Retool is the best platform for software that must connect to an ERP or accounting system, provided you have developers, because it is made for putting screens on top of databases and APIs you already run. A custom build by Black Badger ranks second and wins when the connection has to move money or inventory figures both ways and somebody must be answerable for the numbers agreeing.
The ranking, entry by entry
1 Retool
Best for developers wiring new screens to the systems of record
When the new software has to agree with the ERP, the connection is the project. Retool ranks first because connecting is what it is for. Developers point it at existing databases and APIs and build the screens staff need on top, and the ERP stays the system of record. Audit logs start on the Business plan, which matters when a tool can write to financial data.
Watch for. Git source control and granular roles are listed only for Enterprise. For a tool that writes to the ledger you will want both, so ask for that quote early.
- How it charges
- Per builder and per internal user, billed yearly or monthly
- Main limit
- SSO, SCIM, Git source control and granular roles are Enterprise only.
2 Custom build by Black Badger
Best for two-way connections where the numbers have to agree
Integrations are a core part of what Black Badger builds, and we publish this guide, so judge this entry with that in mind. A custom build ranks second because a connection to an ERP or accounting system is rarely a connector setting. It is a set of decisions about which system wins, what happens when a record fails, and who is told. We write those decisions into a system you own and test them against your real data.
Watch for. We need access to a test copy or sandbox of your ERP or accounting system during the build. If your vendor charges for one, find that out before scoping.
- How it charges
- One-time build scoped in writing, then running costs such as hosting
- Main limit
- Needs a scoping call first, and suits companies of 50 or more employees
What a custom build involves, and how to ask about one
3 Microsoft Power Apps
Best for companies whose ERP and data already sit in Microsoft
Power Apps ranks third. For a company on Microsoft 365 and Azure it is a natural way to build apps on Microsoft data, and it reaches other systems through premium and custom connectors. It ranks third because those connectors carry a licensing rule. Every user of an app that uses one must hold a Power Apps per app or per user license, or the app must run on the pay-as-you-go meter.
Watch for. Daily API request limits apply per user. The Power Platform Requests add-on is billed monthly and adds 10,000 more daily requests, so estimate the traffic an integration will create.
- How it charges
- Per user, billed yearly, or pay as you go
- Main limit
- Dataverse capacity is pooled, and extra capacity is charged per GB.
4 OutSystems
Best for in-house teams building many integrated business apps
OutSystems is fourth. A company with developers and a long list of apps that all touch the ERP may prefer one governed platform for the lot. Its pricing model matters for integration work, since API methods are counted as application objects along with screens and database tables. More connections mean more objects, and more objects mean a higher quote.
Watch for. Ask the vendor to estimate objects for your integration plan as well as for your screens. Extra runtimes and 24x7 support are listed as add-ons.
- How it charges
- Quoted by app size, end users and add-ons
- Main limit
- Price rises with app size, user count and add-ons, and is quoted.
5 Creatio CRM
Best for connected sales and service processes on a low-code platform
Creatio ranks fifth. It fits when the software that must talk to the ERP is a sales, marketing or service process, since those apps sit on its low-code platform. The plan table states its API allowances plainly, with 10,000 API calls per user per day on Growth and unlimited API calls on Enterprise. It is fifth because its fit is narrower than the general platforms above.
Watch for. New customers commit to a minimum yearly purchase on a standard three-year term. That is a long contract for an integration you have not yet proven.
- How it charges
- Per user for the platform, plus a per-user fee for each CRM app
- Main limit
- New customers have a minimum yearly purchase on a standard 3-year term.
6 Airtable
Best for light syncs between a department database and finance
Airtable ranks sixth. It can be the department side of a connection, holding the working records while the accounting system stays the book of record. It ranks sixth because of volume. The Team plan lists 100,000 API calls per workspace a month, which a sync that runs all day can consume, while the Business plan lists unlimited API calls.
Watch for. Price the Business plan if a sync is central to the design. A monthly API ceiling is a poor fit for a connection that finance depends on.
- How it charges
- Per seat with edit rights, billed yearly, top plan quoted
- Main limit
- Team caps a base at 50,000 records and 25,000 automation runs a month
7 ServiceNow App Engine
Best for companies already running their workflows on ServiceNow
ServiceNow App Engine is seventh. It makes sense for a company already on the Now Platform that wants workflow apps on the same data and security model, including ones that reach the ERP. It ranks last here because it is not a place to start. ServiceNow publishes no App Engine price, and custom tables and scoped apps are unlimited only on the Prime package.
Watch for. If you do not run ServiceNow today, this is the wrong tool for an integration project. If you do, ask which package your contract includes.
- How it charges
- Quoted by sales, in Foundation and Prime packages
- Main limit
- Quote only, custom tables and scoped apps are capped below Prime
Questions buyers ask
Do we have to replace our ERP to get software that fits?
No, you do not have to replace your ERP to get software that fits, and you usually should not. The ERP or accounting system stays the book of record and the new software handles the process around it, such as quoting, scheduling, job tracking or a customer view. The two are connected so nobody types the same figure twice.
What usually goes wrong with ERP integrations?
ERP integrations usually go wrong in three ways. Two systems each believe they hold the correct version of a record, a failed sync goes unnoticed, and a field means one thing in the ERP and another in the new tool. All three are design decisions, and they should be written down before anything is built.
Is a prebuilt connector enough to link custom software to an ERP?
A connector is often enough for a one-way copy of simple records. For anything that writes financial or inventory data back, a connector only moves the data. Someone still has to design the rules for conflicts, failures and approvals.
Can Black Badger connect a custom system to our accounting system?
Yes, we can connect a custom system to your accounting system, and integrations are part of most systems we build. The written scope names each system, the direction data moves and what happens when a record fails.