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Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central vs Microsoft Dynamics SL 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:
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Busi...
Ranking in ERP
3rd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.5
Number of Reviews
66
Ranking in other categories
Activity Based Costing Software (1st)
Microsoft Dynamics SL
Ranking in ERP
20th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the ERP category, the mindshare of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is 6.3%, up from 6.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Dynamics SL is 0.5%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
ERP Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central6.3%
Microsoft Dynamics SL0.5%
Other93.2%
ERP
 

Featured Reviews

StefaanVandesompele - PeerSpot reviewer
Provides end-to-end accounting and finance module at reasonable pricing
365 Business Central integrates with Office 365 to streamline the invoice approval process. This allows businesses to manage and approve invoices efficiently within a unified system. Our organization plans to transition to the Dynamics 365 environment, where various functions will be centralized. We will consolidate everything into one system instead of maintaining multiple databases for each country with local data. Dynamics 365 is fully integrated, which should address many of our challenges when we migrate to this new environment. We look forward to seeing how it performs in practice. The project is progressing well overall, though integrating it with other tools and ensuring Dynamics 365 operates smoothly can be challenging. Dynamics 365 is user-friendly and effective. However, a deeper understanding of its technical capabilities and architecture might be necessary to optimize its use fully. The software landscape is evolving, and achieving the best reporting and functionality with just a click can be complex. A clear vision of what you want to achieve with Dynamics 365 is essential. Proper preparation and configuration are crucial to achieving the desired outcomes. This principle applies not only to Dynamics 365 but to all software packages. Understanding the system's flexibility and adaptability based on your specific business needs is key to its successful implementation. Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
Cirvesh-Daga - PeerSpot reviewer
Simplify and streamline complex business processes, and good integration capabilities but lacks predictive capabilities
An area of improvement could be around automation and predictability. However, I'm sure Microsoft is already thinking about incorporating AI co-pilot features, which should be coming soon. The end person who will be looking at the report is the CFO, and CFO isn't just interested in static reports but in predictive information. Ideally, SL could use data from ERP, and CRM to provide some level of prediction. CoPilot is plugged into Dynamics, it'll be a plus and even a huge selling point over other solutions that are there in the market because now we have a component of AI. We can also give you some level of prediction. Even if it starts with a 15% confidence level, a CFO will take that because it still allows them to increase their bets to a certain extent. So, that's something that I I will look forward to whenever Microsoft introduces it.

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 features of Business Central for me are its seamless integration with Power BI and the ability to create customized reports."
"The most valuable feature of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is using the Excel sheets on Chrome and other applications."
"The product is customizable so we can tune it according to our requirements."
"The tool covers most of the business requirements that most companies have, especially financial institutions."
"We use Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central as CRM."
"Microsoft Dynamics NAV is good for smaller-sized companies."
"This is readily available and affordable, as well as user-friendly and simple to use in my opinion."
"The solution has good dashboard functionalities and export functionalities."
"It's pretty easy to set up."
"If I put myself in the customer's shoes, it's easier to use. Reporting would be a very valuable feature."
"The solution has provided a good return on investment by ensuring our financial and operational information is accurate and timely."
 

Cons

"The tool needs to work on reporting issues and user interface."
"I work in Pakistan, and many people want desktop solutions. They don't want to work on the cloud. They want a strictly on-premises solution."
"There is a need for improvement in consolidation and multi-country master data management."
"The product should improve work optimization."
"The performance and virtual machine backup is not good with this solution and need improvements."
"For a big company like us with millions of transactions, the scalability isn't enough."
"The solution must provide more AI features."
"There is room for improvement in terms of compatibility."
"An area of improvement could be around automation and predictability."
"The licensing of the solution should be adjusted. The policies aren't ideal. They should make it easier to understand. Right now, it's too confusing."
"The product's primary improvement area would be its batch processing system."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Its licensing is yearly. In addition to the licensing cost, there is the cost of hosting on Azure."
"The deployment cost us $70,000 and we pay around $18,000 annually for support, which we find to be expensive."
"We have a perpetual license to use Microsoft Dynamics NAV."
"The solution's license is costly compared to other CRM tools."
"The cost is one of the benefits. If you don't want to go for the full-blown finance and operations, the pricing model is a lot cheaper and has now switched to being based on a per-user subscription. So, if it's on cloud, you now have an expense instead of a large CapEx. If it's on-prem, you obviously still have to continue with the licensing model that they have, but if you compare the features and functionality, in terms of the price that you pay, I find it's better than other products. My answer on the pricing would be slightly different, depending on the country you're in and the return on investment, based on the size of the company. It's well-priced internationally. I think the new model is priced even better because it's now subscription-based and, if you go for cloud, the return on investment is a lot quicker and if it's expense, you can cap it. If you do take the on-prem version, the licensing is still priced as what it used to be, so that would depend on what country you are in."
"The price of the solution is reasonable."
"The license changes every year. Sometimes it's for fixed users, and sometimes it's for concurrent users."
"The price of the solution is reasonable."
"If the value proposition is clear for the customer, they won't see it as an expensive solution. A solution becomes expensive when it doesn't do what it promises."
"The licensing costs were reasonable."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
13%
Computer Software Company
11%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Financial Services Firm
6%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business39
Midsize Enterprise12
Large Enterprise19
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Microsoft Dynamics NAV?
The platform offers a robust and comprehensive cycle for supply chain and inventory management, with features like minimum and maximum settings, dynamic monitoring of inventory levels, and integrat...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Dynamics NAV?
I don't have specific information about the pricing of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. However, it was very costly due to the numerous integrations we had.
What needs improvement with Microsoft Dynamics NAV?
When I started working with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, I was new and didn't know what ERP was or its purpose, but I was eager to learn more each day. The system can become overwhelmed...
What do you like most about Microsoft Dynamics SL?
If I put myself in the customer's shoes, it's easier to use. Reporting would be a very valuable feature.
What needs improvement with Microsoft Dynamics SL?
The product's primary improvement area would be its batch processing system. Transitioning to a transactional processing system would significantly enhance its efficiency and usability.
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Dynamics SL?
Our primary use case for the platform was managing our financial and operational processes across multiple companies. We are a group with 11 to 12 companies, and Dynamics SL has been integral in ma...
 

Also Known As

Dynamics NAV, MS Dynamics NAV
Dynamics SL, MS Dynamics SL
 

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
ASAP, Espartec, S.A de C.V., TGLT, Calder‹n Autopartes El_ctricas, GGS Systems, CLEAResult, Shared Spectrum Company, Scope Global Pty Ltd
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central vs. Microsoft Dynamics SL and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
869,883 professionals have used our research since 2012.