuite. It is sold alongside NetSuite and often bought by NetSuite customers, but it has its own data model, interface and administration.

Unanet: What does Unanet cost?

Nothing is published. Pricing is per user per month and quoted, with implementation fees charged separately on top of the subscription.

Netsuite OpenAir: Should I use this or NetSuite's own project modules?

If your problem is invoicing project work and tracking basic costs, NetSuite's own capability may be enough and avoids a second system. If your problem is resource planning, skills-based staffing and utilisation forecasting across a large delivery organisation, that is what OpenAir was built for.

Unanet: Does Unanet make you DCAA compliant?

No software does. Unanet provides the timekeeping controls, audit trail and indirect rate accounting that an adequacy review looks for; the policies and their enforcement are still yours.

Netsuite OpenAir: Can it be used without NetSuite?

Yes, it can run against another finance system, but then you are building and maintaining that integration yourself, which removes the main reason most buyers choose it over an independent professional services automation product.

Unanet: Is Unanet CRM included with the ERP?

No. Unanet CRM, built on the acquired Cosential platform, is a separate product with its own contract.

Netsuite OpenAir: What is the hardest part of implementing it?

Getting consultants to submit accurate timesheets on time, and agreeing how revenue recognition should work on fixed price engagements. Neither is a software problem, and both determine whether the reports are trusted.

Unanet: How does it compare with Deltek?

Unanet typically targets smaller contractors than Deltek Costpoint and is quicker to implement, but has less depth for very large multi-segment organisations.

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