Both platforms publish starting prices — but what you actually pay in year one is 2–3x the sticker. Here's the real cost breakdown for 30-, 50-, and 100-person professional services firms.
Pricing queries are the highest-intent searches in the PSA evaluation process. Someone searching "bigtime psa pricing mid-market" or "netsuite psa pricing vs bigtime pricing" isn't browsing — they're building a budget. They're comparing platform costs to allocate implementation dollars and get buy-in from partners or a CFO. This page is built for that searcher.
We're comparing BigTime and Oracle NetSuite PSA across three dimensions: per-user and module pricing, fully-loaded year-one costs by firm size, and hidden implementation costs that don't appear in the sales quote. If you're between these two platforms and the budget conversation is holding up the decision, this page is for you.
| BigTime | NetSuite PSA | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Per-User Price | $39–$89/user/month | $150–$300/user/month |
| Base Platform Fee | Included in per-user | $1,000–$2,000/month |
| Project Management Module | Included (Professional+ tier) | Add-on — additional cost |
| Resource Management | Add-on — ~$15/user/month | Included in PSA bundle |
| Billing & Invoicing | Add-on — ~$15/user/month | Included |
| Financial Reporting / Project Accounting | Add-on — ~$15/user/month | Included (ERP core) |
| Annual Maintenance / Support | ~18–20% of license cost | ~22% of total contract value |
| Customization & API Access | Limited on lower tiers; full on Enterprise | Full access; requires NetSuite admin |
| Multi-Entity Support | Add-on; limited to Enterprise tier | Native (ERP core feature) |
| Price Transparency | Published starting rates; modules listed | Quote-only; highly negotiated |
| 50-Person Firm, Software-Only Cost/Month | $1,500–$4,500/month | $2,500–$7,500/month |
| 50-Person Firm, Software-Only Cost/Year | $18,000–$54,000/year | $30,000–$90,000/year |
NetSuite PSA's pricing is opaque by design. Oracle's sales cycle intentionally avoids published pricing — every deal is customized, and the final number depends heavily on negotiation, deal size, and whether you're working with a NetSuite account executive or a reseller partner. BigTime is more transparent but still requires a sales conversation to get a complete picture because module pricing and implementation tiers aren't fully disclosed on the website.
Software licensing is the smallest line item. Here's what firms actually pay in year one, fully loaded:
| Cost Category | BigTime — 30 Staff | BigTime — 50 Staff | BigTime — 100 Staff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Licensing (yr 1) | $14,000–$28,000 | $22,000–$45,000 | $45,000–$90,000 |
| Implementation Consulting | $6,000–$12,000 | $10,000–$20,000 | $20,000–$35,000 |
| Staff Training Time (lost utilization) | $4,000–$8,000 | $8,000–$14,000 | $14,000–$28,000 |
| Data Migration | $1,000–$3,000 | $2,000–$5,000 | $4,000–$10,000 |
| Dual-System Overhead (3–4 months) | $4,000–$8,000 | $7,000–$14,000 | $12,000–$25,000 |
| BigTime Year-One Total | $29,000–$59,000 | $49,000–$98,000 | $95,000–$188,000 |
| Cost Category | NetSuite PSA — 30 Staff | NetSuite PSA — 50 Staff | NetSuite PSA — 100 Staff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Licensing (yr 1) | $18,000–$36,000 | $30,000–$60,000 | $60,000–$120,000 |
| Implementation Consulting | $15,000–$30,000 | $25,000–$50,000 | $40,000–$80,000 |
| Staff Training Time (lost utilization) | $5,000–$10,000 | $10,000–$18,000 | $18,000–$35,000 |
| Data Migration + ERP Integration | $3,000–$8,000 | $5,000–$15,000 | $10,000–$25,000 |
| Dual-System Overhead (4–6 months) | $6,000–$12,000 | $10,000–$20,000 | $18,000–$35,000 |
| NetSuite PSA Year-One Total | $47,000–$96,000 | $80,000–$163,000 | $146,000–$295,000 |
BigTime implementations average $10,000–$20,000 for a 50-person firm, but customizations, integrations, and scope creep routinely push this to $30,000–$40,000. NetSuite PSA implementations start at $25,000 and regularly hit $50,000+ for mid-market firms. Both assume a clean data set and well-defined workflows — most firms discover neither is true during discovery.
Most implementations run 3–6 months of dual-system operation — the new platform alongside the old one. For a 50-person firm, this means project managers, finance staff, and principals splitting time between systems, losing 8–12 hours/week each in billing capacity. At a $125/hr blended rate, that's $30,000–$60,000 in unrealized revenue during the cutover — which never appears in the software budget.
Both BigTime and NetSuite PSA depend on consistent time entry to produce reliable margin reports. If your team doesn't log time accurately in the new system, the platform produces garbage data and the ROI case collapses. Firms that underestimate this risk end up spending 6–12 months post-launch trying to fix the behavioral problem — time that was supposed to be generating margin.
BigTime's support and maintenance runs 18–20% of the annual license cost annually. At $30,000/yr in licensing, that's $5,400–$6,000/yr in ongoing costs — and it increases every time you add users or modules. NetSuite PSA's annual maintenance is 22% of the total contract value. Budget for this in year two and beyond; it's not optional.
NetSuite PSA is a module within the broader NetSuite ERP ecosystem. If your firm already uses QuickBooks, Xero, or a legacy accounting system, integrating it with NetSuite is a separate project with its own budget, timeline, and consulting fees. Firms that don't plan for this find themselves with a new PSA that doesn't talk to their accounting system — which defeats much of the value.
Both platforms require at least one dedicated admin who owns the system — maintains rate tables, enforces time-entry workflows, manages user roles, and handles reporting. For a 30–50 person firm, this is rarely someone's full-time job. Firms that don't assign clear ownership see the platform's data quality degrade within 90 days of go-live, undermining the investment.
| BigTime @ 30 | BigTime @ 50 | BigTime @ 100 | NetSuite PSA @ 30 | NetSuite PSA @ 50 | NetSuite PSA @ 100 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software/Year | $14K–$28K | $22K–$45K | $45K–$90K | $18K–$36K | $30K–$60K | $60K–$120K |
| Implementation | $6K–$12K | $10K–$20K | $20K–$35K | $15K–$30K | $25K–$50K | $40K–$80K |
| Year-One Total | $29K–$59K | $49K–$98K | $95K–$188K | $47K–$96K | $80K–$163K | $146K–$295K |
| Requires Dedicated Admin? | Recommended | Yes | Yes (essential) | Yes | Yes (critical) | Yes (multi-person) |
| Multi-Entity Support | ~ Enterprise only | ~ Add-on required | ✓ Enterprise tier | ✓ Native | ✓ Native | ✓ Native |
| Annual Support Fee (Yr 2+) | $4K–$7K/yr | $6K–$12K/yr | $12K–$24K/yr | $6K–$10K/yr | $10K–$18K/yr | $18K–$36K/yr |
The scaling math favors BigTime at every firm size. NetSuite PSA's fixed base platform fee plus per-user costs compound faster, and its implementation costs at scale are 2–3x BigTime's. The exception: firms that genuinely need multi-entity financial consolidation, PE-backed multi-subsidiary reporting, or deep ERP integration — in those cases, NetSuite PSA's ERP core value justifies the premium. For firms in that position, the question isn't BigTime vs. NetSuite PSA — it's whether to go with NetSuite or a full Deltek deployment.
If your firm is in the 30–100 person range and the primary evaluation criteria is cost efficiency and time-to-value, BigTime wins on three pricing dimensions:
The case for NetSuite PSA is cost-justified only if: (a) you have 80+ staff with complex multi-entity reporting needs, (b) you already run NetSuite for financials and the PSA module is an add-on to an existing investment, or (c) PE/institutional ownership requires consolidated financial reporting across multiple entities. Otherwise, the pricing premium is hard to defend.
The Margin Diagnostic ($149, one-time) uploads 13 weeks of timesheet and billing data and delivers a full AI analysis: client profitability ranking, utilization trend, realization rate, and concentration flags. Use it to establish your baseline before signing an implementation contract — you'll negotiate from a stronger position and have concrete numbers to compare against the projected ROI from a BigTime or NetSuite deployment.
The exact 5 metrics that separate 40%+ margin firms from the rest — for professional services owners evaluating their ops stack.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Upload your existing timesheet data. Get a clear view of your project profitability — before you commit to a 3-month implementation.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
BigTime's published pricing runs approximately $39–$89/user/month depending on the module tier and add-ons selected. The Professional tier starts around $39/user/month; the Enterprise tier runs $69–$89/user/month. Actual costs rise when you add project management, resource management, advanced billing, or financial reporting modules — each carries an incremental fee. A 50-person firm on the Enterprise tier with billing and resource modules typically sees $3,500–$6,000/month in software costs alone before implementation, training, or support.
NetSuite PSA is significantly more expensive than BigTime at comparable firm sizes. NetSuite's PSA module is part of the broader NetSuite ERP suite — licensing starts at $1,000/month for the base platform, with the PSA module adding $150–$300/user/month on top. A 50-person firm on NetSuite PSA typically pays $2,500–$5,000/month in software alone, plus annual maintenance at 20–22% of the license cost. Implementation costs run 2–3x BigTime's. Year-one total for a 50-person firm: $80,000–$163,000 vs. BigTime's $49,000–$98,000.
Realistic year-one total for a 50-person firm is $49,000–$98,000 fully loaded. That includes software licensing ($22,000–$45,000/yr), implementation consulting ($10,000–$20,000), staff training time equivalent ($8,000–$14,000 in lost utilization), data migration ($2,000–$5,000), and dual-system overhead during 3–4 month parallel operation ($7,000–$14,000). The hidden costs most firms miss: utilization loss during the learning curve, and annual support fees starting in year two at 18–20% of the license cost.
BigTime scales at roughly $30–$70/user/month linearly with headcount. A 30-person firm pays $14,000–$28,000/yr; at 50 people, $22,000–$45,000/yr; at 100 people, $45,000–$90,000/yr. NetSuite PSA's fixed base platform fee plus $150–$300/user/month for the PSA module grows faster per-seat. At 100 employees, NetSuite PSA typically runs $146,000–$295,000/yr total. BigTime at 100 employees costs roughly half that at $95,000–$188,000/yr.
Five hidden costs come up most often. First: implementation consulting — budget $10,000–$20,000 for BigTime, $25,000–$50,000 for NetSuite PSA. Second: staff training time — 2–4 weeks of reduced utilization at $100–$150/hr equivalent. Third: data migration — especially painful if moving from QuickBooks, spreadsheets, or a legacy PSA. Fourth: dual-system operation — 3–6 months of parallel systems costing $7,000–$20,000 in reduced productivity. Fifth: annual support and maintenance fees (BigTime: ~18–20%; NetSuite: ~22%) and module expansion costs as the firm grows.