Feature-by-Feature Comparison (Discrete / Job Shop / Custom Manufacturing) Between Top 5 Mid Market ERP Systems

Cloud / deployment model

Cloud-native (also hybrid on-prem if desired) and built for modern manufacturing.

Primarily on-premises or hosted; strong partner add-ons for manufacturing. qnomixtechnologies.com+1

Cloud-native financial/operational platform extended for manufacturing. Sage+1

Cloud (SaaS) ERP with manufacturing module; strong global footprint. NetSuite+2NetSuite+2

Cloud (and on-premises) option; good for SMB or mid-size discrete manufacturing. the365people.com+2Dynamics Square+2

Discrete manufacturing support (work orders, BOMs, routing)

Strong: supports discrete, mixed-mode (make-to-order, engineer-to-order, etc). Acumatica Cloud ERP

Good: includes BOM, routing, production orders, shop-floor basics; often enhanced by add-ons. silvertouchinc.com+1

Good: for discrete manufacturers – BOM, routing, costing, work-orders included. Technology Evaluation Centers+1

Very good: certified for discrete manufacturing with full work orders, routings, shop floor. NetSuite+1

Solid: discrete manufacturing module supports BOMs, routings, production orders, work centers. Dynamics Square+1

Advanced manufacturing modes (MTO, ETO, mixed-mode)

Yes: make-to-stock, make-to-order, engineer-to-order, configure-to-order, mixed-mode. Acumatica Cloud ERP

Some support: discrete + batch, MRP, but may require add-ons for full ETO/mixed. qnomixtechnologies.com+1

Primarily discrete manufacturing; may require add-ons for some advanced modes. Sage

Yes: strong support for discrete/assembly; batch/process possible. Folio3+1

Yes: discrete manufacturing supported; MTO/ETO scenarios are possible especially with extensions. Dynamics Square+1

Shop-floor control / MES / real-time data capture

Supported: production order tracking, scheduling, material/labour cost capture. 

Basic shop-floor visibility; but many manufacturing customers rely on partner modules for deeper MES. qnomixtechnologies.com

Moderate: manufacturing plus financial integration; may require supplemental modules for full shop-floor MES. Technology Evaluation Centers

Strong: work-order completion, routings, barcode/ mobile data collection, MES capabilities. Folio3+1

Good: production order tracking, routing, machine/work-center management; third-party add-ons often used for full MES. Simply Dynamics+1

Quality control / traceability

Yes: integrated quality management, lot/serial, inspections.

Yes: quality control features included. silvertouchinc.com

Yes: Manufacturing capabilities include cost control & material tracking; quality often via add-ons. Sage

Yes: traceability, lot/serial, real-time work-orders. OpenTeQ Technologies

Available: BOM/revisions, lot/serial, routing; deeper quality features may need extensions. Dynamics Square

Material requirements planning (MRP) / scheduling / capacity

Yes: MRP, scheduling, planning built-in. 

Yes: production planning/MRP features exist. Uneecops+1

Yes: manufacturing module supports planning, work orders, costing. Technology Evaluation Centers

Yes: advanced scheduling & planning for discrete manufacturing. logiframe.com+1

Yes: MRP, capacity planning, demand forecasting included. Rand Group+1

Costing & financial integration (manufacturing cost, COGS, WIP)

Yes: tracks material, labour, overhead; integrates with financials. 

Yes: cost tracking, overhead allocation, integrated with financials. silvertouchinc.com

Yes: manufacturing and operations + financials on one platform. Technology Evaluation Centers

Yes: strong cost accounting linked to manufacturing. NetSuite

Yes: integrated manufacturing + financials, cost tracking included. Dynamics Square

Best suited for discrete/manufacturing-focused business vs general ERP

Very strong manufacturing focus (especially job-shop, discrete, custom).

Good for smaller discrete manufacturers; strength in core ERP + manufacturing add-ons.

Strong financial core with manufacturing support; for discrete manufacturers with financial emphasis.

Broad enterprise solution for manufacturing & global; stronger for mid-to-larger manufacturers.

Good for SMB-mid size discrete manufacturers; strong ecosystem with Microsoft stack.

Typical considerations / caveats

Implementation still requires manufacturing setup; assessment of customisation and partner maturity is key.

May require partner or add-ons for full manufacturing depth (especially MES/shop-floor).

While manufacturing is robust, may still lack some deep manufacturing features compared to purpose-built ERP.

Powerful, but complexity and cost may rise; ensure manufacturing configuration fits your specific discrete/custom scenario.

Good flexibility and integration with Microsoft ecosystem; for complex manufacturing (heavy ETO, global multi-site) may need more advanced modules or add-ons.