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Microsoft Dynamics AX vs SAP ERP comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 20, 2025

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
6.8
Microsoft Dynamics AX boosts productivity and efficiency, offering customizable solutions with significant ROI, despite challenges in precise measurement.
Sentiment score
4.5
SAP ERP offers ROI in 2-4 years by improving efficiency, automation, and cost savings, despite challenges tracking specific returns.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
4.1
Microsoft Dynamics AX support is praised for availability but criticized for costly, slow handling of complex issues and customizations.
Sentiment score
6.6
SAP ERP's customer service is praised for professionalism but criticized for inefficiencies and slow response times on priority issues.
Microsoft has really good documentation, and they are known for that.
Senior System Analyst at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
SAP technical support is very good.
Consultant at a retailer with 1,001-5,000 employees
It was very quick, and we didn't have many tickets, but every time any issues arose, they were very quickly resolved.
CIO at Vortella
It is not easy to justify something as high priority unless the system is completely down.
IT Service Management Team Lead at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.1
Microsoft Dynamics AX offers scalability, especially in the cloud, but older versions struggle with complex setups for larger clients.
Sentiment score
7.5
SAP ERP is scalable and adaptable, effectively supporting growth with flexible architecture and cloud options despite initial integration challenges.
There are these things called AOS nodes where if you have more users and performance decreases, you can add more servers to the cluster.
Senior System Analyst at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
It struggles with scalability when you need to manage financial reporting or setup for multiple companies.
Business Analyst at Kpmhealth.com
Microsoft Dynamics AX already has multiple functions for sales, inventory, HR, finance, and supply chain.
Senior Sales Support Supervisor at a manufacturing company with 501-1,000 employees
It is scalable when moving from one version to another or adding additional components like warehouse management.
Consultant at a retailer with 1,001-5,000 employees
The scalability of SAP ERP is excellent.
IT Service Management Team Lead at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.1
Microsoft Dynamics AX is generally stable, though stability varies with infrastructure and updates, with mixed user ratings.
Sentiment score
8.1
SAP ERP is widely regarded for its stability and reliability, with minimal bugs and strong performance surpassing other ERPs.
I have not had any major issues with stability.
Senior System Analyst at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
If you do the maintenance and have your own people, it could be stable, but it means a lot of work.
Head of Controlling and IT at Melinda
Production processes would be on hold without stability, so it is quite important that the software is very stable.
CIO at Vortella
Stability-wise, SAP ERP is the best product among others.
Consultant at a retailer with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Room For Improvement

Microsoft Dynamics AX requires greater efficiency, improved user interface, better integration, and more flexible, scalable, and localized features.
SAP ERP struggles with integration, user interface, high costs, and complicated usability, needing improvement in accessibility and flexibility.
It is no longer supported from a security perspective, so it is not getting updated.
Senior System Analyst at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Microsoft Dynamics AX lacks the concept of month-end closing, which is essential for tight control over financial periods.
Business Analyst at Kpmhealth.com
Most companies working with AX currently transforming to D365, upgrading their ERP systems, which are more enhanced and have additional features such as dashboards.
Senior Sales Support Supervisor at a manufacturing company with 501-1,000 employees
SAP ERP could improve by integrating additional components such as digital signatures and barcoding.
Consultant at a retailer with 1,001-5,000 employees
SAP recently implemented Databricks, and they started investing significantly in the analytic environment.
IT Service Management Team Lead at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
I believe that SAP ERP needs to include AI functionality now, as I think it would be a significant change that could improve and enhance the product.
Manager at Innatech
 

Setup Cost

Microsoft Dynamics AX has high initial costs, with variable regional pricing, but cloud options may offer savings.
SAP ERP is costly with flexible licensing options, valued by larger organizations for features but complex for smaller businesses.
Acquiring a developer license for customization is expensive, costing over one hundred thousand Hong Kong dollars.
Business Analyst at Kpmhealth.com
Small and medium companies can struggle with the pricing.
CIO at Vortella
The pricing for SAP ERP is medium but slightly on the higher side.
Consultant at a retailer with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Valuable Features

Microsoft Dynamics AX offers comprehensive ERP solutions with strong security, seamless integration, and efficient support for finance, supply chain, and sales.
SAP ERP integrates finance, HR, and manufacturing with real-time insights, flexible architecture, and extensive automation for large enterprises.
There are many levels of security and permissions for each user to monitor and access specific data relative to their functions.
Senior Sales Support Supervisor at a manufacturing company with 501-1,000 employees
I have not had any major issue with stability.
Senior System Analyst at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
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.
Business Analyst at Kpmhealth.com
The consistent integrations and real-time data analytics in SAP ERP significantly enhance the decision-making process by facilitating follow-ups and action points.
Consultant at a retailer with 1,001-5,000 employees
SAP ERP has impacted our organization positively because it is highly customizable to build any process we have in our companies and to write programs.
CIO at Vortella
SAP ERP is particularly strong in manufacturing, from production planning to plant maintenance, then Material Management itself, and managing warehouse management and inventory control.
IT Service Management Team Lead at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Dynamics AX
Ranking in ERP
5th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.5
Number of Reviews
58
Ranking in other categories
Activity Based Costing Software (3rd)
SAP ERP
Ranking in ERP
2nd
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
107
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the ERP category, the mindshare of Microsoft Dynamics AX is 3.4%, down from 6.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SAP ERP is 11.6%, down from 20.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
ERP Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
SAP ERP11.6%
Microsoft Dynamics AX3.4%
Other85.0%
ERP
 

Featured Reviews

reviewer2765214 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Sales Support Supervisor at a manufacturing company with 501-1,000 employees
Has required ongoing support and modernization but effectively manages core operations and complex workflows
Microsoft Dynamics AX is a very strong ERP system, applicable for customizations to help companies and organizations streamline their processes. The specific feature I find most valuable about Microsoft Dynamics AX is the applicable permissions. There are many levels of security and permissions for each user to monitor and access specific data relative to their functions. Additionally, the linkage and transition between exploring and moving from window to window, from function to function is valuable. The impact of Microsoft Dynamics AX on managing financial processes is significant. It's a very important element for financial departments as it represents all transactions, references, and records. The adjustments and availability to create more than one virtual company allow large companies, which combined represent one group of companies, to connect and streamline their financials and operations.
Achmad Dimyati - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Service Management Team Lead at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Long-term adaptation and evolution meets changing technology trends
SAP ERP is not really real-time. We use the HANA database which is supposed to be memory data in memory, but we are still not very happy. It is supposed to be real-time and come very quickly, but in reality, it still takes time to run. That is why we use BW of SAP, Business Objects, and now we have moved to the Analytic Cloud where we start using predictive AI. SAP recently implemented Databricks, and they started investing significantly in the analytic environment. SAP ERP has been left behind as they moved to S/4HANA with the HANA database. They restructured the whole table structure of SAP ERP, introduced simple finance, simple logistics, and moved HR to SuccessFactors. They have the BTP layer where they manage everything from integration to master data management. The challenge with SAP is that they move very fast to different products and buy different products. It requires significant investment and many skills to catch up because all of these have different sets of technology. The fundamental has changed differently. It is not monolithic anymore but different products under one name, SAP. You have to buy it model by model for additional models. Products such as SuccessFactors, Ariba for procure to pay, Concur for travel, and Facility Management use totally different technology. They try to integrate with each other, but it remains a challenge for SAP to make them have the same management, technology, and operational approach.
report
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Comparison Review

it_user110085 - PeerSpot reviewer
General Manager with 1,001-5,000 employees
Feb 1, 2015
SAP All in One vs. Oracle E-Business Suite vs. Microsoft Axapta
We put together an ERP evaluation for 3 proposed solutions. The top 3 packages considered for detailed evaluation – SAP All in One, Oracle E-Business Suite, Microsoft Axapta. The Key Criteria used for Evaluation are as follows: A. Functional Fit to meet current Business Requirements B…
 

Answers from the Community

VC
Works at HNRG
Mar 15, 2021
Mar 15, 2021
For starters, I would stop comparing tools, and start looking at my business and what I want to achieve. So identify objectives and what's blocking achievement, define quality outcomes for the obejctives you want to achieve and build your businesscase on efficiency improvement. What earnings, savings, benefits are achieved when meeting your obectives.Based on the blocking issues you identified...
2 out of 5 answers
GH
Director at a consultancy with 1-10 employees
Jan 25, 2021
I think Panorama Consulting Group publishes some of their ERP shootouts comparing SAP/Oracle/Microsoft with Infor thrown in as a bonus.  Our firm is more of a boutique operation that compares internal company requirements then picks software known for its propensity to work well in those industries/environments. But if you get to the stage where you need some guidance on who some of the top partners and resources are for those software packages, hit us up. 
DR
Go To Market Executive at #Liferocks Consulting
Mar 11, 2021
Do you want to do it for a specific purpose or to tick a box?  Lets assume you are looking for system deployment. I would focus on the key areas of your business rather than what Gene has listed below, which is looking at point for point comparisons. (The Panorama report is SUPERB for getting up to speed....) Then look at weighting for specific key business differentiation opportunities - such as single global instance for multiple companies, integrated CRM into Finance and Operations, off-line capabilities for customer facing processes, seamless transfer of customer conversations from one channel to another. Then ask for client references to answer 5 key questions: - Are they live? - how was the deployment support from the OEM/partner and what was the % work split required to go live (as in your input vs partner vs OEM) - how many customisations were requried to achieve xxx (your key areas) - would they use the OEM again and what would they change going forward Then look at demonstration from the OEM and costing for the solution I would not go on a tender for each and every feature and function because we assume world class solutions have these typical areas covered. Happy to discuss how to do this practically if required. Daniel@liferocksconsulting.co.za
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
11%
Computer Software Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Retailer
6%
Manufacturing Company
15%
Computer Software Company
10%
University
7%
Retailer
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business29
Midsize Enterprise13
Large Enterprise17
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business30
Midsize Enterprise31
Large Enterprise76
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Microsoft Dynamics AX?
I don't know if Microsoft Dynamics AX is still receiving official technical support from Microsoft. I can see most companies working with AX currently transforming to D365, upgrading their ERP syst...
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Dynamics AX?
I'm using Microsoft Dynamics AX to process and monitor the sales process from end-to-end, starting from placing orders. First, the order entry and placing the sales order, creating purchase requisi...
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 do you like most about SAP ERP?
The solution has made the most significant impact on our human resources function, specifically in HR operations and HR analytics. One feature of SAP ERP that I found most valuable is its use of co...
What needs improvement with SAP ERP?
SAP ERP is fine as it is at the moment. It is difficult to comment on improvements for this version. I know HANA has improved regarding user interface and other functions, but we don't use that par...
 

Also Known As

Dynamics AX, Axapta, MS Dynamics AX
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

ConQuaestor, D & H Distributing, Sunny Queen, Mesa Associates, Britax Childcare, Ibema, Arafa, Sabo S.p.A.
B&G Manufacturing, Unilever, Life is good Inc., Joy Global Inc., City of Cape Town, Bhopal Municipal, Corporation (BMC), adidas Group, Butcher & Packer Supply Company, Franklin Valve L.P., Evoshield, Prime Meats, a Norsan Group company, EMC Corporation, Varian Medical Systems Inc., FC Bayern Mªnchen AG, AkzoNobel Chemicals B.V., T¾V Rheinland, Pacific Drilling S.A., Fire & Rescue New South Wales, University of Amsterdam, Pa_alon S.A.
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Dynamics AX vs. SAP ERP and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
879,477 professionals have used our research since 2012.