Salesforce vs NetSuite: Which Should You Choose?

Modern businesses rely heavily on a wide range of software solutions to propel them forward and help them manage their day-to-day operations, including solutions like customer relationship management (CRMs) and enterprise resource planning (ERPs). In fact, approximately 91 percent of businesses with ten employees or more rely on solutions like CRMs.¹ But while the role of these solutions in the business landscape is undeniable, choosing the right one for your business can be a difficult task. 

If you're a business owner looking into CRM solutions like Salesforce and NetSuite, this article will help you better understand the most essential aspects of each so that you can select the right solution for your business needs. In this guide, we'll cover: 

• What Is NetSuite?
• What Is Salesforce? 
• Salesforce Vs NetSuite
• Main similarities and differences 

What Is NetSuite? 

Oracle's NetSuite is a cloud-based ERP that offers a wide range of capabilities, including sales force automation, order management, and sales forecasting, just to name a few. While NetSuite does offer its own CRM, it's more well-known as an all-in-one ERP for today's business owners. This ERP has become popularized due to its friendly user interface, which makes it easier for business owners to adopt and integrate into their current business model with relative ease. NetSuite is newer to the space (only introduced in 2005), but it has quickly made a name for itself. 

With all this in mind, what should you know about NetSuite in order to make an educated buying decision for your organization? 

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Advantages Of Using NetSuite 

• A user-friendly interface makes it easy to integrate NetSuite into your organization and ensures all team members are able to navigate. 
• Offers a wide range of essential services needed in a powerful CRM. These can be broken down into four distinct sections: sales force automation, marketing automation, eCommerce customization, and customer service and support. That being said, you'll also find that they offer CPQ, partner relationship management, robust reporting and analytics, and so much more. 
• Oracle's NetSuite encompasses so much more than just CRM, which is essential to helping your business grow over the long term. Whether you're looking for an ERP, accounting support, or Human Capital Management, there is support there for you. 
• NetSuite streamlines the sales process and improves overall productivity by equipping you and your team members with all the tools you need, allowing you to access essential data in real-time, and integrating with third-party tools your company currently relies on. 

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Downsides Of Using NetSuite

• They're not as transparent about their pricing as other organizations, which can make it a bit more difficult to determine whether or not they might be a viable solution in comparison to other CRM/ERP solutions at your disposal. 
• NetSuite doesn't offer the same range of support as other CRMs, particularly in areas like team collaboration and artificial intelligence. 
• While NetSuite is able to integrate with third-party software solutions like PayPal or Shopify, it is rather limited in its capabilities, which can be a major drawback for companies who need to integrate with an app not currently supported by NetSuite. 
• Support can be difficult to obtain, with high access fees and other obstacles being a known problem among those currently using NetSuite. 

Overall, NetSuite is a great choice of ERP if you need a CRM, especially for those looking for a solution that can help them in other areas, such as organizations that also need access to CPQ and beyond. There are a few drawbacks, but this is to be expected from any solution that you choose. But with all this in mind, what does this mean when you compare it to solutions like Salesforce? Let's dive into the other most popular CRM solution in the section below. 

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What Is Salesforce? 

Salesforce is a powerhouse of a CRM, largely due to the fact that it was introduced back in 1999 and that it focuses on providing a wide range of features essential to sales-focused companies of all sizes. Another cloud-based solution, Salesforce describes itself as a solution designed to help companies close more deals, find more prospects, and wow their customers with amazing service. 

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Advantages Of Using Salesforce 

• Salesforce is focused on comprehensive coverage for modern businesses. Their solutions can be best separated into three distinct clouds or modules: the Sales Cloud, the Marketing Cloud, and the Service Cloud. Of course, Salesforce offers a wide range of services and support beyond these three areas, including Commerce Cloud Digital for eCommerce companies, Field Service Lightning to manage employees and workflows, and Pardot for marketing automation. 
• Salesforce is much more transparent about its tiered pricing structures so companies know exactly what they can expect to pay to access this solution upfront. 
• They have defined themselves as a customer-centric organization, providing new users with extensive onboarding, customer support, and more as users learn how to navigate and use the platform. 
• They offer a host of third-party integrations to help you easily add Salesforce to your current roster of software solutions. 
• You can take advantage of customizable dashboards to help your organization get the most out of the service and its features by creating a personalized experience that's relevant to your organization. 

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Disadvantages Of Using Salesforce

• Salesforce doesn't offer other solutions like ERP. Rather, it is solely a CRM. This isn't necessarily a drawback, but it is something worth considering for organizations that want a solution a bit more versatile for their needs. 
• This CRM might not be as affordable for smaller organizations, even if it's designed to support organizations of all sizes. 
• Migrating all of your data can be a tricky process, and integration may be hard for some organizations making the switch to Salesforce as their new CRM. 
• A host of tools as well as the ability to customize dashboards and features can present issues. Should your organization over-customize, it can complicate the solution and make it difficult to really get the most out of what Salesforce has to offer. 

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Salesforce vs. NetSuite 

Armed with a better understanding of what Salesforce and NetSuite are and what they both have to offer today's organizations, it's time to compare and contrast the two to see how they measure up and where the main differences lie. This will help you better determine which of the CRM solutions is right for you when it comes time to make a purchase. 

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Main Similarities 

• Both Salesforce and NetSuite are robust, cloud-based CRMs built for organizations of any size with a wide range of features to take advantage of. 
• Both are relatively easy for beginners to use, boasting a user-friendly interface and operation so that teams can begin making the most of their new CRM quickly. 
• While there are a few services lacking in NetSuite or only available in Salesforce as an add-on, they both offer an extensive number of similar services needed to power your organization and drive greater sales over time. 

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Main Differences

• Salesforce is solely a CRM solution while NetSuite is an ERP with a built-in CRM. 
• Because Salesforce is a CRM, it offers a broader range of features and greater customization than NetSuite is able to. 
• Salesforce is transparent about its pricing while NetSuite is not. That being said, NetSuite may be more cost-effective for some organizations as Salesforce add-ons and fees can add up quickly over time. 
• NetSuite offers more comprehensive business support in areas like accounting, something that Salesforce is unable to do. 
• NetSuite integrates a host of tools into its solution, but Salesforce focuses on making your CRM more versatile by allowing you to integrate with thousands of apps that you currently use to run your business (another area where NetSuite doesn't quite match Salesforce's performance). 

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Which CRM Should I Choose?

Of course, the most logical next question when presented with all the information above is, which CRM should I choose? This answer depends on what your organization needs. If you're looking for a powerful and robust CRM that offers ample integrations, seamless customization, and is focused predominantly on sales and productivity, Salesforce may be right for you. Meanwhile, if you want an ERP that offers support beyond just sales and can help you with accounting and more, you might be better suited for NetSuite. 

Carefully weigh the pros and cons of each solution to determine which CRM is the best fit for what your organization needs at this point in time as well as what it will need as it scales. 

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Your Choice Of CRM Has An Impact: Select The Right One For You With This Guide

NetSuite is a versatile ERP with a built-in CRM designed to support your business's sales needs. Meanwhile, Salesforce is a popular and powerful CRM solution trusted by modern businesses. Each offers its own advantages and disadvantages that need to be carefully examined to make the right choice. Use the guide above to learn more about how they compare and how they differ to understand which one is right for you. 

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