NEXERA CoreCompare
Standard package or NEXERA Core? An honest comparison.
Exact, AFAS, Odoo and Business Central are good packages, and the right choice for many businesses. NEXERA Core is the right choice for businesses whose process does not fit a standard package. Here is the difference, and when to choose which.
Five ways to solve the same problem. Side by side.
Based on public information from the suppliers and their partners, October 2026. Packages change; check details with the supplier.
| Topic | NEXERA Core | Exact Online | AFAS Profit | Odoo | Business Central |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | A core with ERP and CRM, configured per customer and extended with customisation | Standard cloud package, with editions for trade and manufacturing, among others | Standard cloud package for HRM, payroll, finance, CRM, projects and order management | Open-source package with separate apps, as Community or Enterprise | ERP from Microsoft, with the Essentials and Premium licences |
| Who implements it | The team that builds the core | Exact or a partner | AFAS or a partner | Usually a partner | A Microsoft partner |
| How you adapt it | Customisation in the code, by the build team, tested in your test environment | Settings and apps from the App Center | Configuration, custom fields and workflows | Custom modules in Python | Extensions in AL and apps from AppSource |
| Production | Recipes, bills of materials, production orders and quality release in the core | Bills of materials and work orders in Exact Online Productie | Through a linked package | MRP app with bills of materials and work orders | Production orders in Premium; then all full users on Premium |
| Updates | Core and customisation by the same team, first in your test environment | Automatic, by Exact | Automatic, by AFAS | Annual versions; custom modules have to follow | Updates from Microsoft; extensions have to follow |
| Pricing model | Price per phase and a monthly fee | Subscription per package and edition | Licence, not per module | Community free, Enterprise per user | Per user per month |
| Strong in | Businesses with their own process: production, batches, export, retail | Accounting and standard processes for SMEs | HRM, payroll and finance in one package | A wide range of apps with a low initial cost | Organisations already working on Microsoft 365 |
When to choose Exact Online, when NEXERA Core.
- You are mainly looking for good accounting and the rest is standard
- Your accountant already works in Exact and that has to stay that way
- Your process fits one of the editions without workarounds
- You want to start quickly and with a low initial cost
- Orders, production and export are currently spread across several packages and Excel
- A batch, a weight or a configuration determines what goes on the invoice
- Export documents, checks and approvals need to be in the system, not alongside it
- You want one team that builds and supports
When to choose AFAS Profit, when NEXERA Core.
- HRM and payroll are the main focus
- You are a service provider working with projects and hours
- There is no production or complex logistics
- A standard configuration is preferred
- Production, stock and logistics are the core of the business
- Batches, weights and export documents need to be in one system
- Your process does not fit a standard configuration
- HRM and payroll can stay where they are: the two work well together
When to choose Odoo, when NEXERA Core.
- You want many different apps in one package, from web shop to HR
- You have a strong partner who configures and maintains it
- Customisation stays limited, so that upgrades stay simple
- You want to start with a low initial cost
- The customisation is extensive, and every new version would otherwise become a migration project
- You want one point of contact for core and customisation, instead of supplier plus partner
- Batches, export documents and approvals need to be in the core from day one
- Every change must run in your own test environment first
When to choose Business Central, when NEXERA Core.
- Your organisation already runs entirely on Microsoft 365
- You want to use the large partner market and AppSource
- Your IT department wants to work with extensions itself
- You need many countries, each with its own localisation
- A few people need production, and not everyone should have to move to the most expensive licence
- You would rather have one team than a partner and a licence holder
- Your process needs customisation that goes further than extensions
- Batches, export documents and approvals need to be in the core
Three steps for every supplier, including us.
Start with the process
Write down what is genuinely different about your business. If that is little, choose a standard package. If it is a lot, look at what customisation costs with each option.
Calculate over five years
Licences, implementation, customisation, upgrades and the hours of your own people. Not just the price per user in the first year.
Test with your own documents
Ask every supplier to run one of your orders, delivery notes and invoices through the system, including the exceptions.
Yes. An HR or payroll package can simply stay. For the accounting it is usually one or the other, because NEXERA Core has double-entry bookkeeping in the core.
The initial cost is higher, because it includes a discovery phase and configuration. Over five years, it depends on how much customisation, integration work and upgrading a standard package would require. We are happy to work through the figures with you.
It is based on public information from October 2026. Packages change; always check details with the supplier. If you see something that is not right, please let us know.
Yes. Customisation on a core only pays off if your process really is different. If it is not, a standard package is cheaper and faster.
What this comparison is based on
Public information from suppliers and implementation partners, October 2026. Exact, AFAS, Odoo and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central are trademarks of their respective owners. If you see something that is not right, please let us know and we will correct it.
NEXERA Core
Compare using your own documents.
Bring an order, a delivery note and an invoice. We show how they run through NEXERA Core, and tell you honestly if a standard package is a better fit.