Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

Microsoft Dynamics AX vs SAP Business One 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
4th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
55
Ranking in other categories
Activity Based Costing Software (3rd)
SAP Business One
Ranking in ERP
5th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
65
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the ERP category, the mindshare of Microsoft Dynamics AX is 6.3%, down from 6.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SAP Business One is 3.7%, down from 6.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
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.
Ijlal Naqvi - PeerSpot reviewer
Easy to deploy but needs to improve in the area of BI
If I speak about a feature in the tool that helps with financial management, I would say that of all the products I have ever worked on, used, or implemented, the finance part is pretty much the same in all ERPs and bookkeeping software tools. Finance is a regulated thing. It has to generate financial statements related to all the accounts. All financial management systems will look into the ledger, accounts payable, and accounts receivable. Generally the tool has two models. If the tool's in-house model is opted, then just one person is needed to maintain the product as an ERP administrator. If it is through a partner, then we usually have managed services, so you get access to a whole bunch of resources, technical, functional, finance, manufacturing, supply chain, or resources that you can have as part of the managed services contract. My company does not use much of AI with SAP Business One since it is pretty much manual now. It's still pretty much manual for business process enhancements and it still requires more of a consultative approach with more of a human touch. With SAP S4/HANA, there is a process navigator, process data mining tool that does help users since with the use of AI it provides answers to their questions. Recommendations are subjective to the requirements of the users. I would not recommend SAP Business One to a financial services institution or a bank. I would most definitely recommend it to a small family-owned business with about 20,000,000 of revenue, and that too in the area of discrete manufacturing. I rate the tool a seven 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

"There's a moderate amount of scalability available."
"The tool's most valuable feature is reporting."
"The accounting and inventory management features are valuable."
"One of the valuable features of the solution is how easy it is to use."
"This solution's most valuable feature is its workflow for purchase orders and inventory."
"The performance is good."
"The response time of the solution is very good."
"Almost all of the features that we use are efficient. Live master planning successfully handles all of our company's requirements."
"Add-ons that can be implemented are most valuable."
"The most valuable features of SAP Business One are the financials, sales, and production. They are very helpful. Additionally, it is very easy to use and the user interface is stable in the application and on the web."
"The solution is user-friendly in comparison with Oracle."
"Its real-time data capabilities initially provided critical insights that supported our decision-making. It effectively meets our data security and compliance requirements."
"SAP Business One has good reports and is simple to customize and use."
"One of the biggest advantages of SAP Business One, especially in the public cloud, is that many features are standardized, which reduces the need for customization."
"We like it as it's easy to use, cost-effective, easy to deploy, and easy to get support for."
"The product seems to be quite stable."
 

Cons

"There is room for improvement when handling various currencies within the current Microsoft Dynamics AX system."
"The database requires a huge CPU and memory resources."
"I would never recommend moving to an obsolete product that cannot get support."
"The initial setup can be complex at times and has room for improvement."
"There might be some features to support localizations that could be helpful to add."
"At times there are issues related to reporting, sometimes with the integration between two or three modules, and sometimes to the logic itself."
"The solution in general just needs a few quality improvements."
"There is no Arabic interface in Microsoft Business Central, which is a big weak point."
"There should be a portal so that our providers can give us their invoices. This is something that it is missing currently. SAP provides such a portal with SAP ERP, but it is not available with SAP Business One."
"There are possibilities to extend its functionality. Things such as Quality Management System (QMS) and Payroll are currently not a part of the product. These things are needed."
"In the next release, I would like to see the inclusion of cloud features."
"The production scheduling, manufacturing, and planning could improve in SAP Business One. Additionally, the projection management module could improve. These functionalities are important in the construction industry we are working in at the moment."
"SAP Business One lacks solutions for some specific use cases, particularly in HR functions and production planning, which require a lot of customization."
"Business One would be improved with a customization option."
"SAP Business One could be improved if SAP creates one platform to integrate different solutions, particularly having a multi-company concept rather than having different databases. The solution could be similar to SAP S/4 Hana and the SAP Business ByDesign concept."
"You get support through the vendor, not SAP directly. If your vendor is good, you get good support. If it is not a good vendor, the support is very bad."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The yearly licenses are priced okay."
"It has a pay-as-you-go subscription."
"Licensing is stable, and overall, the users are satisfied with it."
"It is not the cheapest solution, but it is also not the most expensive one. It's in between and is cheaper than SAP but more expensive than other local vendors. It is worth the cost."
"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 product's license renewal cost could be better."
"I purchased the license once, and there is a license with a partner that I pay for annually."
"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 price of SAP Business One is not comparable to other solutions. SAP is a well-known brand, and its price is on the higher side. However, if the solution offers the right fit for an organization the price is not a major concern for those who choose to use it."
"In terms of price, it's fair, but the problem is with AMC."
"Its price is reasonable. We have about 200 licenses. We have to pay every year for the license."
"SAP has a high cost of licensing."
"Business One is reasonable considering the functionality."
"We are on a perpetual license for SAP Business One and the price it should be less expensive when comparing it to other solutions."
"Business One's prices are really high."
"If the client's budget is low, they go for SAP Business One."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which ERP solutions are best for your needs.
845,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Retailer
6%
Computer Software Company
16%
Manufacturing Company
14%
Healthcare Company
6%
Educational Organization
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Microsoft Dynamics AX?
DAX is actually well supported by its development. Given that even in this old version of AX and taking into account that its predecessor D365 has been around since 2017, the DAX ERP is still worki...
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...
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 do you like most about SAP Business One?
It's user-friendly and comes with comprehensive manuals. So, it is easy to learn to use SAP Business One
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SAP Business One?
The pricing model of SAP Business One is average. It is neither too good nor too bad, and there is room for more flexibility in pricing.
 

Also Known As

Dynamics AX, Axapta, MS Dynamics AX
Business One
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

ConQuaestor, D & H Distributing, Sunny Queen, Mesa Associates, Britax Childcare, Ibema, Arafa, Sabo S.p.A.
Ego Pharmaceuticals Pty. Ltd
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Dynamics AX vs. SAP Business One and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
845,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.