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Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central vs SAP S/4HANA Cloud 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
4.9
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central often achieves ROI in six months, with automation enhancing financial benefits, though experiences vary.
Sentiment score
2.8
SAP S/4HANA Cloud users saw long-term ROI and efficiency, despite high initial costs and varied experiences.
The transcript suggests SAP S4HANA Cloud may offer cost and time savings.
Ho Finance Methods and Tools at Airbus Atlantic
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
4.0
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central: praised for responsiveness but some users report slow service, relying on local partners for support.
Sentiment score
6.8
SAP S/4HANA Cloud's service is praised for professionalism but criticized for long response times and support channel navigation challenges.
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
Microsoft provides real-time support, which makes a big difference compared to SAP.
Automation Engineer
My experience shows that it often requires another level or two to reach someone who can effectively address the problems.
Managing Director at Global Information Technology Corporation
If tickets are raised to the wrong team, it takes considerable time to be routed to the appropriate team.
DGM (IT) at IndianOil Adani Ventures Limited
SAP is continuously improving the functionalities towards the current versions.
SAP Project Manager at Doha Petroleum Construction Co. Ltd. (DOPET)
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
6.9
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is scalable for SMEs, with flexibility, though larger setups may require customization and integration.
Sentiment score
7.7
SAP S/4HANA Cloud is praised for scalability, adaptability, and integration, suiting both large and small enterprises effectively.
We are evaluating how scalable SAP S_4HANA Cloud has been; moving to the latest version poses not much of a challenge compared to on-prem upgrades, as SAP handles the technical areas.
SAP Project Manager at Doha Petroleum Construction Co. Ltd. (DOPET)
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.7
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is reliable with stable performance, though minor issues occur during updates or heavy data loads.
Sentiment score
7.4
SAP S/4HANA Cloud is praised for stability and performance, though updates and customizations can occasionally affect reliability.
For the cloud, we have not faced any downtimes or stability issues.
Regional Manager at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
SAP S_4HANA Cloud is very stable, especially for bigger corporates that are geographically spread out.
Chief Operating Officer at Digital365
It is very flexible and can cater to every industry.
DGM (IT) at IndianOil Adani Ventures Limited
We are using Microsoft Azure connectivity to connect to SAP S_4HANA Cloud system, and from an availability and stability perspective, it is quite stable.
SAP Project Manager at Doha Petroleum Construction Co. Ltd. (DOPET)
 

Room For Improvement

Enhancements needed in cost efficiency, integration, automation, user interface, customization, AI features, and technical documentation for improved flexibility.
SAP S/4HANA Cloud needs interface, mobile, and user improvements, with cost, integration, and complexity posing challenges for businesses.
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
There is a need for improvement in consolidation and multi-country master data management.
Owner at Numex BV
The challenge is that if a customer has already deployed the entire solution on-premises, it becomes difficult to immediately convert to the new product and manage new license costs.
Manager, SAP Practice at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
This reliance on ETL experts or data engineers is necessary to ensure clean quality data, which is critical for the effective operation of the SAP S_4HANA system.
Managing Director at Global Information Technology Corporation
It should have features or facilities so customers can get audit-related queries resolved independently without requiring ticket-based service.
DGM (IT) at IndianOil Adani Ventures Limited
 

Setup Cost

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central offers flexible, scalable ERP pricing, appealing to startups and enterprises, with moderate to high cost.
SAP S/4HANA Cloud pricing is modular and expensive, typically more suitable for larger enterprises than smaller businesses.
However, it was very costly due to the numerous integrations we had.
Automation Engineer
The pricing for Dynamics 365 Business Central is reasonable.
Owner at Numex BV
 

Valuable Features

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central provides customizable, cloud-based management, benefiting SMEs with seamless integration, real-time insights, and enhanced workflows.
SAP S/4HANA Cloud enhances business efficiency with integration, real-time analytics, scalability, and global access, supporting diverse platforms.
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
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is scalable, as it was able to grow with increasing business demands.
Automation Engineer
Some of the most important features include data analytics and real-time data analysis capabilities.
Ho Finance Methods and Tools at Airbus Atlantic
The integration between SAP EWM and S4HANA Cloud is seamless.
SAP Business Analyst at Jante
SAP S/4HANA Cloud provides integration, controls, efficiency, visibility into business operations, and collaboration, especially for geographically spread operations.
Chief Operating Officer at Digital365
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Busi...
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
67
Ranking in other categories
ERP (6th), Activity Based Costing Software (1st)
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
56
Ranking in other categories
Cloud ERP (2nd)
 

Mindshare comparison

While both are Enterprise Resource Planning solutions, they serve different purposes. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is designed for ERP and holds a mindshare of 4.4%, down 6.3% compared to last year.
SAP S/4HANA Cloud, on the other hand, focuses on Cloud ERP, holds 9.9% mindshare, down 13.3% since last year.
ERP Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central4.4%
SAP ERP11.6%
SAP S/4HANA6.4%
Other77.6%
ERP
Cloud ERP Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
SAP S/4HANA Cloud9.9%
Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP16.2%
NetSuite ERP14.4%
Other59.5%
Cloud ERP
 

Featured Reviews

reviewer2746122 - PeerSpot reviewer
Automation Engineer
Integrations Help Bring Efficiency while Documentation Needs Improvement
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 because you cannot control the number of integrations, and our team struggled to manage the numerous integrations we had. More documentation is needed on how to use Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and its capabilities. From a technical perspective, it was challenging because understanding the system requires familiarity with financial sectors. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central could benefit from more AI integration. Learning the application was challenging as there was much to understand about accounts payable, receivable, accounting, and general ledger.
Ramesh Pampana - PeerSpot reviewer
Manager, SAP Practice at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Extensive real-time analytics and superior support enhance decision making but continued product evolution impacts existing investments
Improvement is needed, and they need to slow down. When I say slow down, they need to do more validation. Things are going rapidly and changing fast. For example, they moved from SAP SRM product to SAP CLM. They bought IBM CLM and marketed it as SAP CLM. Shortly after, they bought SAP Ariba and discontinued the SAP CLM product. Now they state that SAP SRM is outdated and has reached sunset. The challenge is that if a customer has already deployed the entire solution on-premises, it becomes difficult to immediately convert to the new product and manage new license costs. From a consulting perspective, it appears that SAP's biggest competitor is itself, as they sometimes discontinue their own products to promote new ones.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
13%
Computer Software Company
10%
Comms Service Provider
8%
University
6%
Computer Software Company
16%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Healthcare Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business40
Midsize Enterprise12
Large Enterprise19
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business24
Midsize Enterprise9
Large Enterprise29
 

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 SAP S/4HANA Cloud?
The manufacturing area is a good feature.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SAP S/4HANA Cloud?
SAP S/4HANA Cloud is very expensive, both to purchase and maintain. It's important to evaluate the costs of recruiting and maintaining trained personnel as it's not just a one-time payment yet requ...
What needs improvement with SAP S/4HANA Cloud?
The areas for improvement in SAP S_4HANA Cloud could be from the data storage perspective, as we are using it in a limited way and it could be a bit expensive if the data volume increases; that is ...
 

Also Known As

Dynamics NAV, MS Dynamics NAV
SAP S4HANA Cloud
 

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
La Trobe University, Carrefour Comércio e Indústria Ltda, Delaware Consulting and Corning Inc.
Find out what your peers are saying about SAP, Oracle, Microsoft and others in ERP. Updated: December 2025.
879,371 professionals have used our research since 2012.