Catalyst, by EBM Software vs. Financial Edge

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Catalyst, by EBM Software
Score 7.8 out of 10
N/A
Catalyst from EBM Software in Minneapolis is a cloud-based business performance application suite, designed to provide an environment and workflow for understanding business profitability.N/A
Financial Edge
Score 5.9 out of 10
N/A
N/AN/A
Pricing
Catalyst, by EBM SoftwareFinancial Edge
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Catalyst, by EBM SoftwareFinancial Edge
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
YesNo
Entry-level Setup FeeOptionalNo setup fee
Additional DetailsFlexible and tiered pricing structures available - monthly, 1-3-5- contracts, and more
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Catalyst, by EBM SoftwareFinancial Edge
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
Catalyst, by EBM SoftwareFinancial Edge
BI Standard Reporting
Comparison of BI Standard Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Catalyst, by EBM Software
7.1
2 Ratings
17% below category average
Financial Edge
-
Ratings
Customizable dashboards7.12 Ratings00 Ratings
Report Formatting Templates7.12 Ratings00 Ratings
Ad-hoc Reporting
Comparison of Ad-hoc Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Catalyst, by EBM Software
7.7
2 Ratings
8% below category average
Financial Edge
-
Ratings
Drill-down analysis7.12 Ratings00 Ratings
Formatting capabilities8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Report sharing and collaboration8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Report Output and Scheduling
Comparison of Report Output and Scheduling features of Product A and Product B
Catalyst, by EBM Software
8.0
2 Ratings
3% below category average
Financial Edge
-
Ratings
Publish to PDF7.92 Ratings00 Ratings
Report Delivery Scheduling8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Data Discovery and Visualization
Comparison of Data Discovery and Visualization features of Product A and Product B
Catalyst, by EBM Software
7.7
1 Ratings
1% below category average
Financial Edge
-
Ratings
Pre-built visualization formats (heatmaps, scatter plots etc.)8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Location Analytics / Geographic Visualization7.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Predictive Analytics8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Access Control and Security
Comparison of Access Control and Security features of Product A and Product B
Catalyst, by EBM Software
8.0
2 Ratings
9% below category average
Financial Edge
-
Ratings
Multi-User Support (named login)8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Role-Based Security Model8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Multiple Access Permission Levels (Create, Read, Delete)8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Mobile Capabilities
Comparison of Mobile Capabilities features of Product A and Product B
Catalyst, by EBM Software
8.0
2 Ratings
1% above category average
Financial Edge
-
Ratings
Responsive Design for Web Access8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Dashboard / Report / Visualization Interactivity on Mobile8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Budgeting, Planning, and Forecasting
Comparison of Budgeting, Planning, and Forecasting features of Product A and Product B
Catalyst, by EBM Software
8.0
2 Ratings
5% below category average
Financial Edge
-
Ratings
Long-term financial planning7.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Financial budgeting8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Forecasting8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Scenario modeling8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Management reporting8.92 Ratings00 Ratings
Consolidation and Close
Comparison of Consolidation and Close features of Product A and Product B
Catalyst, by EBM Software
7.2
1 Ratings
13% below category average
Financial Edge
-
Ratings
Financial data consolidation9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Journal entries and reports8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Multi-currency management6.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Intercompany Eliminations5.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Minority Ownership7.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Local and consolidated reporting8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Financial Reporting and Compliance
Comparison of Financial Reporting and Compliance features of Product A and Product B
Catalyst, by EBM Software
8.0
1 Ratings
4% below category average
Financial Edge
-
Ratings
Financial Statement Reporting8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Management Reporting9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Excel-based Reporting7.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Automated board and financial reporting8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Analytics and Reporting
Comparison of Analytics and Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Catalyst, by EBM Software
7.2
2 Ratings
12% below category average
Financial Edge
-
Ratings
Personalized dashboards7.12 Ratings00 Ratings
Color-coded scorecards6.01 Ratings00 Ratings
KPIs7.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Cost and profitability analysis8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Key Performance Indicator setting8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Benchmarking with external data7.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Integration
Comparison of Integration features of Product A and Product B
Catalyst, by EBM Software
7.4
2 Ratings
13% below category average
Financial Edge
-
Ratings
Flat file integration8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Excel data integration7.12 Ratings00 Ratings
Direct links to 3rd-party data sources7.12 Ratings00 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Catalyst, by EBM Software
-
Ratings
Financial Edge
1.0
4 Ratings
153% below category average
Pay calculation00 Ratings1.03 Ratings
Benefit plan administration00 Ratings1.02 Ratings
Direct deposit files00 Ratings1.02 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management00 Ratings1.03 Ratings
Reimbursement management00 Ratings1.04 Ratings
Customization
Comparison of Customization features of Product A and Product B
Catalyst, by EBM Software
-
Ratings
Financial Edge
1.0
7 Ratings
149% below category average
API for custom integration00 Ratings1.05 Ratings
Plug-ins00 Ratings1.07 Ratings
Security
Comparison of Security features of Product A and Product B
Catalyst, by EBM Software
-
Ratings
Financial Edge
1.0
9 Ratings
154% below category average
Single sign-on capability00 Ratings1.06 Ratings
Role-based user permissions00 Ratings1.09 Ratings
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
Catalyst, by EBM Software
-
Ratings
Financial Edge
1.0
9 Ratings
153% below category average
Dashboards00 Ratings1.09 Ratings
Standard reports00 Ratings1.09 Ratings
Custom reports00 Ratings1.09 Ratings
General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of Product A and Product B
Catalyst, by EBM Software
-
Ratings
Financial Edge
1.0
10 Ratings
152% below category average
Accounts payable00 Ratings1.09 Ratings
Accounts receivable00 Ratings1.07 Ratings
Cash management00 Ratings1.09 Ratings
Bank reconciliation00 Ratings1.010 Ratings
Expense management00 Ratings1.08 Ratings
Time tracking00 Ratings1.04 Ratings
Fixed asset management00 Ratings1.08 Ratings
Multi-currency support00 Ratings1.05 Ratings
Multi-division support00 Ratings1.06 Ratings
Regulations compliance00 Ratings1.07 Ratings
Electronic tax filing00 Ratings1.04 Ratings
Self-service portal00 Ratings1.07 Ratings
Global Financial Support00 Ratings1.06 Ratings
Primary and Secondary Ledgers00 Ratings1.08 Ratings
Intercompany Accounting00 Ratings1.08 Ratings
Localizations00 Ratings1.05 Ratings
Journals and Reconciliations00 Ratings1.08 Ratings
Enterprise Accounting00 Ratings1.06 Ratings
Configurable Accounting00 Ratings1.07 Ratings
Centralized Rules Framework00 Ratings1.06 Ratings
Standardized Processes00 Ratings1.07 Ratings
Inventory Management
Comparison of Inventory Management features of Product A and Product B
Catalyst, by EBM Software
-
Ratings
Financial Edge
1.0
3 Ratings
149% below category average
Inventory tracking00 Ratings1.02 Ratings
Automatic reordering00 Ratings1.02 Ratings
Location management00 Ratings1.03 Ratings
Manufacturing module00 Ratings1.02 Ratings
Order Management
Comparison of Order Management features of Product A and Product B
Catalyst, by EBM Software
-
Ratings
Financial Edge
1.0
2 Ratings
152% below category average
Pricing00 Ratings1.02 Ratings
Order entry00 Ratings1.02 Ratings
Credit card processing00 Ratings1.02 Ratings
Cost of goods sold00 Ratings1.02 Ratings
Order Orchestration00 Ratings1.02 Ratings
End-to-end order visibility00 Ratings1.02 Ratings
Order exception Resolution00 Ratings1.02 Ratings
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Catalyst, by EBM SoftwareFinancial Edge
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Score 8.5 out of 10
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User Ratings
Catalyst, by EBM SoftwareFinancial Edge
Likelihood to Recommend
7.9
(2 ratings)
1.2
(10 ratings)
Usability
8.8
(2 ratings)
2.0
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
7.8
(2 ratings)
1.0
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
Catalyst, by EBM SoftwareFinancial Edge
Likelihood to Recommend
EBM Software
[Catalyst, by EBM Software] is well suited to track invoices from vendors to get them paid on time to avoid late fees. [Catalyst, by EBM Software] is less appropriate when paying vendor because that is not a function they currently have. If the system was an all in one system that could track and pay your invoices it would be an amazing software.
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Blackbaud
  • Financial Edge is well suited for traditional day to day accounting, accounts payable, and related needs.
  • Financial Edge dashboard does not provide a snapshot view of data that I have found are available through other platforms (like QBO).
Read full review
Pros
EBM Software
  • The GUI is easy to navigate on the iPad mini, which we use for charting.
  • The options are simple so there is very little room for mistakes.
  • Charting is easy and the setup allows for necessary fields that must be completed so charting stays uniform.
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Blackbaud
  • Financial edge is able to be customized in a way that fits our organization.
  • Financial edge is able to provide reports to our end-users on budget versus actual account balances.
  • Financial edge is able to handle a large volume of transactions with ease, having built-in capabilities for batching and balancing.
Read full review
Cons
EBM Software
  • The browser closes unexpectedly at times when refreshing the page and you get logged out
  • The incorrect vendor is chosen by Catalyst a few times
  • The Catalyst file is occasionally not placed on time in the folder
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Blackbaud
  • Customer service blames the customer, and never offers solutions other than "wait it out." I've always been told it's my computer, even though everyone else at my work has the same issues.
  • Website is constantly "under maintenance" and it somehow never gets better.
  • The Database View is outdated and glitchy. Honestly get rid of it.
  • The Crystal Report is the only way to handle monthly recurring statements, and Financial Edge does not offer support for it anymore. Good luck figuring that out on your own.
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Usability
EBM Software
Well.... when it works... it's good. When it doesn't it is very frustrating for our staff.
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Blackbaud
It's user friendly, when it wants to be.
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Support Rating
EBM Software
The support for Catalyst is great and they are usually within the 48 hour response time. There could be a little quicker upload time for invoices that are submitted. They usually show up until the next day on the system and sometimes gives us a stress on time. Overall, the support is quite good
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Blackbaud
I would give this a zero if I could. Here's the deal. Once you request a chat with a representative, they immediately respond. So responsiveness: 10/10. However, they have a tendency to (always) tell you that whatever problem you're experiencing is your problem, not theirs. They offer no solutions and never take responsibility for their website malfunctioning
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Alternatives Considered
EBM Software
[Catalyst, by EBM Software] is a very easy system to use and is very user friendly. It gives you different ways of researching an invoice and not just one. Catalyst also helps to allow us to research an invoice within seconds and eliminates a lengthy and confusing process. It is a great software for first time users to learn quickly and efficiently.
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Blackbaud
Financial Edge is more economical than GuideStar, and more focused on the financial successes than simply the management of funds and general data.
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Return on Investment
EBM Software
  • Catalyst is better than pencil and paper data analysis. But the app can be very frustrating when it's not working the way it did last week.
  • The GUI is very simple. Sometimes too simple, like there is no way to go back in and edit SOAP note options.
  • New feature roll-outs are mandatory. I understand that no one would opt in to being the guinea pig, but it would be nice if you weren't the first user to try it.
  • The integration with billing software has streamlined the billing notes and saved us money over having two separate systems.
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Blackbaud
  • Like any enterprise software, there are costs/investments ahead of return. It isn't something you would implement without support.
  • During the significant financial downturn, we were able to use FE to forecast trends and make budget adjustments easily. It transformed communication about forecasting and cuts with assurance.
Read full review
ScreenShots