Subscription (SaaS) WMS vs on-premise WMS
A subscription WMS runs on the vendor's servers for a monthly fee, so you buy no servers and get updates without an upgrade project. On-premise suits companies that must keep data on their own hardware, need changes to the code itself, or run sites without reliable internet. For most single-company warehouses, a subscription costs less to start.
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| Topic | Subscription (SaaS) WMS | On-premise WMS |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | Setup and training. No server purchase. | Licence, servers and installation, usually paid before go-live. |
| Ongoing cost | A monthly fee, usually set by plan and number of users. | Annual maintenance, plus IT staff time and hardware replacement. |
| Who runs the servers | The vendor. | Your IT team or a hosting partner. |
| Updates | Released by the vendor to every customer. | Planned upgrade projects that companies often postpone. |
| Internet connection | Needed at each site. | Can run on the local network alone. |
| Customisation | Settings and optional modules. Code changes are rare. | Code changes are possible, and they make later upgrades harder. |
| Data location | On vendor infrastructure under contract. | On hardware you control. |
| Adding users or sites | Change the plan or add seats. | May need more licences and hardware. |
When on-premise is the better fit
On-premise makes sense when a contract or regulator requires data on your own hardware, when you need the vendor to change the code for you, or when a site has no dependable internet connection.
It also suits companies that already run their own data centre and have staff to patch, back up and upgrade the system.
Comparing cost over time
Compare five years, not the first invoice. On-premise adds servers, backups, operating system licences, maintenance fees and the IT time to run them. A subscription folds most of that into the monthly fee.
Count upgrades too. An on-premise system that skips upgrades for years usually needs a larger project later to catch up.
How Waresify is sold
Waresify is a subscription WMS with three tiers. Core includes 5 seats and 1 warehouse, Professional includes 10 seats and up to 3 warehouses, and Enterprise includes 20 seats with no warehouse limit. Extra seats can be added one at a time. Prices are not public yet.
The browser app runs on the computers you already have, and the scanner app runs on iOS and Android. Optional modules are switched on per company within your tier. Waresify launches in 2027.
Questions
How is my data kept apart from other customers' data?
Ask any vendor this before signing. In Waresify, every record carries the ID of the company it belongs to, and the database limits each company to its own rows.
What happens if the internet goes down?
A hosted WMS needs a connection for the server to check each scan. If an outage would stop shipping, plan a backup connection such as a mobile data router.
How much does Waresify cost?
Prices are not public yet. The three tiers differ by included seats, warehouses and the optional modules available. Waresify launches in 2027.