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Microsoft Dynamics AX vs SAP S/4HANA comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Dynamics AX
Ranking in ERP
5th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
55
Ranking in other categories
Activity Based Costing Software (3rd)
SAP S/4HANA
Ranking in ERP
2nd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
106
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2024, in the ERP category, the mindshare of Microsoft Dynamics AX is 6.7%, up from 6.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SAP S/4HANA is 15.7%, up from 15.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
ERP
 

Featured Reviews

Benjamin Mpolokoso - PeerSpot reviewer
A stable product that offers excellent ROI and reliable technical support
It is a good solution but quite complex, especially when integrating with other systems. Some simpler products like Sage are much easier to integrate with. I think it is because of the product’s proprietary database, MSSQL. Other databases are more open source. They use MySQL in the background, so it is easier to integrate with other products. Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
VARUN-JAIN - PeerSpot reviewer
The solution is highly scalable, with solid performance and integration
S/4HANA implementation is always complex because you need to configure it to work with your infrastructure. SAP only provides the license, not hardware, but they will connect you with a partner like HPE or IBM. It's extremely costly if you ask for SAP to implement it, but you can deploy through some vendor like HCL, TC, Infosys, or Capgemini, and then you need to enlist a hardware partner. The complexity also varies by industry. If it's a small industry with $40 million of revenue annually, the business processes will be simple. However, deployment is tricky for heavy manufacturing, energy, etc.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It was an okay solution when we delivered hardware and we had to do maintenance."
"Almost all of the features that we use are efficient. Live master planning successfully handles all of our company's requirements."
"The product's most valuable features are its day-to-day operations, Power BI-driven workspaces, and homepage."
"The accounting and inventory management features are valuable."
"The tool's most valuable feature is reporting."
"The most valuable feature of Microsoft Dynamics AX is customization."
"There's a moderate amount of scalability available."
"All its features are valuable."
"It is a stable solution."
"I have been using SAP for more than 13 years and the new SAP S4HANA was not only a simple upgrade, they have made a lot of improvements. They have simplified a lot of the functions, the all-new interface gives users a better experience. The database itself is quite efficient in nature and it provides effective data queries. It is a good upgrade from the previous version of SAP R/3."
"One of the things I like about it is its well-integrated and secure nature."
"SAP S/4HANA is an integrated application, which is its greatest strength."
"The Fiori design is a valuable feature."
"We leverage the finance and add-on modules of SAP S/4HANA, including Alibaba integration, CRM integration, and production planning. These features are highly configurable and provide excellent visibility into our systems. While I appreciate the introduction of in-memory computing as a feature, I haven't had the opportunity to delve deep into this feature."
"The in-memory processing capability is most valuable."
"The user interface of SAP S/4HANA is user-friendly."
 

Cons

"I sometimes put in wrong data that needs correction, but I cannot change it or approve it without withdrawing it. It will then take time for me to go back in and edit it."
"AX does take some time and maintenance."
"The support here in Turkey could be better. However, the international support is good."
"The product takes some training to get up to speed on all functionality and modules in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 ERP system."
"Microsoft could provide more flexible hardware requirements that can scale with the volume of data being processed rather than providing only a minimum requirement."
"Microsoft Dynamics AX can improve by having a more modern user interface. It should be more modular and dynamic. Additionally, the solution could be easier to connect with APIs with other technologies."
"There are so many errors."
"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."
"In an upcoming release of SAP S4HANA, chain management should be easier."
"The initial setup was difficult."
"There should be an easier way to migrate customers from all versions to SAP S/4HANA."
"The customer service and support are average. There is room for improvement in response time."
"The migration to SAP S/4HANA is hard."
"Starting out on the solution can be a bit complex and difficult."
"It would be beneficial if the pricing structure could be made more flexible and adaptable to suit the needs of different organizations.Besides this the scalability also needs consideration improvement. I believe support could be improved by providing more specific and detailed answers rather than generic responses."
"Extensions to SAP S/4HANA have room for improvement, especially in integration with low-code/no-code platforms. Creating these extensions through Fiori transactions is more tedious than customers would like. Although the SAP build process has become more linear, further improvements could provide a huge benefit."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Microsoft Dynamics AX is expensive."
"The initial investment cost goes up due to the hidden cost."
"The solution is expensive."
"The price of the solution is high."
"Microsoft Dynamics AX is not expensive."
"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."
"The solution is on-premises and we do not pay for a license."
"The tool is cheap."
"The price of the solution is reasonable but some modules can be expensive. When comparing SAP S4HANA to other solutions, such as Oracle, it is not expensive."
"It is never a cheap product since it is a prime tool in the worldwide market."
"Regarding pricing, I don't regularly deal with the financial aspects, but it is not a cheap solution."
"I have found the price of the solution is on the medium to the expensive side of the scale. There is a license for this solution and there are additional maintenance fees."
"It is on a quarterly basis. There are no additional costs. There is just the standard fee."
"We pay for an annual license."
"The solution might be expensive."
"The price of the solution is expensive."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Retailer
6%
Educational Organization
38%
Computer Software Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
9%
University
4%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Microsoft Dynamics AX?
The 2012 version is obsolete, and we don't have any support for it.
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Dynamics AX?
My clients' use cases for the product cover domains like retail, manufacturing, IT communications, and HR.
Are there any advantages of SAP S4 HANA over SAP Business One (SAP B1) apart from the cost?
SaP Business One is a complete solution for business management. The software applications are broad, ranging from accounting to project management and human resources. It is very versatile and com...
What needs improvement with SAP S4HANA?
The cost of their support services could be more affordable. It's currently an expensive proposition.
What is your primary use case for SAP S4HANA?
We have several different application scenarios that we are implementing, including procurement, sales, and finance.
 

Also Known As

Dynamics AX, Axapta, MS Dynamics AX
SAP S4HANA
 

Learn More

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

ConQuaestor, D & H Distributing, Sunny Queen, Mesa Associates, Britax Childcare, Ibema, Arafa, Sabo S.p.A.
Nestle, O.C. Tanner, Sabre, New York Life Insurance Co., MEMEBOX, Siemens AG.
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Dynamics AX vs. SAP S/4HANA and other solutions. Updated: December 2024.
824,145 professionals have used our research since 2012.