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Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central vs Microsoft Dynamics SL 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
5th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
68
Ranking in other categories
Activity Based Costing Software (2nd)
Microsoft Dynamics SL
Ranking in ERP
22nd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2026, in the ERP category, the mindshare of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is 3.4%, down from 6.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Dynamics SL is 1.1%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
ERP Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central3.4%
Microsoft Dynamics SL1.1%
Other95.5%
ERP
 

Featured Reviews

BN
VP Sales at Zelite Solution
Streamlined sales pipeline has improved daily task tracking and clarified client follow-ups
The best features Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central offers for me is that this software makes my life very easy, as I have a complete snapshot of my pipeline and a complete snapshot of my daily activities, where I can see what the status of my leads is, where I am standing in terms of closure, and the aging of my opportunities, which tells me how much time there is in the opportunity. Out of all those things I mentioned, the pipeline view and day-to-day activities feel the most valuable to me in my day-to-day work. There are AI-driven insights through Copilot, which is worth mentioning. Email communication and everything I receive is tracked with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, and the best feature is that I can access everything on my mobile, so I do not have to open my laptop and the application every time. It helps me with my sales forecasting also, and predictive analysis is one of the best features for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. We have more insights and more clarity about our sales, our pipeline, where we are standing, and we have more clarity on our leads. Becoming a process-centric organization helps us a lot to keep us accountable, so Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central has made our life easy in terms of sales.
Marisol Caamaño - PeerSpot reviewer
Information Technology Manager at Clarimex
Reliable product with straightforward setup process
Overall, Dynamics SL served us well for many years. However, organizations should consider more modern solutions, especially those that support transactional processing, to avoid the inefficiencies associated with batch processing. I would advise looking into more modern solutions that avoid batch processing. While it was reliable, its batch system is outdated compared to newer transactional systems. I rate it a nine out of ten.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Has good integration with Power BI."
"The product is customizable so we can tune it according to our requirements."
"We are getting more features after switching to Microsoft 365."
"We have everything recorded in the database, so our data is much more manageable than before, and that's one of the greatest advantages."
"The appeal of NAV was that it's all-inclusive, so we didn't need 15 different programs to keep the business running."
"One of the most valuable features of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is its ease of installation and user-friendly interface."
"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."
"Customer service is excellent."
"It's pretty easy to set up."
"If I put myself in the customer's shoes, it's easier to use. Reporting would be a very valuable feature."
"The solution has provided a good return on investment by ensuring our financial and operational information is accurate and timely."
"The solution has many helpful features, the stability is very good, its performance is reliable, the solution is extremely useful for e-commerce companies, the compliance has been very useful, the solution is quite stable, the scalability is good, and it is pretty easy to set up."
 

Cons

"Price for small organizations in the public sector should be less."
"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."
"They need to improve their processes."
"The solution is not best suited for larger-scale businesses."
"The reporting tool has room for improvement."
"The tool needs to work on reporting issues and user interface."
"The stability could always be improved."
"It would be nice, in Microsoft Teams, if we were able to type more information into the chat."
"The licensing of the solution should be adjusted. The policies aren't ideal. They should make it easier to understand. Right now, it's too confusing."
"The licensing of the solution should be adjusted; the policies aren't ideal and they should make it easier to understand because right now it's too confusing."
"The product's primary improvement area would be its batch processing system."
"An area of improvement could be around automation and predictability."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"In my opinion, the fees are reasonable."
"Business Central charges a monthly fee of $70 to $100 per user."
"The cost is one of the benefits. If you don't want to go for the full-blown finance and operations, the pricing model is a lot cheaper and has now switched to being based on a per-user subscription. So, if it's on cloud, you now have an expense instead of a large CapEx. If it's on-prem, you obviously still have to continue with the licensing model that they have, but if you compare the features and functionality, in terms of the price that you pay, I find it's better than other products. My answer on the pricing would be slightly different, depending on the country you're in and the return on investment, based on the size of the company. It's well-priced internationally. I think the new model is priced even better because it's now subscription-based and, if you go for cloud, the return on investment is a lot quicker and if it's expense, you can cap it. If you do take the on-prem version, the licensing is still priced as what it used to be, so that would depend on what country you are in."
"Its licensing is yearly. In addition to the licensing cost, there is the cost of hosting on Azure."
"We have an agreement with Microsoft and pricing is okay for us."
"The price of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is reasonable."
"Currently, the product offers a starting price of $70 per user per month, which provides access to the complete ERP engine. It is highly reasonable."
"The solution's cost is reasonable."
"If the value proposition is clear for the customer, they won't see it as an expensive solution. A solution becomes expensive when it doesn't do what it promises."
"The licensing costs were reasonable."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
12%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Construction Company
8%
University
6%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business41
Midsize Enterprise12
Large Enterprise19
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

Is it advisable to purchase Dynamics CRM in addition to NAV 2016?
Short answer: depends on your sales needs. NAV 2016’s built-in CRM is very basic. It’s fine for simple contact management and basic sales tracking, but it lacks: Proper pipeline management Adva...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Dynamics NAV?
The pricing and setup cost via partner for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central are very attractive, as you get the best discounts and offers. Implementation, which depends on partner to partner...
What needs improvement with Microsoft Dynamics NAV?
The only thing that could be improved is integration with WhatsApp, which I can see for Microsoft that it has to be available, and that becomes a challenge sometimes. Everything else is perfect.
What needs improvement with Microsoft Dynamics SL?
The product's primary improvement area would be its batch processing system. Transitioning to a transactional processing system would significantly enhance its efficiency and usability.
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Dynamics SL?
Our primary use case for the platform was managing our financial and operational processes across multiple companies. We are a group with 11 to 12 companies, and Dynamics SL has been integral in ma...
What advice do you have for others considering Microsoft Dynamics SL?
Overall, Dynamics SL served us well for many years. However, organizations should consider more modern solutions, especially those that support transactional processing, to avoid the inefficiencies...
 

Also Known As

Dynamics NAV, MS Dynamics NAV
Dynamics SL, MS Dynamics SL
 

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
ASAP, Espartec, S.A de C.V., TGLT, Calder‹n Autopartes El_ctricas, GGS Systems, CLEAResult, Shared Spectrum Company, Scope Global Pty Ltd
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central vs. Microsoft Dynamics SL and other solutions. Updated: April 2026.
893,221 professionals have used our research since 2012.