Custom ERP vs SAP or Holded: which to choose
Meypi Developers · Updated on
A custom ERP is management software built around your company’s processes; SAP and Holded are off-the-shelf ERPs: the same software for every company that uses them, and each company adapts to it. At Meypi Developers, a software studio in the Barcelona metropolitan area, we build custom software for businesses: this article explains how they differ and when each makes sense.
1. Is SAP an ERP?
ERP stands for enterprise resource planning: the software that brings a company’s management together in one place, such as finance, purchasing, stock, sales or staff.
SAP is a software vendor that sells several ERPs. According to its website, SAP Business One is designed for small and medium-sized businesses, and SAP S/4HANA Cloud for organisations of every size.
That is why the question “SAP or ERP” mixes two things: SAP is a brand, and ERP is the type of software. The useful question is a different one: whether your company is better served by an off-the-shelf ERP, such as SAP’s, or by a custom one.
2. Is Holded an ERP?
Holded presents itself as management software for small businesses and entrepreneurs, and its own website describes it as a new kind of ERP. It starts with invoicing and accounting and adds treasury, stock or team management.
It shares with SAP what matters for this comparison: it is standard software, the same for every company that uses it, and each company adapts to it.
3. What is a custom ERP?
It is management software designed and built for one specific company. It follows its workflow, uses its names and its data, and connects to the tools it already has. The code belongs to the company.
It does not have to do everything. It often covers the part that sets the company apart, such as how orders are prepared, how production is planned or how building sites are run, and connects to standard software for what is the same everywhere, such as accounting.
4. How does a custom ERP differ from SAP or Holded?
| Criterion | Custom ERP | Off-the-shelf ERP |
|---|---|---|
| How you work | The software follows your workflow | Your team adapts to the software’s workflow |
| When you start using it | When the first development phase is finished | As soon as it is configured |
| What you pay | Development up front; then hosting and maintenance | A fee per user or per plan for as long as you use it |
| Who owns the code | Your company | The vendor |
| What changes and when | You decide | The vendor decides |
| Connections with other software | With whatever you use, if the other software allows it | With whatever the vendor has planned for |
Neither column wins on everything. An off-the-shelf ERP can be used sooner; a custom one fits the way you work better and belongs to you.
5. When does SAP, Holded or another off-the-shelf ERP make sense?
- When the way you work is similar to most companies and the software covers it without forcing it.
- When you need to invoice or keep the books right away, without waiting for development.
- When the team is small and per-user fees are not a burden.
- When you would rather the vendor decide what comes next and take care of updates.
In those cases, start with standard software: you have it sooner and it costs less at the start.
6. When does a custom ERP make sense?
- When the way you work is what sets you apart and standard software forces you to change it.
- When you pay for several tools that do not talk to each other and someone copies data from one to another.
- When per-user fees grow faster than the business.
- When your team needs screens designed for its work, in the warehouse, the workshop or on site.
- When you want the software and its data to belong to your company.
7. Can a custom ERP be combined with Holded or SAP?
Yes, and it is often the sensible choice. The standard software handles what is the same in every company, such as invoicing or accounting, and the custom software handles what is yours.
The two exchange data through their API, which is how two programs talk to each other without anyone copying anything by hand, as long as the other software allows it. Holded, for example, says on its website that it connects to other applications, such as your website or your online shop.
8. How to decide between a custom ERP and an off-the-shelf one?
Before choosing, answer these questions in writing:
- Which steps in your work standard software cannot follow without workarounds or separate spreadsheets.
- How many people will use it in a few years’ time.
- Which programs it has to talk to.
- What data you have today and how it would move to the new software.
- What happens to your data if you change software one day.
If the answers fit what standard software offers, start with it. If not, a custom ERP, or a combination of both, saves you from adapting your company to a program. We explain how we do it on the custom software development page.
9. How much does a custom ERP cost?
There is no single figure: the price depends on what the software has to do. What moves it most is the number of screens and types of user, the connections with other software, the data that has to be brought in from spreadsheets or the program you use today, whether a mobile app is needed, the permissions your sector requires and maintenance.
The quote reaches you in writing and split into phases, with what is delivered in each one.
If you would rather have ready-made management software, take a look at Aipiter, our management software. If you want a custom one, tell us about your project. We reply within 24 hours.
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