# Carbon vs. SAP Business One

> SAP Business One is a small-business ERP built around financials and distribution; real manufacturing depth comes from add-ons like Beas and Produmex. Carbon is manufacturing-native — ERP, MRP, MES and QMS on one data model — with no VAR, no add-on stack, and pricing you can read.

## Scope & fit

| | Carbon | SAP Business One |
| --- | --- | --- |
| What it is | Manufacturing ERP + MRP + MES + QMS | SMB ERP; manufacturing via add-ons |
| Built for | Discrete manufacturers, from prototype to rate production | SMB distribution and light or mixed manufacturing |
| Manufacturing on one model | Native — one record | Beas / Produmex add-ons, separate licenses |

## Manufacturing depth

| | Carbon | SAP Business One |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Shop-floor execution (MES) | Yes | Not native — third-party MES |
| Quality (QMS) | Nonconformance, calibration, first-article | Basic; real QMS via Beas add-on |
| MRP & live capacity planning | Updates as the floor reports | Basic MRP; finite scheduling via Beas |
| Product configurator (CPQ) | Parametric BoM, routing and price | Not native (add-on) |
| Serial & batch traceability | Full genealogy, built in | Serial or batch — not both per item |
| 3D CAD / STEP viewer | Yes | No |

## Platform & ownership

| | Carbon | SAP Business One |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Deployment | Cloud or self-host | On-prem or partner-hosted cloud |
| Full ownership of the code | Yes — the entire codebase is yours | No — proprietary |
| API coverage | Full backend over REST — every table | Service Layer REST/OData (capable) |
| AI / agent-ready (MCP) | Hosted MCP over the full backend, read & write | No first-party AI/MCP; third-party bridges |
| ITAR / GovCloud / CMMC | ITAR, GovCloud & CMMC / NIST 800-171 ready | Via partner / hosting config |

## Getting started

| | Carbon | SAP Business One |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Implementation | Self-serve; live in days | VAR-led; weeks to months |
| Pricing | $40–$100 / user / mo, published | No public price; VAR-quoted |

## Where SAP Business One still fits

SAP Business One is a proven, globally supported all-in-one for small and mid-size distributors and light manufacturers that value SAP's ecosystem and a large VAR network. If deep, native production is the priority, Carbon puts it on one model instead of an add-on stack.

## You may be outgrowing SAP Business One if…

- **Manufacturing means another license.** Beas for the floor, Produmex for the warehouse, each with its own support. Carbon puts MES, MRP and QMS on the same model as your orders and ledger.
- **You can't get a price without a VAR.** B1 is quoted through a reseller. Carbon's pricing is public and starts at $40 per user per month, with a 30-day free trial.
- **The interface feels its age.** B1's classic UI is training-heavy. Carbon is a modern web app your team can pick up without a course.

## Why manufacturers choose Carbon

- **Manufacturing-first, not finance-first.** SAP Business One starts from distribution and financials; the factory arrives as add-ons like Beas and Produmex. Carbon starts from the part and the process, with the ledger built on top of real production.
- **Open and API-first.** Business One exposes itself through the DI API and Service Layer, with real depth arriving via add-ons. Carbon puts the whole backend — every table — on an open REST API and MCP, self-hostable, so the best agents work against your live data.
- **Live capacity planning.** In Business One, planning depth comes from add-ons like Beas. Carbon's finite capacity and demand are built in and update the moment the floor reports progress.
- **No VAR, no add-on stack.** Business One is bought and implemented through a reseller, then extended with a stack of licensed add-ons. Carbon is self-serve: start free for 30 days on published, per-user pricing.

Start a 30-day free trial at https://app.carbon.ms, see pricing at https://carbon.ms/pricing, or read the source at https://github.com/crbnos/carbon.