Exact Online

Overview

Exact Online is a cloud business suite that combines accounting and CRM with tools for manufacturing, wholesale and professional services. It is best suited to companies that want finance and industry operations in one online package. Its breadth is a strength, but the right package and its cost need to be weighed against a simpler accounting need.

Key features

Accounting and CRM are included across the products. Online accounting adds bank feeds and invoicing, so it covers routine finance work alongside customer records. For accountancy firms, the Professional plan adds administration management and collaboration with clients; businesses managing only their own accounts may not need those practice-oriented tools.

Wholesale packages combine order management, relationship management and stock management. Manufacturing Essentials brings calculation, planning and production into the package. These operational functions make Exact Online more relevant than a bookkeeping-only product when finance and production or stock workflows need to sit together. Time & Billing pairs time tracking with invoicing and CRM, a practical fit for professional services businesses that bill for their work.

Users can work together online, and Exact says its accountancy solution supports collaboration between firms and clients. The service is delivered as an integrated online package, rather than a set of separately described deployment options.

Pricing

Exact Online is paid, with packages priced monthly excluding VAT; payments, including extensions, are made by direct debit. The entry figure is £25/user/mo. There is no free plan.

Most package prices use custom pricing. Exact for Accounting Essentials and Advanced both include online accounting, CRM, bank feeds and invoicing, but no price is shown for either, and the package descriptions do not establish what separates the tiers. They suit businesses looking for those core finance features, though buyers should compare the quoted terms before choosing.

Exact for Accountancy Professional costs £91 a month on a monthly subscription and adds administration management and client collaboration. It is the clearest fit for accountancy practices that need those functions; the price is a meaningful commitment for a business seeking only basic bookkeeping.

Wholesale Distribution Essentials, Plus and Professional all include order, relationship and stock management, with custom pricing. Their descriptions do not explain the tier differences, so a buyer cannot judge the upgrade path from the included features alone. Manufacturing Essentials also has custom pricing and includes calculation, planning and production. That is the stated manufacturing option, but its cost must be assessed against the value of bringing those workflows into the same system.

Platforms

Exact Online runs on the web and is cloud-deployed. Online access supports collaboration among users, but no other platform is specified.

Who it's for

Exact Online is a strong candidate for businesses in manufacturing, wholesale and professional services that want accounting and CRM alongside relevant operating tools. Around 675,000 companies use Exact Online, and Exact says 2,000 specialists are ready to help. It is less compelling for a small business that needs only straightforward accounting or requires a free plan; the broader package may be unnecessary, and its likely cost depends on the package and quote.

Pros and cons

Pro: Accounting and CRM appear across products, with bank feeds and invoicing in online accounting, giving finance teams a common foundation.

Pro: Wholesale and manufacturing options include stock, orders, planning and production functions, reducing the need to look for a separate industry package when those workflows matter.

Pro: Time & Billing brings time tracking, invoicing and CRM together for service businesses.

Con: There is no free plan, and most named packages have custom pricing, making it difficult to compare total costs before obtaining a quote.

Con: The published tier descriptions do not show what distinguishes Accounting Essentials from Advanced or the three wholesale tiers, limiting a buyer's ability to choose between them on features alone.

Alternatives

For manufacturing-focused buyers, MIE Trak Pro is another paid option, with pricing by quote and support for web, mobile, Windows and self-hosted platforms. Consider it when those platform choices matter. abas ERP is also paid and spans web, mobile, desktop, Linux and self-hosted environments; its implementation costs vary with users, process complexity, migration, functions and adjustments, so it suits buyers prepared to scope an implementation.

Epicor Kinetic offers cloud packages, concurrent-user licensing and industry bundles, which may suit a buyer who wants to select those elements. Monitor ERP System has a Monitor ERP cloud plan at €93 a month per user, described as a complete ERP solution with everything included in the monthly cost; choose it if that pricing structure and scope fit better than Exact's package-specific costs. MRP One has a free plan for one user, with caps of 12 workcenters, 15 workers, 25 active orders and 1 GB of database storage, so it is worth considering for a small operation that can stay within those limits.

MRPeasy is a paid alternative with a free trial and a Starter plan at $49 a month per user; annual billing offers one month free, and pricing changes from the 11th user. It may suit a buyer whose requirements and user count fit those terms. Adiasoft Production Software has a free plan capped at 100 internal-control documents per month, one branch and two users, with no tax-valid invoicing; it is an option for a small operation that can accept those limits. NETVIBES is another paid option, with a free plan and support for web, mobile and self-hosted platforms.

Compare Exact Online with production planning software, manufacturing accounting software, SaaS accounting software, manufacturing ERP software, cost accounting software and ERP software if the deciding need is a particular workflow or category rather than Exact Online's combined package.

Verdict

Choose Exact Online if your company needs accounting and CRM alongside manufacturing, wholesale or service-business tools, and you want those functions delivered together in a cloud package. Its main advantage is that span across finance and operations; its main reason to look elsewhere is the absence of a free plan and custom pricing across most named packages, especially when your needs are limited to basic accounting.