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Microsoft Dynamics CRM vs Salesforce Essentials comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 19, 2024

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
7.5
Microsoft Dynamics CRM yields strong ROI through integration, upgrades, improved sales, data insights, but ROI varies by usage.
Sentiment score
8.0
Salesforce Essentials enhances sales growth by simplifying implementation, navigation, and automating processes, benefiting testing, development, and daily operations.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.8
Microsoft Dynamics CRM's support is generally satisfactory, but response times vary, and premium support offers better responsiveness.
Sentiment score
7.7
Salesforce Essentials offers responsive customer service with fast responses, though some users suggest improvements for even better efficiency.
I would rate customer support as ten out of ten.
While the support operates within their standard SLA, it can be difficult to speak directly with someone over the phone.
Salesforce Essentials has excellent customer service.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.6
Microsoft Dynamics CRM is scalable and adaptable, popular among medium to large companies, but smaller ones may need customization.
Sentiment score
7.3
Salesforce Essentials scales efficiently for diverse user volumes, earning high praise for supporting organizational growth and flexibility.
Microsoft Dynamics CRM is highly scalable, rated at ten, even fifteen out of ten.
I would give it a ten out of ten for scalability.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.9
Microsoft Dynamics CRM is praised for stability and reliability, with minimal issues often due to external factors like network downtime.
Sentiment score
8.1
Salesforce Essentials is reliable with smooth SAP integration, though some users experience delays in automation processes.
I would rate it ten out of ten.
Salesforce Essentials has proven stable, with no downtime that affects my work.
 

Room For Improvement

Microsoft Dynamics CRM needs better usability, third-party integrations, mobile customization, and enhanced reporting, dashboard, and automation features.
Salesforce Essentials struggles with integration, user-friendliness, and pricing, needing improved automation, AI, and analytics features.
More use-case-oriented material should be provided to help users and implementers learn how to do more, faster.
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.
There are other competitors, like Zoho CRM, that offer similar features at a lower cost.
 

Setup Cost

Microsoft Dynamics CRM pricing ranges from $50-$115 per user/month, with complexity and customization affecting costs and affordability.
Salesforce Essentials is considered costly by users due to high licensing fees and additional professional service expenses.
The pricing of Microsoft Dynamics CRM can be complex due to Microsoft's complicated licensing model.
Microsoft Dynamics CRM costs about $110 to $115 per user per month, following a recent price increase.
The costs associated with Salesforce Essentials are substantial, which is a drawback compared to competitors who offer similar services for less.
 

Valuable Features

Microsoft Dynamics CRM offers customizable features, seamless Microsoft integration, and robust automation, enhancing efficiency in sales and customer management.
Salesforce Essentials provides scalable, flexible solutions with cloud deployment, AI customization, and mobile support, enhancing productivity despite high costs.
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.
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.
I can also create fields and customize them according to my needs.
Salesforce Essentials is excellent because it is one of the most flexible CRMs available.
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Dynamics CRM
Ranking in CRM
2nd
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
78
Ranking in other categories
CRM Customer Engagement Centers (1st), Local Government CRM (1st), Marketing Management (1st), Sales Force Automation (2nd)
Salesforce Essentials
Ranking in CRM
15th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
13
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the CRM category, the mindshare of Microsoft Dynamics CRM is 11.1%, down from 13.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Salesforce Essentials is 0.3%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
CRM
 

Featured Reviews

Rishabh Chhajer - PeerSpot reviewer
Intuitive APIs, customizable design, but dashboards could improve
The most advantageous aspect of Microsoft Dynamics CRM is its periodic updates. Every quarter, Microsoft releases upgrades that address bugs and vulnerabilities. As a company governed by the Reserve Bank of India and SAP security regulations for our stock operations, we conduct periodic reviews of our applications, including Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Whenever we submit an audit report and identify bugs, we reach out to the Microsoft team for assistance. They assure us that the issues will be fixed in the next quarterly release. As a result, we have not experienced any outstanding bugs that have not been recorded or addressed.
Srini-Dhanaraj - PeerSpot reviewer
Manages service requests and dispatches engineers to resolve issues
I work from home for a heater manufacturing company. They wanted to move away from their current SAP CRM system to Salesforce. There is a fulfillment process, which involves taking an order, delivering it, and providing service. Salesforce is used to manage the order-taking process. Once an order is taken, the backend system, SAP ERP, handles product manufacturing, delivery, and installation. After installation, the Service Cloud in Salesforce takes over for ongoing service management. Once your order is confirmed, integration with the SAP ERP backend will be seamless. The system takes the sales order from Salesforce and starts processing it for procurement, starting with creating a production order, manufacturing, and then delivery. Once the product is delivered, this information is passed back to Salesforce Service Cloud. In the Service Cloud, a service engineer receives a notification indicating that a product needs to be delivered to a specific location for installation. The engineer then inspects and installs the product at the designated site. SAP ERP manages the product manufacturing and delivery processes. After the product is delivered to the customer, Salesforce Service Cloud takes over. It manages service requests and dispatches engineers to resolve issues reported by customers. Service Cloud captures the information and creates an incident record when a customer reports a product fault. Engineers receive this information and promptly visit the client site to fix the issue. The solution is easy to implement. Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
13%
Government
11%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Microsoft Dynamics CRM?
The most valuable features of Microsoft Dynamics CRM are all the filters and possible reports.
What needs improvement with Microsoft Dynamics CRM?
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. It is one area where the com...
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Dynamics CRM?
We use Microsoft Dynamics CRM ( /products/microsoft-dynamics-crm-reviews ) for opportunity management and a traditional CRM approach for managing customer and client relationships. Although we have...
What do you like most about Salesforce Essentials?
Salesforce provides the best they have with the current version. Most of the features we need are already there, and it's very easy to use.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Salesforce Essentials?
The costs associated with Salesforce Essentials are substantial, which is a drawback compared to competitors who offer similar services for less.
What needs improvement with Salesforce Essentials?
The primary area for improvement in Salesforce Essentials is its pricing. There are other competitors, like Zoho CRM ( /products/zoho-crm-reviews ), that offer similar features at a lower cost. Sal...
 

Also Known As

Dynamics CRM, MS Dynamics CRM
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Metro Bank, Nissan, Pandora, Delta, Haynes International, City of London, Trek and many more market leaders.
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Dynamics CRM vs. Salesforce Essentials and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
850,236 professionals have used our research since 2012.