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Microsoft Dynamics AX vs SAP Business ByDesign 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
6.5
Number of Reviews
58
Ranking in other categories
ERP (7th), Activity Based Costing Software (5th)
SAP Business ByDesign
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
16
Ranking in other categories
Cloud ERP (6th)
 

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 3.2%, down 6.4% compared to last year.
SAP Business ByDesign, on the other hand, focuses on Cloud ERP, holds 4.7% mindshare, down 8.4% since last year.
ERP Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Microsoft Dynamics AX3.2%
SAP ERP11.2%
SAP S/4HANA6.3%
Other79.3%
ERP
Cloud ERP Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
SAP Business ByDesign4.7%
Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP17.2%
NetSuite ERP15.5%
Other62.6%
Cloud ERP
 

Featured Reviews

reviewer2765214 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Sales Support Supervisor at a manufacturing company with 501-1,000 employees
Has required ongoing support and modernization but effectively manages core operations and complex workflows
Microsoft Dynamics AX is a very strong ERP system, applicable for customizations to help companies and organizations streamline their processes. The specific feature I find most valuable about Microsoft Dynamics AX is the applicable permissions. There are many levels of security and permissions for each user to monitor and access specific data relative to their functions. Additionally, the linkage and transition between exploring and moving from window to window, from function to function is valuable. The impact of Microsoft Dynamics AX on managing financial processes is significant. It's a very important element for financial departments as it represents all transactions, references, and records. The adjustments and availability to create more than one virtual company allow large companies, which combined represent one group of companies, to connect and streamline their financials and operations.
MS
Divisional Manager IT at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Valuable features enhance sales and service capabilities while performance improvements are needed
We received a few complaints about the slowness in SAP Business ByDesign last year, so I think SAP can focus on improving performance, particularly when it becomes slow during data saving and handling. My feedback about the modular architecture and customized features of SAP Business ByDesign is that it is only good, but we have not explored much on this one. The initial setup for SAP Business ByDesign was complex. One disadvantage was that we had the legacy system, SAP Business One, and we could not migrate our data to SAP Business ByDesign. They should have provided a migration path.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The tool makes it easier to manage things."
"All its features are valuable."
"The most valuable feature for us is the manufacturing module. It addresses our product costing for tuna canning."
"It is flexible and cost-effective."
"A valuable feature of Microsoft Dynamics AX is that it is stable."
"The installation is extremely simple, and I have had no problems with it."
"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."
"One of the valuable features of the solution is how easy it is to use."
"I have found the consolidation of the business and group reports very useful. There is plenty of features and the manufacturing and finance aspect of the solution are strong."
"SAP Business ByDesign is connected to our S/4 HANA system, and we have developed some APIs which help us integrate the system with S/4 HANA."
"The most helpful feature is the integrations. Integrating the tool with SAP S/4HANA Cloud is easy, facilitating implementation and deployment. The runtime analysis checks for real-time analytics to see if the software works properly. This is a powerful feature."
"When we were using it, we did see an immediate benefit, especially in the inventory on consignment issue. We were a biotech pre-revenue company and most of our manufacturing was outsourced. So being able to track inventory within the system without creating a financial impact was very key for us."
"When comparing SAP Business ByDesign to much larger ERP solutions, such as SAP ECC 6.0 or SAP S/4HANA, SAP Business ByDesign is more user-friendly and easier to implement."
"I like the tool’s customization."
"ByDesign's best features are its speed, real-time data, and reporting."
"The most valuable feature of SAP Business ByDesign is it has a streamlined design."
 

Cons

"There is room for improvement in the licensing model and associated costs of this solution."
"AX does take some time and maintenance."
"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."
"There should be the capability for users to enhance the application by using a low-code or no-code product from the Microsoft family."
"Microsoft Dynamics AX could be improved by having more features available. We are going to 365 now, to use all the modules, because we found that there weren't many new things we were able to develop with AX. There were a lot of things that weren't available, so we are moving and integrating other things. The customization of upgrades should also be faster. We would also like to see more security features."
"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."
"The implementation was completed within one month."
"We experienced some challenges with the mobile apps due to the insufficient processing capacity to handle the workload effectively."
"The Purchase to Pay process could benefit from further sophistication and additional functionality. It would be helpful for the user community to receive clearer information about the future roadmap of the business. Unfortunately, there were some confusing articles in the German press towards the end of last year about the future of SAP Business ByDesign. Therefore, more clarity is needed in the support function to address this."
"The solution does not support customization for forms and reports. It's not flexible in case you need some enhancements in business processes."
"One disadvantage was that we had the legacy system, SAP Business One, and we could not migrate our data to SAP Business ByDesign. They should have provided a migration path."
"SAP Business ByDesign is a very vast product, but it has to be a bit more centralized. All the models need to be more centralized for a better experience."
"The Arabic localization is neglected. It should have an Arabic interface. It lacks Arabic translation or support from right to left."
"SAP Business ByDesign can improve the flexibility and user-friendliness of the reporting during the implementations. Customizing the reports inside the device requires a lot of knowledge and most of the time a developer level is needed. For example, if you want to have a more specific reporting layout."
"Scalability is difficult."
"The database needs to be more customizable."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Go for cloud implementation, if cost is critical."
"The tool's licensing model is based on user subscription. The pricing needs to be reduced for the Indian and South Asian markets."
"One license costs $1,000."
"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 pricing is expensive."
"The product's license renewal cost could be better."
"The price of the solution could benefit from being less expensive."
"The price of the solution is high."
"I rate the price of SAP Business ByDesign a seven out of ten."
"We have to pay yearly."
"The tool’s pricing is expensive."
"Everything is included in the licensing cost of the solution. However, they use a per-user model for additional charges."
"The cost starts anywhere between fifty thousand dollars and up depending on the number of licenses."
"The tool’s subscription is yearly. There is no flat pricing involved and everything has a range. Pricing depends on the functionality that you would use. You need to also pay for the additional hosting and maintenance costs."
"The price of the solution could be better. They have to come up with a new strategy."
"The price of SAP Business ByDesign is less expensive than SAP S/4HANA. However, the price is on par with other similar competitors, such as Microsoft."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
10%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Computer Software Company
6%
Retailer
6%
Healthcare Company
11%
Computer Software Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business29
Midsize Enterprise13
Large Enterprise17
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business7
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise5
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Microsoft Dynamics AX?
I don't know if Microsoft Dynamics AX is still receiving official technical support from Microsoft. I can see most companies working with AX currently transforming to D365, upgrading their ERP syst...
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Dynamics AX?
I'm using Microsoft Dynamics AX to process and monitor the sales process from end-to-end, starting from placing orders. First, the order entry and placing the sales order, creating purchase requisi...
What do you like most about SAP Business ByDesign?
The most valuable features of SAP Business ByDesign are customer invoicing and cost and revenue, from which I get the data for my project reports.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SAP Business ByDesign?
The price is high, as every year SAP increases the price by 3.5%.
What needs improvement with SAP Business ByDesign?
We received a few complaints about the slowness in SAP Business ByDesign last year, so I think SAP can focus on improving performance, particularly when it becomes slow during data saving and handl...
 

Also Known As

Dynamics AX, Axapta, MS Dynamics AX
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

ConQuaestor, D & H Distributing, Sunny Queen, Mesa Associates, Britax Childcare, Ibema, Arafa, Sabo S.p.A.
Standard Bank of South Africa, AOK Bundesverband, PT XL Axiata Tbk, Tvoy Dom, Schaidt Innovations GmbH & Co. KG, DeLaval International AB, EMC Corporation, Lenovo, Castle Importing Inc., Unilever, Rifle Paper Co., RAK Ceramics, Rough Country, B&G Manufacturing, Life is good Inc., Joy Global Inc., City of Cape Town
Find out what your peers are saying about SAP, Oracle, Microsoft and others in ERP. Updated: January 2026.
881,733 professionals have used our research since 2012.