Infor M3 vs Microsoft Dynamics AX comparison

Infor and Microsoft are both solutions in the ERP category. Infor is ranked #12 with an average rating of 8.2, while Microsoft is ranked #5 with an average rating of 7.7. Infor holds a 4.8% mindshare in ERP, compared to Microsoft’s 6.7% mindshare. Additionally, 91% of Infor users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 85% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

Infor M3

Read 13 Infor M3 reviews

3,845 Views
2,962 Comparison Views

91% willing to recommend

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Read 55 Microsoft Dynamics AX reviews

5,570 Views
4,538 Comparison Views

85% willing to recommend

Infor M3

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

Microsoft Dynamics AX and Infor M3 are both significant players in the ERP solutions market. Based on various aspects, Infor M3 seems to have a slight edge due to its specialization in manufacturing and supply chain processes, though Microsoft Dynamics AX is favored for its integration with other Microsoft products.

Features: Microsoft Dynamics AX excels in finance, reporting, and workflow automation, offering seamless integration with other Microsoft tools. It provides flexibility and ease of use, especially in user-customizable areas. Infor M3 is known for detailed handling of manufacturing processes and specialized functions like supply chain management, providing a stable solution for diverse industries.

Room for Improvement: Microsoft Dynamics AX users cite issues with older functionalities and inconsistencies, needing improvements in scalability, retail applications, and localized features. Better documentation and streamlined licensing are also suggested. Infor M3 requires enhanced training resources and a more robust support infrastructure. It often relies on third-party tools for complete planning capabilities, and users seek more industry-specific customizations.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft Dynamics AX offers varied deployment options, including On-premises and Cloud, adding flexibility but complicating logistics. Its partner ecosystem leads to variable service quality. Infor M3 is primarily On-premises with Cloud support, earning higher customer service ratings for prompt and efficient support.

Pricing and ROI: Microsoft Dynamics AX is viewed as costly, heightened by additional licensing for Microsoft products, though it shows positive ROI due to robust functionality. Infor M3, perceived as a tier-two product, offers competitive pricing within its category and reasonable ROI with pricing adjusted based on modules and user numbers.

To learn more, read our detailed Infor M3 vs. Microsoft Dynamics AX Report (Updated: January 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Infor M3 vs. Microsoft Dynamics AX

January 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Infor M3

Ranking in ERP

12th

Ranking in Activity Based Costing Software

8th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Ranking in ERP

5th

Ranking in Activity Based Costing Software

3rd

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2025, in the ERP category, the mindshare of Infor M3 is 4.8%, up from 3.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Dynamics AX is 6.7%, up from 6.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

ERP

Q&A Highlights

it_user550989

Business Systems Resp. at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees

Mar 21, 2017

Microsoft Dynamics AXL How satisfied are you with the solution?

Can you share the reasoning behind your consideration to switch? Which features are you looking for in a new/different solution?

See all answers

Featured Reviews

Pravinkumar Bhandare

Principal Consultant - Infor M3 at Merino Consulting Services

The solution is a reliable, stable, and cost-saving ERP

Different countries have different finance practices, but I believe they need to fine-tune their practices to match industry standards. Practices vary from country to country, for example, in India, it is different than in the US. Sometimes, clients require alternate processes that are not standard, but they claim that these are the standard practices in their industry. At those times, we feel that the option required is not available with the solution. This is not the case only for Infor M3. Other ERPs also have the same problem. We can't mold the ERP to fit the customer's requirements. There are some standards in place because many screens and programs are integrated into the finance process. We can't make modifications to fit the client's requirements. The customer needs specific screens for different users, so if that program is in place, we have one planning tool in Infor M3. Planners need to know all things related to manufacturing, purchase, and sales in order to make decisions about planning. In one of my clients, I came across the requirement that they were asking for user authority in the planning tool. This is not the case though, because all planners need to know all things. However, on the manufacturing side, we can say that the person who is working with machine operations only needs to know machine-related information and doesn't need knowledge of products or sales. That standard industry is available, so we can give access to the user as per their needs. If the maintenance people are there, we can give them limited access, but if the planner is there, we need to give them all access according to industry standards. However, this requirement from the client side is not possible with the standard Infor software, but Infor can consider implementing it if the need is larger for many customers.

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SherifAnter

Manager, Information Technology at Holdipharma - Drug Holding company

The sales and distribution modules are robust, and reliable, and seldom encounter issues

In GP, there are certain features like financial reporting that aren't part of the core GP package. Users might need to install additional components for these features. For example, there's a reseller product called Management Reporter, but many users would prefer to have the reporting capabilities integrated within GP itself, rather than relying on external tools. The manufacturing module in GP is quite basic, and those who require more advanced manufacturing capabilities often turn to third-party modules or tools. Additionally, you might be aware that in 2028, GP is expected to reach its end of life. Microsoft has already ceased selling GP to new customers. It's essentially the same product, but this marks the final year for GP's availability.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The most valuable feature of the solution is that it is highly customizable."

"The most valuable feature of this solution is the Infor GL tool that allows us to do our application support and development."

"M3 has several useful features for managing supply chains, production, and customer orders. It's an excellent system that helps me meet all my requirements for fixed costs."

"The product's initial setup phase is easy."

"The most valuable feature of Infor M3 is the level of detail it has about the different manufacturing processes compared to other ERP solutions. Other ERP solutions provide the same level of integration as Infor M3, but Infor M3 specializes in several functions, such as planning and manufacturing."

"The user interface and user experience were good."

"Infor M3 has tailor-made packages for each and every industry."

"provides all modules, supply chain, HR - it's good for management."

More Infor M3 pros

"Almost all of the features that we use are efficient. Live master planning successfully handles all of our company's requirements."

"All its features are valuable."

"It has the same UI and is very similar to any other Microsoft product."

"Microsoft Dynamics is very stable."

"The product is easier to use and has more efficient workflow management features than other vendors."

"A valuable feature of Microsoft Dynamics AX is that it is stable."

"The most valuable feature for us is the manufacturing module. It addresses our product costing for tuna canning."

"I like that it's a complete ERP solution from production level to branch level."

More Microsoft Dynamics AX pros

Cons

"It would be great if Infor added some new workflows in the finance module. I'd also like to see better integration with third-party applications."

"The solution's technical support is an area with shortcomings that need improvement, especially the support for the product named M3 rather than the support offered by Infor as an organization."

"Infor should create one product to handle the whole business. At present, they make ERP systems for each type of business, and then sell additional features. I would like to have one system handing all organizations or all the business in deep ways and not have to buy additional features."

"The implementation could be simplified, it's complex."

"I would like to have some kind of dashboard to show an overview of different data on the same dashboard or on the same screen instead of moving to BI."

"Sometimes, M3 alone cannot handle all the planning functionalities required by a customer. It has to be used along with industry-specific planning tools because M3 doesn't have all the features. However, no product can handle all the requirements of all the industries. There will be some shortcomings in all the products. Though this is an area for improvement, it is not a very serious shortfall or limitation. It can be covered by using third-party planning applications that integrate with Infor M3."

"It should be improved in terms of procurement of the supply chain and business intelligence analysis. We have the Infor BI tool, but it's more complex to use than, for example, Power Pivot or QlikView in the market."

"The solution must provide more learning documents."

More Infor M3 cons

"The solution in general just needs a few quality improvements."

"From a consultant's point of view, I recommend an enhancement in terms of detailed documentation for the products on the website."

"The product takes some training to get up to speed on all functionality and modules in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 ERP system."

"If I had to add something in the next release, it would probably be a mobile application for a sister application of Dynamics 365; not the ERP but the Dynamics 365 HR solution. It would definitely help if we could have Microsoft or a Microsoft partner introduce a mobile application for it."

"The tool's setup phase and pricing are areas with certain concerns where improvements are required."

"The product needs better admin control. There is room for improvement in flexibility, reporting, and dashboards. Artificial intelligence should be incorporated. I have concerns regarding partners, specifically in the implementation and deployment of Microsoft Dynamics."

"The product needs improvement in procurement planning. It also needs to include a production scheduling feature."

"It could be more scalable and stable. It would also be better if the interface were more integrated with the Microsoft ecosystem because 2012 is not really integrated."

More Microsoft Dynamics AX cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The cost is between $50 and $100 per user annually."

"I'm not part of the team that manages Infor M3 pricing, but it depends on the client, integration, ship-out, and training levels. You get the price from the solution provider, but it would be best to discuss it because nothing is set in stone regarding pricing."

"Infor M3 is a tier-two product and is cheaper than tier-one products such as SAP and Oracle. However, it is more expensive than some other tier-two products. The licensing cost is dependent on the number of users. Also, if you purchase other tools from Infor as a package, then there may be other discounts offered."

"There is a yearly licensing cost. The price is based on the modules you need. There are several modules, such as HR module, accounting module, sales module, scheduling module, etc., and the price will vary depending on the number of modules you choose. The customers always say that it's very expensive. It can cost a lot of money if your organization is huge. It's not implemented in a lot of organizations in my country because it's too expensive."

"If you compare Infor M3 to SAP, Infor M3 is less expensive than SAP, but if you compare Infor M3 to Dynamics 365, Infor M3 is more expensive. It also depends on the model that you buy. It depends on whether you have the complete package or whether you have separate models."

"The tool’s licensing is yearly."

"The tool is cheap."

"Comparatively, Business Central appears to be more cost-effective. Microsoft offers Business Central at only $70 per user per month in the US. In contrast, GP requires an initial investment, including around $9,000 for the GP license for three users and additional expenses for hardware. Therefore, the initial investment for GP is quite substantial. On the other hand, cloud-based ERP products like Business Central do not entail the same upfront investment and operate on an ongoing, subscription-based model."

"The product's license renewal cost could be better."

"It has a pay-as-you-go subscription."

"The pricing is expensive."

"In relation to the cloud, it might be expensive for a longer duration. However, it's essential to consider the demands of enterprise users. While it's cost-effective in the short run, it becomes relatively costly in the long run."

"The product's license is expensive. My company is located in a region where we have to pay the most for the tool due to our currency and inflation scenario."

"The solution is on-premises and we do not pay for a license."

More Microsoft Dynamics AX pricing and cost advice

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Answers from the Community

it_user550989

Business Systems Resp. at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees

Mar 21, 2017

Microsoft Dynamics AXL How satisfied are you with the solution?

Can you share the reasoning behind your consideration to switch? Which features are you looking for in a new/different solution?

2 out of 6 answers

it_user326337

Customer Success Manager at PeerSpot

Nov 15, 2016

Can you share the reasoning behind your consideration to switch? Which features are you looking for in a new/different solution?

Read full answer

it_user550989

Business Systems Resp. at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees

Nov 16, 2016

Old installation M3 EOL soon. Manufacturing Economy customer orders Service Modern, scalable, cloudavailable and html5 solution Joakim

Read full answer

See all 6 answers

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

12%

Wholesaler/Distributor

Retailer

Computer Software Company

15%

Manufacturing Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

Retailer

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Infor M3?

The product's initial setup phase is easy.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Infor M3?

I haven't received any complaints from the customers' end related to the product. The product's technical support has certain shortcomings. Sometimes, my company doesn't get a proper response from ...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Infor M3?

In my company, I use the tool for back-end data or to control the entries in the back-end database. My company also extracts data, after which it gets pushed to the data lake and data fabric, and t...

See all answers

What do you like most about Microsoft Dynamics AX?

The production is a valuable feature.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Microsoft Dynamics AX?

It is no longer supported from a security perspective, so it is not getting updated. Other than that, before it became obsolete, it did its job, and there were not any major complaints. However, it...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Microsoft Dynamics AX?

Right now, we are moving to a new ERP platform. It is in the cloud, and because of that, the cloud pushes updates every quarter, which could technically break our products. We are looking into an a...

See all answers

Comparisons

SAP ERP vs Infor M3

Compared 50% of the time

Infor LN vs Infor M3

Compared 19% of the time

Infor CloudSuite vs Infor M3

Compared 5% of the time

SAP S/4HANA vs Infor M3

Compared 5% of the time

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central vs Infor M3

Compared 3% of the time

More Infor M3 Competitors

SAP ERP vs Microsoft Dynamics AX

Compared 44% of the time

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central vs Microsoft Dynamics AX

Compared 21% of the time

SAP S/4HANA vs Microsoft Dynamics AX

Compared 8% of the time

Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP vs Microsoft Dynamics AX

Compared 5% of the time

SAP Business One vs Microsoft Dynamics AX

Compared 2% of the time

More Microsoft Dynamics AX Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Infor M3

January 2025

Download Infor M3 product report

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

January 2025

Download Microsoft Dynamics AX product report

Also Known As

Infor Lawson M3, Lawson M3

Dynamics AX, Axapta, MS Dynamics AX

Learn More

Infor

Microsoft

Overview

Infor M3 offers ultimate flexibility in operations, technology, and scale. As a multi-site, multi-country, and multi-company solution, M3 empowers your organization to adapt to changing business needs. It provides flexibility in managing mixed-mode and complex environments, with the agility to make quick adjustments at any time. Written in Java, M3 also gives you platform independence and choice.

Microsoft Dynamics AX is an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution designed to support the business processes of organizations in a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, retail, and professional services. The solution offers a comprehensive set of tools and features to support financial management, supply chain management, human resources management, and project management, among others.

With Dynamics AX, organizations can manage their financial operations, including general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and cash management. It also offers tools for managing the supply chain, including inventory management, purchase order management, and sales order management. Dynamics AX also supports human resources management, including employee self-service, benefits administration, and payroll. Overall, it is a flexible and scalable platform for organizations of all sizes.

Microsoft Dynamics AX Features

Microsoft Dynamics AX has many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include:

Financial management: Microsoft Dynamics AX offers tools for managing financial operations, including general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and cash management.

Supply chain management: It supports the management of supply chain operations, including inventory management, purchase order management, and sales order management.

Human resources management: The human resources management feature includes tools for managing human resources operations, including employee self-service, benefits administration, and payroll.

Project management: Microsoft Dynamics AX has tools for managing projects, including project tracking, project billing, and resource management.

Manufacturing: The solution supports the management of manufacturing operations, including product configuration, production planning, and quality management.

Retail: Microsoft Dynamics AX offers tools for managing retail operations, including point of sale (POS), merchandising, and customer management.

Professional services: The solution’s professional services include project management, time and expense tracking, and billing.

Reporting and analytics: With Microsoft Dynamics AX, business intelligence and reporting capabilities help organizations gain insight into their operations and make data-driven decisions.

Microsoft Dynamics AX Benefits

There are many benefits to implementing Microsoft Dynamics AX. Some of the biggest advantages the solution offers include:

Comprehensive: Microsoft Dynamics AX integrates with other Microsoft solutions, such as Office 365 and Power Platform, to provide a comprehensive and integrated solution for business management.

Streamlined operations: The solution helps organizations streamline and automate their financial, supply chain, and human resources operations, improving efficiency and reducing manual effort.

Customization: Microsoft Dynamics AX is a highly customizable solution that can be tailored to meet the specific needs of a wide range of industries and organizations.

Reviews from Real Users

Microsoft Dynamics AX is a solution that stands out when compared to many of its competitors. Some of its major advantages are its UI functionality, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness.

"The most valuable feature I've found is the UI functionality,” says Navnath B., Head IT and CIO at Mutual Automotive Pvt Ltd.

Another PeerSpot reviewer, Timpa A., IT Manager at an energy/utilities company says he like the solution because "It is flexible and cost-effective."

Shahzad I., ERP Project Manager & Managing Consultant at Liwa Education, Iranfava, explains, “It's good for retail businesses. It expands a lot and constantly brings on new features. It's got a lot of competitive features.”

Sample Customers

Grosfillex, High Five Sportswear, L_derach, OTK Group, PHS Group, Propper International, Red Wing Shoe Company, Reynolds Catering Supplies, Saudi Diesel, Sheetz, Zeppelin, Zodiac Aerospace

ConQuaestor, D & H Distributing, Sunny Queen, Mesa Associates, Britax Childcare, Ibema, Arafa, Sabo S.p.A.

Buyer's Guide

Infor M3 vs. Microsoft Dynamics AX

January 2025

Free Report: Infor M3 vs. Microsoft Dynamics AX

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