MYOB ERP Showdown – Acumatica vs Exo
Choosing the right ERP system is one of the most important decisions you’ll make for your business. MYOB offers two solid platforms—Exo and Acumatica—but they serve very different purposes in today’s digital landscape.
So how do you know if it’s time to transition?
A Practical Guide for Businesses Planning Their ERP Future
Here’s a quick decision framework:
| Consideration | MYOB Exo | MYOB Acumatica |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment | On-premise (can be hosted): MYOB Exo is traditionally installed on your own servers or private infrastructure, giving you direct control but also requiring in-house IT support, ongoing maintenance, and infrastructure investment. | Cloud-native (SaaS): MYOB Acumatica is delivered as a true cloud service, eliminating the need for physical servers, simplifying deployment, and allowing for effortless updates, scaling, and secure, remote access for your team. |
| Mobility | Limited: Exo’s mobility options are restricted and often rely on third-party add-ons or remote connections, making real-time, on-the-go access challenging for distributed or field-based teams. | Full mobile apps: Acumatica includes dedicated mobile applications and a responsive browser experience, enabling users to manage tasks, approve workflows, view reports, and collaborate from any device, anywhere. |
| Intercompany | Workarounds required: Exo handles intercompany transactions and consolidation through custom processes and manual steps, which can be time-consuming and prone to errors. | Seamless intercompany reporting: Acumatica’s architecture supports native intercompany transactions, automated eliminations, and consolidated real-time group reporting across multiple entities straight out of the box. |
| Industry Fit | Inventory-heavy: Exo is best suited for organisations with straightforward inventory or wholesale distribution needs, especially where IT teams are comfortable managing and customising the platform. | Broad, incl. services, govt, manufacturing: Acumatica offers purpose-built editions tailored for a wide range of industries, such as services, government, non-profits, manufacturing, and multi-entity organisations, providing modern features for complex requirements. |
| Multi-currency | Basic: Exo’s multi-currency support is limited and often requires manual workarounds for international operations or group consolidation. | Strong international support: Acumatica delivers advanced, automated multi-currency management—including real-time exchange rates, currency revaluation, and country-specific compliance—makes it ideal for businesses with global reach. |
| Licensing | Upfront & ALF: Exo requires significant upfront investment in software licenses and ongoing annual licence fees, often making scaling costly and administratively intensive. | Subscription-based: Acumatica’s subscription model means you only pay for the resources, users, and modules you use, making budgeting straightforward and scaling efficient as your needs change. |
| Customisation | High but complex: Exo provides flexibility for deep customisation, but setup and ongoing management frequently require technical specialists or external consultants, which can slow response to business change. | Configurable with automation: Acumatica empowers users to configure workflows, dashboards, and automation rules through intuitive interfaces, balancing powerful customisation with ease of use and rapid deployment. |
| Upgrades | Manual: Exo upgrades must be planned, scheduled, and executed by your IT team, often causing downtime and requiring post-upgrade troubleshooting—especially in highly customised environments. |
Automatic (SaaS model): Acumatica delivers regular, automated updates via the cloud. New features, security patches, and compliance enhancements are rolled out seamlessly—no manual intervention needed, so your business always stays current. |
Who stands to benefit most from Acumatica?
- Enterprises managing multiple business entities, subsidiaries, or branches needing consolidated group reporting and seamless intercompany transactions—with streamlined workflows across the entire group
- Teams with frequent travel, hybrid arrangements, or distributed operations that require secure, real-time system access via mobile devices and web browsers, supporting decision-making from anywhere
- Growth-focused companies seeking a cloud-based, modular ERP that can scale flexibly with changing needs—offering automation, integrated analytics, and robust industry-specific functions without the complexity of legacy upgrades or maintenance routines
Ready to move beyond MYOB Exo? There’s never been a better time to see how MYOB Acumatica can set your business up for long-term success. MYOB Acumatica is engineered for forward-thinking companies, providing a future-proof platform that evolves with changing technologies and regulatory landscapes. By investing in continuous product innovation, MYOB Acumatica empowers your team with the flexibility, transparency, and powerful capabilities you need to thrive both now and in the years ahead.
Curious what MYOB Acumatica can do for your business? Connect with our team to schedule a personalised demo or receive customised pricing. We’ll help you map MYOB Acumatica’s strengths to your strategic priorities, address industry-specific questions, and ensure a smooth, future-ready ERP transition.
