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Microsoft Dynamics AX vs SAP ERP comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 20, 2025

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
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
56
Ranking in other categories
Activity Based Costing Software (3rd)
SAP ERP
Ranking in ERP
2nd
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
105
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 SAP ERP is 19.0%, down from 22.8% 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.
Srinivasan Kuppuswamy - PeerSpot reviewer
The amazing, robust framework with unlimited scalability earns its #1 status
The solution is not ready for the current e-commerce environment. Its was built for large enterprises who need to predictably optimize their human, material, and financial resources. ERP has evolved and businesses are changing. There are not many large corporations. Most are small enterprises with the capabilities of large enterprises through networking and platform integration. Some companies promote products but get things done with other enterprises as a network. Companies do not want to create new capacity but want to leverage existing capacity with innovative products. They do not want to spend resources on duplicating capacity or facilities. I do not think any ERP product is ready to support this environment so ERPs as a whole might end up being used for back-office functions only. It is not easy to evolve an ERP product because its intent is to integrate functions and processes within an organization. Whereas, in the new business model, processes are not limited to one's own enterprise but cut across different enterprises. There is no enterprise solution as this point in time for the current e-commerce environment so companies must integrate with many solutions.

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 its full integration with Excel, allowing for cut and paste functionality between Excel and the system."
"The most valuable feature I've found is the UI functionality."
"The installation is extremely simple, and I have had no problems with it."
"The response time of the solution is very good."
"The most valuable feature of Microsoft Dynamics AX is material planning."
"From a developer's perspective, the architecture of Dynamics has a well-designed security layer, which prevents coding issues between different layers. This is a significant advantage."
"The product is easier to use and has more efficient workflow management features than other vendors."
"There's a moderate amount of scalability available."
"SAP has provided a much more integrated platform for managing our manufacturing business."
"The accounting module's record and report process is closely integrated with almost every other process."
"The most valuable features of SAP ERP is the flexibility and functionality. It is one of the best ERPs I have seen in the market."
"It has a lot of integrity of data, and it is fast. All the users feel that they can trust this data. So, data integrity is the most important value of SAP."
"MDG provides a central location for governance of the creation/updating processes of master data. It allows you to change several fields in the same object. For example, we can change a field on the purchasing view and change another field on an accounting view to the same material at the same time."
"The transactional integration of operations is the best-recommended feature of this product. It provides integration of all operational modules."
"It is a comprehensive and robust solution. It can provide lots of functional features."
"Good customization features."
 

Cons

"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."
"The UI has room for improvement and can be more user-friendly."
"Microsoft needs more presence in our region to help with management and maintenance."
"The initial setup can be complex at times and has room for improvement."
"The general speed of the solution needs improvement."
"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 financial periods."
"It is being decommissioned."
"There should be the capability for users to enhance the application by using a low-code or no-code product from the Microsoft family."
"Technical support could be better."
"It's very difficult to find people who are well versed in it."
"In the next release, I would like to see more technical integration for directly designed solutions on behalf of the selling process so that you can design solutions and not have to use ten or more other tools to get the solution for selling."
"It is not easily integrated with outside products."
"In general, a user should attend training before they can use this platform. There's definitely a learning curve. As a new user or employee, there may be some difficulty with onboarding."
"The reporting feature could improve in SAP ERP. It could benefit from being more flexible."
"I think that implementation could be simplified."
"I'm only working on the front end with ERP's user interface, which isn't very easy for end-users. It's an old-school interface, so it's often challenging to find what you need."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There is an annual licensing cost for Microsoft Dynamics AX."
"One license costs $1,000."
"The initial investment cost goes up due to the hidden cost."
"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 tool is cheap."
"Microsoft Dynamics AX is expensive."
"Licensing is stable, and overall, the users are satisfied with it."
"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."
"My company makes early payments towards the licensing costs attached to the product. There are no additional costs apart from the charges paid toward the subscription-based license offered by SAP."
"I rate the product's price a seven on a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive. SAP ERP is a costly tool."
"I rate SAP ERP's pricing a six or seven out of ten."
"The solution can cost approximately $1 million a year for maintenance for a small-size company and can grow from there. Approximately $1 million is needed for a good-size company."
"SAP is a bit on the costly side, but they also provide support and other things. We are paying for licenses and the use of the cloud."
"SAP ECC is not cheap but I consider it the best system for managing an organization's data and processes."
"There is a license needed to use this solution."
"When you have a solution that is stable, reliable, and has a high performance as this solution, the price is going to be expensive. However, when you evaluate the service you are paying for the cost is quite reasonable for this solution."
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Comparison Review

it_user110085 - PeerSpot reviewer
Feb 1, 2015
SAP All in One vs. Oracle E-Business Suite vs. Microsoft Axapta
We put together an ERP evaluation for 3 proposed solutions. The top 3 packages considered for detailed evaluation – SAP All in One, Oracle E-Business Suite, Microsoft Axapta. The Key Criteria used for Evaluation are as follows: A. Functional Fit to meet current Business Requirements B…
 

Answers from the Community

VC
Mar 15, 2021
Mar 15, 2021
For starters, I would stop comparing tools, and start looking at my business and what I want to achieve. So identify objectives and what's blocking achievement, define quality outcomes for the obejctives you want to achieve and build your businesscase on efficiency improvement. What earnings, savings, benefits are achieved when meeting your obectives.Based on the blocking issues you identified...
2 out of 5 answers
GH
Jan 25, 2021
I think Panorama Consulting Group publishes some of their ERP shootouts comparing SAP/Oracle/Microsoft with Infor thrown in as a bonus.  Our firm is more of a boutique operation that compares internal company requirements then picks software known for its propensity to work well in those industries/environments. But if you get to the stage where you need some guidance on who some of the top partners and resources are for those software packages, hit us up. 
DR
Mar 11, 2021
Do you want to do it for a specific purpose or to tick a box?  Lets assume you are looking for system deployment. I would focus on the key areas of your business rather than what Gene has listed below, which is looking at point for point comparisons. (The Panorama report is SUPERB for getting up to speed....) Then look at weighting for specific key business differentiation opportunities - such as single global instance for multiple companies, integrated CRM into Finance and Operations, off-line capabilities for customer facing processes, seamless transfer of customer conversations from one channel to another. Then ask for client references to answer 5 key questions: - Are they live? - how was the deployment support from the OEM/partner and what was the % work split required to go live (as in your input vs partner vs OEM) - how many customisations were requried to achieve xxx (your key areas) - would they use the OEM again and what would they change going forward Then look at demonstration from the OEM and costing for the solution I would not go on a tender for each and every feature and function because we assume world class solutions have these typical areas covered. Happy to discuss how to do this practically if required. Daniel@liferocksconsulting.co.za
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Comms Service Provider
6%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Manufacturing Company
14%
Computer Software Company
12%
Retailer
7%
University
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

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...
Is Anaplan better than SAP ERP?
There are different aspects of both Anaplan and SAP ERP that I like and dislike. Anaplan improves forecast accuracy and drives up the quality of analytics. Rather than spending all of their time co...
What do you like most about SAP ERP?
The solution has made the most significant impact on our human resources function, specifically in HR operations and HR analytics. One feature of SAP ERP that I found most valuable is its use of co...
What needs improvement with SAP ERP?
There is a need for improvement in the business analytics aspect in financial reporting and also in sales and marketing analytics.
 

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.
B&G Manufacturing, Unilever, Life is good Inc., Joy Global Inc., City of Cape Town, Bhopal Municipal, Corporation (BMC), adidas Group, Butcher & Packer Supply Company, Franklin Valve L.P., Evoshield, Prime Meats, a Norsan Group company, EMC Corporation, Varian Medical Systems Inc., FC Bayern Mªnchen AG, AkzoNobel Chemicals B.V., T¾V Rheinland, Pacific Drilling S.A., Fire & Rescue New South Wales, University of Amsterdam, Pa_alon S.A.
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Dynamics AX vs. SAP ERP and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
851,491 professionals have used our research since 2012.