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ERP · head to head

QAD Adaptive ERP vs Striven

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
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: 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.; Striven occasional performance issues with slow load times in some modules
  • They diverge on capability: QAD Adaptive ERP covers Automotive EDI, Striven covers CRM.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where QAD Adaptive ERP and Striven differ
AttributeQAD Adaptive ERPStriven
Starting priceOn request$35/month
Pricing modelquoteUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Windows, iOS, AndroidWeb, Mobile, API
FoundedUnknown2008

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 QAD Adaptive ERP

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

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.

QAD Adaptive ERP

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

Striven

  • Software consolidationnot QAD Adaptive ERP
  • Business operationsnot QAD Adaptive ERP
  • Project-based businessesnot 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.

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

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

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 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 Striven if

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

Questions people ask

Is QAD Adaptive ERP or Striven better?
Neither clearly leads. QAD Adaptive ERP starts at On request and Striven at $35/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, QAD Adaptive ERP or Striven?
QAD Adaptive ERP starts at On request and Striven at $35/month.
Does QAD Adaptive ERP or Striven run on more platforms?
QAD Adaptive ERP runs on Web, Windows, iOS, Android. Striven runs on Web, Mobile, API.
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 Striven is typically brought in for.
What can QAD Adaptive ERP do that Striven cannot?
QAD Adaptive ERP covers Automotive EDI, Manufacturing execution, Supply chain planning, Quality management. Striven covers CRM, Project management, Accounting, HR management.

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.

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
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.

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
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.

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
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.

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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