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Microsoft Dynamics AX vs SAP ERP comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jul 27, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
7.3
Microsoft Dynamics AX enhances efficiency, reduces costs, and offers rapid ROI, benefiting organizations of all sizes with centralized management.
Sentiment score
7.9
SAP ERP enhances efficiency and saves costs, though ROI varies and full benefits may need extra BI tool analysis.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
4.2
Dynamics AX support is praised for responsiveness and resources, though customization challenges and partner reliance pose issues.
Sentiment score
7.2
SAP ERP customer service is generally positive, with prompt issue resolution but varying response times and support quality.
Microsoft has really good documentation, and they are known for that.
It was very quick, and we didn't have many tickets, but every time any issues arose, they were very quickly resolved.
SAP technical support is very good.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.1
Microsoft Dynamics AX excels in scalability and adaptability for varied industries, though larger deployments may face hardware and compatibility challenges.
Sentiment score
7.9
SAP ERP is praised for scalability and flexibility, despite integration challenges, catering well to large enterprises with diverse needs.
There are these things called AOS nodes where if you have more users and performance decreases, you can add more servers to the cluster.
It does not support consolidated financial reporting.
It is scalable when moving from one version to another or adding additional components like warehouse management.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.2
Microsoft Dynamics AX's stability varies, influenced by hardware, customization, maintenance, VPN issues, and user-specific setups.
Sentiment score
8.2
SAP ERP is praised for its reliability, stability, and scalability, with minor issues typically linked to specific configurations.
I have not had any major issues with stability.
If you do the maintenance and have your own people, it could be stable, but it means a lot of work.
Production processes would be on hold without stability, so it is quite important that the software is very stable.
Stability-wise, SAP ERP is the best product among others.
 

Room For Improvement

Microsoft Dynamics AX faces performance issues and lacks support; users are encouraged to transition to Dynamics 365 for improvements.
SAP ERP users seek improved usability, integration, lower costs, better support, and smoother upgrades to enhance overall system performance.
Microsoft Dynamics AX lacks the concept of month-end closing, which is essential for tight control over financial periods.
It is no longer supported from a security perspective, so it is not getting updated.
Features that allow transactions based on barcoding should be part of the ERP component.
We are using version 6.0 and it meets our needs.
 

Setup Cost

Microsoft Dynamics AX is pricey, with costs adding up from licenses and implementation, making thorough enterprise assessment essential.
SAP ERP is costly, with high licensing and implementation fees, yet competitive for large enterprises but challenging for small businesses.
Acquiring a developer license for customization is expensive, costing over one hundred thousand Hong Kong dollars.
Small and medium companies can struggle with the pricing.
The pricing for SAP ERP is medium but slightly on the higher side.
 

Valuable Features

Microsoft Dynamics AX offers flexible, user-friendly integration with strong modules, customization, and cloud-based accessibility for diverse business operations.
SAP ERP integrates departmental functions, offers industry-specific customizations, ensures security, and enhances efficiency for large enterprises.
I have not had any major issue with stability.
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 consistent integrations and real-time data analytics in SAP ERP significantly enhance the decision-making process by facilitating follow-ups and action points.
We have the capabilities to build every process we have in our company and construct or customize it in the software.
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Dynamics AX
Ranking in ERP
5th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
57
Ranking in other categories
Activity Based Costing Software (3rd)
SAP ERP
Ranking in ERP
2nd
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
106
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the ERP category, the mindshare of Microsoft Dynamics AX is 5.8%, down from 6.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SAP ERP is 18.5%, down from 22.4% 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.
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.
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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
12%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Comms Service Provider
6%
Retailer
6%
Manufacturing Company
14%
Computer Software Company
11%
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?
I have faced challenges with Microsoft Dynamics AX, specifically localization; it's very challenging because we are from Romania, so the finance module has to be harmonized with the Romanian law. T...
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Dynamics AX?
We are a customer of Microsoft Dynamics AX. The ERP system is used to keep tracking our processes. I am using Microsoft Dynamics AX in the distribution and retail industry, wholesales, and we have ...
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?
SAP ERP could improve by integrating additional components such as digital signatures and barcoding. Having such features embedded within the ERP would be more beneficial rather than relying on ext...
 

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: July 2025.
865,295 professionals have used our research since 2012.