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ERP · head to head

Plex Manufacturing Cloud vs Striven

P

Plex Manufacturing Cloud

ERP

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

From
$500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Striven logo

Striven

ERP

All-in-one business management for growing companies

From
$35/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Striven occasional performance issues with slow load times in some modules
  • They diverge on capability: Plex Manufacturing Cloud covers Built-in MES, Striven covers CRM.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Plex Manufacturing Cloud and Striven differ
AttributePlex Manufacturing CloudStriven
Starting price$500/month$35/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsCloud, Mobile, WebWeb, Mobile, API
Founded19952008

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 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

Only in Striven

  • CRM
  • Project management
  • Accounting
  • HR management
  • Inventory
  • QuickBooks
  • Outlook
  • Google Workspace

What people use each for

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

Plex Manufacturing Cloud

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

Striven

  • Software consolidationnot Plex Manufacturing Cloud
  • Business operationsnot Plex Manufacturing Cloud
  • Project-based businessesnot Plex Manufacturing Cloud

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Striven

  • Occasional performance issues with slow load times in some modules
  • Dated UI in places with clunky mobile app experience
  • Very limited customization options compared to enterprise ERP solutions
  • No Zapier or third-party app marketplace integration

Pricing, plan by plan

Plex Manufacturing Cloud

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

Striven

$35/month
  • Standard$35/month
    • Accounting
    • CRM and sales
    • Project management
  • Enterprise$70/month
    • All Standard features
    • Advanced customization
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Striven if

  • You need crm.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, API.
  • You also want project management.
Striven review

Questions people ask

Is Plex Manufacturing Cloud or Striven better?
Neither clearly leads. Plex Manufacturing Cloud starts at $500/month and Striven at $35/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Plex Manufacturing Cloud or Striven?
Plex Manufacturing Cloud starts at $500/month and Striven at $35/month.
Does Plex Manufacturing Cloud or Striven run on more platforms?
Plex Manufacturing Cloud runs on Cloud, Mobile, Web. Striven runs on Web, Mobile, API.
What is Plex Manufacturing Cloud best used for?
Plex Manufacturing Cloud is most often used for an automotive component supplier that must hold complete traceability and pass customer quality audits, a manufacturer replacing a separate erp and mes pair that never reconcile with each other, a multi-plant discrete manufacturer that wants one system of record across sites rather than one per plant, an organisation that has repeatedly deferred an erp upgrade and wants the upgrade problem removed from its future. Of those, an automotive component supplier that must hold complete traceability and pass customer quality audits and a manufacturer replacing a separate erp and mes pair that never reconcile with each other are not what Striven is typically brought in for.
What can Plex Manufacturing Cloud do that Striven cannot?
Plex Manufacturing Cloud covers Built-in MES, Quality management, Lot and serial traceability, Production scheduling. Striven covers CRM, Project management, Accounting, HR management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Striven: What is Striven's pricing model?

Striven uses user-based pricing: Standard plan at $35/user/month and Enterprise plan at $70/user/month. For accounts with fewer than 5 users, an additional $25 per user applies.

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.

Striven: Does Striven offer a free trial or free tier?

Yes, Striven offers a 7-day free test drive with no credit card required. However, there is no permanent free version or free tier for production use.

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.

Striven: What modules does Striven include?

Striven includes accounting, CRM and sales management, project management, task management, inventory, HR, OKRs, and workflow automation across all plans.

Source
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.

Striven: Does Striven offer optional add-ons like customer portals?

Yes, Striven offers optional monthly portal plans: free tier for up to 100 customers/vendors/applications per month, $99/month for 500, and $499/month for unlimited access.

Source
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