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What is the best alternative to Onguard?

  • Posted by: Friso van de Beeten

The best alternative to Onguard depends on your business size, budget, and what you actually need from a credit management tool. For small and mid-sized businesses looking for an affordable, fast-to-set-up solution with strong automation, MaxCredible is a solid option. Other platforms worth considering include Payt, POM, and CreditDevice. Below, we walk through the most important questions to help you find the right fit.

Why do businesses switch from Onguard?

Businesses switch from Onguard mainly because of high costs, complex implementation, and a feature set that can feel oversized for companies that do not need enterprise-level tooling. Many small and mid-sized businesses find that Onguard requires significant setup time and internal resources to manage, which makes it harder to justify the investment.

Some of the most common reasons businesses start looking for an Onguard alternative include:

  • Pricing that is difficult to scale for growing businesses
  • Long implementation timelines that delay results
  • Limited flexibility in communication channels like WhatsApp or SMS
  • Interfaces that require training and dedicated staff to operate
  • A need for tighter integration with accounting software like Exact, AFAS, or Twinfield

The good news is that in 2026, there are several credit management platforms that offer comparable functionality with fewer barriers to getting started.

What features should an Onguard alternative have?

A good Onguard alternative should cover the core functions of credit management: automated payment reminders, multi-channel communication, integration with your accounting or ERP system, and clear insight into debtor behavior. Beyond the basics, the platform should be easy to use without needing a dedicated IT team to run it.

Here is what to look for when comparing platforms:

  • Automation: The ability to send reminders automatically via email, SMS, or WhatsApp so your team does not have to chase invoices manually
  • Integrations: Seamless connections with accounting tools like Exact, SAP, Twinfield, or AFAS so data stays in sync
  • Debtor insights: A clear overview of payment behavior, communication history, and outstanding invoices per customer
  • Creditworthiness monitoring: Real-time data on the financial health of your customers, ideally through a provider like Dun & Bradstreet
  • Customer portal: A self-service option where customers can view invoices and make payments without you needing to get involved
  • Scalability: The platform should grow with you, whether you process 500 or 40,000 invoices per month

Ease of setup matters too. A platform that takes months to implement is not really saving you time or money in the short term.

How does MaxCredible compare to Onguard?

MaxCredible is a more accessible and cost-effective option compared to Onguard, especially for businesses that want to get up and running quickly without heavy IT involvement. Where Onguard tends to target large enterprises with complex workflows, we focus on making credit management straightforward and effective for a wider range of businesses.

A few practical differences worth noting:

  • Setup time: We can be operational within 24 hours thanks to integrations with over 800 accounting, ERP, and CRM systems
  • Pricing: We operate on a fixed monthly fee of €199, which makes budgeting predictable
  • Communication channels: We support email, WhatsApp, and SMS out of the box, which Onguard does not always offer as standard
  • Results: Our clients typically see up to 50% faster payments and save up to 80% of the time previously spent on manual follow-up

That said, if your business processes extremely high invoice volumes with highly customized enterprise workflows, Onguard may still be worth evaluating alongside us.

What other alternatives to Onguard exist?

Several platforms compete in the credit management software space alongside Onguard. The right choice depends on your priorities around price, features, and ease of use. The most commonly compared alternatives include Payt, POM, and CreditDevice.

Payt

Payt is a Dutch credit management platform aimed primarily at SMEs. It offers automated reminders and a customer portal, and integrates with several accounting packages. It is a solid comparison point for businesses evaluating entry-level tools, though its feature depth is more limited than enterprise-focused platforms.

POM

POM focuses heavily on payment facilitation and digital invoicing. It is particularly popular in the public sector and utility industries. If your business sends high volumes of invoices to consumers, POM is worth a look as an alternative benchmark. For B2B-focused credit management with strong debtor monitoring, it may feel limited.

CreditDevice

CreditDevice specializes in credit risk and data-driven decision-making. It pulls in external data sources to help businesses assess customer risk before extending credit. As an alternative comparison, it is best suited to businesses that prioritize risk assessment over collections automation.

Which Onguard alternative is best for small and mid-sized businesses?

For small and mid-sized businesses, the best Onguard alternative is one that combines automation, easy integration, and transparent pricing without requiring a large IT team to manage it. Platforms like Payt and MaxCredible are frequently the top choices in this segment because they are built with accessibility in mind.

When evaluating options as an SME, focus on these criteria:

  1. Can you set it up without a long onboarding process?
  2. Does it integrate with the accounting software you already use?
  3. Is the pricing predictable and proportionate to your invoice volume?
  4. Does it support the communication channels your customers respond to?
  5. Can you monitor customer creditworthiness directly within the platform?

SMEs often benefit most from platforms that automate the time-consuming parts of credit management so that the finance team can focus on exceptions rather than routine follow-up.

How quickly can you switch from Onguard to a new platform?

Switching from Onguard to a new credit management platform can take anywhere from one day to several weeks, depending on the platform you choose and the complexity of your current setup. Some modern platforms are designed specifically to minimize migration time through pre-built integrations and straightforward data imports.

The main factors that affect how fast you can switch include:

  • Integration availability: If the new platform connects directly to your accounting or ERP system, data migration is much faster
  • Historical data: Deciding how much debtor history and communication data you want to carry over will affect the timeline
  • Team training: Simpler platforms with intuitive interfaces reduce the time your team needs to get comfortable
  • Parallel running: Some businesses run both systems briefly during the transition to avoid any gaps in follow-up

If you choose a platform with strong out-of-the-box integrations, it is realistic to be fully operational within 24 to 48 hours. That is one of the reasons businesses increasingly look for credit management for SMEs that prioritize fast onboarding over heavy customization. When you are ready to explore your options, get in touch with us and we will help you figure out the best fit for your situation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I try an Onguard alternative before fully committing to a switch?

Most modern credit management platforms, including MaxCredible, offer a demo or trial period so you can evaluate the platform with your own data before making a decision. This is a low-risk way to test integrations, explore the interface, and validate whether the automation workflows fit your processes. It is worth requesting a live demo rather than relying solely on feature comparison pages, since usability differences become much clearer when you see the tool in action.

What happens to my existing debtor data and communication history when I switch platforms?

Most platforms support data import via CSV or direct API connections, which allows you to bring over outstanding invoices, debtor records, and contact details. Communication history can sometimes be migrated as well, though the level of detail depends on what your current system exports. To avoid gaps in follow-up during the transition, it is a good practice to export a clean snapshot of all open items from Onguard before going live on the new platform.

How do I know if a credit management platform will integrate with my accounting software?

Before signing up for any platform, check the provider’s integration page or ask their sales team directly whether your accounting or ERP system is supported. Platforms like MaxCredible connect with over 800 systems, including Exact, AFAS, Twinfield, SAP, and many others. If your software is not listed, ask whether a custom API connection is available, and factor in any additional setup time or cost that might involve.

Is switching credit management software disruptive to ongoing collections?

Switching does not have to disrupt your collections process if you plan the transition carefully. The main risk is a temporary gap in follow-up if reminders are paused during migration, which is why some businesses run both systems in parallel for a short period. Choosing a platform with fast onboarding and pre-built integrations significantly reduces this window, and with the right preparation, most businesses are fully operational on the new platform within one to two business days.

What is the biggest mistake businesses make when choosing an Onguard alternative?

The most common mistake is selecting a platform based purely on feature lists without considering ease of use and actual setup requirements. A tool that looks powerful on paper but requires months of implementation and dedicated IT resources can end up costing more in time and internal effort than the software itself. Focus on platforms that match your current team size and technical capacity, and prioritize fast time-to-value over maximum feature depth if you are a small or mid-sized business.

Do Onguard alternatives support multi-entity or multi-currency setups?

Support for multiple legal entities and currencies varies significantly between platforms. Enterprise-focused tools tend to handle complex multi-entity structures more robustly, while SME-oriented platforms may offer this as an add-on or have limitations. If your business operates across multiple countries or invoices in different currencies, make sure to raise this as a specific requirement during your evaluation so you can confirm it is supported before committing.

How do I build a business case internally for switching from Onguard to a new platform?

Start by quantifying the current cost of your credit management process, including software licensing, staff hours spent on manual follow-up, and the average days sales outstanding (DSO) your business carries. Then compare that against the projected cost and efficiency gains from the new platform, such as reduced manual work and faster payment cycles. Platforms like MaxCredible report up to 80% time savings on manual follow-up and up to 50% faster payments, which are concrete metrics you can use to justify the switch to finance leadership or management.

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This content was generated with the help of AI and it may contain mistakes