The Ultimate
NetSuite Pricing & Licensing Guide

Welcome to the most comprehensive NetSuite pricing and licensing guide on the internet.

I'm going to show you everything you need to know to secure an amazing NetSuite license contract that could quite possibly save you tens of thousands of dollars.  

In short: if you want a single online resource to help answer all your NetSuite pricing-related questions this should be the one to bookmark for future reference. 

Don't have time to read, watch the short explainer video instead.

It Starts With a Suite

NetSuite's license cost starts with the concept of "a suite". The type of suite you will need to license is largely determined by the size of your company and/or the type of functionality you will require.

In NetSuite vernacular, the suites are known as NetSuite Starter/Limited Edition, NetSuite Mid-Market Edition and NetSuite Enterprise Edition. 

Each NetSuite edition is based on the number of named user licenses and/or the total number of employees within your organization. 

Each of the NetSuite editions is identical in terms of the underlying code base and deployment model.

Therefore as your company grows and scales, you simply adjust your NetSuite subscription size to meet your needs, and the transition is seamless.

With NetSuite you never have to worry about a system migration once you've outgrown your current edition, you just simply adjust your subscription to the proper edition, and that's it. 

Take a look at the NetSuite edition types below:

NetSuite Pricing Per User

When it comes to licensing the end users of the software, ERP software vendors offer either a concurrent licensing model or a named user model.

NetSuite takes a "named user" approach when it comes to licensing the end users of the application. 

A user license is required for roles such as a Controller, a Sales Manager, a Director of Operations, a Customer Service Representative, you get the idea.

Essentially anyone transacting in the system on a routine basis will want a full user license. Furthermore, if you require a complete accounting of all system changes and transactions by user, you'll want to have a dedicated NetSuite license per user instead of sharing user licenses among groups of people.  

Additionally, there are other user licenses for those who perform limited tasks or functions within NetSuite, such as time entry against a project, enter/view/track accrued PTO or enter/view/track expense reports or those who initiate a purchase requisition.  These limited function users licenses are referred to as "Self-Service Users".  

Finally, there are usually questions regarding "what about users requiring read-only access to NetSuite data"?

It's important to note that NetSuite data can be exported into Excel or third-party applications via ODBC (SuiteAnalytics Connect).

Also, reports can be scheduled and distributed to non-licensed users via native NetSuite reporting functionality in either Excel, CSV, PDF or Word. 

Want to see how much your user licenses will cost. 
Click here to reveal your price.

NetSuite Advanced Modules Cost

Since each company is unique, it's likely you'll have needs above and beyond the standard NetSuite CRM and ERP features listed above. For this reason, NetSuite offers several add-on advanced modules you can choose to license based upon your particular business needs.

NetSuite modules may be licensed "à la carte" or they may be bundled together in the form of an "Industry Suite", which is a pre-packaged set of modules commonly used for specific industries; for example, "NetSuite Manufacturing" would include the necessary modules for a manufacturing company to run their business on NetSuite. There's also the concept of NetSuite for specific niche industries. Take metal fabrication software, for example; native NetSuite manufacturing modules coupled with bundled SuiteScript solutions can be deployed to help customers run NetSuite in highly customized environments right "out of the box" in many cases. 

The cost of NetSuite advanced modules and industry suites varies depending upon the edition type (Limited, Mid-Market and Enterprise). 

Most NetSuite modules can be subscribed to at any time during the length of your NetSuite subscription term. The one exception is NetSuite OneWorld. If your business has more than one legal entity that requires separate financials, inter-company transaction management and financial consolidations (or has plans to in the near future) you'll want to license NetSuite OneWorld right from the start.
Reveal NetSuite OneWorld pricing here.

One of the great things about NetSuite is that its open architecture and modular license approach allow companies to add and remove modules as the business demands it. 

It's important to note, that modules can only be removed during the contract renewal period, so make sure you don't over-license by subscribing to modules only when you need them.

For a detailed description of NetSuite add-on modules, click below to download a NetSuite Advanced Module datasheet.

Financial Management Modules (FMS)

• Fixed Assets
• OneWorld
• Advanced Financials
• Advanced Revenue Management
• Multibook Accounting
• SuiteBilling
• Oracle Planning and Budgeting Cloud Service (PBCS)

Inventory & Manufacturing Management Modules (WMS & MRP)

• Advanced Inventory
• Advanced Procurement
• Warehouse Management (WMS)
• Work Orders & Assemblies
• Manufacturing WIP & Routing
• Advanced Manufacturing
• Demand Planning

NetSuite Services Resource Planning Modules (SRP)

• Project Management
• Resource Allocation
• Job Costing
• OpenAir

Human Capital Management Modules (HCM)

• SuitePeople
• Premier Payroll Service

Ecommerce & Retail Management Modules (POS)

• SuiteCommerce Standard
• SuiteCommerce Advanced
• SuiteCommerce InStore
• Advanced Order Management

How Much Does a NetSuite Implementation Cost?

When it comes to NetSuite implementation cost, it's a more difficult question to answer, than say, compared to answering the NetSuite pricing related questions because each customer is unique. But since you've read this far, let's get into it!

Discovery & Analysis

The majority of NetSuite implementation projects will begin with a discovery and analysis phase of the project. The length, depth and method around how these are conducted will vary depending upon whom will be conducting your NetSuite implementation.

The goal with this initial phase is to allow your implementation team to become increasingly familiar with you, your business, your current business processes and tools and identify potential gaps in the NetSuite solution.

This information is collected and documented and referred to as a Business Requirement Document, also known as a BRD. The BRD will be utilized to determine how NetSuite will be configured for your business, as well as identifying gaps and recommending solutions designed to address the gaps. You can think of the BRD as a blueprint for your NetSuite ERP initiative.   

The discovery and analysis phase is critical to ensuring a successful ERP project and one that should address both your initial and future needs. Be sure to give it the necessary time to maximize your NetSuite investment and avoid costly surprises down the road (AKA Change Orders).

PRO TIP
Expect a NetSuite Partner to spend roughly 50-150 hours of the project dedicated to gathering and documenting requirements for your NetSuite ERP implementation. Most NetSuite Partners will bill between $150 - $250 per hour for NetSuite professional services. The rate largely depends upon where the NetSuite partner is based geographically and the how experienced the consultants are.  Bill rates lower than this may mean the resources will be offshore and/or inexperienced.  

Warning: You can pay now for a high quality, thorough discovery and analysis phase or pay later due to “missed” requirements and costly change orders. 

Configuration and Deployment

After the completion and acceptance of the BRD, now the real work begins! Depending upon the implementation methodology and timeline objectives you should expect ~2-3 configuration sessions per week for a duration of ~10 - 14 weeks followed by user acceptance testing (UAT) in preparation for go-live. 

The number of sessions and length is largely dependent upon the size of scope, desired go-live objectives and resource availability.

Level of Effort: The configuration and deployment stage will generally account for two-thirds of the entire project.  The other third comes from the discovery and analysis phase.  So assuming your discovery & analysis engagement took 100 hours to complete than you can expect your configuration phase to take another 200 hours, for a 300 hour NetSuite implementation.  

PRO TIP
If you're working with a limited budget or have a fairly simple scope, ask your NetSuite partner if they have a implementation methodology to support a "self-implementation" or "turnkey" approach to implementing NetSuite. This could save your company a lot of money on professional services expenses!

Customizations

NetSuite customizations are necessary to automate processes and/or address gaps with native NetSuite functionality.  When it comes to NetSuite customizations, you have two options, SuiteScripting and SuiteFlow. 

SuiteScripting allows developers to create flexible business logic within NetSuite tailored to a particular business need.  SuiteScripting can be used to automate business processes or write entirely new applications.  

SuiteFlow enables non-technical users to set up workflows with a point-and-click, drag-and-drop interface. No coding involved! 

PRO TIP
I’d recommend setting aside an additional $3-15k budget for customizations. NetSuite is robust enough for most organizations however there may be situations where GAPs are identified and require customization

NetSuite Integration Cost

NetSuite was originally developed with extensibility in mind and has continued to heavily invest in the SuiteCloud platform and NetSuite partner ecosystem making it easy for customers to connect NetSuite with other leading business applications.

Below are the three options customers have available for connecting NetSuite with other applications.

SuiteScript

If you have the skill set you can develop your own custom integration through NetSuite SuiteTalk. SuiteTalk is an integration tool that allows NetSuite to be seamlessly integrated with other legacy applications and Web 2.0 tools (e.g. maps, blogs, instant messaging) into your business process. SuiteTalk gives you the ability to use any programming language or platform that supports the SOAP standard in order to generate NetSuite business objects in that language, such as Microsoft.NET or Java.

SuiteTalk is available with your NetSuite subscription.  The only cost associated with this type of integration is the labor hours associated with building and maintaining the integration.

NetSuite Connectors

A NetSuite Connector is essentially an application that allows you to connect NetSuite with another application in a "plug & play" fashion, no coding necessary.  Connectors are available through several vendors, Celigo and FarApp are the most commonly used connectors in the NetSuite ecosystem today.  In fact, NetSuite acquired FarApp in the Spring of 2021 giving NetSuite the ability to provide native connectors eliminating the need for 3rd party vendors. 

Integration Platform (iPaaS)

Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS) is the 3rd way you can integrate NetSuite with other software applications.  An iPaaS solution will generally cost the most but is also the most robust.  iPaaS solutions in the NetSuite space include Dell Boomi, Celigo and Jitterbit.  Each of these solutions generally start in the several hundred per month to couple thousand per month depending upon the integration needs of the client. 

NetSuite Implementation Total Cost

Once you factor in all aspects of your NetSuite implementation (discovery, analysis, configuration, deployment, data migration, integration, customization and training) the majority of companies will spend between $25-75k on their NetSuite implementation cost.

Other NetSuite Cost & Considerations

NetSuite Support Pricing

Did you know that NetSuite technical support is included for free with your NetSuite license subscription?

Customers requiring 24/7 access to NetSuite Support will want to upgrade to NetSuite Premium Support, which is based on a percentage of your software contract value.

A common alternative to subscribing to NetSuite Premium Support is to leverage your NetSuite Solution Provider for ongoing NetSuite support & optimization needs. 

Generally speaking, your NetSuite partner will have the most context regarding your instance, its customizations, system integrations and your business needs and can be a reliable point of continuity when needs arise.

Finance Your NetSuite Initiative

NetSuite Solution Providers like CUMULA 3® Group can provide a variety of financing options. Whether you're looking to defer payments for a period of time or lock in a predictable monthly payment option, there's a good chance we/our financial partners can accommodate your request. Depending upon your organization's credit history, there's also the ability to not only finance your ERP license purchase but also finance your professional service fees too! That's right, both NetSuite licenses and professional services are bundled together in a predictable monthly payment. Curious to see what you're financing options are? What your monthly payment might look like? Find out now by clicking on the calculator below.

What About NetSuite SuiteSuccess?

A fairly new offering in the world of NetSuite is SuiteSuccess. SuiteSuccess is both a NetSuite implementation methodology as well as a productized offering. NetSuite SuiteSuccess accounts come pre-loaded with reports, KPIs and dashboards tailored for a specific industry. The goal of a SuiteSuccess implementation is to take a company live with NetSuite within 100 days.

Your NetSuite Solution Provider can help you determine whether or not you are a good fit for the SuiteSuccess license and implementation methodology. Generally speaking, clients that have integration needs, require 3rd party offerings or require customizations are not ideally suited for SuiteSuccess, given the limited runway for scope. SuiteSuccess is great for companies with a short go-live window and a limited scope.  

Software Subscription Duration

Like other SaaS applications, NetSuite is completely subscription based. The subscription can be as short as 12 months or much longer; many companies find 5 years to be ideal. A longer subscription term tends to make sense for companies that desire future price predictability. By working with an experienced NetSuite Solution Provider, we will show you ways to keep your subscription cost predictable, well beyond your initial term.

PRO TIP
For maximum price protection & predictability, we suggest a 5-year contract term with a corresponding period of time that puts limits on price increases at the time of your contract renewal. This is not standard. You'll need to have your NetSuite Solution Provider (like CUMULA 3® Group) advocate for this on your behalf.

NetSuite SandBox

NetSuite offers the option for customers to license a Sandbox account for an additional fee. This is based upon a percentage of Annual Contract Value and is available in 12-month increments. A Sandbox account is an identical copy of your production environment and is ideal for clients or consultants who wish to develop customizations (SuiteScript & SuiteFlow) in an environment that will not impact day-to-day operations. For new NetSuite customers that plan to deploy NetSuite in a single phase with no customizations or integrations, a Sandbox subscription probably does not make sense.

Dedicated Service Tiers

NetSuite is always deployed in the cloud and maintained by NetSuite in a multi-tenant environment. It's exactly this model that allows you to tap into world-class ERP software at an incredible price point and speed to deployment. That being said, some larger companies require greater control and scalability, which may make them an ideal fit for NetSuite's premium service tiers. 

Historically NetSuite offers four different service tiers referred to as  (Tier 3, Tier 2, Tier 1 and Tier 1+/0). These tiers have since been rebranded and packaged and are now referred to as Standard, Premium, Enterprise and Ultimate.

Premium service tiers offer customers their own dedicated database storage instance as well as greater flexibility of NetSuite update release dates. In conjunction with data center premium tiers, NetSuite also offers SuiteCloud Plus licensing for high-traffic customers or customers with high transaction volumes. SuiteCloud Plus increases the number of queues available for scheduled scripts, queues and threads available for CSV import jobs and concurrent threads for web services. 

Common benefits customers experience when upgrading service tiers:

• Reduced delays between system integrations
• More capacity at scheduled downtimes
• Minimal delays associated with high volume bottlenecks
• Greater transaction throughput
• More horsepower for concurrent processing
• Includes a NetSuite Sandbox

See the table below for a high-level overview of the various tiers, and click the blue button to get your customized NetSuite pricing estimate.

NetSuite Billing Options & Contract Term Duration

Generally speaking, Oracle NetSuite subscriptions are billed annually with due upon receipt terms. There may be situations where funding the full subscription in advance makes sense when taking advantage of unique pricing concessions or in the event of a software lease. Like most things, the subscription terms and billing arrangements are open to negotiation. For customers looking to preserve cash, Oracle Financing and other leasing companies can package NetSuite licenses and professional services into a predictable monthly payment. This has proven to be a great option for fast growth, bootstrapped clients needing to graduate from a QuickBooks type solution without a significant cash investment on the front end. Lastly, one more point on NetSuite software billing, NetSuite licenses are always on Oracle paper (NetSuite Partners do not resell the software). If you decide to license through a NetSuite Solution Provider, your licensing arrangement is still directly with Oracle the software vendor. 

PRO TIP
Timing is everything when negotiating a new software contract. There are specific times during the year when a software purchase might be more advantageous. A NetSuite Solution Provider can help you navigate the ins and outs of timing to get you the most attractive software subscription terms & concessions. After all, it's what we do for a living!