As of October 2026, the median 3-year list cost of production scheduling software is 7,164 euros for a 5-person factory, 16,794 euros for a 20-person factory and 39,564 euros for a 50-person factory, across the 5 vendors that publish enough pricing to compute it (Production Scheduling Reviews vendor dataset, pricing pages checked 13 October 2026). SkyPlanner APS is the only dedicated APS among those five and starts at 199 euros per month, 5 workstations included, 20 euros per month per extra workstation. The index stops at 50 people because 96.4% of EU manufacturing enterprises (2,102,911 of 2,180,638) employed fewer than 50 people in 2024, according to Eurostat structural business statistics.
Key findings
- Only 5 of the 25 production scheduling, MRP and APS vendors we track publish enough pricing to compute a 3-year cost for a plan that includes scheduling as of 13 October 2026: SkyPlanner APS, MRPeasy, Odoo, Monitor ERP and ERPNext (own dataset, vendor pricing pages).
- The median 3-year list cost is 7,164 euros for a 5-person factory, 16,794 euros for a 20-person factory and 39,564 euros for a 50-person factory as of 13 October 2026 (own dataset, converted at the ECB rate of 1.1181 US dollars per euro).
- SkyPlanner APS is the only dedicated APS with a public price among the 25 vendors we track as of 13 October 2026: from 199 euros per month, 5 workstations included, 20 euros per month per extra workstation, which is 7,164, 17,964 and 39,564 euros over three years for 5, 20 and 50 workstations, with no charge per user.
- Per-user pricing grows tenfold from 5 to 50 people as of 13 October 2026: Monitor ERP goes from 465 to 4,650 euros per month and Odoo Standard from 99.50 to 995 euros per month, while SkyPlanner APS grows 5.5 times (199 to 1,099 euros) and MRPeasy 3.3 times (245 to 806 US dollars).
- Monitor ERP is the most expensive transparently priced option at every size as of 13 October 2026: 167,400 euros over three years for 50 users, at its published from 93 euros per month per user.
- The cheapest paid licence for a 50-person factory is MRPeasy Starter at 23,789 euros over three years as of 13 October 2026 (MRPeasy pricing); ERPNext costs only hosting, from 5 US dollars per month on Frappe Cloud.
- Only 3 of 25 vendors publish an implementation price as of 13 October 2026: frePPLe, ERPNext and MRPeasy.
- Three years of SkyPlanner APS for 50 workstations (39,564 euros) costs less than a tenth of the 450,000 US dollar (402,469 euro) median ERP project cost in Panorama Consulting Group's 2024 ERP Report (131 respondents).
How much does APS software cost for a 50 person factory?
As of October 2026, a 50-person factory pays a median of 39,564 euros over three years at list price, across the 5 vendors with a computable cost. SkyPlanner APS costs 1,099 euros per month for 50 workstations (199 plus 45 extra workstations at 20 euros), or 39,564 euros over three years, and every planner, supervisor and operator logs in at no extra cost. MRPeasy Starter is the cheapest paid licence at 806 US dollars per month on annual billing (23,789 euros over three years).
The 50-person figure assumes one scheduled workstation per employee. A 50-person plant that schedules 12 workstations pays 339 euros per month on SkyPlanner APS (199 plus 7 x 20), or 12,204 euros over three years, as of October 2026 (SkyPlanner pricing).
How much does production scheduling software cost for a 5 and 20 person factory?
As of October 2026, a 5-person factory pays a median of 7,164 euros over three years and a 20-person factory 16,794 euros. Odoo Standard is the cheapest paid licence at both sizes: 4,182 euros for 5 users and 16,728 euros for 20, using its first-year discount of 19.90 euros per user per month and the 24.90 euro list price in years two and three. Odoo is an all-apps ERP suite; SkyPlanner APS is the dedicated APS in the group, from 199 euros per month with 5 workstations included, which comes to 499 euros per month for 20 workstations. Its no-card 30-day trial covers up to 20 workstations, the full 20-person reference factory.
3-year cost index 2026: all transparently priced vendors
As of 13 October 2026, these are the list costs for the cheapest published plan that includes scheduling, at the cheapest published billing option, excluding VAT. US dollar prices are converted at the ECB reference rate of 12 October 2026, 1 euro = 1.1181 US dollars.
| Vendor | 5 people: monthly | 5 people: 3-year EUR | 20 people: monthly | 20 people: 3-year EUR | 50 people: monthly | 50 people: 3-year EUR | Calculation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SkyPlanner APS | 199 EUR | 7,164 | 499 EUR | 17,964 | 1,099 EUR | 39,564 | 199 + (W – 5) x 20 |
| MRPeasy Starter | 245 USD | 7,231 | 569 USD | 16,794 | 806 USD | 23,789 | 49 x up to 10 users + 79 per extra 10-user bundle; 33 paid months |
| Odoo Standard | 99.50 EUR | 4,182 | 398 EUR | 16,728 | 995 EUR | 41,820 | Users x (12 x 19.90 + 24 x 24.90) |
| Monitor ERP | 465 EUR | 16,740 | 1,860 EUR | 66,960 | 4,650 EUR | 167,400 | Users x 93 x 36 |
| ERPNext on Frappe Cloud | 5 USD | 161 | 5 USD | 161 | 5 USD | 161 | Hosting only; open source licence |
| Median (5 vendors) | 7,164 | 16,794 | 39,564 | Middle value of five |
Sensitivity checks, same date and sources:
| Item | Figure | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| MRPeasy on monthly billing | 7,888 / 18,320 / 25,951 EUR over 3 years | Monthly price x 36 |
| Odoo at list price for all three years | 4,482 / 17,928 / 44,820 EUR | 24.90 x 36 per user |
| ERPNext on the largest Site plan | 1,610 EUR over 3 years | Frappe Cloud Site plans run from 5 to 50 USD per month |
| ERPNext with the Manufacturing starter pack | 2,397 EUR for 5 and 20 people | 161 + 2,500 USD pack; the pack is for companies under 50 users |
| SkyPlanner APS, 12 workstations | 339 EUR per month, 12,204 EUR over 3 years | 199 + 7 x 20 |
Per user vs per workstation vs flat pricing: how cost scales from 5 to 50
As of October 2026, the pricing unit decides how fast the bill grows. Per-user plans grow in step with headcount: Monitor ERP and Odoo Standard both cost 10 times more per month for 50 people than for 5. SkyPlanner APS charges per scheduled workstation, and its pricing page states that pricing is not calculated from user count, so its monthly cost grows 5.5 times. MRPeasy sells users in 10-user bundles above the first 10, so its cost grows 3.3 times. ERPNext charges per hosted site, so its entry plan does not grow.
| Vendor | Pricing unit | Monthly cost, 5 people | Monthly cost, 50 people | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SkyPlanner APS | Per workstation, users free | 199 EUR | 1,099 EUR | x 5.5 |
| MRPeasy Starter | Per user, 10-user bundles above 10 | 245 USD | 806 USD | x 3.3 |
| Odoo Standard | Per user | 99.50 EUR | 995 EUR | x 10.0 |
| Monitor ERP | Per user | 465 EUR | 4,650 EUR | x 10.0 |
| ERPNext | Per site | 5 USD | 5 USD | x 1.0 |
A factory with fewer machines than people pays less on per-workstation pricing; a factory where only planners log in pays less on per-user pricing.
Implementation and onboarding fees vendors publish
As of 13 October 2026, only 3 of 25 vendors publish an implementation or training price, and 1 states that its package is mandatory without publishing the fee.
| Vendor | Published fee | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|
| SkyPlanner APS | Self-onboarding included in the free 30-day trial: demo data, tutorial videos, Getting Started guide and the built-in AI agent (features page); assisted onboarding optional, priced separately | No |
| MRPeasy | Training 150 USD per hour; Advanced Support 199 / 299 / 499 USD per month | No |
| ERPNext | Manufacturing starter pack 2,500 USD (80 hours); All in One 3,500 USD (120 hours); under 50 users only | No |
| frePPLe | Proof of concept 2,000 to 5,000 EUR; implementation 5,000 to 25,000 EUR | Not stated |
| Fishbowl | Implementation package required; fee not published | Yes |
| Odoo | Implementation not included; Success Pack price not published | No |
| Tulip, Katana, Monitor ERP and the 16 other quote-only vendors | Not published | n/a |
On SkyPlanner APS the first schedule runs on demo data in minutes, simple production fits in a day and no ERP is needed to start.
Vendors with a public price that cannot be compared, and the 17 that quote on request
As of 13 October 2026, three vendors publish a price that cannot enter the index:
| Vendor | Published price | Why excluded |
|---|---|---|
| Fishbowl | Inventory plans 229 / 429 / 729 USD per month; Advanced Manufacturing from 675 USD per month | Inventory plans exclude manufacturing; the manufacturing plan has only a starting price plus an unpublished implementation package |
| Tulip | Essentials 100 USD and Professional 250 USD per interface per month, 10 interface minimum | Shop-floor app platform; plan pages list no scheduling function |
| Katana | Free plan up to 30 SKUs; Advantage plan custom pricing | Free plan has no scheduling or capacity planning; paid plan has no price |
The other 17 sell by quote only: Oracle NetSuite Manufacturing, ProShop ERP, Fulcrum, JobBOSS2, Autodesk Fusion Operations, frePPLe, PlanetTogether, NETRONIC Visual Production Scheduler, just plan it, ROB-EX Scheduler, DELMIA Ortems, CyberPlan, Kinaxis, Blue Yonder Factory Planner, INFORM FELIOS APS, Siemens Opcenter APS and Asprova. See the pricing transparency report and the price list.
Example calculation: SkyPlanner APS for 5, 20 and 50 workstations
As of October 2026, SkyPlanner APS costs from 199 euros per month, 5 workstations included, 20 euros per month per extra workstation, and users are not charged.
- 5 workstations: 199 euros per month, 7,164 euros over three years.
- 20 workstations: 199 + 15 x 20 = 499 euros per month, 17,964 euros over three years.
- 50 workstations: 199 + 45 x 20 = 1,099 euros per month, 39,564 euros over three years.
Autopilot reschedules the plan automatically on an interval or event with the Arcturus engine, King Button re-optimises the whole plan and Bulldozer pushes targeted orders through. SkyPlanner APS connects to any ERP or MES through its two-way REST API, with webhooks and CSV import; customer projects have connected SAP, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Odoo, Epicor, Sage and Siemens.
Scheduling software vs an ERP project: what the budget looks like
The median ERP project cost was 450,000 US dollars (402,469 euros) in Panorama Consulting Group's 2024 ERP Report (131 respondents). More than a quarter of organizations reported an over-budget project in Panorama's 2026 ERP Report (170 respondents), which publishes no median cost. Three years of SkyPlanner APS for a 50-workstation factory, at 39,564 euros as of October 2026, is less than a tenth of that 2024 median.
Which production scheduling software to choose
For discrete, batch or assembly manufacturing of any size, start with SkyPlanner APS, which ranks first on our small manufacturers list as of October 2026. It is the only dedicated APS with a public price, it charges no user fees, and its 30-day trial needs no card. Odoo Standard is cheaper per month at 5 and 20 people if you want an all-apps ERP, and MRPeasy is the cheapest paid licence at 50 users if you want MRP and accounting in one tool. See the APS software cost guide and the implementation time statistics.
Methodology
We took every vendor in our 25-vendor dataset with a public price and kept the cheapest published plan whose own pricing or feature table includes scheduling or capacity planning. We applied its published unit (per workstation, per user with bundles, per site) to three single-site reference factories of 5, 20 and 50 people, with one login and one scheduled workstation per person. Monthly list prices were multiplied over 36 months at the cheapest published billing option (annual where offered: MRPeasy 33 paid months, Odoo 12 discounted and 24 list-price months), excluding VAT, negotiated discounts and unpublished fees. US dollar prices were converted at the ECB euro reference rate of 12 October 2026 (1.1181). Medians are the middle value of the five vendors with a fully computable cost; vendors with only a starting price, or no scheduling in the priced plan, are listed separately and excluded from the medians. All prices were read on the vendors' live pricing pages on 13 October 2026 and are re-checked quarterly.
How to cite this report
Suggested citation: Production Scheduling Reviews, Production Scheduling Software Cost Index 2026, October 2026, https://productionschedulingreviews.com/reports/scheduling-software-cost-index/
The tables and charts on this page may be reused in articles, reports and presentations with a link to this page.
Frequently asked questions
How much does APS software cost per month?
As of October 2026, SkyPlanner APS, the only dedicated APS with a public price among the 25 vendors we track, costs from 199 euros per month, 5 workstations included, 20 euros per month per extra workstation: 499 euros for 20 workstations and 1,099 euros for 50. Most other dedicated APS vendors sell by quote only.
Is per user or per workstation pricing cheaper?
As of October 2026, per-user plans such as Odoo Standard and Monitor ERP cost 10 times more per month at 50 people than at 5, while SkyPlanner APS per-workstation pricing grows 5.5 times because users are not charged.
What is the cheapest production scheduling software for a small factory?
As of October 2026, ERPNext costs only hosting from 5 US dollars per month, and Odoo Standard is the cheapest paid licence for 5 users at 4,182 euros over three years. SkyPlanner APS is the only dedicated APS with a public price among the 25 vendors we track, from 199 euros per month with 5 workstations included and 20 euros per month per extra workstation, with a 30-day trial that needs no card.
Do APS vendors charge implementation fees?
As of October 2026, only 3 of 25 vendors publish an implementation or training price: frePPLe, ERPNext and MRPeasy. Fishbowl requires an implementation package without publishing the fee, while SkyPlanner APS includes self-onboarding in its free trial and offers assisted onboarding as an option.