Microsoft Dynamics GP vs Dynamics 365 Business Central

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Our analysts compared Microsoft Dynamics GP vs Dynamics 365 Business Central based on data from our 400+ point analysis of ERP Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Microsoft Dynamics GP Software Tool
Dynamics 365 Business Central Software Tool

Product Basics

Microsoft Dynamics GP is a versatile solution, well-suited for companies seeking to connect supply chain workflows with tasks such as financial management and human resources management. It offers a range of features, with the option to add on integrations with third-party offerings or implement advanced packages to further increase its functionality.

It helps free up employee time to focus on other tasks through its automation of processes such as the generation of receivables, the creation of purchase orders and the direct deposit of employee pay to bank accounts. Available on-premise or in the cloud.
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Dynamics 365 Business Central, formerly known as Dynamics NAV, is a widely used ERP platform that benefits businesses of small and medium sizes. It’s a multi-faceted ERP product that assists in the streamlining of aspects such as accounting, contact management and inventory management. This program has high integration capabilities due to its status as a Microsoft product and is currently used by more than 100,000 companies.

Personalization is a key benefit of this tool that is expressed throughout the program’s different modules. For example, you can customize dashboards and reports to ensure that your employees are obtaining useful insights quickly and easily. The program is also highly automated and can reduce human error through its connected systems.

Pros
  • User-friendly interface
  • Seamless integrations
  • Flexible customization
  • Robust financial management
  • Strong reporting capabilities
Cons
  • Limited industry-specific features
  • Potential customization complexity
  • Scalability concerns for large enterprises
  • Reliance on third-party add-ons
  • Potentially high ownership costs
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$185/User, Monthly
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$70/User, Monthly
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Tailored to your specific needs
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Windows
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Linux
Android
Chromebook
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Linux
Android
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Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile

Product Assistance

Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support
Email
Phone
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FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support

Product Insights

  • Actionable Insights: Access role-specific information from charts and graphs. Prebuilt dashboards and reports help gain valuable data and make information sharing easy through included collaboration tools. 
  • Customizable Interface: High customization capability and add-on modules support advanced distribution and human resources tools. Select which features to have integrated to create a specific, need-oriented program. 
  • Centralize Finances: Centralize finances and streamline processes such as the generation of receivables information. 
  • Maintain Top Talent: Control the employee lifecycle from the time staff members are recruited until the time they elect to retire. Includes direct deposit for payroll, time and expense management and employee profiles. 
  • Automate Order Processing: Expedite order fulfillment through a purchase order generator, inventory stock monitoring capabilities, sales order processing and more. 
  • Improve Efficiency: Creating a clear visualization of the supply chain and automating processes such as purchase order creation helps free up time for other tasks. 
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  • Centralized Data: Dynamics 365 Business Central leans in to the essence of ERP software — data centralization. For example, the system’s contract management program maintains a shared database of customers and prospects that can be customized and filtered. The program also removes any duplicates found in the system, which is especially helpful when you have multiple people entering prospect information or liaising with customers. Customized dashboards and visualizations are also available for insights developed across your company. 
  • Accessibility: This software is available either on-premise or as a cloud-based ERP. If you opt to go with a cloud deployment, the solution will be accessible to your employees anytime and anywhere as long as an internet connection is available. This broadly increases the scope of where your employees can complete their duties and access pertinent information. 
  • Forecasting: Dynamics 365 Business Central contains forecasting tools that include the use of historical demand to estimate future demand. This is helpful because it can improve efficiency, reduce spoilage and improve the likelihood that you will be able to fulfill orders from customers. 
  • Simple Integration: As a Microsoft product, Dynamics 365 Business Central is well poised for integration. The software can work with programs such as Word and Excel and is also available across iOS, Android and Windows devices. Microsoft offers a wide variety of software solutions that can be connected to Dynamics 365 Business Central, such as Dynamics 365 for Sales. 
  • Collaboration: Dynamics 365 Business Central provides visibility and control over multiple production sites. This allows you to collaborate with employees located in that facility to determine benchmarks such as optimal inventory level. Additionally, because of Dynamics 365 Business Central’s availability as a cloud-based solution, it is easy for employees to collaborate on and access materials whether they are in a corporate office or at a production facility. 
  • Security: With this program, you can configure user access to different components of the software. For example, if you don’t want an account representative to have visualization of the payroll, you can limit the scope of a user’s access to the application. Disaster recovery tools also assist with security measures. 
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  • Financial Management: Includes: 
    •  Basic accounting functions such as a general ledger, accounts payable (AP) and accounts receivable (AR). 
    •  Bank reconciliation and fixed asset management. 
    •  Lockbox processing, which automatically inputs and applies customer payment information from a lockbox transaction file to generate accurate AR data. 
    •  Intercompany relationships, multidimensional analysis and AP management. 
  • Business Intelligence and Reporting: Dashboards and reports provide prebuilt analytics directly within the system. More than 400 Excel reports are connected, with the option to customize reports as well. Dashboards can be securely created and shared through Office 365 to analyze information. 
  • Supply Chain Management: Includes bill of materials management, inventory control and purchase order processing capabilities. Automatically generate purchase orders using actual sales, purchasing and inventory data. Track orders, quotes and invoices to speed up the sales process and enhance upsell opportunities. 
  • Human Resource Management:  
    •  HR practitioners can recruit and retain talent through performance evaluation, customized hiring options and pay rate development. 
    •  Payroll can be directly deposited in employee bank accounts through an automated clearing house (ACH) file, with payment data automatically entered to the general ledger through a turnkey solution. 
    •  Supports payroll functionality for companies in the United States and Canada. 
  • Configuration and Development: The service-based architecture integrates with a variety of modules and programs. 
    •  Offers an extended pack and an extended human resources and payroll module to further scope of customization. 
    •  Includes a PTO manager, benefits management and enrollment. 
    •  Offers returns management, materials requirements planning, project accounting and preventive maintenance. 
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  • Sales Order Management: Dynamics 365 Business Central’s sales order management module allows you to alter quantity available amounts based on posted invoices. You can also use the program to create prepayment invoices and to manage partial shipments. 
  • Analysis Reports: The analysis reports tool is based on helping decisionmakers within your company gain meaningful insights that will positively influence daily decisions. With this customizable tool, you can use factors such as customers, items and vendors to view information such as inventory turnover and customer behavior. You can also use this tool to more accurately pinpoint problems across your business that are creating bottlenecks or inefficiencies. 
  • General Ledger: Accounting and financial reporting tools are a commonly requested feature in ERP software. Dynamics 365 Business Central offers a general ledger in its base package that includes internal and external reporting tools, ability to export data in various formats, employee ledger entries, linking to external documents and reporting in your company’s preferred currency format. 
  • Requisition Management: Dynamics 365 Business Central’s Requisition Worksheet allows you to optimize your inventory based on factors such as predicted demand and material availability. You can also set minimum and maximum quantity levels to determine a reordering point in your manufacturing center. 
  • Multi-Site Functionality: With this software, you can track inventory levels across multiple distribution centers, warehouses, production plants, showrooms and more. You can also track inventory as it moves from different locations while accounting for its value during transit. 
  • Contact Management: The contact management feature allows you to input and maintain a list of your business contacts and prospects. The tool lets you know when duplicate contact information is entered, enables you to issue quotes or sales documents, allows for the categorization of people associated with a specific contact and segments people based on profiling questions. 
  • Optical Character Recognition (OCR): Dynamics 365 Business Central includes support for Kofax Invoice Capture Service (ICS) out of the box. This tool can take information from unstructured PDFs, extract it, and turn it into structured data. 
  • Currency Exchange Rates: This system allows you to update currency exchange rates as they shift. This can be done either manually or automatically. Dynamics 365 Business Central supports Yahoo and European Central Bank (ECB) currency feeds out of the box, but you can add other currencies to the tool using the currency exchange rates setup. 
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Product Ranking

#51

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#18

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ERP Software

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User Sentiment Summary

Good User Sentiment 627 reviews
Good User Sentiment 366 reviews
75%
of users recommend this product

Microsoft Dynamics GP has a 'good' User Satisfaction Rating of 75% when considering 627 user reviews from 5 recognized software review sites.

75%
of users recommend this product

Dynamics 365 Business Central has a 'good' User Satisfaction Rating of 75% when considering 366 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

4.6 (11)
n/a
3.6 (252)
3.6 (142)
3.9 (121)
3.7 (85)
4.4 (41)
4.3 (9)
3.7 (202)
3.9 (130)

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Comprehensive Solution: It’s an all-in-one accounting and HR tool with payroll, inventory, supply chain, payables, receivables and other capabilities, as all reviews on this aspect indicate.
User Support: More than 70% of reviews on this feature suggest that customer support is fairly prompt and effective.
Ease of Use: According to 75% of reviews on this aspect, it has an easy-to-use and navigable interface.
Excel Integration: Data and reports are easy to import or export to Excel, as it’s closely integrated with the system, as all reviews on the topic state.
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Easy to Learn: Precisely 53% of users say the system has a simple implementation process and helpful training materials.
Extensive Features: Features include BOM management, finance management, document management, reporting, search filters, accounting and other modules, according to 79% of users.
Intuitive Interface: Familiar layout and guided workflows simplify data entry and task completion for non-technical users.
Automated Processes: Reduce manual tasks and errors with automated workflows for finance, inventory, sales, and customer service.
Actionable Insights: Gain real-time visibility into business performance through comprehensive dashboards and reporting tools.
Powerful Integrations: Connect seamlessly with Microsoft 365, Power BI, and other popular business applications for a unified data ecosystem.
Cloud-based Scalability: Adapt to growth with a flexible cloud infrastructure that supports diverse user needs and data volumes.
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Bugs and Glitches: As 100% of reviews about these drawbacks indicate, users have experienced bugs and glitches, and it hangs while loading big reports sometimes.
Learning Curve: It’s difficult to adapt and learn for new users, say all reviews referencing the learning curve.
Multiple Functions: It’s unsuitable and cumbersome to use for companies that handle multiple functions, as there are a lot of windows to access and manage, according to all reviews on this feature.
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User Interface: Of the users who discussed the interface, 46% said it was not intuitive and the layout is old-fashioned.
Glitchy Performance: Approximately 67% of users said the program's overall performance is slow and glitchy.
Industry Gaps: While strong for core ERP functions, may require additional add-ons or integrations for complex industry-specific needs like manufacturing or healthcare.
Customization Curve: While offering customization options, extensive modifications might require developer expertise, increasing costs and implementation time.
Large Enterprise Scalability: While cloud-based and scalable, very large enterprises with intricate operations might encounter limitations or require additional configuration.
Add-on Dependence: Fulfilling specific needs may rely on third-party add-ons, introducing potential compatibility and support challenges.
Cost Considerations: While offering subscription plans, total cost of ownership can be influenced by user licenses, customization needs, and add-on integrations.
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Microsoft Dynamics GP is a comprehensive solution and offers multiple functions for HR, financial accounting, supply chain management and more. It provides smooth integration with Excel, and an option for additional add-ons. Their customer support team is quick and effective at resolving any issues that users may come across. It’s also user-friendly and easy to navigate. However, new users may experience a sharp learning curve, which is common for a software that delivers features to cover so many business functions. Occasional glitches and bugs, including slowing down when loading large reports, are other downsides that users cite. In short, SMBs looking for a tool with extensive features to manage diverse business processes may find it a good choice.

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Users appreciated Dynamics 365 Business Central's user-friendly interface and automation capabilities, highlighting its ease of use even for non-technical personnel. The streamlined workflows and intuitive layout simplified data entry and task completion, especially compared to competitor solutions with steeper learning curves. The automated processes proved beneficial in eliminating manual work and errors, boosting efficiency in areas like finance, inventory, and customer service. However, some users pointed to limitations in industry-specific features compared to more specialized competitors like SAP Business One or Acumatica. While Business Central excels in core ERP functions, complex needs in manufacturing or healthcare might require additional add-ons or integrations, increasing complexity and potentially cost. Customization, while available, also presented a potential hurdle. While offering flexibility, extensive modifications could necessitate developer expertise, raising implementation time and costs compared to competitors with more drag-and-drop customization options. Business Central's cloud-based scalability was praised, accommodating growth and diverse user needs effectively. This stood out compared to some on-premise competitors with less flexibility. However, very large enterprises with intricate operations might encounter limitations or require additional configuration compared to solutions like Oracle NetSuite designed for such complexity. Overall, user reviews suggest Dynamics 365 Business Central shines for its user-friendliness, automation, and cloud-based scalability. However, limitations in industry-specific features and potential customization complexity compared to some competitors are important considerations, especially for niche businesses or large enterprises.

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