Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central vs. SAP S/4HANA Cloud

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
Score 6.6 out of 10
N/A
Microsoft 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
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
Score 8.6 out of 10
N/A
SAP S/4HANA Cloud is a modular ERP that enables users to run mission-critical operations in real time from anywhere, introduce new business models in any industry, and expand globally. SAP S/4HANA Cloud is a SaaS product and can also be deployed in a hybrid landscape for quicker time to value.​ ​​ SAP S/4HANA Cloud is a foundational component of the SAP…N/A
Pricing
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business CentralSAP S/4HANA Cloud
Editions & Modules
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
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business CentralSAP S/4HANA Cloud
Free Trial
YesYes
Free/Freemium Version
YesNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoYes
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeRequired
Additional DetailsPer user, per month
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business CentralSAP S/4HANA Cloud
Considered Both Products
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central

No answer on this topic

SAP S/4HANA Cloud
Chose SAP S/4HANA Cloud
It ended up being a race between Dynamics and SAP. The superior SAP EWM was the final decider. In some areas, Dynamics outperformed SAP, especially on API maturity and integrations.
Chose SAP S/4HANA Cloud
Microsoft is an all-in-one business management solution designed for small and medium-sized enterprises. It covers finance, operations, sales, and customer service, and it integrates with other Microsoft 365 applications. SAP S/4HANA Cloud is often seen as more suitable for …
Chose SAP S/4HANA Cloud
SAP provides brilliant capabilities, specifically around alliances with other solutions and alliance partners.
Chose SAP S/4HANA Cloud
More efficient tool to manage business processes and improve productivity in short run.
Chose SAP S/4HANA Cloud
In comparison, all features of the software are the same. All are cost-effective and produce high productivity. The best in SAP S/4HANA Cloud is their implementation and adding more features by doing modifications as per company need. Easy to integrate with other software.
Features
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business CentralSAP S/4HANA Cloud
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
4.0
7 Ratings
57% below category average
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
8.3
290 Ratings
15% above category average
Pay calculation2.07 Ratings8.1248 Ratings
Benefit plan administration2.05 Ratings8.3248 Ratings
Direct deposit files2.06 Ratings8.0242 Ratings
Customization
Comparison of Customization features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
5.8
18 Ratings
27% below category average
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
7.9
424 Ratings
4% above category average
API for custom integration5.817 Ratings7.9406 Ratings
Plug-ins5.815 Ratings7.9376 Ratings
Security
Comparison of Security features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
8.7
22 Ratings
6% above category average
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
8.5
487 Ratings
4% above category average
Single sign-on capability7.418 Ratings8.7457 Ratings
Role-based user permissions10.021 Ratings8.2480 Ratings
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
5.2
23 Ratings
33% below category average
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
7.9
494 Ratings
9% above category average
Dashboards4.919 Ratings7.9462 Ratings
Standard reports5.823 Ratings8.0487 Ratings
Custom reports4.922 Ratings7.8453 Ratings
General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
7.7
23 Ratings
0% below category average
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
8.3
485 Ratings
7% above category average
Accounts payable7.422 Ratings8.4478 Ratings
Accounts receivable6.921 Ratings8.3460 Ratings
Global Financial Support5.310 Ratings8.149 Ratings
Primary and Secondary Ledgers5.89 Ratings8.148 Ratings
Journals and Reconciliations6.312 Ratings8.248 Ratings
Configurable Accounting5.812 Ratings8.245 Ratings
Standardized Processes5.813 Ratings8.651 Ratings
Inventory Management
Comparison of Inventory Management features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
5.9
18 Ratings
29% below category average
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
8.6
426 Ratings
8% above category average
Inventory tracking5.818 Ratings8.6417 Ratings
Automatic reordering5.811 Ratings8.4361 Ratings
Location management2.014 Ratings8.2344 Ratings
Order Management
Comparison of Order Management features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
4.7
21 Ratings
50% below category average
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
8.4
437 Ratings
7% above category average
Pricing2.018 Ratings8.2416 Ratings
Order entry5.818 Ratings8.5425 Ratings
Credit card processing2.012 Ratings9.024 Ratings
Cost of goods sold2.016 Ratings8.5400 Ratings
Order Orchestration6.37 Ratings8.040 Ratings
Subledger and Financial Process
Comparison of Subledger and Financial Process features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
7.4
13 Ratings
1% below category average
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
8.6
52 Ratings
14% above category average
Billing Management6.311 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Cash and Asset Management6.312 Ratings8.046 Ratings
Travel & Expense Management5.88 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Budgetary Control & Encumbrance Accounting5.89 Ratings8.042 Ratings
Period Close5.312 Ratings8.250 Ratings
Project Financial Management
Comparison of Project Financial Management features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
8.7
8 Ratings
13% above category average
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
-
Ratings
Budgeting and Forecasting10.08 Ratings00 Ratings
Project Costing10.07 Ratings00 Ratings
Cost Capture10.08 Ratings00 Ratings
Capital Project Management8.05 Ratings00 Ratings
Customer Contract Compliance10.06 Ratings00 Ratings
Project Revenue Recognition8.04 Ratings00 Ratings
Project Execution Management
Comparison of Project Execution Management features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
6.2
5 Ratings
11% below category average
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
9.3
1 Ratings
29% above category average
Project Planning and Scheduling2.04 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Task Insight for Project Managers2.04 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Project Mobile Functionality2.04 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Definable Resource Pools2.04 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Grants Management
Comparison of Grants Management features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
9.7
3 Ratings
26% above category average
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
8.3
27 Ratings
11% above category average
Award Lifecycle Management10.03 Ratings8.327 Ratings
Procurement
Comparison of Procurement features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
6.9
8 Ratings
0% below category average
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
8.2
49 Ratings
17% above category average
Bids Analyzed and Compared2.04 Ratings8.238 Ratings
Contract Authoring2.04 Ratings8.238 Ratings
Contract Repository2.04 Ratings8.135 Ratings
Requisitions-to-Purchase Orders Integrated5.87 Ratings8.443 Ratings
Supplier Management5.85 Ratings8.343 Ratings
Risk Management
Comparison of Risk Management features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
7.3
5 Ratings
11% above category average
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
9.8
1 Ratings
40% above category average
Risk Repository5.34 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Control Management4.95 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Control Efficiency Assessments5.84 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Issue Detection5.35 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Remediation and Certification5.34 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Logistics
Comparison of Logistics features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
5.4
4 Ratings
21% below category average
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
8.2
37 Ratings
21% above category average
Transportation Planning and Optimization2.03 Ratings8.435 Ratings
Transportation Execution Management2.03 Ratings8.036 Ratings
Trade and Customs Management2.03 Ratings8.031 Ratings
Fulfillment Management1.04 Ratings8.532 Ratings
Warehouse Workforce Management2.03 Ratings8.231 Ratings
Manufacturing
Comparison of Manufacturing features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
4.5
4 Ratings
49% below category average
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
8.5
39 Ratings
14% above category average
Production Process Design2.03 Ratings8.536 Ratings
Production Management2.04 Ratings8.737 Ratings
Configuration Management2.03 Ratings8.436 Ratings
Work Execution2.03 Ratings8.336 Ratings
Manufacturing Costs2.04 Ratings8.533 Ratings
Supply Chain
Comparison of Supply Chain features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
3.5
6 Ratings
68% below category average
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
8.3
45 Ratings
15% above category average
Forecasting1.06 Ratings8.240 Ratings
Inventory Planning2.06 Ratings8.343 Ratings
Performance Monitoring2.06 Ratings8.342 Ratings
Product Lifecycle Management
Comparison of Product Lifecycle Management features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
7.3
3 Ratings
2% above category average
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
9.0
42 Ratings
23% above category average
Proposal Management2.02 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Product Master Data Management2.02 Ratings8.042 Ratings
User Ratings
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business CentralSAP S/4HANA Cloud
Likelihood to Recommend
6.3
(23 ratings)
8.6
(561 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
10.0
(1 ratings)
9.3
(14 ratings)
Usability
9.0
(3 ratings)
8.2
(455 ratings)
Availability
8.0
(1 ratings)
9.0
(3 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(2 ratings)
Support Rating
10.0
(2 ratings)
5.7
(77 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
6.7
(6 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(2 ratings)
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
-
(0 ratings)
7.0
(1 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(2 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(2 ratings)
Professional Services
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(2 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(2 ratings)
User Testimonials
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business CentralSAP S/4HANA Cloud
Likelihood to Recommend
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.
Read full review
SAP
I think it well suited for organizations with a large and complex infrastructures as it can handle them very easily in my opinion. It is also recommended for companies which are planning to move to mostly automated environments, in which it can be implemented in a good manner. I also think it is not suited or less suited for smaller scale organizations as the cost of operation could exceed the budget.
Read full review
Pros
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.
Read full review
SAP
  • The software helps in forecasting and identifying potential challenges that would affect our organisation in the near future. This enables us to prepare in advance and also adopt practical and viable measures.
  • It enables faster and accurate data processing, which enhances decision-making.
  • It's easily customizable according to specific organizational needs. This promotes overall efficiency and productivity of the organization.
Read full review
Cons
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.
Read full review
SAP
  • The beginner's user-friendly UI can help learners learn easily, and it feels a bit complex.
  • Implementation of AI bot on common tasks.
  • There are no offline functionality that users can use remotely.
  • As the scalability of the products grows, they become more expensive.
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
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
Read full review
SAP
The cost of SAP as an ERP is quite high and the switching costs associated with ERP systems are even higher. That being said moving from one ERP to another only happens once in a great while for large organizations. Those switching costs include retraining, IT hardware requirements, outside consultants and more
Read full review
Usability
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.
Read full review
SAP
Day to day data insight is more accurate for manufacturing industry to procure as per forecasted from supplier. Supply and fulfillment cycle becomes more easier. I would say more about performance as we are using this new server so we can see clear difference between SAP S/4HANA Cloud and ECC. Also it has customized business extensions for rapid development.
Read full review
Support Rating
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
SAP
The support system I find great as whenever I run into problems they rectify them quickly as possible they never reacted late the support is just up to the mark for me. They provide many solutions to the problems I faced the [technical] team support is always amazing they [listen] to mean work accordingly.
Read full review
In-Person Training
Microsoft
No answers on this topic
SAP
More effective
Read full review
Implementation Rating
Microsoft
No answers on this topic
SAP
SAP requires
a lot of internal and external resources to complete its successful
implementation. The cloud version requires a deeper understanding of the
different capabilities of the local systems (hardware) and the connection
towards your local IT team. We found several problems on our systems that we
couldn't foresee before the implementation and roll out.
Read full review
Alternatives Considered
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
Read full review
SAP
The platform utilizes advanced predictive analytics to anticipate operational bottlenecks and put them out of commission before the problems become larger. We can proactively develop effective strategies that help keep service quality in the face of unexpected changes in the market, or external disruptions, by continuously analyzing historical performance data as well as elements of the current market
Read full review
Return on Investment
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.
Read full review
SAP
  • The financial management part ensures every process is well planned and allocated resources are used efficiently.
  • The development of payroll management ensures that all employees are happily remunerated and, hence, very productive.
  • The creation of solid financial reporting acts as the primary driver in decision-making, which brings more insights into development.
Read full review
ScreenShots

SAP S/4HANA Cloud Screenshots

Screenshot of the Order to Cash Dashboard - For the management of the order-to-cash process more efficiently across revenue streams and business models - including sales of physical and digital goods, services, subscriptions, projects, and bundles.Screenshot of a Sales Management Overview - Helps ensure sales reps meet their goals with an overview of orders and key sales performance metrics, with status tracking for each order in real time for the early detection of potential issues.Screenshot of the Purchasing Spend Dashboard - For weighing various aspects of purchasing spend through quick access to clear, complete, and real-time data, with less risk, and without opening different reports and transactions.Screenshot of Operational Supplier Evaluation - Provides a transparent overview of suppliers. Users can approve the most reliable vendors and get the right mix to serve business needs while reducing risk.Screenshot of Inventory Management - Provides visibility to manage supply chains, to mitigate risk, avoid unnecessary costs, maximize efficiency, and fulfill customer orders on time.Screenshot of Inventory Processing - Enables real-time supply chain visibility and provides meaningful metrics, with customizable dashboards and reports that display real-time inventory that track the status of inbound and outbound deliveries.