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Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central vs Microsoft Dynamics AX comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

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

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Busi...
Ranking in ERP
3rd
Ranking in Activity Based Costing Software
2nd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
63
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
55
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2025, in the ERP category, the mindshare of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is 6.5%, down from 6.9% 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
 

Featured Reviews

StefaanVandesompele - PeerSpot reviewer
Provides end-to-end accounting and finance module at reasonable pricing
365 Business Central integrates with Office 365 to streamline the invoice approval process. This allows businesses to manage and approve invoices efficiently within a unified system. Our organization plans to transition to the Dynamics 365 environment, where various functions will be centralized. We will consolidate everything into one system instead of maintaining multiple databases for each country with local data. Dynamics 365 is fully integrated, which should address many of our challenges when we migrate to this new environment. We look forward to seeing how it performs in practice. The project is progressing well overall, though integrating it with other tools and ensuring Dynamics 365 operates smoothly can be challenging. Dynamics 365 is user-friendly and effective. However, a deeper understanding of its technical capabilities and architecture might be necessary to optimize its use fully. The software landscape is evolving, and achieving the best reporting and functionality with just a click can be complex. A clear vision of what you want to achieve with Dynamics 365 is essential. Proper preparation and configuration are crucial to achieving the desired outcomes. This principle applies not only to Dynamics 365 but to all software packages. Understanding the system's flexibility and adaptability based on your specific business needs is key to its successful implementation. Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
SherifAnter - PeerSpot reviewer
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.

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 Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is the Teams application. I use Teams to share documents amongst my team members, have meetings, and talk to them."
"The security feature, particularly the encryption, which still builds sensitivity, is one of the most valuable features."
"The customer support is good. The first level of support agent in every case was able to solve the problem very quickly."
"For me, the main strengths of Microsoft Dynamics NAV are that it's user-friendly and light. These are its major wins. I have used other ERPs and their architecture were a little more complex when compared to the Microsoft Dynamics NAV architecture."
"The solution can scale."
"I have found the flexibility to be very valuable. It's highly flexible, and at least for us, it has been effective. It is also highly functional."
"Has good integration with Power BI."
"I like Microsoft Dynamics' simplicity. The interface is excellent, and it's a highly mature product. You can hardly find any bugs in the product."
"The tool's most important capabilities are for retail and finance. Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 doesn't have many integration capabilities, but Microsoft 365 has the most capabilities to integrate with any type of standalone software and has many more features."
"AX is nearly a Tier One product, so implementations are long, but there's a lot of flexibility. Also, the ability to handle different issues found in larger organizations."
"We're using the solution for financial modules, specifically focusing on consolidation, financial configuration, management reporting for warehousing, sales. Most of the features of Microsoft Dynamics AX are good. The overall structure and functions are great. The solution is stable. The initial setup is straightforward."
"The most valuable feature of Microsoft Dynamics AX is material planning."
"The most valuable features of Microsoft Dynamics AX are field services and the vendor collaboration portal. Both of the features are very good."
"All its features are valuable."
"The tool's most valuable feature is reporting."
"From a developer's perspective, the architecture of Dynamics has a well-designed security layer, which prevents coding issues between different layers. This is a significant advantage."
 

Cons

"I would like to have more frequent updates."
"There is a book for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central explaining how to use it. But it is not easy to use, and it is not easy to learn."
"There is a lot of improvement needed in the top model, such as better integration with logistics, quality management, and data modeling for all revenue types."
"The solution is stable, but it could improve."
"I think Microsoft should improve on the process of how the user decides on a business workflow. For example, there may be some kind of drag-and-drop interface that lets us decide for ourselves how to develop the business workflows that fit our purpose."
"I would like a more modular and user-friendly interface."
"It would be nice, in Microsoft Teams, if we were able to type more information into the chat."
"There is room for improvement in terms of compatibility."
"Change management could be better."
"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."
"There might be some features to support localizations that could be helpful to add."
"The manufacturing module in GP is quite basic, and those who require more advanced manufacturing capabilities often turn to third-party modules or tools."
"Microsoft Dynamics AX can improve system performance and security. The security is basic and needs a lot of improvement."
"There is room for improvement in the licensing model and associated costs of this solution."
"At times there are issues related to reporting, sometimes with the integration between two or three modules, and sometimes to the logic itself."
"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."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of the solution is reasonable."
"The price of the solution is reasonable."
"The price of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is reasonable. We pay monthly for the use of the solution."
"The license changes every year. Sometimes it's for fixed users, and sometimes it's for concurrent users."
"Business Central charges a monthly fee of $70 to $100 per user."
"The deployment cost us $70,000 and we pay around $18,000 annually for support, which we find to be expensive."
"I think the pricing is the best; it's cost effective for sure."
"We have an agreement with Microsoft and pricing is okay for us."
"I don't know how much this solution costs off the top of my head, but I know that the cloud and SaaS solutions are cheaper."
"Microsoft Dynamics AX is not expensive."
"The yearly licenses are priced okay."
"It is $180 to $200 per user per month with a minimum of 20 users, which makes selling the product a bit difficult."
"Microsoft Dynamics AX is expensive."
"The platform's price offering is good."
"Go for cloud implementation, if cost is critical."
"The pricing is expensive."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Government
6%
Computer Software Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Retailer
5%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Microsoft Dynamics NAV?
The platform offers a robust and comprehensive cycle for supply chain and inventory management, with features like minimum and maximum settings, dynamic monitoring of inventory levels, and integrat...
What needs improvement with Microsoft Dynamics NAV?
Implementing localizations when we use the system for multiple countries can be quite complex. There isn't a single solution available for all countries, and managing these localizations can be cha...
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...
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...
 

Also Known As

Dynamics NAV, MS Dynamics NAV
Dynamics AX, Axapta, MS Dynamics AX
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Harris Farm Markets, Mister Spex GmbH, Bounce Foods, Eurofin Services SA, Medica Medizintechnik, Associated Gaskets, Onduline, Sitka Surfboard Corporation, World Animal Protection
ConQuaestor, D & H Distributing, Sunny Queen, Mesa Associates, Britax Childcare, Ibema, Arafa, Sabo S.p.A.
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central vs. Microsoft Dynamics AX and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
831,158 professionals have used our research since 2012.