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Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central vs Microsoft Dynamics CRM 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
5.6
ROI starts after six months with automation improving efficiency and productivity, though not all achieve immediate returns.
Sentiment score
6.8
Microsoft Dynamics CRM enhances operations, boosting efficiency and ROI, despite high costs, with benefits varying by industry and implementation.
Now, with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, students register for their own courses, and the system either permits or rejects their registrations based on whether they meet the prerequisites.
Examinations Manager at Northrise University
Automation makes it very easy for us, as that is a time-saving task for us.
VP Sales at Zelite Solution
I recommend that those considering Microsoft Dynamics CRM conduct an ROI exercise to determine scalability and complex business needs because it is indeed a fantastic tool, especially if Microsoft can provide a better commercial model, which can significantly impact cost-effectiveness.
Chief Digital Officer at Cipher7
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
4.2
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central support is generally good, with effective local partners despite some regional inconsistency and complex issue difficulties.
Sentiment score
5.6
Microsoft Dynamics CRM support is responsive but inconsistent; premium plans and local partners improve service for large enterprises.
The response time before getting someone who can provide a relevant answer is crucial.
Owner at Numex BV
The lack of senior technical consultants means Tier 1 support sometimes has limited experience, which could be better.
Regional Manager at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
I would rate the customer support of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central a perfect 10 out of 10.
Examinations Manager at Northrise University
I would rate customer support as ten out of ten.
CISO at a financial services firm with 501-1,000 employees
When we create a technical ticket for Microsoft, mostly the ETA is two to three days, but we mostly get responded to in 24 hours.
Principal Consultant at Systems Limited
While the support operates within their standard SLA, it can be difficult to speak directly with someone over the phone.
Head of Digital Transformation at Simplified Consulting
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
6.8
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is scalable for SMEs, customizable, but may encounter performance issues beyond 200 users.
Sentiment score
7.3
Microsoft Dynamics CRM offers scalability and adaptability, though customizations, standalone stability, and license management can pose challenges.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central has proven to be scalable and has been able to grow with our needs.
Examinations Manager at Northrise University
Microsoft Dynamics CRM is highly scalable, rated at ten, even fifteen out of ten.
CISO at a financial services firm with 501-1,000 employees
I would give it a ten out of ten for scalability.
Head of Digital Transformation at Simplified Consulting
Microsoft Dynamics CRM is scalable; it's easy to scale, but when customizations become extensive, maintainability can become challenging.
Chief Digital Officer at Cipher7
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.7
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is highly stable and reliable, with improved performance and high user satisfaction over older versions.
Sentiment score
7.8
Microsoft Dynamics CRM boasts high stability, minimal downtime, and enhanced availability, thanks to Azure Cloud integration and regular updates.
For the cloud, we have not faced any downtimes or stability issues.
Regional Manager at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
In my experience, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central has been very stable over the last two years.
Examinations Manager at Northrise University
I would rate it ten out of ten.
CISO at a financial services firm with 501-1,000 employees
There have been instances where issues with Microsoft Azure have affected Dynamics due to the infrastructure layer.
Chief Digital Officer at Cipher7
In the last two or three years, I have not seen anything or heard of that occurring with someone else anywhere in our organization.
Principal Consultant at Systems Limited
 

Room For Improvement

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central needs improvements in customization, integration, reporting, interface, cost, stability, and training resources.
Microsoft Dynamics CRM is complex, requiring customization, with slow support, costly pricing, and needing improved user-friendliness and integration.
There's a gap in advanced features that other platforms like NetSuite handle better.
Regional Manager at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
A basic point of sale would help a great deal because there are certain requirements where Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central could fit in small retail operations, and it is quite expensive, so that addition would be beneficial.
Regional Sales Manager at a consultancy with 11-50 employees
The licensing is also very expensive, so if the prices could be revisited, especially for educational institutions, that would be really helpful.
Examinations Manager at Northrise University
More use-case-oriented material should be provided to help users and implementers learn how to do more, faster.
CISO at a financial services firm with 501-1,000 employees
Microsoft Dynamics CRM needs improvement in simplifying the setup and configuration process, which can be relatively complex when we want all features to work properly.
Head of Digital Transformation at Simplified Consulting
Microsoft Dynamics CRM doesn't provide solutions that allow you to transform easily if you have a heterogeneous mix of technologies or if your contact center is on analog and you try to digitize it.
Chief Digital Officer at Cipher7
 

Setup Cost

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central's pricing is complex, with variable costs and added expenses for implementation and customization.
Microsoft Dynamics CRM pricing ranges from $50-$115/user monthly, competitive with Salesforce, yet complex for small businesses.
However, it was very costly due to the numerous integrations we had.
Automation Engineer
The pricing and setup cost via partner for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central are very attractive, as you get the best discounts and offers.
VP Sales at Zelite Solution
The pricing for Dynamics 365 Business Central is reasonable.
Owner at Numex BV
When we compare it to SAP or something like that, Microsoft Dynamics CRM is a very affordable solution.
Principal Consultant at Systems Limited
The pricing of Microsoft Dynamics CRM can be complex due to Microsoft's complicated licensing model.
CISO at a financial services firm with 501-1,000 employees
Microsoft Dynamics CRM costs about $110 to $115 per user per month, following a recent price increase.
Head of Digital Transformation at Simplified Consulting
 

Valuable Features

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central offers seamless integration, customizable features, and scalable cloud support with strong CRM and workflow capabilities.
Microsoft Dynamics CRM is ideal for seamless Microsoft integration, customization, and robust features for sales management and customer engagement.
The value for money is very high as it fits the business well.
Owner at Numex BV
It provides localized compliance for every country, covering VAT compliances, taxing policies, and corporate taxes.
Regional Manager at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
The best features Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central offers include having everything integrated into one system.
Examinations Manager at Northrise University
The backend storage integrates seamlessly with OneDrive, and the solution offers robust security features, including Azure integration, two-factor authentication (2FA), and comprehensive audit trails.
CISO at a financial services firm with 501-1,000 employees
The CRM is very fast, which is the most important aspect, and it's very handy.
Data Scientist at a financial services firm with 11-50 employees
The most valuable feature of Microsoft Dynamics CRM is its integration with Outlook and other Microsoft products like Microsoft 365, which includes emails, Teams, and SharePoint.
Head of Digital Transformation at Simplified Consulting
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Busi...
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
69
Ranking in other categories
ERP (5th), Activity Based Costing Software (2nd)
Microsoft Dynamics CRM
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
80
Ranking in other categories
CRM Customer Engagement Centers (1st), CRM (1st), Local Government CRM (1st), Marketing Management (2nd), Sales Force Automation (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Microsoft Dynamics CRM aren’t in the same category and serve different purposes. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is designed for ERP and holds a mindshare of 3.0%, down 6.4% compared to last year.
Microsoft Dynamics CRM, on the other hand, focuses on CRM Customer Engagement Centers, holds 13.6% mindshare, down 23.1% since last year.
ERP Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central3.0%
SAP ERP8.8%
SAP S/4HANA6.1%
Other82.1%
ERP
CRM Customer Engagement Centers Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Microsoft Dynamics CRM13.6%
Salesforce Service Cloud10.0%
Zendesk8.7%
Other67.7%
CRM Customer Engagement Centers
 

Q&A Highlights

it_user514128 - PeerSpot reviewer
Works at a printing company with 51-200 employees
May 05, 2026
 

Featured Reviews

Jacinta Chanda - PeerSpot reviewer
Examinations Manager at Northrise University
Integrated academic workflows have transformed how our institution manages courses and results
For Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, every time we need to make an adjustment, we must make a payment, which is slightly expensive for us as an organization. There are certain modifications we'd like to make, and those come with a cost. The licensing is also very expensive, so if the prices could be revisited, especially for educational institutions, that would be really helpful. Otherwise, it has proven to be a very good tool for us as an organization. I chose a rating of nine for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central because it has been very useful for us as an organization, but there are still a few improvements that need to be made. Sometimes we experience glitches when generating certain reports, and every time we need to make a modification, we have to pay for that. Thus, I will not give it a ten because there are a few areas needing improvement.
NavinJacob - PeerSpot reviewer
Chief Digital Officer at Cipher7
Has enabled seamless integration across platforms while supporting advanced analytics for customer insights
Microsoft Dynamics CRM doesn't provide solutions that allow you to transform easily if you have a heterogeneous mix of technologies or if your contact center is on analog and you try to digitize it. A lot of custom work is needed if you have to integrate heterogeneous technologies with the Microsoft suite, but if you are using the Microsoft suite, then it's quite seamless. Microsoft Dynamics CRM should add commercial models that allow smaller companies to use it because it can get pretty expensive. Better commercial options for smaller implementations may be helpful. There should be commercial options for smaller companies, as the overheads and costs of Dynamics can be quite high.
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Answers from the Community

it_user514128 - PeerSpot reviewer
Works at a printing company with 51-200 employees
May 5, 2026
May 5, 2026
Short answer: depends on your sales needs. NAV 2016’s built-in CRM is very basic. It’s fine for simple contact management and basic sales tracking, but it lacks: Proper pipeline management Advanced sales automation Marketing features Good reporting/insights If your team just needs light CRM inside ERP, NAV is enough. But if you have a dedicated sales team, lead tracking, campaigns, or...
2 out of 11 answers
it_user392145 - PeerSpot reviewer
Proces & IT adviseur Dynamics NAV & EazyStock at a tech consulting company with 51-200 employees
Mar 14, 2017
Looking into Dynamics CRM is advisable. CRM as part of Dynamics NAV is limited, can be fine for B2B companies having little CRM requirements. For B2C Dynamics NAV CRM will often be to limited. Integration with social media is not available in CRM of Dynamics NAV. In CRM standard NAV you will find: segmentation, campagnes, tasks, interactions / contact moments, opportunities. But limited functionallity to create workflows within your sales proces (like follow up).
Mar 14, 2017
Hi,  there are certainly limitations with NAV CRM in comparison to Dynamics CRM. To understand whether your specific business requirements needs the additional features or not would require more information. In essence Dynamics CRM is about relationship management and has superb functionality for sales, marketing and customer service. NAV CRM is more an internal focussed operational tool. From the information below, I would be more concerned that you are bespoking your system to the extent indicated. This is not a recommended solution.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
11%
Construction Company
10%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Outsourcing Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Government
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Construction Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business43
Midsize Enterprise12
Large Enterprise19
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business43
Midsize Enterprise22
Large Enterprise21
 

Questions from the Community

Is it advisable to purchase Dynamics CRM in addition to NAV 2016?
Short answer: depends on your sales needs. NAV 2016’s built-in CRM is very basic. It’s fine for simple contact management and basic sales tracking, but it lacks: Proper pipeline management Adva...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Dynamics NAV?
Microsoft Dynamics NAV pricing can vary significantly depending on the number of users, deployment model, customizations, and implementation scope. In my experience, the software license is only pa...
What needs improvement with Microsoft Dynamics NAV?
The only thing that could be improved is integration with WhatsApp, which I can see for Microsoft that it has to be available, and that becomes a challenge sometimes. Everything else is perfect.
What are the pros and cons of MS dynamics vs. Salesforce CRM?
When comparing Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Salesforce CRM in 2026, both are leading CRM platforms, but they serve slightly different strengths depending on business needs. Features: Salesforce is t...
What needs improvement with Microsoft Dynamics CRM?
A few areas where Dynamics CRM can improve: User experience → Still feels complex for non-technical users, especially for daily tasks Customization vs complexity → Easy to customize, but quickl...
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Dynamics CRM?
Before, I was working on the on-premises version, and then when it shifted to the cloud-based version, I transitioned to working on the cloud-based version with multiple clients. I have worked on M...
 

Also Known As

Dynamics NAV, MS Dynamics NAV
Dynamics CRM, MS Dynamics CRM
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Harris Farm Markets, Mister Spex GmbH, Bounce Foods, Eurofin Services SA, Medica Medizintechnik, Associated Gaskets, Onduline, Sitka Surfboard Corporation, World Animal Protection
Metro Bank, Nissan, Pandora, Delta, Haynes International, City of London, Trek and many more market leaders.
Find out what your peers are saying about SAP, Oracle, Microsoft and others in ERP. Updated: July 2026.
908,877 professionals have used our research since 2012.