Today there are 109 different apparel ERPs. We spent 70 hours comparing the top 50 to find the seven best you can use to automate and manage your apparel business.
What is the Best Apparel ERP?
- Uphance — best of the best
- Katana — best for apparel manufacturing
- NetSuite — best for small and mid-sized businesses
- Lightspeed — best for clothing stores
- SAP S/4HANA — best for enterprises
- INFOR CloudSuite Fashion — best for fashion brands
- AIMS 360 — best for fashion designers
1. Uphance
Our Verdict — Best Of The Best
Price: Starts at $249/month
Uphance is a comprehensive apparel ERP solution for growing apparel businesses. We think it’s the best because of its inventory management tools, user-friendly interface, and sales and distribution features.
The Best Part:
Incredibly user-friendly. Uphance simplifies the ERP experience, with a streamlined user experience and intuitive design that sets it apart from other ERPs.
The Worst Part:
Limited industry scope. Uphance is specifically designed for apparel businesses, making it less ideal for companies looking to expand into other niches.
Get it if you want an easy-to-use ERP system designed to help you efficiently manage and grow your apparel business.
I recommend you start with the 14-day free trial to explore Uphance’s features, then get the $249/mo Essentials plan to fully unlock its potential.
(14-day free trial)
Best For
Uphance is best for growing apparel businesses that want a user-friendly ERP to streamline sales and operations.
Top Features
- Smooth accounting integrations. Accept payments from customers via Uphance and post them automatically to your accounting software (e.g., Quickbooks, Xero, or Hilldun).
- Seamless inventory control. Stay on top of your stock levels and track orders in real-time with Uphance’s automated sync across sales channels.
- Built-in customer relationship management (CRM). Manage your customers’ orders, invoices, and data from your desktop or mobile app.
- Sales-focused B2B portal. Centralize all of your processes and sell more products using Uphance’s built-in B2B ecommerce store builder aka Uphance Showroom.
- Advanced ecommerce management. Boost your e-commerce game with advanced inventory forecasting, shipping integrations, and sales cycle automation.
Pricing
Uphance offers four pricing plans:
- Essentials: $299/month for starting apparel businesses that want a basic ERP to streamline sales, orders, and procurement, for up to three users.
- Plus: $499/month for small apparel businesses that want a full-featured ERP to drive growth and manage complex workflows, for up to five users.
- Premium: $999/month for small apparel businesses that want an advanced ERP solution to improve complex workflows and drive sales, for up to 10 users.
- Enterprise: Custom pricing, for apparel businesses of all sizes that want the ultimate ERP solution for automating and managing inventory, sales, and orders.
Annual subscriptions provide up to a 20% discount.
Try Uphance today with a free 14-day trial.
2. Katana
Our Verdict — Best For Apparel Manufacturing
Price: Starts at $129/mo
Katana is an innovative ERP solution for apparel manufacturers. We think it’s the best for apparel manufacturing because of its streamlined inventory management, efficient production planning, and robust sales tracking capabilities.
The Best Part:
Production planning on-point. Katana can handle your most complex apparel manufacturing workflows and seamlessly align your production schedule with sales and demand.
The Worst Part:
Steep learning curve. Katana has a user-friendly interface, but it may take a little time for you to get the hang of all of its features, especially for those new to ERPs.
Get it if you want an all-in-one solution to seamlessly manage your apparel production, inventory, and sales.
I recommend you start with the 14-day free trial, then get the Advanced plan for $3,588/year to seamlessly manage your apparel manufacturing.
(14-day free trial)
Best For
Katana is best for apparel manufacturers of all sizes who want to streamline their production processes and take full control of inventory and sales.
Top Features
- Multi-currency payments. Make transactions in your suppliers’ and customers’ currencies, seamlessly integrated with Quickbooks, Shopify, and WooCommerce.
- Efficient shop floor control. Monitor your activities using real-time insights into your stock counts, raw material usage, order fulfillment, and pretty much anything else on your shop floor.
- Drag-and-drop order management. Monitor and manage your orders as they move through the production pipeline.
- Integrated shipping workflows. Eliminate manual data transfers for fulfilling new orders with Katana’s open API and native integrations with Shiptheory and 2Ship.
- Tailored onboarding. Get expert assistance from Katana’s team to implement and set up your ERP for your apparel manufacturing business
Pricing
Katana offers four pricing plans:
- Essential: $129/month for starting apparel manufacturing businesses that want a basic ERP to automate workflows and streamline production, for up to three warehouses and 500 monthly orders.
- Advanced: $349/month for small apparel manufacturing businesses that want a complete ERP to manage complex manufacturing processes and customize the software for their specific needs, for unlimited warehouses and up to 5,000 monthly orders.
- Professional: $799/month for small and midsized apparel manufacturers that want a full-fledged ERP system with all features in Advanced plus priority support and onboarding, for unlimited warehouses and up to 25,000 monthly orders.
- Enterprise: Custom pricing, for large apparel manufacturing businesses that want a tailored apparel ERP subscription to fully automate workflows and facilitate production, for unlimited warehouses and orders.
Annual subscriptions provide up to a 25% discount.
Try Katana today with a free 14-day trial.
3. NetSuite
Our Verdict — Best For Small And Midsize Businesses
Price: Custom
NetSuite is a comprehensive cloud-based ERP for apparel. We think it’s the best for apparel SMBs because of its powerful financial tools, customizability, and powerful financial tools.
The Best Part:
It’s fully customizable. NetSuite can be tailored to suit your unique needs for sales, inventory, and design, and you’ll be able to expand its functionalities as your business grows.
The Worst Part:
Pricey set-up. NetSuite can be expensive to set up and implement, especially if you’re a small business with a limited budget.
Get it if you want a customizable ERP to manage your apparel business and don’t mind investing time learning the ropes.
I recommend you start with a free NetSuite product tour to explore its features.
(free product tour)
Best For
NetSuite is best for apparel SMBs who want a flexible ERP to streamline processes and drive growth.
Top Features
- Customizable order-to-cash process. Tailor your ERP view for sales, finance, order fulfillment, and anything in between to match your exact order management process.
- Fully centralized ecommerce. Build your online store using NetSuite and connect everything on the front and back end, getting a comprehensive hub for your entire sales process.
- Integrated marketing CRM. Track marketing campaigns across multiple channels right from your NetSuite dashboard and get smart reports to better understand how customers are finding you.
- Role-based reporting. Customize reporting dashboards to match employees’ and stakeholders’ roles, making it easy for your team to make smart decisions every single day.
- It’s like a chameleon. Expand your product line or completely pivot your brand’s direction without any limitations.
Pricing
NetSuite offers pricing plans:
Custom pricing: Monthly sales quote, for B2C or B2B apparel SMBs that want a tailored ERP solution to manage inventory, streamline sales channels, and handle financials with ease.
Try NetSuite today with a free product tour.
Our Top Three Picks
Here’s a quick summary of our top three picks:
- Uphance — best of the best
- Katana — best for apparel manufacturing
- NetSuite — best for small to mid-sized businesses
Here’s a quick comparison of our top seven picks:
Tool | Entry Offer | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
Uphance | 14-day free trial | Starts at $249/mo |
Katana | 14-day free trial | Starts at $129/mo |
NetSuite | Free product tour | Custom |
Lightspeed | 14-day free trial | Starts at $89/mo |
SAP S/4HANA Cloud | 30-day free trial | Custom |
INFOR CloudSuite Fashion | None | Custom |
AIMS 360 | Free demo | Custom |
Here are the top 50 apparel ERPs we considered in this review:
- Uphance
- Katana Manufacturing ERP
- NetSuite
- Lightspeed Retail
- SAP S/4HANA Cloud
- INFOR CloudSuite Fashion
- AIMS 360
- ApparelMagic
- Fishbowl
- S2K Enterprise
- 24SevenOffice
- Deltek Costpoint
- MRPeasy
- A2000
- MasterTools
- JD Edwards EnterpriseOne
- PolyPM
- SyteLine
- ERPAG
- Sage 100
- SAP Business One
- CATIA
- iAuditor
- OnSite
- MasterControl Manufacturing Excellence
- Prodsmart
- Acumatica Cloud ERP
- Sage X3
- Qualtrax
- TrueERP
- Canny
- TrakSYS
- SAP Business ByDesign
- Infor LN
- PBS Accounting
- Infor M3
- OfficeBooks
- Delogue PLM
- Anvyl
- BlueCherry
- Agile PLM
- Digital Business Transformation Suite
- Sync
- Lead Commerce
- VisualCron
- Momentis Fashion System
- FDM4
- Prodio
- Kentro
- Oracle Fusion Cloud SCM
What is an ERP in the apparel industry?
An Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system in the apparel industry is a comprehensive management solution that integrates various business processes into a single platform; these include product lifecycle management, warehouse management, retail operations, and accounts payable.
This type of software assists apparel companies in streamlining their operations and maintaining complete control over the entire manufacturing process, from product development to clothing manufacturing and distribution.
Is ApparelMagic an ERP?
ApparelMagic is an example of an apparel management software, which can be considered an ERP for the apparel industry. It offers a wide range of features, including product development tools, production management, inventory control, and financial management, tailored to the specific needs of apparel companies.
ApparelMagic, as an ERP solution, enables businesses to have complete control over their operations, from design and manufacturing to sales and customer service. We ranked ApparelMagic at number #8 because there are alternatives that are more suitable for the industry in general. However, we still highly recommend ApparelMagic over most options if you're looking for an ERP with a wide range of integrations and automation options.
What is the best ERP for a retail business?
The best ERP for a retail business can vary depending on the specific needs and size of the business, but one popular choice is Lightspeed, which we ranked as our #4 pick for apparel ERPs. It's user-friendly and designed specifically for retail businesses, which makes it an excellent fit for many stores. Some other good options are Uphance, NetSuite, and SAP S/4HANA.
Lightspeed offers features that help with sales, inventory management, and customer relations. It's easy to use, even for folks who aren't super tech-savvy, and it can grow with your business as it expands.
Uphance is a great choice if you're in the fashion or apparel industry, as it's tailored for those types of businesses. NetSuite is a solid option for larger retailers because it offers a lot of customization and can handle complex operations. SAP S/4HANA is a powerful choice for businesses that need a robust solution, but it might be a bit much for smaller retailers.
Which ERP tool is best?
Numerous ERP tools are available in the market, and the best one for a particular organization depends on its size, industry, and specific requirements. Some popular ERP tools include SAP S/4HANA, Microsoft Dynamics, and Infor. While comparing these tools, businesses should consider factors such as scalability, ease of integration, cost, and support services provided by the software vendor.
For the apparel or fashion industries, we recommend tailored software. We ranked Uphance #1, Katana #2, and NetSuite #3, out of the 50 tools we've researched.
Does Zara use an ERP?
Yes, Zara uses an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system. Specifically, they use SAP ERP ECC 6.0, which helps them manage various aspects of their business, such as supply chain, inventory, and finance.
SAP ERP ECC 6.0 enables Zara to perfect supply chain management, enabling better coordination among suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors.
The Bottom Line
To recap, here are the best apparel ERP software to try this year:
