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Microsoft Dynamics AX vs SAP S/4HANA 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:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
7.9
Microsoft Dynamics AX enhances ROI by streamlining financial processes, improving efficiency, and benefiting large-scale operations with centralized management.
Sentiment score
6.1
SAP S/4HANA offers significant ROI and efficiency, appealing to large organizations despite initial costs, due to cloud-based savings.
It's not a matter of the solution; it's a matter of the clients and the approach that we follow.
We have observed a good return on investment, with calculations based on a five-year ROI plan.
There is an ROI, otherwise I would not buy it.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
4.3
Customer service for Microsoft Dynamics AX varies, with partner support rated from 3 to 9, highlighting inconsistency and mixed experiences.
Sentiment score
6.4
SAP S/4HANA's customer service is knowledgeable but varies in response speed, with room for process and speed improvement.
Microsoft has really good documentation, and they are known for that.
A traditional challenge with SAP support is that SAP teams only support the standard functions, which are part of the product.
Establishing the right channels was a challenge, as BTP was new to everyone, including our SAP contacts.
I would rate the support a ten because there are a lot of knowledge-based articles published, and most of them are available online.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.2
Microsoft Dynamics AX is scalable for medium to large businesses, but older versions face hardware challenges despite Azure integration.
Sentiment score
7.9
SAP S/4HANA is scalable and flexible, suitable for medium to large businesses, adaptable across various sectors and global locations.
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 struggles with scalability when you need to manage financial reporting or setup for multiple companies.
SAP S/4HANA scales exceptionally well.
It is very easy to scale within businesses, especially when a new business falls within the range.
Scalability is a key strength of SAP, especially for HANA, compared to all the other ERPs.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.4
Microsoft Dynamics AX is stable with proper setup, but customization and updates can affect performance, requiring manual issue resolution.
Sentiment score
7.7
SAP S/4HANA is praised for stability and reliability, especially in the private cloud, with up to 10/10 user ratings.
I have not had any major issues with stability.
The SAP HANA system is not very easy to unlock, and it's something strange as, compared to other databases, when transaction logs are full, you stop the system, run the transaction log backups, and then restart.
Not very often, but it can happen, especially with user load; if many people use the system at the same time, there might be issues depending on various factors.
I rate the stability of SAP S_4HANA as fairly stable because we have never experienced any downtime from SAP, and the performance is good.
 

Room For Improvement

Microsoft Dynamics AX faces challenges with usability, infrastructure, and integrations, alongside limited resource capacity and costly customization.
SAP S/4HANA needs enhancements in pricing, customization, usability, support, integration, AI, cloud capabilities, and regional compliance.
It is no longer supported from a security perspective, so it is not getting updated.
Microsoft Dynamics AX lacks the concept of month-end closing, which is essential for tight control over financial periods.
Organizations face challenges like adapting to new technologies rapidly, and whether customers are early or late adopters influences their experience.
I can perform a lot of data manipulation directly on SAP using S-One, without having to resort to Excel, unlike with View ID.
The performance of the SAP interface could be improved.
 

Setup Cost

Microsoft Dynamics AX is costly with high setup fees and subscriptions, while Business Central offers a budget-friendly alternative.
SAP S/4HANA pricing is complex, varying by user, deployment, and functionality, with high costs for small businesses.
Acquiring a developer license for customization is expensive, costing over one hundred thousand Hong Kong dollars.
It's higher compared to similar peer solutions.
Most users or IT professionals typically criticize the high price of SAP license costs.
It's not easy to have a clear understanding of the price and the value, especially if I talk about the business transaction platform.
 

Valuable Features

Microsoft Dynamics AX offers flexible, user-friendly features with seamless Excel integration, enhancing scalability, customization, and cloud-based project management.
SAP S/4HANA offers efficient management, fast reporting, real-time analytics, and scalability with AI and IoT for diverse industries.
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.
It enables the posting of transactions and allows us to see the impact across various application scenarios, providing significant benefits for business.
The way SAP has helped our customers is by establishing a discipline where industry-specific operations and SAP's standard processes work hand in hand, improving resource utilization, material movement control, and cost control.
The insights given help us make strategic decisions.
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Dynamics AX
Ranking in ERP
6th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
56
Ranking in other categories
Activity Based Costing Software (3rd)
SAP S/4HANA
Ranking in ERP
1st
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.3
Number of Reviews
123
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the ERP category, the mindshare of Microsoft Dynamics AX is 6.0%, down from 6.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SAP S/4HANA is 10.6%, down from 16.6% 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.
Deepak Madhavan - PeerSpot reviewer
Implementation simplifies ERP management with comprehensive data integration and visibility
A lot of people would say the pricing. SAP is seen as quite expensive even now. It doesn't work for smaller or medium optimizations. The licensing and pricing could be looked at. In Brownfield migration, the trade-off between greenfield and brownfield means you either keep it clean or match the business requirements. Sometimes, it's not possible to do both. While ValixAPI provides significant support in making those decisions and the SAP consultant is very useful, we are still dependent on past history and how it was originally set up. I wouldn't call that a real disadvantage, yet more accessible consulting would be beneficial. Incorporating all other cloud products, like APO or IPP, into the S/4 house might also help.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Comms Service Provider
6%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Educational Organization
17%
Manufacturing Company
13%
Computer Software Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
5%
 

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...
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 needs improvement with SAP S4HANA?
SAP S/4HANA has room for improvement because we are still exploring functionality, and while most modules are implemented or supported by the partner, we are still in the process of exploring. Righ...
What is your primary use case for SAP S4HANA?
I use SAP S/4HANA because most of the manufacturers in pharmaceuticals are using it. We migrated from Microsoft Dynamics to SAP S/4HANA. My relationship is with solutions in retail as we are custom...
 

Also Known As

Dynamics AX, Axapta, MS Dynamics AX
SAP S4HANA
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

ConQuaestor, D & H Distributing, Sunny Queen, Mesa Associates, Britax Childcare, Ibema, Arafa, Sabo S.p.A.
Nestle, O.C. Tanner, Sabre, New York Life Insurance Co., MEMEBOX, Siemens AG.
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Dynamics AX vs. SAP S/4HANA and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
860,168 professionals have used our research since 2012.