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ERP · head to head

QAD ERP vs Unit4

QAD ERP logo

QAD ERP

ERP

Cloud ERP for global manufacturers

From
$600/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Unit4 logo

Unit4

ERP

ERP for people-based organisations where the cost centre structure keeps changing

From
$800/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: QAD ERP no published pricing; requires custom quote; Unit4 manufacturing, warehouse management and supply chain planning are not the point of this product, so a business with significant inventory will find capability gaps that no amount of configuration closes.
  • They diverge on capability: QAD ERP covers Manufacturing execution, Unit4 covers Flexible organisational model.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which QAD ERP and Unit4 actually diverge.

Attributes where QAD ERP and Unit4 differ
AttributeQAD ERPUnit4
Starting price$600/month$800/month
Founded19791987

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Cloud, Web, Mobile), 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 ERP

  • Manufacturing execution
  • Supply chain management
  • Quality management
  • Business analytics
  • Quality systems
  • Supplier management
  • Analytics
  • Custom integrations

Only in Unit4

  • Flexible organisational model
  • Project and time accounting
  • Procurement
  • Human resources
  • Planning and forecasting
  • Reporting
  • Grant and fund accounting

Both cover

  • Financial management

What people use each for

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

QAD ERP

  • Enterprise resource planningnot Unit4
  • Manufacturing operationsnot Unit4
  • Supply chain managementnot Unit4

Unit4

  • A university or public body whose funding structure and reporting hierarchy change more often than its accounting system can keep up withnot QAD ERP
  • A professional services firm that needs time, project profitability and financials in one ledger rather than in three systemsnot QAD ERP
  • A nonprofit or NGO accounting for restricted funds and reporting to donors on how each was spentnot QAD ERP
  • An organisation going through a merger or restructure that needs comparative reporting across both the old and new structuresnot QAD ERP

Where each one falls short

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

QAD ERP

  • No published pricing; requires custom quote
  • Sales-oriented contact model

Unit4

  • Manufacturing, warehouse management and supply chain planning are not the point of this product, so a business with significant inventory will find capability gaps that no amount of configuration closes.
  • Payroll is generally handled by a separate product or a regional third party rather than being included, so multi-country organisations end up managing several payroll vendors alongside the ERP.
  • Moving from an established on premise Agresso installation to the current cloud product is closer to a re-implementation than an upgrade, with data migration, process redesign and retraining to pay for on a system that already worked.
  • The consulting and partner ecosystem is considerably smaller than for SAP, Oracle or Microsoft, so specialist skills are harder to hire, cost more, and are concentrated in a small number of firms with limited availability.
  • The flexibility that makes reorganisation cheap also makes it easy to build a model nobody understands, and an organisation that has reconfigured its hierarchy repeatedly without documentation ends up unable to explain its own reporting.

Pricing, plan by plan

QAD ERP

$600/month
  • Standard$600/month
    • Core manufacturing
    • Financial management
    • Supply chain
  • Advanced$1500/month
    • Advanced modules
    • Quality management
    • Advanced analytics

Unit4

$800/month
  • Professional Services$800/month
    • Project accounting
    • Resource management
    • Time tracking
  • Enterprise$2000/month
    • Advanced features
    • Multi-entity
    • Analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose QAD ERP if

  • You need manufacturing execution.
  • You work on Cloud, Web, Mobile.
  • You also want supply chain management.
QAD ERP review

Choose Unit4 if

  • You need flexible organisational model.
  • You work on Cloud, Web, Mobile.
  • You also want project and time accounting.
Unit4 review

Questions people ask

Is QAD ERP or Unit4 better?
Neither clearly leads. QAD ERP starts at $600/month and Unit4 at $800/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, QAD ERP or Unit4?
QAD ERP starts at $600/month and Unit4 at $800/month.
Does QAD ERP or Unit4 run on more platforms?
Both run on Cloud, Web, Mobile, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is QAD ERP best used for?
QAD ERP is most often used for enterprise resource planning, manufacturing operations, supply chain management. Of those, enterprise resource planning and manufacturing operations are not what Unit4 is typically brought in for.
What can QAD ERP do that Unit4 cannot?
QAD ERP covers Manufacturing execution, Supply chain management, Quality management, Business analytics. Unit4 covers Flexible organisational model, Project and time accounting, Procurement, Human resources. Both handle Financial management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

QAD ERP: How is QAD ERP priced?

QAD does not publish pricing on their website. Potential customers are directed to request a demo or contact QAD sales directly to discuss pricing and specific requirements.

Source
Unit4: Is Unit4 ERP the same thing as Agresso?

Yes, in lineage. Agresso is the earlier name for the same product line and long-standing customers still use it. Current marketing uses Unit4 ERP, and the cloud product is a substantially different deployment from the on premise Agresso installations still in service.

Unit4: Can it run a manufacturing business?

Not well. This product is built for organisations whose cost base is people and projects. If your planning problem is materials and production capacity, look at a manufacturing ERP instead.

Unit4: What actually justifies the price against a mainstream ERP?

The cost of change. If your structure is stable, the flexibility is worth little and a mainstream product is cheaper. If you reorganise regularly and each reorganisation currently means a consultancy engagement, that recurring cost is where the business case sits.

Unit4: Is it sold direct or through partners?

Both. Unit4 sells and implements direct in its main markets and also works with partners. Ask which model applies to your region and country, because it determines who is accountable when the implementation slips.

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