Striven ERP Review: Pricing, Features, Pros and Cons

Striven takes an ambitious approach to business software: instead of selling separate modules you bolt together, it bundles accounting, CRM, project management, HR, and inventory into a single cloud platform. For small and midsize businesses tired of juggling five or six different subscriptions, that pitch is compelling. And at $35 per user per month for the Standard plan (with a free tier available), it undercuts many competitors that charge separately for each function.

But “all-in-one” comes with trade-offs. The integration ecosystem is thin, there is no built-in payroll, and the learning curve can be steep when you are onboarding an entire organization onto a platform this broad. After examining the full feature set, pricing structure, and real-world feedback, we think Striven is a strong fit for a specific type of buyer, but not for everyone.

What Is Striven?

Striven is a cloud-based ERP platform developed by Miles IT (formerly Miles Technologies), headquartered in Lumberton, NJ. The parent company was founded by CEO Chris Miles, and Striven’s accounting features launched in 2016. Miles IT employs over 250 full-time staff and 250+ part-time remote employees, and was named one of USA Today’s Best Places to Work in 2025.

The platform is designed specifically for small and midsize businesses that want enterprise-level functionality without enterprise-level complexity or cost. Rather than offering a modular system where you purchase capabilities piecemeal, Striven includes all of its features on every plan and differentiates tiers by usage limits (record counts, custom fields, API calls, and entity types). It serves industries including construction, manufacturing, professional services, field services, nonprofits, consulting, IT services, legal, education, logistics, and property management.

Striven Key Features

Accounting and Financial Management

Striven’s accounting module is GAAP compliant and covers the essentials: general ledger, accounts receivable, accounts payable, budgeting, financial reporting, chart of accounts, expense claims, cost tracking, journal processing, and balance sheet management. It also supports multi-entity management, which is useful for businesses operating under multiple brands or legal entities.

Payment processing integrates with Stripe and Authorize.Net, and online banking syncs through Yodlee for automatic bank and credit card transaction matching. Invoice creation, subscription billing, point-of-sale, and transaction management round out the financial toolkit. The accounting capabilities are strong enough that businesses have migrated to Striven from standalone accounting tools to consolidate their operations.

CRM and Sales Management

The built-in CRM handles lead capture, qualification, and management alongside contact management, interaction tracking, and opportunity management. A visual sales funnel and pipeline management tools help sales teams track deals through stages. Marketing automation and email marketing features, including drip campaigns and email workflows, are included rather than requiring a separate marketing platform.

Additional CRM capabilities include referral tracking, client management, segmentation, and customizable branding. For service businesses that rely heavily on relationship management, having CRM natively connected to invoicing and project data eliminates the sync issues that plague multi-tool setups.

Project Management

Striven’s project management tools cover project creation and tracking, task assignment, real-time progress monitoring, and resource allocation. Dashboards are customizable, and the Standard plan offers unlimited employees, customers, tasks, projects, and dashboards. The Enterprise plan adds more project templates, custom fields, and columns.

Where the PM capabilities fall short is in advanced features like critical path management and Gantt-level scheduling. Businesses that need dedicated, sophisticated project management may find Striven’s tools adequate for coordination but not deep enough for complex project planning. If project management is your primary need, a dedicated PM tool will likely serve you better.

Inventory Management

The inventory module includes inventory tracking, purchase order management, barcode and ticket scanning, tagging, and bill-of-materials (BOM) analysis. Supply chain visibility and stock-level monitoring are built in, and because inventory connects directly to the accounting and purchasing modules, you avoid the manual reconciliation that comes with separate systems.

For manufacturing and distribution businesses, the integrated job costing and accounting functionality can speed up month-end close significantly. However, businesses with highly complex warehouse operations or multi-location logistics may need more specialized inventory management software.

HR Management

Striven includes human resources tools for employee management, though the scope is more administrative than strategic. It covers employee records, time tracking, and basic HR workflows. The Candidate Portal allows job applicants to interact with your hiring process directly, which is a useful feature for businesses doing regular recruiting.

The notable gap here is payroll. Striven does not offer built-in payroll processing; instead, it integrates with outsourced payroll providers. This is a frequent pain point, and multiple sources of feedback indicate that in-house payroll is one of the most requested features. If payroll integration is critical, you will need to factor in a third-party payroll service and confirm compatibility.

Customer, Vendor, and Candidate Portals

The external portal system is one of Striven’s standout features. Customer Portals let your clients view documents, review invoices, and make payments via credit card or ACH. Vendor Portals give suppliers visibility into purchase orders and communication. Candidate Portals support your hiring process by giving applicants a self-service interface.

These portals are priced separately on a monthly basis and scale based on the number of stakeholders, but they add genuine value for businesses that want to reduce email back-and-forth with clients and vendors. Few competing all-in-one platforms at this price point include portal functionality this polished.

Customization and Reporting

Striven offers custom lists, custom fields, configurable display and print formats, and custom reporting tools. Dashboards are fully customizable, and the platform includes business analytics capabilities. Dynamic feedback tools, external action triggers, and email automation allow you to build workflows tailored to your processes.

That said, report customization has limits. While the reporting tools handle standard business intelligence needs, they are not as flexible as what you would get from a dedicated BI tool or a more expensive ERP. The Enterprise plan raises the ceiling on custom fields, reports, and formats, which may be necessary for businesses with complex reporting requirements.

Field Service Management

Striven includes field service management capabilities, making it relevant for businesses that dispatch technicians or service teams. Combined with the calendar integration, scheduling tools, time zone tracking, and mobile accessibility, field teams can manage work orders and update job status from the field.

The platform is mobile responsive and accessible on Android, iPad, and iPhone, though the mobile experience is not as feature-rich as the desktop version. Field service businesses should test the mobile interface during the free trial to confirm it meets their on-site workflow needs.

Striven Pricing and Plans

Striven uses a per-user, per-month subscription model. Notably, Striven’s own website states you can “get access to all features for free” with “no trial period or credit card required,” indicating a freemium entry point. Beyond that, the most consistently cited paid pricing is as follows:

A $25/month surcharge applies for teams under five users. Portal plans (Customer, Vendor, and Candidate Portals) are priced separately on a monthly basis and scale based on stakeholder volume. There are also additional hosting fees that increase with user count.

One important distinction: the Standard and Enterprise plans do not differ by features. All features are available on every plan. The tiers differ by usage limits, including the number of records, entity types, custom fields, display/print formats, reports, and API usage. This is a more transparent approach than competitors that lock features behind higher tiers.

A 7-day free trial (test drive) is also available for those who want to explore the paid tiers before committing. Implementation costs vary; small businesses with 1-10 users should budget for initial setup, though Striven’s onboarding resources help offset this.

Integrations

Striven’s integration ecosystem is functional but limited compared to competitors like Odoo or Zoho. The confirmed native integrations include:

• Payment Processing: Stripe, Authorize.Net
• Productivity: Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Gmail
• Online Banking: Yodlee (bank and credit card transaction syncing)
• Shipping: ShipStation
• Authentication: Single Sign-On (SSO)

The vendor’s website references API connectivity, and paid plans include API usage allowances that scale by tier. However, the breadth of third-party integrations is one of Striven’s most commonly cited weaknesses. Businesses that rely on specific tools (particularly payroll providers, e-commerce platforms, or specialized industry software) should confirm integration availability before committing.

Calendar syncing with Google and Microsoft calendars is built in, and the platform includes internal chat, discussion boards, and document management. The philosophy here is clearly “do more inside Striven so you need fewer external tools,” but that only works if Striven’s native capabilities meet your needs in each area.

Customer Support

Customer support is arguably Striven’s greatest strength. The support team is 100% in-house and U.S.-based, which is unusual for software at this price point. Available channels include phone support (800-277-6989), live chat, email (via contact form), and a helpdesk ticketing system.

Phone support connects quickly, often in under a minute. The live chat connects to a human representative directly, with no AI chatbot intermediary. This alone sets Striven apart from many competitors that route support through automated systems before reaching a person.

Self-service resources include instructional guides, video tutorials, a community discussion board, and a Striven Certification program complete with a test system and quizzes. A premium support plan is available for businesses that need dedicated or prioritized assistance beyond the free basic support included with all plans.

Support quality is consistently praised across available feedback, with “World Class” being a descriptor that comes up repeatedly. For small businesses without dedicated IT staff, this level of accessible, responsive support is a significant factor in choosing an ERP.

Pros and Cons

Striven delivers genuine value as an all-in-one platform for SMBs, but it is not without limitations. Here is our assessment of where it excels and where it falls short.

Who Should Use Striven?

Best fit: Small to midsize businesses with 10 to 200 employees that want to consolidate accounting, CRM, project management, HR, and inventory into a single platform. Service-based and project-based businesses, particularly in construction, professional services, field services, IT consulting, nonprofits, and manufacturing, will get the most value.

Striven is especially well suited for companies currently running their operations across spreadsheets, QuickBooks, a separate CRM, and maybe a standalone project management tool. If you are paying for four or five subscriptions and spending time manually reconciling data between them, Striven can simplify that significantly.

The ideal Striven customer has at least one person (such as an in-house financial manager or operations lead) who can own the platform setup and configuration. The learning curve is real, and organizations that invest in proper onboarding will see much better results than those expecting plug-and-play simplicity.

Who should look elsewhere: Large enterprises with complex, multi-departmental needs will likely outgrow Striven’s limits. Businesses that depend on extensive third-party integrations (e-commerce platforms, specialized payroll, advanced BI tools) may find the integration ecosystem too restrictive. Freelancers and solopreneurs will find it more platform than they need; a simpler tool like FreshBooks or Wave would be a better fit. Companies that need built-in payroll should also evaluate alternatives carefully.

Striven Alternatives

Odoo

Odoo offers a more modular, open-source approach with a much larger library of apps and integrations. Its community edition is free, and the paid version starts competitively. Odoo provides greater customization depth and a broader integration ecosystem, but it can be more complex to configure and may require developer involvement. Choose Odoo if you need extensive third-party integrations or want granular control over which modules you deploy.

Zoho One

Zoho One bundles 45+ business applications (including CRM, Books, Projects, People, and Inventory) for $45/employee/month. It offers significantly more integrations and a mature ecosystem, but the experience of managing multiple Zoho apps can feel disjointed compared to Striven’s unified interface. Choose Zoho One if you want a broad app ecosystem with strong integration capabilities at a similar price point.

Acumatica

Acumatica targets mid-market businesses and offers deeper ERP functionality, particularly in manufacturing, distribution, and construction. It does not charge per user, instead pricing by resource consumption. Acumatica is more powerful and scalable but significantly more expensive and complex to implement. Choose Acumatica if you are a growing mid-market company that needs more advanced ERP capabilities than Striven provides.

NetSuite

Oracle NetSuite is the enterprise-grade option with deep financial management, supply chain, and global capabilities. It is substantially more expensive (typically $999+/month base plus per-user fees) and requires significant implementation investment. The feature depth and scalability are unmatched, but it is overkill for most SMBs. Choose NetSuite if you are scaling rapidly toward enterprise size and need a platform that will not cap out.

FreshBooks

FreshBooks is a simpler, more affordable option focused on accounting, invoicing, and time tracking. It lacks CRM, inventory, and HR capabilities but excels at ease of use for very small businesses and freelancers. Choose FreshBooks if you primarily need accounting and invoicing without the broader ERP functionality.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Striven include payroll?

No. Striven does not offer built-in payroll processing. It integrates with third-party payroll providers, but this is a known limitation. If payroll is a critical requirement, confirm which payroll services are compatible before committing, or consider an alternative with native payroll.

Is there a free version of Striven?

Yes. Striven’s website states you can access all features for free with no trial period or credit card required. This appears to be a freemium model with usage limits on records, custom fields, and other parameters. Paid plans (Standard at $35/user/month, Enterprise at $70/user/month) raise those limits.

What industries does Striven serve?

Striven offers industry-specific solutions for professional services, manufacturing, field services, construction, retail, IT services, nonprofits, consulting, legal, education, logistics and distribution, and property management. The platform is most frequently used by construction, professional services, and IT services companies.

How long does Striven take to implement?

Implementation time varies by business size and complexity. The learning curve is frequently mentioned as a challenge during initial setup, and the vendor recommends adapting your processes to align with Striven’s workflow where possible. Businesses that invest in the Striven Certification program and use the available onboarding resources report smoother transitions.

Does Striven work on mobile devices?

Yes. Striven is mobile responsive and accessible on Android, iPad, and iPhone through a web browser. However, the mobile experience is not as full-featured as the desktop version. Businesses that rely heavily on mobile access, especially field service teams, should test the mobile interface during the free trial period.

What integrations does Striven support?

Striven integrates with Stripe, Authorize.Net, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Gmail, Yodlee (online banking), and ShipStation. API connectivity is available on paid plans with usage limits that vary by tier. The integration ecosystem is limited compared to many competitors, so verify that your critical tools are supported before purchasing.

Can Striven handle multiple business entities?

Yes. Striven supports multi-entity management, allowing businesses that operate under multiple brands or legal entities to manage them within a single platform. This is included as part of the accounting and financial management capabilities.

The Bottom Line

Striven delivers on its core promise: a genuinely all-in-one platform that replaces the patchwork of accounting, CRM, project management, and inventory tools that most small businesses cobble together. The free tier lowers the barrier to entry, the pricing is transparent and competitive, and the customer support is exceptional. For SMBs in service-based or project-based industries with 10 to 200 employees, it is one of the most practical ERP options available.

The weaknesses are real, though. The limited integration ecosystem means you are committing to doing things inside Striven or going without. The absence of built-in payroll is a genuine gap for a platform positioning itself as all-in-one. And the learning curve during setup requires patience and a champion within your organization who can drive adoption. The interface, while functional, could benefit from a visual refresh.

If you are a small to midsize business looking to consolidate your operations into one platform, value responsive human support, and can live with a smaller integration library, Striven is well worth evaluating. Start with the free tier, test your core workflows, and see whether the trade-offs work for your business. If you need extensive integrations, built-in payroll, or enterprise-scale complexity, look at Zoho One, Odoo, or Acumatica instead.