NetSuite CRM vs Salesforce (2024): Which CRM is better?

NetSuite CRM and Salesforce are customer relationship management software that offer cloud-based sales and marketing tools for users to manage customer interactions. While NetSuite CRM is offered within an ERP, Salesforce is primarily a CRM solution with many other products and services.

Salesforce is the more popular vendor between the two for its advanced technology features and scalability for businesses. But NetSuite CRM's inventory and process tracking make it a comparable alternative. Below, I'll dive into the key CRM features that NetSuite CRM and Salesforce offer, plus pricing breakdowns and ideal use cases. This way, you can decide which one best suits your business needs.

NetSuite CRM vs Salesforce: comparison table

NetSuite CRM vs. Salesforce: Pricing

CRM pricing typically works with the provider paying a fee per user per month, with additional add-ons and offers available. Prices can be invoiced monthly, annually or semi-annually.

NetSuite CRM offers a unique pricing structure as the Oracle SetSuite platform itself offers a variety of solutions. NetSuite CRM does not reveal an initial price, so I suggest contacting their sales team for a custom quote. Salesforce operates in the standard manner with tiered pricing based on the number of users and access to features. Here, I delve deeper into each provider's pricing:

NetSuiteCRM Pricing

• Annual license fee: Contact for quote. The license depends on three components: core platform, optional modules, and the number of expected users. There is also a one-time setup fee. NetSuite CRM is included with the NetSuite platform. Each user accessing NetSuite CRM requires their own user license.

Salesforce Pricing

• Starter Suite: $25 per user per month, billed annually. Users get account, contact, lead, and opportunity management, as well as the mobile app, email integration, and more.
• Professional: $80 per user per month, billed annually. The Professional plan includes everything found in Starter Suite, plus Sales Cloud, full offline functionality, and more.
• Company: $165 per user per month, billed annually. This level provides opportunity scoring and deal information, as well as data synchronization and harmonization.
• Unlimited: $330 per user per month, billed annually. The Unlimited tier includes all the features mentioned above, plus the Developer Pro sandbox, lead scoring, and five campaigns per opportunity.
• Einstein Sales 1: $500 per user per month, billed annually. This tier includes all Salesforce CRM features, such as collaboration tools through knowledge sharing and Slack, and more.

NetSuite CRM vs Salesforce: Features Comparison

Sales automation

Winner: Tie

NetSuite CRM's sales force automation feature helps sales teams have real-time access to lead, opportunity, and order records within a sales process. Specifically, NetSuite CRM offers incentive compensation management tools that allow users to design and manage complex, criteria-based, multi-level commission plans for maximum visibility into sales compensation calculations.

Both NetSuite CRM and Salesforce offer sales force automation. Salesforce offers additional activity and lead management automation that can automatically capture emails, events, and other types of sales activity directly into the CRM. By connecting their representatives with customers through any communication channel, companies can increase efficiency with prioritized and actionable task lists.

Reports and analysis

Winner: Salesforce

NetSuite provides users with real-time analytics and role-based dashboards. Sales, marketing, and support teams can monitor individual, team, and company performance. Sales can access goals achieved against quotas and sales pipeline by stage. Support teams can measure case trends and customer retention and satisfaction. Marketers can examine acquisition, engagement, and conversion metrics for individual campaigns.

Salesforce sales analytics enable a comprehensive view of sales performance, deal inspection capabilities, and rich visualizations. Users can access adaptive forecasts and forecasts from multiple organizations from a consolidated view. Additionally, with the help of AI, businesses can create stronger channels with contextual information and AI-powered recommendations.

AI-powered tools

Winner: Salesforce

NetSuite offers AI functionality across all of its solutions with an AI Assistant and AI Advisor. The AI ​​assistant can help with invoice processing, document object detection, and generating content for sales emails, purchase orders, and even product descriptions.

Salesforce has AI built directly into the CRM. Like NetSuite, Salesforce offers generative AI that can produce sales emails, call summaries, personalized closing plans, and lead and account research. Additionally, you can predict activity, transaction information, and forecast reports. Salesforce's Einstein Assistant can provide conversation intelligence and relationship insights that can equip salespeople with everything they need to foster relationships and close deals.

Mobile app

Winner: Draw

NetSuite offers a mobile app through the Apple App Store and Google Play. Users can manage expenses, record billable time, access calendars, and monitor key business information. The app allows anyone to view, edit and attach files to records from anywhere.

Salesforce also offers a mobile app for iOS and Android mobile device users. Its app includes similar NetSuite offerings, plus AI analytics and log searches. The Salesforce app allows users to create personalized experiences with little code. The interface is also a little more modern than NetSuite CRM.

Pros and cons of NetSuite CRM

Advantages of NetSuite CRM

• Offer product demonstrations.
• Users praise process automation tools.
• Does not require intense customizations.

Disadvantages of NetSuite CRM

• Users report complex implementation and configuration.
• Users report slow customer service.
• Users report that the UX/UI is outdated.

Advantages and disadvantages of Salesforce

Advantages of Salesforce

• 30-day free trial.
• It offers more than 7,000 possible integrations.
• Provides user access control settings.

Cons of Salesforce

• It can be expensive as a CRM for small businesses.
• Users report that two-factor authentication can be complicated.
• Users report a learning curve when implementing the platform.

Should your organization use NetSuite CRM or Salesforce?

Choose NetSuite CRM if:

• You want a solution that helps you keep track of accounting, invoices, and compliance operations.
• You need an eCommerce solution to manage customer activity and transaction data.

Choose Salesforce if:

To learn more, head to our Salesforce review.

Review methodology

I reviewed both NetSuite CRM and Salesforce as general CRM software providers. This means I considered criteria related to cost transparency, core features, customizations, integrations, system ease of use, and customer support offerings. Using an internal rubric composed of these criteria, I identified the pros, cons, and ideal use cases for both. I also referenced NetSuite CRM and Salesforce online resources, user reviews, and community forums to better understand the average user experience of the platform.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Which is better, Salesforce or NetSuite CRM?

I found Salesforce to be a better CRM provider overall. Although its cost may be considered high for startups or small businesses, its combination of basic and advanced features is solid. Especially with the Einstein AI assistant, Salesforce demonstrates its scalability and mobility. But both can provide CRM benefits that can streamline routine marketing, sales, and support tasks and give users 360-degree visibility into business goals.

Is NetSuite an ERP or CRM?

Oracle NetSuite is a platform that offers an ERP and CRM tool. The main difference between the two is that enterprise resource planning tools typically focus on back office or core business processes, while CRMs help with marketing, sales, and customer service operations.

Is NetSuite CRM similar to Salesforce?

NetSuite CRM and Salesforce are comparable CRM providers. While their features may operate differently and at different scales, they both offer core features such as reporting and analytics, process and contact management, accounting features, and automations. Both are types of CRM software that provide operational and collaborative solutions.