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Epicor Prophet 21 vs. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central

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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Epicor Prophet 21

    Score3.4 out of 10
    N/AEpicor Prophet 21 is an ERP for distributors, allowing companies to manage their supply chain with one ERP, with industry-specific functionality, cloud-based applications to modernize operations, connected ecosystems to ensure visibility across the organization and AI-infused solutions to drive efficiencies.N/A

    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central

    Score6.5 out of 10
    N/AMicrosoft Dynamics 365 Business Central (formerly Dynamics NAV) is one of the ERP products in the Dynamics family. The technology is based on the Navision product acquired by Microsoft in 2002. This product is the best-selling Microsoft ERP platform, and is often used by companies in the manufacturing and distribution verticals.

    $8

    per month per user

    Pricing
    Epicor Prophet 21Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    Dynamics 365 Business Central Team Members
    $8
    per month (billed annually) per user
    Dynamics 365 Business Central Essentials
    $70
    per month (billed annually) per user
    Dynamics 365 Business Central Premium
    $100
    per month (billed annually) per user
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Epicor Prophet 21Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Free Trial
    NoYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoYes
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Epicor Prophet 21Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Considered Both Products
    Epicor Software
    Chose Epicor Prophet 21
    The biggest motivating factor was the hardware/software needs, but our IS/IT department would be better suited to answer this question.
    Incentivized
    Microsoft
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    No answers on this topic
    89%
    Would buy again
    8 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    No answers on this topic
    88%
    Delivers good value for the price
    7 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    No answers on this topic
    89%
    Happy with the feature set
    8 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    No answers on this topic
    83%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    5 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    No answers on this topic
    75%
    Implementation went as expected
    6 Answers
    Features
    Epicor Prophet 21Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Payroll Management
    Comparison of Payroll Management features of Epicor Prophet 21 and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Epicor Prophet 21
    6.6
    4 Ratings
    8% below category average
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    4.0
    7 Ratings
    57% below category average
    Pay calculation8.04 Ratings2.07 Ratings
    Benefit plan administration6.72 Ratings2.05 Ratings
    Direct deposit files5.93 Ratings2.06 Ratings
    Customization
    Comparison of Customization features of Epicor Prophet 21 and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Epicor Prophet 21
    9.0
    15 Ratings
    17% above category average
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    5.8
    18 Ratings
    27% below category average
    API for custom integration9.015 Ratings5.817 Ratings
    Plug-ins9.014 Ratings5.815 Ratings
    Security
    Comparison of Security features of Epicor Prophet 21 and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Epicor Prophet 21
    8.6
    24 Ratings
    5% above category average
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    8.7
    22 Ratings
    6% above category average
    Single sign-on capability9.321 Ratings7.418 Ratings
    Role-based user permissions8.023 Ratings10.021 Ratings
    Reporting & Analytics
    Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Epicor Prophet 21 and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Epicor Prophet 21
    6.4
    27 Ratings
    12% below category average
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    5.2
    23 Ratings
    32% below category average
    Dashboards6.021 Ratings4.919 Ratings
    Standard reports6.027 Ratings5.823 Ratings
    Custom reports7.022 Ratings4.922 Ratings
    General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
    Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of Epicor Prophet 21 and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Epicor Prophet 21
    6.0
    23 Ratings
    25% below category average
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    7.7
    23 Ratings
    0% below category average
    Accounts payable5.823 Ratings7.422 Ratings
    Accounts receivable5.823 Ratings6.921 Ratings
    Global Financial Support3.010 Ratings5.310 Ratings
    Primary and Secondary Ledgers1.212 Ratings5.89 Ratings
    Journals and Reconciliations9.013 Ratings6.312 Ratings
    Configurable Accounting5.811 Ratings5.812 Ratings
    Standardized Processes5.813 Ratings5.813 Ratings
    Inventory Management
    Comparison of Inventory Management features of Epicor Prophet 21 and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Epicor Prophet 21
    1.7
    25 Ratings
    129% below category average
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    5.9
    18 Ratings
    29% below category average
    Inventory tracking2.225 Ratings5.818 Ratings
    Automatic reordering2.218 Ratings5.811 Ratings
    Location management1.321 Ratings2.014 Ratings
    Order Management
    Comparison of Order Management features of Epicor Prophet 21 and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Epicor Prophet 21
    8.0
    25 Ratings
    2% above category average
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    4.7
    21 Ratings
    50% below category average
    Pricing8.024 Ratings2.018 Ratings
    Order entry8.025 Ratings5.818 Ratings
    Credit card processing7.019 Ratings2.012 Ratings
    Cost of goods sold8.024 Ratings2.016 Ratings
    Order Orchestration8.013 Ratings6.37 Ratings
    Subledger and Financial Process
    Comparison of Subledger and Financial Process features of Epicor Prophet 21 and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Epicor Prophet 21
    4.2
    16 Ratings
    56% below category average
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    7.4
    13 Ratings
    1% below category average
    Billing Management5.813 Ratings6.311 Ratings
    Cash and Asset Management5.814 Ratings6.312 Ratings
    Travel & Expense Management4.59 Ratings5.88 Ratings
    Budgetary Control & Encumbrance Accounting1.28 Ratings5.89 Ratings
    Period Close1.315 Ratings5.312 Ratings
    Project Financial Management
    Comparison of Project Financial Management features of Epicor Prophet 21 and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Epicor Prophet 21
    9.0
    8 Ratings
    17% above category average
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    8.7
    8 Ratings
    13% above category average
    Budgeting and Forecasting9.06 Ratings10.08 Ratings
    Project Costing9.04 Ratings10.07 Ratings
    Cost Capture9.04 Ratings10.08 Ratings
    Capital Project Management9.03 Ratings8.05 Ratings
    Customer Contract Compliance9.08 Ratings10.06 Ratings
    Project Revenue Recognition9.03 Ratings8.04 Ratings
    Project Execution Management
    Comparison of Project Execution Management features of Epicor Prophet 21 and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Epicor Prophet 21
    1.0
    3 Ratings
    150% below category average
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    6.2
    5 Ratings
    11% below category average
    Project Planning and Scheduling1.03 Ratings2.04 Ratings
    Task Insight for Project Managers1.03 Ratings2.04 Ratings
    Project Mobile Functionality1.03 Ratings2.04 Ratings
    Definable Resource Pools1.03 Ratings2.04 Ratings
    Grants Management
    Comparison of Grants Management features of Epicor Prophet 21 and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Epicor Prophet 21
    4.9
    3 Ratings
    41% below category average
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    9.7
    3 Ratings
    27% above category average
    Award Lifecycle Management4.02 Ratings10.03 Ratings
    Procurement
    Comparison of Procurement features of Epicor Prophet 21 and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Epicor Prophet 21
    1.8
    8 Ratings
    118% below category average
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    6.9
    8 Ratings
    1% below category average
    Bids Analyzed and Compared1.26 Ratings2.04 Ratings
    Contract Authoring9.05 Ratings2.04 Ratings
    Contract Repository1.25 Ratings2.04 Ratings
    Requisitions-to-Purchase Orders Integrated1.25 Ratings5.87 Ratings
    Supplier Management1.26 Ratings5.85 Ratings
    Risk Management
    Comparison of Risk Management features of Epicor Prophet 21 and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Epicor Prophet 21
    1.2
    3 Ratings
    138% below category average
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    7.3
    5 Ratings
    11% above category average
    Risk Repository1.23 Ratings5.34 Ratings
    Control Management1.23 Ratings4.95 Ratings
    Control Efficiency Assessments1.23 Ratings5.84 Ratings
    Issue Detection1.23 Ratings5.35 Ratings
    Remediation and Certification1.02 Ratings5.34 Ratings
    Logistics
    Comparison of Logistics features of Epicor Prophet 21 and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Epicor Prophet 21
    1.1
    10 Ratings
    143% below category average
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    5.4
    4 Ratings
    21% below category average
    Transportation Planning and Optimization1.27 Ratings2.03 Ratings
    Transportation Execution Management1.25 Ratings2.03 Ratings
    Trade and Customs Management1.04 Ratings2.03 Ratings
    Fulfillment Management1.26 Ratings1.04 Ratings
    Warehouse Workforce Management1.27 Ratings2.03 Ratings
    Manufacturing
    Comparison of Manufacturing features of Epicor Prophet 21 and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Epicor Prophet 21
    1.0
    3 Ratings
    152% below category average
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    4.5
    4 Ratings
    49% below category average
    Production Process Design1.02 Ratings2.03 Ratings
    Production Management1.02 Ratings2.04 Ratings
    Configuration Management1.02 Ratings2.03 Ratings
    Work Execution1.03 Ratings2.03 Ratings
    Manufacturing Costs1.02 Ratings2.04 Ratings
    Supply Chain
    Comparison of Supply Chain features of Epicor Prophet 21 and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Epicor Prophet 21
    3.0
    13 Ratings
    81% below category average
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    3.5
    6 Ratings
    68% below category average
    Forecasting1.211 Ratings1.06 Ratings
    Inventory Planning8.512 Ratings2.06 Ratings
    Performance Monitoring1.211 Ratings2.06 Ratings
    Product Lifecycle Management
    Comparison of Product Lifecycle Management features of Epicor Prophet 21 and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Epicor Prophet 21
    1.1
    4 Ratings
    147% below category average
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    7.3
    3 Ratings
    2% above category average
    Proposal Management1.23 Ratings2.02 Ratings
    Product Master Data Management1.23 Ratings2.02 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Epicor Prophet 21Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
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    Zoho One
    Score8.9 out of 10
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    Score8.9 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Zoho One
    Score8.9 out of 10
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    Score8.9 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued)
    Score9.1 out of 10
    Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued)
    Score9.1 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Epicor Prophet 21Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Likelihood to Recommend
    5.8
    (28 ratings)
    6.3
    (23 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Usability
    5.8
    (3 ratings)
    9.0
    (3 ratings)
    Availability
    8.2
    (1 ratings)
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    Performance
    6.4
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    6.5
    (4 ratings)
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    8.2
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Online Training
    7.3
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    6.4
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Configurability
    6.4
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    5.5
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    8.2
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    8.2
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Epicor Prophet 21Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Epicor Software
    Good for distribution organizations with warehousing. Can also support both Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable, although a more thorough Accounting package is recommended. Is strong when it comes to integrating bar codes and scanners, particularly for warehouse maintenance. Prophet 21 does include a basic CRM offering. However, it is very basic, and for any real Customer Resource management, a third-party tool is best (even recommended by Epicor.)
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is well suited for inventory management in all aspects. Its accessibility, along with my other apps, when out of the office is unparalleled. I find it easy to work with on a desktop or laptop; however, it could use some work on a mobile device.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    Epicor Software
    • The system allows us to pretty much design it to work the way want it to work. It is a very flexible system for the most part.
    • The system doesn't let you make too many shortcuts with getting something processed. It forces you to go through the proper steps.
    • The system keeps track of everything and can be easily retrieved through history searches. Detailed reports, graphs, ....
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    • Automate the creation of bills of materials for production. We can now generate a BoM from a sales order.
    • Organization of all data pertaining to thousands of parts, assemblies, and finished goods. Engineering and purchasing have a common portal.
    • We can create sales orders from quotations instead of re-entering them (this did require some bolt-on software). Less redundant work with fewer entry errors.
    • Accounting can provide reports based on specific criteria stored in NAV. We can pull better and more detailed intelligence.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    Epicor Software
    • Prophet 21 could use better management tools for its own data. The database has a tendency to bloat and over time can grow exceedingly large without administrative intervention.
    • The UI can be cluttered at times and the windows tend to jump into focus or drop from focus when it isn't expected causing user confusion and data entry errors.
    • Branding on forms and the UI is almost nonexistent. Customizations of screen aesthetics and form layout options should be easier and not require custom programming.
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    • Some functions could be a bit more user friendly, intuitive.
    • Better migration from previous ERP software (especially other Microsoft products). "Growing pains" associated with change?! Maybe.
    • A few redundancies and procedural missteps on menus and tabs can make the portal a bit crowded.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Epicor Software
    I've used Epicor Prophet 21 for about 12 years (in various iterations). It started out as CommerceCenter by Prophet 21 then became Prophet 21 by Activant and then Prophet 21 by Epicor. So frequently, when a software company is acquired, it stops being great. That has not been the case with Epicor Prophet 21. Over the years they've been under Epicor, the product has just gotten better and better, with major extensibility enhancements and new mobile components coming online.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    We've already decided to continue using this software. It is too expensive for us to upgrade so we made a workaround by using the virtual computer with Windows XP installed on it. We did research replacing this software, but it was a better financial decision to keep what we had instead
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    Epicor Software
    Overall, I love using Prophet 21. With a few rare exceptions, functions within the application have been streamlined so they can be used with as few clicks and key presses as possible. That's not to say they've given up any functionality. The platform is incredibly powerful; just easy to use.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    Best in terms of reporting or coming up with a great dashboard. Seamlessly collaborated with teams without depending on particular device as its web version is the buddy for people with work flexibility. Licensing price and integrations can be the areas of improvement and can simplify the interface which will be easy for a new user.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    Epicor Software
    When hosted locally, you don't have to worry about outages unless the power goes out and the battery backups fail. It can also be hosted in the cloud which is as reliable as your internet connection. There's really no concern for outages in the software by itself. Outages are controlled by external factors.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    Performance
    Epicor Software
    I do feel like there are some screens and reports that could be streamlined. Prophet 21 likes to load features all at once when going into a program but a quicker load time into order entry, for example, is worth having a little latency while a non-essential tab that doesn't get used very often is opened.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    Support Rating
    Epicor Software
    The support is some of the worst I've seen across all the 122 software vendors we work with. Everything is offshore and it is always vague answers, links to wiki's that don't apply, and when we pay for project support they charge $200 an hour for someone who works remote from Mexico to call you on a poor quality VoIP connection that isn't all that well trained and often doesn't have basic IT skills
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    It provides one to efficiently be able to manage bookkeeping and inventory without much challenges. One can easily navigate through workflow processes while managing usages and budgets. Being able to produce reports in Word, Excel or PDF means one is able to have a working document to produce trends and graphs or produce pivot tables.
    Read full review
    In-Person Training
    Epicor Software
    The on-site training was great. I give it a 9 because the trainer was a chain smoker who had to excuse herself a lot to smoke. Kind of unprofessional. She was a very good trainer though.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    Online Training
    Epicor Software
    I had a great time with the online training. Most of the online trainings were live which meant you had opportunity to interact with instructors. I liked trying to derail them by posting funny comments to the chat window. The only complaint I had about these is they weren't recorded for later use. Well, another complaint is that they were sometimes too short.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation Rating
    Epicor Software
    The overall implementation is smooth. Prophet 21 sends someone on-site for as many days as you need them to step through the initial implementation. Data conversion is the biggest trick. Make sure you get help with that portion of implementation. Also, be sure to offer plenty of training incentives to keep people coming back for more training. A little money spent up front will save you tons of headaches later.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    Alternatives Considered
    Epicor Software
    I have not looked at them in detail, but have received a lot of positive comments through out the industry, we're on the fence in regards to viability of cloud based solutions, but from the information we have received it seems like NetSuite has developed a good solution for the industry.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    I have personally supported all of the Dynamic family of ERP systems and made the decision to concentrate on NAV as the solution of choice. From a support and development standpoint there are few if any packages that can compare. It is not uncommon for most of the companies that I support to only call me once or twice a month after the first year. This is due to the ease of tracking down problems and errors and the ability for a developer to provide the end-user with routines that automatically correct the most basic kind of error
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Scalability
    Epicor Software
    Prophet 21 is very reliable. The database is robust and well designed. The application is also hard to break. If there's one feature I don't like, it's that they haven't accounted for the dreaded single quote. That's kind of the bane of Microsoft SQL's existence. They need to escape that character in every field that will accept it in the system. Otherwise, the system throws all kinds of errors and many times will crash.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    Return on Investment
    Epicor Software
    • P21 has been very good with how we handle cash collections and had a positive impact for us.
    • P21 user interface saves time and thus makes people more efficient by allowing customizations.
    • With ordering, inventory, customer information, and CRM all in one location it makes the need for other programs like goldmine become obsolete.
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    • Automation processing, including EDI functionality, has increased employee efficiency and prevented the need for adding additional employees.
    • Implementation of the warehouse functionality, including cycle counts, has resulted in better inventory control/less shrinkage.
    • Implementation of e-Ship and e-Receive, has resulted in greater efficiency and order accuracy.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    Epicor Prophet 21 Screenshots

    Screenshot of Prophet 21 Opportunity PageScreenshot of Prophet 21 Home Portal