xTuple Pricing, Features, Reviews & Comparison of Alternatives

Pros
Free version - I use the Postbooks version since cost is a big factor for me and I don't need most of the features. Adaptable - I used it in a previous business where I had inventory and did some creation of videos on DVDs. It tracked inventory from items used to create the finished DVDs and package, publish, and ship them. I now use it in my real estate business just for accounting. Has many capabilities many of which I do not personally use, but they are there if you need them.

Cons
Complex - because it has so many capabilities, it is complex and can be hard to learn. Documentation can be a bit sparse. Constrained - Forces a work flow which is great for larger business but can make a task tedious for a sole proprietor. CRM - is designed for sales of products which is what this software is designed around. I am now a REALTOR® and the CRM does not fit the model a REALTOR® uses. Too platform specific - It used to run on Fedora and other Linus flavors. Now it is limited to Ubuntu and tends to lag, as Ubuntu does, behind the security updates. It runs on Windows. I now run my database on Linux and have to use a Windows client since there is not a client that runs on Fedora. I suggested to the developers that xTuple/Postbooks should be developed on Linux as a Flatpak project but never heard anything back.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 8/10

Pros
There are many ERP solutions and there is plenty of open source software. xTuple is different because it is an open source ERP solution that does actually work. ERP does require quite an amount of configuration and management and xTuple is no different. Understanding how ERP works if pretty core to making any ERP solution work but once you have that, once you have committed the effort to properly configure it, xTuple provides the sort of solution that suppliers of vastly more expensive alternatives would argue is out of reach of open source software. xTuple does have a knowledgeable and helpful community and plenty of plugings and add-ons to ensure that it provides the solution that you need. If it doesn't, then the PostgreSQL background and QT foreground make it sufficiently simple for you to make your own modifications.

Cons
As open source solutions go, there are remarkably few quirkinesses but those that do exist do require some thinking around. Like most ERP solutions, it demands that it follows it's processes so deviate and you are in for some pain. The key to a successful implementation is learning how it works. If you have never implemented ERP before then you are strongly advised to either dedicate quite some time to getting it wrong and starting again or bringing in someone with the expertise and experience. Fortunately, xTuple will help you there!

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 9/10

Pros
- Decent import system to load up your data - Flexible system that allows a wide range of manufacturing and options - Easy access to SQL tables which allow you to write your own tools if xTuple is missing something you need - Under active development, and with a good user forum

Cons
- Despite the licensing being the single most expensive SW cost for our company, support is virtually non existent. It is an additional cost and the options are expensive, confusing and often rely on 'partners' who don't always know much about the system. Documentation does exist but is often hard to find on the xTuple website. A skilled technical team will be needed to implement and set up the complex options and work flows. - xTuple is putting lots of effort on eCommerce additions, but less on the fundamentals of the package. Silly issues make for large problems: -- User permissions can only be added one at a time (no multi select) -- Payments are still based on the idea of paper cheques with no shortcuts for cash/card payments. No simple export options for upload for wire processing) -- The multi currency system is basic and has issues (silly rounding errors, Bank reconciliation and GL accounts don't match and can't be corrected, 'extra' currency transactions generated by some operations break AR balance)

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 6/10

Pros
Has a Mac based client. Has the option for on-site server or cloud server. Highly customizable reporting capabilities. A decent amount of customizing interface windows. We have several very custom reports and some interface changes that have been made by a 3rd party developer. A lot of features, some we're still learning to use in an optimal way.

Cons
The report editor is weak, at least up through 4.8.1. Text boxes don't auto-wrap making form design difficult. This is a challenge even for our 3rd party developer that uses it all the time. Not the most intuitive - interlinks between data sets is weak at best. Often we find ourselves needing to write somethings down from one inquiry to then go to the next, and the next to find what we need. MAS200 was much better in this regard. Several accounting features that I do not use are also reported to have similar limitations as compared to MAS200. No bug patches. Free updates while using the cloud sever are great, but any customization throws a slight wrench into that. Several bugs that we deal with have been fixed in newer versions but are not available as patches to our version. Since we have some significant customization, the actual upgrade cost keeps us from updating frequently.

Rating breakdown

Pros
You can begin with a free version and if that version fulfills all of your needs you can continue with that, however for added functionality there are licencing fees for that functionality. It is easy to use (once the beginning numbers are in) and it makes a small company look larger due to the look and design of their forms (you can design your own as well). The functionality is incredible. The type of business we are in requires things that most software does not provide for which has made running our business quite a bit easier. We are a modification center and xTuple allows us to use different parts to make the same end product by using substitutions, this has been a tremendous help to us. It was nice to be able to start with the free version and see just what this amazing piece of software could do. They also have an "online university" where users can communicate with each other and xTuple themselves, that has proven to be extremely valuable. Many times the issue or question we have has already been dealt with through another customer and the answer sits right there accessible to us. Overall xTuple has been great for us. They also are now hosting our website and although there have been some rough patches, I don't think we would go anywhere else as they allow it to integrate with our software, a big help.

Cons
Their customer service is probably their weakest link. Although they make an appreciable effort to respond to the issues we bring up, from our end sometimes it doesn't seem to be taken care of as quickly as we would like, and we have to follow-up for resolve. The website integration has some bugs, but eventually the bugs get worked out. We have two very capable IT employees who sometimes can figure out the bugs before they do, which is a big plus for us, as we can correct the issues then pass on the fix to xTuple. We all agree that the issues with customer service are worth the extreme value that the software has brought to our company.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 9/10