There is no single price for an ERP in Lebanon. The cost depends on the modules you need, the number of users, branches and POS terminals, the data you migrate, the training, the hardware, and the support over the years. The smart way to compare is the total cost over three years, not the first invoice. This guide lists the cost drivers and the questions to ask every vendor.
The main cost drivers
| Driver | What it changes | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Modules | Accounting only costs less than accounting, POS, stock, CRM, HR and e-commerce together. | Which modules do I actually need on day one? |
| Users | Many systems charge per named or concurrent user. | Do cashiers count as full users? |
| Branches and POS terminals | Each branch and till can add licences, hardware and setup. | Is a new branch a settings change or a new project? |
| Data migration | Moving customers, balances, stock and history takes skilled time. | Is migration included, and how much history? |
| Training | Cashiers, accountants and managers each need their part. | Is training in Arabic? Are there videos for new staff? |
| Hardware | Tills, printers, scanners, scales, label printers, power backup. | Can I keep my existing hardware? |
| Customisation | Special reports, workflows or integrations. | What is standard, and what is billed separately? |
| Support and updates | Yearly maintenance or a subscription that includes it. | What do I pay in year two and three? |
| Hosting | Cloud is included in some offers; on-premise needs a server and someone to run it. | Who pays for the server, backups and internet failover? |
Licence models, explained simply
- Subscription: you pay regularly; updates and hosting are often included. Lower start, ongoing cost.
- Perpetual licence plus maintenance: a large one-off payment, then a yearly maintenance fee for updates and support.
- Per user, per module or per branch: most vendors mix these. Make sure you understand which one grows as your business grows.
None of these is better in itself. What matters is what you pay in total and what is included. Our cloud vs on-premise comparison looks at the hosting side in more detail.
One-off costs people forget
- Data cleaning. Duplicate customers and dead items must be fixed before migration, by you or the vendor.
- Hardware for power cuts. UPS units for tills and network gear so a power cut does not stop sales.
- Labels and barcodes. Relabelling stock if your old codes are a mess.
- Staff time. Your team spends hours testing and learning. That time is a real cost.
- Running two systems. A short overlap while you reconcile the old and new books.
Hidden costs of foreign ERPs in Lebanon
International ERPs are strong products, and some Lebanese companies use them well. But the licence is often the smaller part of the bill. Watch for:
- Localisation. Lebanese chart of accounts, 11% VAT, USD and LBP side by side, and the statutory LBP view may need configuration or add-ons.
- Consultants by the hour. Implementation partners usually bill by the day or hour, and changes after go-live are billed too.
- Customisation that breaks on upgrade. Custom code may need rework every time the core product updates.
- Payroll. NSSF and Lebanese tax on salaries may not be in the standard product.
- Support across time zones and languages. Arabic help for cashiers is not always available.
- Payments in foreign currency by card, which some Lebanese companies find hard to arrange.
We compare one well-known option in our MAPOS vs Odoo guide.
Hidden costs of staying with cheap or old tools
- A POS that is not linked to accounting means someone re-types daily sales.
- Stock in Excel means stock-outs and dead stock you only find at year end.
- A POS that stops when the internet drops loses sales.
- VAT and payroll built in spreadsheets eat your accountant's hours every month.
These costs do not appear on any invoice, but you pay them every month.
A hypothetical example
Take a two-branch clothing shop in Jounieh. It might need: POS on three tills, stock with size and colour variants and transfers between branches, accounting with 11% VAT and USD/LBP, and payroll for a dozen staff. Its cost drivers are three tills, two branches, about five back-office users, migration of its customer list and stock, and training for cashiers. An online store would be another driver. A supermarket with ten tills and scales, or a distributor with van sales, would have a very different list. That is why a fair quote starts with your business, not a price list.
Running costs after go-live
The first year gets all the attention, but years two and three decide the real cost. Plan for:
- Support and updates. Either inside a subscription or as a yearly maintenance fee.
- Staff turnover. New cashiers need training every season. Recorded video guides in Arabic cost nothing per new hire; repeated on-site sessions do.
- Growth. A new branch, a new till or an online store. Find out now what each costs later.
- Change requests. A new report or approval step. Ask whether it is configuration or paid development.
Cost drivers by type of business
- Retail and fashion: number of tills, variants (size and colour), branch transfers, an online store on the same stock.
- Supermarkets: many tills, scale barcodes for weighed items, price checkers, loyalty, fast offline POS.
- Distributors: warehouses, van sales, field sales visits, price lists per customer, approvals on purchases.
- Service and project companies: quotations, projects, recurring invoices, maintenance job cards, fewer tills but more back-office users.
- Restaurants: tills, kitchen flow, recipes and stock of ingredients.
Each type stresses different parts of the system, which is why two quotes for "an ERP" can look nothing alike.
How to compare quotes side by side
Put every offer in the same table before you decide. Leave a cell empty if the vendor did not answer, and ask again.
| Item | Vendor A | Vendor B | Vendor C |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-off setup and migration | |||
| Licence or subscription, year 1 | |||
| Licence or subscription, years 2 and 3 | |||
| Training (and in which language) | |||
| Hardware you must buy | |||
| Expected customisation | |||
| Cost of one more branch or till | |||
| Total over three years |
The cheapest first invoice is often not the cheapest three years.
Checklist: questions to ask every ERP vendor
- What will I pay in total over three years, including support and updates?
- Which modules are included, and which are extra?
- How are users counted? Do cashiers cost the same as accountants?
- What does a new branch or a new till cost me later?
- Is data migration included? How much history?
- Is training included, in Arabic, and are there videos for new staff?
- Does the system handle 11% VAT, the Lebanese chart, USD and LBP, and NSSF payroll without add-ons?
- Does the POS keep selling without internet?
- Who do I call when something breaks, and in which language?
- What is billed as customisation?
- Can I export all my data if I leave?
- Can I speak to a current client in my sector?
Our software buying guide covers the selection process end to end.
How MAPOS quotes
MAPOS does not publish a price list, because two businesses rarely need the same thing. We quote per business, after a demo, based on the modules, branches and users you need. On the demo call we look at your activity, the tills and branches, the data to migrate from your old system or Excel, and who needs training.
What you get is built for Lebanon: the Lebanese chart of accounts with 11% VAT, USD and LBP on every document, NSSF payroll with editable rates, an offline-capable POS, bilingual video guides, and a full database backup you can download at any time, so you are never locked in. See the MAPOS Lebanon page for the full picture.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an ERP cost in Lebanon?
It depends on modules, users, branches, data migration, training, hardware and support. Compare the total cost over three years rather than the first invoice.
Is a cloud ERP cheaper than on-premise?
Cloud usually costs less to start because there is no server to buy or maintain. On-premise can make sense in some cases, but add the server, backups, power backup and IT time to its cost.
What are the hidden costs of an ERP?
Data cleaning, migration, training, hardware, customisation, consultants billed by the hour, and yearly support. Ask every vendor to put these in writing.
How much does MAPOS cost?
MAPOS is quoted per business based on modules, branches and users. Book a demo on WhatsApp (+961 71 725 270) and we will send a written quote.
Do I need to buy new hardware for an ERP?
Not always. Many existing printers, scanners and computers can be reused. Ask the vendor to check your current hardware before quoting.
Get a quote that fits your business. Contact us or message us on WhatsApp to book a demo.
