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Microsoft Dynamics AX vs SAP S/4HANA Cloud comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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 AX
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
55
Ranking in other categories
ERP (5th), Activity Based Costing Software (3rd)
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
52
Ranking in other categories
Cloud ERP (3rd)
 

Mindshare comparison

While both are Enterprise Resource Planning solutions, they serve different purposes. Microsoft Dynamics AX is designed for ERP and holds a mindshare of 6.4%, up 6.3% compared to last year.
SAP S/4HANA Cloud, on the other hand, focuses on Cloud ERP, holds 15.3% mindshare, up 12.5% since last year.
ERP
Cloud ERP
 

Featured Reviews

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.
Sajid Farooq - PeerSpot reviewer
Provides seamless integration of different modules in one place
Certain add-ons like quality control, payroll, and HRMS are not part of the SAP S/4HANA Cloud. SAP S/4HANA Cloud doesn't provide a quality control module. SAP S/4HANA Cloud does not have its own payroll and HRMS system. The partners develop their own cloud and integrate with the solution. There are certain modules specific to some industries, and SAP S/4HANA Cloud doesn't deal with those modules. Every partner of SAP S/4HANA Cloud has to develop its own and then integrate and certify with that solution. We can't say that these modules are part of SAP S/4HANA Cloud. There is a little area of improvement that SAP has to opt for particular types of solutions like QC, payroll, and HRMS. The graphics of SAP S/4HANA Cloud are not user-friendly. They don't look like they belong to a branded solution that costs too much. The solution's user interface is not appealing or user-friendly. On a scale from one to ten, where one is bad and ten is good, I rate the solution's user interface a five out of ten. SAP S/4HANA Cloud has built-in reports that are hard-coated. We have to alter or modify built-in reports in different marking segments, but there are no options for that. We have to build complete reports from scratch, and SAP-developed reports are not used in the market. SAP should provide a tool for customizing its developed reports so that there should not be a process of reengineering or reinventing the process.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It has the same UI and is very similar to any other Microsoft product."
"The accounting and inventory management features are valuable."
"The relation between CRM and Sales, that's the main strength of this ERP."
"It is easy to use, and it has a great UI. It has very well-structured modules. In terms of setup and configuration, they're logically placed, which makes it easy for any user to pick up information and learn more about the system, rather than just be plain key users of that business operating system."
"Support is really good."
"If anyone is familiar with Microsoft products then they can handle it easily."
"The stability is very good."
"The product's most valuable features are its day-to-day operations, Power BI-driven workspaces, and homepage."
"We are a well-established enterprise with a century-long history, and we recently transitioned from an older version to the current support system. This move has allowed us to fully leverage the advantages of the new system, facilitating efficient management of our business processes, including those related to manufacturing and other aspects of our operations."
"It was easy to implement."
"The most valuable aspect of SAP S/4HANA Cloud is its ease of deployment and the reduced hassles of infrastructure support."
"Real-time data analytics capabilities and the ability to integrate external tools like Qlik Sense are some of the most valuable features."
"The solution links everything and allows us to integrate into our entire supply chain."
"The reporting that we are doing from SAP S/4HANA Cloud is a valuable feature."
"The most valuable feature of SAP S/4HANA Cloud is the uptime it provides from being on the cloud. We do not have to manage the solution. All the infrastructure management is done from their side."
"S4HANA Cloud is reliable and accurate. Our existing team also has expertise in SAP, so it was simple to migrate to the cloud solution. S4HANA Cloud has advantages because we don't need to maintain the infrastructure, and there aren't any huge upfront costs."
 

Cons

"It needs better financials and reporting from the system, not through Excel."
"The implementation was completed within one month."
"Our version has performance issues so it gets stuck and is slow."
"The database requires a huge CPU and memory resources."
"I would never recommend moving to an obsolete product that cannot get support."
"This solution could be improved with more expert resources and an easier implementation process."
"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."
"It is no longer supported from a security perspective, so it is not getting updated."
"The scalability of the solution could improve."
"Analytics could be improved."
"The pricing is way over any of the other ERPs, and the bank integrations are not perfect. There are a lot of costs for other implementations and integrations with Salesforce and other systems. Rather than being a fully-fledged system on its own like most of the other ERPs, it relies too much on developed integrations by the implementation partner."
"It is a complicated solution. So it should be easier to use."
"We have encountered challenges with integration projects, particularly between SAP and non-SAP systems, which have caused delays."
"Public cloud is single-tenant so there are limitations on what can be customized."
"The system is very heavy and requires a lot of resources and a dedicated team. It is costly to maintain, demanding trained professionals, which adds to the expenses."
"The solution is expensive. That can be an issue for clients."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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 renewal cost could be better."
"The pricing is expensive."
"One license costs $1,000."
"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 tool's licensing model is based on user subscription. The pricing needs to be reduced for the Indian and South Asian markets."
"Go for cloud implementation, if cost is critical."
"It's too expensive for customers to take this on themselves. As partners, we will buy this on behalf of the customers and then charge this value for each project."
"The solution’s pricing is very high."
"I'm not directly involved in the pricing discussions; it's more of a concern for the finance team."
"It's very expensive."
"The price of SAP S/4HANA Cloud is expensive. However, the benefits are good. We did not purchase any upgrades."
"I don't remember the specifics about the licensing, but it's scaled and modular. You pay for what you use. It's not a one-size-fits-all license. You have a license for every single module. It's similar to Oracle."
"SAP S/4 Hana isn't cheap, but its value depends on how much you can leverage from it. It's not just about the system but how well your people are trained to use it and adapt to derive benefits."
"The pricing of SAP S/4HANA Cloud is on the higher side."
"On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing a seven out of ten."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Retailer
6%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Computer Software Company
16%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Educational Organization
6%
Construction Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

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...
What do you like most about SAP S/4HANA Cloud?
The manufacturing area is a good feature.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SAP S/4HANA Cloud?
SAP S/4HANA Cloud is very expensive, both to purchase and maintain. It's important to evaluate the costs of recruiting and maintaining trained personnel as it's not just a one-time payment yet requ...
What needs improvement with SAP S/4HANA Cloud?
The system is very heavy and requires a lot of resources and a dedicated team. It is costly to maintain, demanding trained professionals, which adds to the expenses. This makes the overall cost ver...
 

Also Known As

Dynamics AX, Axapta, MS Dynamics AX
SAP S4HANA Cloud
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

ConQuaestor, D & H Distributing, Sunny Queen, Mesa Associates, Britax Childcare, Ibema, Arafa, Sabo S.p.A.
La Trobe University, Carrefour Comércio e Indústria Ltda, Delaware Consulting and Corning Inc.
Find out what your peers are saying about SAP, Microsoft, Oracle and others in ERP. Updated: February 2025.
837,501 professionals have used our research since 2012.