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Anaplan vs Microsoft Dynamics AX 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:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
6.2
Anaplan delivers varied ROI, enhancing accuracy and efficiency, with results dependent on successful implementation within six months.
Sentiment score
7.3
Microsoft Dynamics AX enhances efficiency, reduces costs, and offers rapid ROI, benefiting organizations of all sizes with centralized management.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
5.5
Anaplan's customer support is praised for quick, effective issue resolution, reliable service, and valued resources despite occasional delays.
Sentiment score
4.2
Dynamics AX support is praised for responsiveness and resources, though customization challenges and partner reliance pose issues.
The technical support from Anaplan is amazing, with a dedicated team to assist in case of any issues.
Microsoft has really good documentation, and they are known for that.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.3
Anaplan offers scalable solutions for large projects, integrating various systems, but costs can rise with increased usage.
Sentiment score
7.1
Microsoft Dynamics AX excels in scalability and adaptability for varied industries, though larger deployments may face hardware and compatibility challenges.
Anaplan had issues before, but the new Polaris engine solves them.
It struggles with scalability when you need to manage financial reporting or setup for multiple companies.
There are these things called AOS nodes where if you have more users and performance decreases, you can add more servers to the cluster.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.7
Anaplan offers high stability and reliability with in-memory computing, despite minor downtimes and performance issues from model design.
Sentiment score
7.2
Microsoft Dynamics AX's stability varies, influenced by hardware, customization, maintenance, VPN issues, and user-specific setups.
I have not had any major issues with stability.
If you have your own team, it's workable, but if you don't have your own people, it's not stable.
 

Room For Improvement

Anaplan faces challenges in model efficiency, integration, pricing, and user support while needing AI enhancements and improved usability.
Microsoft Dynamics AX faces performance issues and lacks support; users are encouraged to transition to Dynamics 365 for improvements.
Advanced planning with AI, machine learning, and related plugins would be great to see in the future.
Another drawback is the absence of features like purchase order accruals, critical accounting concepts, and a robust fixed assets module.
It is no longer supported from a security perspective, so it is not getting updated.
 

Setup Cost

Anaplan's pricing is premium yet justified, with costs escalating by features and complexity, transparency in pricing is needed.
Microsoft Dynamics AX is pricey, with costs adding up from licenses and implementation, making thorough enterprise assessment essential.
Currently, Anaplan is more expensive compared to other tools.
The pricing is slightly on the premium side, but I do not have detailed knowledge about the exact licensing structure.
Acquiring a developer license for customization is expensive, costing over one hundred thousand Hong Kong dollars.
 

Valuable Features

Anaplan offers user-friendly, real-time planning with dashboards, flexibility, and integration, enhancing collaboration and reducing manual data tasks.
Microsoft Dynamics AX offers flexible, user-friendly integration with strong modules, customization, and cloud-based accessibility for diverse business operations.
Anaplan's connected planning feature is its most valuable aspect, allowing for seamless financial planning, HR planning, and updates.
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.
I have not had any major issue with stability.
 

Categories and Ranking

Anaplan
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
29
Ranking in other categories
Business Performance Management (2nd), Production Planning (5th), Predictive Analytics (4th)
Microsoft Dynamics AX
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
57
Ranking in other categories
ERP (5th), Activity Based Costing Software (3rd)
 

Mindshare comparison

Anaplan and Microsoft Dynamics AX aren’t in the same category and serve different purposes. Anaplan is designed for Business Performance Management and holds a mindshare of 13.1%, down 14.6% compared to last year.
Microsoft Dynamics AX, on the other hand, focuses on ERP, holds 5.8% mindshare, down 6.5% since last year.
Business Performance Management
ERP
 

Featured Reviews

Antonio Flor - PeerSpot reviewer
Real-time data integration enhances operational efficiency and flexibility
As a client developer and solutions architect, I use Anaplan for building modules and deploying logic end-to-end. I work closely with the business in an agile manner to ensure the model aligns with business needs Anaplan offers flexibility in building different options within the platform. The…
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.
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Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Business Performance Management solutions are best for your needs.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Retailer
7%
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Comms Service Provider
6%
Retailer
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What are your main use cases for Anaplan?
Anaplan is an industry-leading cloud-based corporate performance management (CPM) platform that combines business planning and analytics in a single solution. It is designed to assist organizations...
Is Board better than Anaplan as a Business Intelligence (BI) solution?
We've had several FP&A departments include Anaplan in their analytics discussions, and while BI information IS generated, the focus is generally on compiling input from various sources and simu...
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 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 ...
 

Also Known As

No data available
Dynamics AX, Axapta, MS Dynamics AX
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

HP, ForeScout, DocuSign, EAT, Pandora, Aviva, Intel Security, Zalora
ConQuaestor, D & H Distributing, Sunny Queen, Mesa Associates, Britax Childcare, Ibema, Arafa, Sabo S.p.A.
Find out what your peers are saying about Oracle, Anaplan, IBM and others in Business Performance Management. Updated: August 2025.
864,574 professionals have used our research since 2012.