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Microsoft Dynamics AX vs Sage Business Cloud Enterprise Management 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 AX
Ranking in ERP
5th
Ranking in Activity Based Costing Software
3rd
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
56
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Sage Business Cloud Enterpr...
Ranking in ERP
23rd
Ranking in Activity Based Costing Software
9th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
5
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the ERP category, the mindshare of Microsoft Dynamics AX is 6.3%, down from 6.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sage Business Cloud Enterprise Management is 0.5%, up from 0.5% 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.
Muhammad Uwais - PeerSpot reviewer
An elastic, multi-company structure that naturally parameterizes and adapts
The best feature is the solution's elastic, multi-company structure. You can expand or add companies at any time while retaining the same architecture and flow with minimal affect on your wallet. The solution is parameterized so you don't need a lot of customizations because it naturally has the ability to parameterize, configure, and adapt to various organizational procedures. You don't have to stick to some standard way of doing things because the solution adapts to your way of doing things. The approval and audit engines are very powerful. The built-in development component allows you to customize and develop without depending on third-party factors. Across six years, 80% to 85% of our use cases are completely managed within the solution because of its architecture.

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 AX is that it fulfills our requirements. We haven't had any issues with performance."
"Microsoft Dynamics is very stable."
"The stability is very good."
"One of the valuable features of the solution is how easy it is to use."
"If anyone is familiar with Microsoft products then they can handle it easily."
"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."
"The production is a valuable feature."
"The solution is parameterized so it naturally has the ability to parameterize, configure, and adapt to various organizational procedures."
"The initial setup is not complex. The deployment process was relatively straightforward."
"The most valuable feature of Sage Business Cloud Enterprise Management is the business intelligence module. Additionally, report consolidation, cloud access, and analysis are useful."
"Sage Business Cloud Enterprise Management has helped by making processes such as calculating costs, accessing inventory information quickly, validating offers, and extracting data easier."
"The interface is rich in features, allowing efficient management of business operations."
"The accounting part and the procurement part are most valuable. It is a very good system with workflows and notifications."
 

Cons

"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."
"At times there are issues related to reporting, sometimes with the integration between two or three modules, and sometimes to the logic itself."
"The implementation was completed within one month."
"The older version of Microsoft Dynamics AX that we are using is not as scalable as the newer version."
"They should include some modules related to solving customer problems or resolving support tickets from our customers — like a help desk for ERPs."
"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."
"There is room for improvement in the licensing model and associated costs of this solution."
"The on-premises and desktop versions are not user-friendly."
"Its implementation process is kind of complicated. If the person implementing it doesn't know what he is doing, the system can have many issues. Sage X3 is just an accounting system. As compared to Oracle E-Business Suite, it does not cover a lot of functionality. It doesn't have the payroll, lease management, and HR modules. Oracle E-Business Suite is better than Sage X3."
"Integration with other tools like BOM or Cisco BlueQ could be improved."
"It is not suitable for corporate or manufacturing companies. For example, it's challenging to use it for a manufacturing company."
"Sage Business Cloud Enterprise Management could improve the search functionality. For example, if I was to search for a transaction from last year it would be difficult to accomplish. I have to scroll through to find what I am looking for. The approach should be more similar to Quickbooks where when you search for something it takes you directly to the searched item."
"Integration with other tools like BOM or Cisco BlueQ could be improved."
"The solution does not have a solid, out-of-the-box API architecture that is supported."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"One client was looking at a $5M SAP proposal and we got AX in just under $2M, and they were very happy with it as they have several sister companies that face $500K SAP upgrades/maintenance seemingly annually."
"Microsoft Dynamics AX is expensive."
"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 initial investment cost goes up due to the hidden cost."
"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."
"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."
"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 price of the solution could benefit from being less expensive."
"The cost is not expensive."
"The price of this solution is expensive. However, it depends on the number of branches used. The price can be upwards of $40,000 annually."
"It is very cheap. There are no additional charges, but the problem is that you have to acquire an additional supporting system such as a budgeting system. You will have to implement the integration and maintain two systems. So, you need to pay for the license of that budgeting system and this one. You also need to pay the license for the payroll and integration. There are all these integrations that you have to pay for."
"The solution delivers the same capabilities of SAP or Oracle at about 30% to 40% of the cost."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Comms Service Provider
6%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Computer Software Company
24%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
10%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Microsoft Dynamics AX?
Microsoft Dynamics AX has several areas that need improvement, particularly when compared to larger systems. It lacks the concept of month-end closing, which is essential for tight control over fin...
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Dynamics AX?
I primarily use Microsoft Dynamics AX ( /products/microsoft-dynamics-ax-reviews ) for the financial module, which includes the general ledger, account payable, account receivable, inventory, and pu...
What do you like most about Sage Business Cloud Enterprise Management?
The initial setup is not complex. The deployment process was relatively straightforward.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Sage Business Cloud Enterprise Management?
The pricing of Sage Business Cloud Enterprise Management is high compared to other solutions like Bitrix.
What needs improvement with Sage Business Cloud Enterprise Management?
Integration with other tools like BOM or Cisco BlueQ could be improved. The importation of configurations like BOQs is challenging as each line has to be added individually, which is time-consuming...
 

Also Known As

Dynamics AX, Axapta, MS Dynamics AX
Sage ERP X3, Sage X3
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

ConQuaestor, D & H Distributing, Sunny Queen, Mesa Associates, Britax Childcare, Ibema, Arafa, Sabo S.p.A.
Power Distributing, Universal Paper and Plastics
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Dynamics AX vs. Sage Business Cloud Enterprise Management and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
851,604 professionals have used our research since 2012.