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ERP · head to head

QAD Adaptive ERP vs Shippabo

QAD Adaptive ERP logo

QAD Adaptive ERP

ERP

ERP for regulated and supply-chain-heavy manufacturers, strongest in automotive and life sciences

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Shippabo logo

Shippabo

Logistics

Freight forwarder with its own import management platform, priced on container volume

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: QAD Adaptive ERP no pricing is published and licensing splits across user types and separately sold modules, so first quotes routinely come in well above the number buyers had in their heads.; Shippabo the software is priced on container volume under an annual service agreement, so the fee moves with freight rather than usage and a soft import season still carries a committed cost.
  • They diverge on capability: QAD Adaptive ERP covers Automotive EDI, Shippabo covers Purchase order tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which QAD Adaptive ERP and Shippabo actually diverge.

Attributes where QAD Adaptive ERP and Shippabo differ
AttributeQAD Adaptive ERPShippabo
PlatformsWeb, Windows, iOS, AndroidWeb
CategoryERPLogistics

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), 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 QAD Adaptive ERP

  • Automotive EDI
  • Manufacturing execution
  • Supply chain planning
  • Quality management
  • Global financials
  • Traceability and recall
  • Connected workforce
  • Adaptive UX

Only in Shippabo

  • Purchase order tracking
  • Shipment visibility
  • Customs brokerage
  • Supplier collaboration
  • Landed cost
  • System integrations

What people use each for

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

QAD Adaptive ERP

  • An automotive tier supplier that must accept OEM EDI releases and ship to AIAG or Odette labelling without building it themselvesnot Shippabo
  • A multi-plant manufacturer consolidating several plant-level ERPs onto one ledger with local statutory reporting per countrynot Shippabo
  • A food or pharmaceutical maker that needs lot genealogy fast enough to scope a recall in hoursnot Shippabo
  • A manufacturer replacing an ageing QAD MFG/PRO installation and wanting continuity of process rather than a rewritenot Shippabo

Shippabo

  • A mid-sized importer bringing containers from China that needs PO-level visibility without building it in-housenot QAD Adaptive ERP
  • A wholesaler that wants factories updating purchase order status directly instead of by emailnot QAD Adaptive ERP
  • A retailer needing landed cost per shipment to price goods before they arrivenot QAD Adaptive ERP
  • An importer consolidating forwarding, customs brokerage and tracking with one providernot QAD Adaptive ERP

Where each one falls short

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

QAD Adaptive ERP

  • No pricing is published and licensing splits across user types and separately sold modules, so first quotes routinely come in well above the number buyers had in their heads.
  • QAD has been owned by Thoma Bravo since the 2021 take-private, so roadmap and pricing decisions answer to an investment thesis rather than to public product commitments, and buyers should ask about contract terms at renewal.
  • The implementation partner network is small next to SAP, Oracle or Microsoft, which limits competitive tendering on services and makes regional coverage patchy.
  • Outside its target industries the vertical depth is dead weight, and a general distributor or services firm pays for automotive and life sciences function it will never switch on.
  • Long-standing QAD customers still run heavily customised MFG/PRO estates, and migrating those customisations to Adaptive ERP is a re-implementation, not an upgrade, which is why some sites have stayed on old versions for years.

Shippabo

  • The software is priced on container volume under an annual service agreement, so the fee moves with freight rather than usage and a soft import season still carries a committed cost.
  • Platform and forwarding are bought together, which makes tendering freight to a cheaper carrier expensive because you risk losing the visibility layer your team uses.
  • As a small forwarder it has less network depth and weaker space allocation than the global incumbents, which bites hardest in a tight ocean market when capacity is rationed to large accounts.
  • Nothing is published about price, so importers cannot benchmark the software fee against independent visibility vendors without a sales process.
  • Coverage is concentrated on the trans-Pacific import lane, so companies with significant intra-Europe, Latin American or export flows need a second provider anyway.

Pricing, plan by plan

QAD Adaptive ERP

On request
  • QAD Adaptive ERP$undefined/year
    • Subscription priced by user type, modules and deployment
    • Cloud or on-premise deployment
    • Implementation delivered by QAD or a partner and billed separately

Shippabo

On request
  • Shippabo Platform$undefined/year
    • Annual software service agreement
    • Priced on container volume and partner count
    • Purchase order and container visibility

Which should you pick?

Choose QAD Adaptive ERP if

  • You need automotive edi.
  • You work on Web, Windows, iOS, Android.
  • You also want manufacturing execution.
QAD Adaptive ERP review

Choose Shippabo if

  • You need purchase order tracking.
  • You also want shipment visibility.
Shippabo review

Questions people ask

Is QAD Adaptive ERP or Shippabo better?
Neither clearly leads. QAD Adaptive ERP starts at On request and Shippabo at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, QAD Adaptive ERP or Shippabo?
QAD Adaptive ERP starts at On request and Shippabo at On request.
Does QAD Adaptive ERP or Shippabo run on more platforms?
QAD Adaptive ERP runs on Web, Windows, iOS, Android. Shippabo runs on Web.
What is QAD Adaptive ERP best used for?
QAD Adaptive ERP is most often used for an automotive tier supplier that must accept oem edi releases and ship to aiag or odette labelling without building it themselves, a multi-plant manufacturer consolidating several plant-level erps onto one ledger with local statutory reporting per country, a food or pharmaceutical maker that needs lot genealogy fast enough to scope a recall in hours, a manufacturer replacing an ageing qad mfg/pro installation and wanting continuity of process rather than a rewrite. Of those, an automotive tier supplier that must accept oem edi releases and ship to aiag or odette labelling without building it themselves and a multi-plant manufacturer consolidating several plant-level erps onto one ledger with local statutory reporting per country are not what Shippabo is typically brought in for.
What can QAD Adaptive ERP do that Shippabo cannot?
QAD Adaptive ERP covers Automotive EDI, Manufacturing execution, Supply chain planning, Quality management. Shippabo covers Purchase order tracking, Shipment visibility, Customs brokerage, Supplier collaboration.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

QAD Adaptive ERP: Who owns QAD?

Thoma Bravo, which took the company private in 2021. It is no longer publicly listed, so financials and roadmap commitments are not disclosed the way they once were.

Shippabo: Is Shippabo still trading?

Yes. The platform and freight services are active, operated by Galleon Technology with United States and China operations.

QAD Adaptive ERP: Is QAD only for automotive?

No, but automotive supplier compliance is its deepest area, alongside life sciences, food and beverage and industrial manufacturing. Non-manufacturers are not the target.

Shippabo: Can I buy the software without using Shippabo as my forwarder?

The visibility product is sold as an annual agreement priced on container volume and partners, so it is structured around the freight relationship rather than as a standalone subscription.

QAD Adaptive ERP: Can it run on-premise?

Yes, both cloud and on-premise deployments are supported, which matters to manufacturers with plant-floor systems that cannot tolerate a WAN dependency.

Shippabo: How is it priced?

On container volume and partner count under an annual software service agreement. No figures are published.

QAD Adaptive ERP: Is Adaptive ERP an upgrade from MFG/PRO?

Not in practice for a customised site. Moving heavily modified MFG/PRO installations is a re-implementation project, and that cost should be in the business case from the start.

Shippabo: Is it a neutral multi-carrier platform?

No. It is a forwarder's own platform, so it will not give you a genuinely carrier-agnostic view of freight you tender elsewhere.

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