BisTrack UK 3.9 end of active support (Dec 31, 2026): options for UK builders merchants, including ERPNext
Short answer
Epicor’s press release of January 6, 2026 says BisTrack UK 3.9 (2017) has Active Support through December 31, 2026, and Sustaining Support begins January 1, 2027. It also says BisTrack Desktop’s final release, 2026.2, is tentatively scheduled for December 2026, with Active Support through December 31, 2028. On-premises BisTrack Web Browser & API release 2028.1 has Active Support through June 30, 2029 (checked Nov 12, 2026). Epicor’s stated direction is the Epicor Cloud, supported by its Ascend with Epicor migration programme. Epicor does not publish BisTrack prices, so every Epicor option here is quote-only and we give no estimates. Our view: for most UK builders merchants on 3.9, the realistic first step is a decision, not a migration. Moving to a current BisTrack release or to BisTrack in the Cloud keeps the trade-specific features you rely on. ERPNext is worth testing for smaller single-site or few-branch merchants whose BisTrack use is mostly trade counter, stock, purchasing, delivery and accounts. It needs to pass four fit tests first: trade counter speed, branch stock, delivery scheduling, and timber and sheet units of measure. ERPNext has no licence fee; Frappe Cloud hosting starts at $5 a month for a site and $40 a month for a server.
Contents
- Who this guide is for
- Epicor’s BisTrack dates, exactly as published
- Running BisTrack UK 3.9 safely through 2027
- The four realistic options
- The four fit tests for ERPNext in a builders merchant
- Where ERPNext fits and where it does not
- What we can say about cost
- Questions to ask Epicor before you decide
- Migrating from BisTrack to ERPNext
- A plan that respects the December 31 date
- Best for, and wrong choice when
- Frequently asked questions
Who this guide is for
This guide is for owners, managing directors, finance leads and IT managers at UK builders merchants, timber merchants and building supply distributors running Epicor BisTrack UK 3.9 on their own servers. Epicor’s press release sets a hard date for that version, and you will be hearing from Epicor and its partners about the cloud. You should hear the alternatives too, including where they fall short.
It is part of our series on legacy ERP deadlines. The legacy ERP end-of-support hub lists every vendor date we have confirmed, including Epicor’s Kinetic and Prophet 21 on-premises milestones.
Sources: the Epicor press release, Jan 6, 2026 for dates and Epicor’s direction; the Epicor BisTrack product page (UK) for how Epicor describes BisTrack’s capabilities; the Frappe Cloud pricing page, ERPNext repository on GitHub, ERPNext Point of Sale documentation, ERPNext Pricing Rule documentation, ERPNext Delivery Trip documentation, ERPNext Unit of Measure documentation, ERPNext Batch documentation, ERPNext Data Import documentation and ERPNext opening balance documentation for ERPNext. All checked on Nov 12, 2026.
What we do not do here
Epicor does not publish BisTrack licence, subscription or cloud prices, so we give no Epicor estimates and no savings figure. We also do not estimate implementation fees for any option. They depend on your branches, data and integrations.
Epicor’s BisTrack dates, exactly as published
| BisTrack product | Final release | Active Support | Sustaining Support |
|---|---|---|---|
| BisTrack UK 3.9 (2017) | Not a new release; existing version | Through December 31, 2026 | Begins January 1, 2027 |
| BisTrack Desktop | 2026.2, tentatively scheduled December 2026 | Through December 31, 2028 | Begins January 1, 2029 |
| BisTrack Web Browser & API (on-premises) | 2028.1, tentatively scheduled July 2028 | Through June 30, 2029 | Begins July 1, 2029 |
Epicor’s press release says that after the final feature releases, customers move into defined support phases: Active Support, then Sustaining Support, “to ensure ongoing security and operational continuity”. It says future innovation for Kinetic, Prophet 21 and BisTrack moves exclusively to the Epicor Cloud.
The release does not spell out what Sustaining Support includes for BisTrack UK 3.9. Before you plan around it, ask your Epicor account manager for the support policy terms in writing. The things that matter are whether you still get fixes, whether you still get help with year-end and VAT-related issues, and how long Sustaining Support is offered. We will not guess.
Two dates matter for a 3.9 site. December 31, 2026 is when 3.9 leaves Active Support, about seven weeks from the date of this guide. December 31, 2028 is when even the newest desktop release leaves Active Support. So moving from 3.9 to current BisTrack Desktop buys about two years of Active Support. It is not a long-term on-premises home.
Running BisTrack UK 3.9 safely through 2027
Whatever you decide, most 3.9 sites will still be running it on January 1, 2027. That is not a disaster if you manage it deliberately. A sensible minimum:
Before December 31, 2026
- Get Epicor’s Sustaining Support terms for 3.9 in writing, including what fixes, help and year-end assistance they cover.
- Check the support status of the server operating system and SQL Server that 3.9 runs on; they may be the bigger risk.
- Test a full restore of the BisTrack database to a separate machine, and time it.
- Restrict remote access to the BisTrack server to named users over a secured connection.
- Freeze non-essential changes to 3.9, so the system you migrate from is stable.
- List every integration (web shop, EDI, banking, card terminals, delivery apps) and its owner.
This list also makes any later migration cheaper. Clean, documented data and a known list of integrations are the two things every option, Epicor or not, asks for first.
The four realistic options
| Option | What it means | Main advantage | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Stay on 3.9 under Sustaining Support | Keep running, accept reduced support from Jan 1, 2027 | No project now | Support terms you have not seen in writing; the gap widens every year |
| 2. Move to current BisTrack Desktop on-premises | Upgrade within BisTrack; Active Support to Dec 31, 2028 | Same product, staff barely notice | A second decision in about two years; Epicor quote-only |
| 3. Move to BisTrack in the Cloud | Epicor’s stated direction, with the Ascend with Epicor programme | Trade-specific features kept, Epicor-run infrastructure | Subscription cost is quote-only; you depend on Epicor’s cloud roadmap |
| 4. Replace BisTrack (for example with ERPNext) | New ERP, designed migration | No licence fee with ERPNext; full control of hosting and data | Trade-specific gaps must be closed or accepted; real retraining at the counter |
For most medium and larger merchants with many branches, heavy delivery operations and staff trained on BisTrack, options 2 or 3 are the honest default. BisTrack is built for this trade: Epicor’s product page lists builders’ merchants, timber merchants and sawmills, heavy-side materials and plasterboard among its industries. It also names mobile warehouse apps, a delivery Journey Planner and branch financial reporting among its capabilities. Option 4 makes most sense for smaller merchants who use a narrow slice of that.
The four fit tests for ERPNext in a builders merchant
If you are considering ERPNext, run these four tests on your own data before you talk about anything else. If ERPNext fails one that matters to you, stop there.
1. Trade counter speed
Your counter staff serve trade customers who will not wait. ERPNext has a Point of Sale screen with POS profiles per counter, and sales invoices for account customers. The test is to time your 20 most common counter transactions in a pilot. Include account customer lookup, a priced quote turned into a sale, a cash sale and a return. Then compare with BisTrack. Training and keyboard workflow matter as much as features here.
2. Branch stock and transfers
ERPNext supports multiple warehouses, nested by branch, with stock transfers between them and real-time stock levels. The test is to load your item master and stock for two branches. Then run a week of transfers, customer collections from another branch and stock counts. Check that branch-level margins and stock valuation report the way your finance team expects.
3. Delivery scheduling
For many merchants delivery is the operation that matters most, and it is where BisTrack’s Journey Planner is purpose-built. ERPNext has Delivery Trips that group delivery notes onto a vehicle and driver with stops. The test: take a busy day’s deliveries and plan them in ERPNext. If your transport office needs vehicle loading rules, crane or weight constraints, or route optimisation beyond what Delivery Trip offers, plan to keep or add a dedicated transport tool and integrate it.
4. Timber, sheet and pack units
Merchants sell the same product by the length, the metre, the pack, the sheet or the pallet, often with cutting. ERPNext has units of measure with conversion factors per item, and batches for traceability. The test: load your 50 hardest items, such as timber sold by length, sheet materials by sheet and pack, and aggregates by bag and bulk. Then quote, sell, deliver and invoice each one. Cutting lists and machining charges usually need a defined process; agree it in the pilot.
Also test pricing
Trade pricing is usually customer- and group-specific, with contract prices and quantity breaks. ERPNext’s ERPNext Pricing Rule documentation and item price lists cover these patterns. Test your real pricing matrix, because it is often the hardest thing to migrate.
Where ERPNext fits and where it does not
| Area | ERPNext fit for a smaller UK merchant | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Trade counter and cash sales | Good with Point of Sale; test speed | Card terminal integration needs checking |
| Account customers, credit limits, statements | Strong | Credit control rules and statement runs |
| Quotes and orders | Strong | Quote-to-order conversion and pricing |
| Purchasing and supplier rebates | Purchasing strong; rebates need design | Retrospective rebates are often a custom process |
| Multi-branch stock | Good | Branch transfers and reporting |
| Delivery scheduling | Basic to moderate via Delivery Trip | Complex transport planning may need a separate tool |
| Mobile warehouse and yard apps | Mobile web works; no BisTrack-style yard apps out of the box | Test picking and goods-in on handheld devices |
| Timber processing and cutting | Possible with BOMs, work orders or service items; needs design | Agree the process in the pilot |
| Accounts (UK VAT) | Strong for core accounting; confirm your VAT return and Making Tax Digital route | Do not assume; test it |
| Web shop and API integration | REST API on every document type | Rebuild existing BisTrack API integrations |
What we can say about cost
| Cost line | BisTrack (any Epicor option) | ERPNext |
|---|---|---|
| Software licence or subscription | Quote-only from Epicor | None (GPL-3.0) |
| Hosting | Your servers (on-premises) or included in the cloud quote | Frappe Cloud from $5 / month (site) or $40 / month (server), or self-host |
| Implementation or upgrade | Epicor or partner quote | Partner quote |
| Migration programme support | Ascend with Epicor (terms from Epicor) | Designed migration as part of implementation |
| Ongoing support | Epicor support terms | Frappe or partner support, optional |
Frappe Cloud publishes USD prices: site plans from $5 a month (about £3.75) and servers from $40 a month (about £30.00), checked on Nov 12, 2026. The GBP figures are indicative conversions, not Frappe prices.
Indicative GBP conversions use the Bank of England daily spot rate (series XUDLUSS) of US$1.3335 per £1 for 10 Nov 2026, the latest published figure when we checked on Nov 12, 2026. They are not official UK prices: the vendor does not publish a GBP list price for these items, and your invoice currency, rate and VAT treatment may differ.
The honest comparison needs Epicor’s quotes for options 2 and 3, and an ERPNext quote for option 4, priced on the same scope: branches, users, delivery volume and integrations. Ask Epicor to quote both the on-premises upgrade and the cloud move. You will then see the real gap rather than a guess.
Questions to ask Epicor before you decide
Epicor’s account team will want to talk about the cloud. That is reasonable: it is Epicor’s stated direction. Make the conversation useful by asking for answers you can compare.
Ask Epicor in writing
- What exactly does Sustaining Support for BisTrack UK 3.9 include from January 1, 2027, and for how long is it offered?
- What would an upgrade from 3.9 to current BisTrack Desktop cost for our branches and users, and what does it involve?
- What would BisTrack in the Cloud cost for the same scope, over what term, and what is included?
- What does the Ascend with Epicor programme provide for a 3.9 site, and at what cost?
- Which of our integrations and customisations carry over to each option, and which need rebuilding?
- How do we get a full export of our data if we leave, and in what format?
The last question matters whichever way you go. A clear, complete data export is the starting point for any migration, including a later move within Epicor’s own products.
Migrating from BisTrack to ERPNext
We are not aware of a published BisTrack-to-ERPNext migration tool. A move is a designed data migration. Extract from the BisTrack database or reports, using SQL access or exports agreed with Epicor or your partner. Transform the data to ERPNext templates, and load it with the ERPNext Data Import documentation (CSV or Excel, insert or update).
| Data | Approach |
|---|---|
| Customers, credit limits, contacts, delivery addresses | Load as Customers, Contacts and Addresses; clean duplicates first |
| Suppliers and price agreements | Load as Suppliers and buying price lists |
| Products, units, pack sizes | Load Items with UOM conversions; validate the hard 50 items first |
| Customer and contract prices | Load as Item Prices and Pricing Rules; test against real orders |
| Opening stock per branch | Stock Reconciliation per warehouse at cutover |
| Open receivables and payables | Opening invoices; balances against a temporary opening account |
| Open orders and deliveries | Finish in BisTrack where possible; re-key the remainder |
| History | Keep BisTrack read-only or extract to a reporting database |
Cut over at a quiet point in the trade calendar if you can, and do a full stock count at each branch on cutover weekend. Plan extra hands-on support at the counter and in the yard for the first two weeks.
A plan that respects the December 31 date
| Phase | Work | Done when |
|---|---|---|
| Now to Dec 31, 2026 | Get Sustaining Support terms in writing; request Epicor quotes for current BisTrack and BisTrack in the Cloud; back up and secure the 3.9 server | You know what support you have from Jan 1, 2027 and what Epicor’s options cost |
| Fit tests (6–8 weeks) | Run the four ERPNext fit tests on your data, if replacement is on the table | A pass or fail for each test |
| Decision | Compare options on the same scope | One option chosen, with numbers from real quotes |
| If ERPNext: pilot (8–12 weeks) | One branch live in a test environment with real items, prices and customers | Counter and yard staff complete a simulated week |
| If ERPNext: build and rehearse (3–5 months) | Configure all branches, integrations, reports; two trial migrations | Balances, stock and prices match BisTrack |
| If ERPNext: cutover | Stock count, load openings, go live branch by branch or all at once | First month closed |
These durations are our planning ranges for a smaller merchant with a handful of branches, not a promise. Whatever you choose, you will be on Sustaining Support for at least part of 2027, so get those terms first.
Best for, and wrong choice when
ERPNext is worth testing when
You are a smaller UK builders or timber merchant with one or a few branches, your BisTrack use is mostly counter, stock, purchasing, delivery notes and accounts, you want to stop paying for software licences, and you will invest in counter training and a pilot.
ERPNext is the wrong choice when
Delivery planning, yard apps and timber processing are central to how you compete, you run many branches with staff trained deeply on BisTrack, or you cannot spare people for a pilot before the trade’s busy season.
Staying on 3.9 is the wrong choice when
You have not seen Epicor’s Sustaining Support terms in writing, or your server and operating system are also out of support.
Frequently asked questions
When does BisTrack UK 3.9 support end?
Epicor’s January 6, 2026 press release says BisTrack UK 3.9 (2017) has Active Support through December 31, 2026, and Sustaining Support begins January 1, 2027 (checked Nov 12, 2026).
How long is BisTrack Desktop supported?
Epicor says the final BisTrack Desktop release, 2026.2, is tentatively scheduled for December 2026, with Active Support through December 31, 2028 and Sustaining Support from January 1, 2029.
What does Sustaining Support include?
Epicor’s press release does not define it for BisTrack. Ask your Epicor account manager for the support policy terms in writing before you rely on it.
How much does BisTrack cost?
Epicor does not publish BisTrack prices. All Epicor options are quote-only, so we give no estimate.
Can ERPNext replace BisTrack?
For smaller merchants with simpler delivery and yard operations, it can, if it passes four fit tests on your data: trade counter speed, branch stock, delivery scheduling, and timber and sheet units. For larger, delivery-heavy merchants, staying with BisTrack is usually the honest answer.
Is ERPNext free?
ERPNext is open source under GPL-3.0 with no licence fee. You pay for hosting (Frappe Cloud lists sites from $5 a month and servers from $40 a month), implementation and support.
Is there a BisTrack to ERPNext migration tool?
Not that we know of. A move is a designed migration using extracts from BisTrack and ERPNext’s Data Import tool, with opening stock loaded per branch at cutover.