Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central vs. Xero

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
Score 7.9 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.N/A
Xero
Score 8.5 out of 10
N/A
Xero is an online accounting software product for small businesses and personal finance. Its features beyond general ledger and double-bookkeeping include quotable invoicing, bank reconciliation, purchase order and expense management, and tax management. Third party apps can extend its features further.
$13
per month
Pricing
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business CentralXero
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Early
$13
per month
Growing
$37
per month
Established
$70
per month
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business CentralXero
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsPrices in table are in USD and just apply to the US - other markets & prices are listed below: Canada - Starter $18 CAD/month, Standard $45 CAD/month, Premium 5 $58 CAD/month UK - Starter £14/month, Standard £28/month, Premium £36/month AU - Starter $29 AUD/month, Standard $59 AUD/month, Premium 5 $76 AUD/month NZ - Starter $31 NZD/month, Standard $66 NZD/month, Premium $84 NZD/month
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business CentralXero
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business CentralXero
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
7.6
6 Ratings
5% above category average
Xero
7.8
73 Ratings
4% above category average
Pay calculation7.86 Ratings7.965 Ratings
Benefit plan administration7.04 Ratings8.123 Ratings
Direct deposit files9.35 Ratings7.949 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management00 Ratings7.841 Ratings
Reimbursement management00 Ratings7.354 Ratings
Customization
Comparison of Customization features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
8.0
16 Ratings
10% above category average
Xero
7.5
126 Ratings
6% above category average
API for custom integration8.015 Ratings7.779 Ratings
Plug-ins8.013 Ratings7.3113 Ratings
Security
Comparison of Security features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
9.0
20 Ratings
10% above category average
Xero
8.1
159 Ratings
3% above category average
Single sign-on capability9.016 Ratings7.572 Ratings
Role-based user permissions9.020 Ratings8.7157 Ratings
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
5.1
21 Ratings
31% below category average
Xero
8.0
180 Ratings
5% above category average
Dashboards5.117 Ratings7.9176 Ratings
Standard reports5.121 Ratings8.2179 Ratings
Custom reports5.120 Ratings7.9159 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
8.8
21 Ratings
14% above category average
Xero
7.4
189 Ratings
0% below category average
Accounts payable9.020 Ratings8.7176 Ratings
Accounts receivable8.419 Ratings8.9177 Ratings
Global Financial Support9.08 Ratings6.051 Ratings
Primary and Secondary Ledgers10.07 Ratings7.250 Ratings
Journals and Reconciliations10.010 Ratings9.290 Ratings
Configurable Accounting10.010 Ratings5.859 Ratings
Standardized Processes9.011 Ratings6.159 Ratings
Cash management00 Ratings8.1161 Ratings
Bank reconciliation00 Ratings9.1184 Ratings
Expense management00 Ratings7.9168 Ratings
Time tracking00 Ratings7.660 Ratings
Fixed asset management00 Ratings7.7115 Ratings
Multi-currency support00 Ratings7.5109 Ratings
Multi-division support00 Ratings7.493 Ratings
Regulations compliance00 Ratings8.293 Ratings
Electronic tax filing00 Ratings9.093 Ratings
Self-service portal00 Ratings7.7106 Ratings
Intercompany Accounting00 Ratings6.040 Ratings
Localizations00 Ratings8.039 Ratings
Enterprise Accounting00 Ratings4.433 Ratings
Centralized Rules Framework00 Ratings5.133 Ratings
Inventory Management
Comparison of Inventory Management features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
8.7
16 Ratings
10% above category average
Xero
6.5
87 Ratings
8% below category average
Inventory tracking9.016 Ratings6.183 Ratings
Automatic reordering6.79 Ratings7.024 Ratings
Location management9.013 Ratings7.029 Ratings
Manufacturing module00 Ratings6.316 Ratings
Order Management
Comparison of Order Management features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
7.9
19 Ratings
2% above category average
Xero
6.9
89 Ratings
7% below category average
Pricing7.117 Ratings6.862 Ratings
Order entry8.016 Ratings6.956 Ratings
Credit card processing10.011 Ratings7.458 Ratings
Cost of goods sold8.015 Ratings7.366 Ratings
Order Orchestration8.05 Ratings6.621 Ratings
End-to-end order visibility00 Ratings6.524 Ratings
Order exception Resolution00 Ratings6.617 Ratings
Subledger and Financial Process
Comparison of Subledger and Financial Process features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
8.4
11 Ratings
13% above category average
Xero
-
Ratings
Billing Management8.39 Ratings00 Ratings
Cash and Asset Management9.010 Ratings00 Ratings
Travel & Expense Management7.86 Ratings00 Ratings
Budgetary Control & Encumbrance Accounting8.37 Ratings00 Ratings
Period Close10.010 Ratings00 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
Xero
-
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
7.7
4 Ratings
12% above category average
Xero
-
Ratings
Project Planning and Scheduling8.03 Ratings00 Ratings
Task Insight for Project Managers8.03 Ratings00 Ratings
Project Mobile Functionality8.03 Ratings00 Ratings
Definable Resource Pools7.03 Ratings00 Ratings
Grants Management
Comparison of Grants Management features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
9.7
3 Ratings
25% above category average
Xero
-
Ratings
Award Lifecycle Management10.03 Ratings00 Ratings
Procurement
Comparison of Procurement features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
8.0
6 Ratings
14% above category average
Xero
-
Ratings
Bids Analyzed and Compared8.03 Ratings00 Ratings
Contract Authoring8.03 Ratings00 Ratings
Contract Repository7.03 Ratings00 Ratings
Requisitions-to-Purchase Orders Integrated7.55 Ratings00 Ratings
Supplier Management8.03 Ratings00 Ratings
Risk Management
Comparison of Risk Management features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
9.6
3 Ratings
38% above category average
Xero
-
Ratings
Risk Repository9.32 Ratings00 Ratings
Control Management9.43 Ratings00 Ratings
Control Efficiency Assessments9.32 Ratings00 Ratings
Issue Detection10.03 Ratings00 Ratings
Remediation and Certification9.72 Ratings00 Ratings
Logistics
Comparison of Logistics features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
7.7
3 Ratings
12% above category average
Xero
-
Ratings
Transportation Planning and Optimization8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Transportation Execution Management8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Trade and Customs Management8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Fulfillment Management7.93 Ratings00 Ratings
Warehouse Workforce Management8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Manufacturing
Comparison of Manufacturing features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
7.1
3 Ratings
6% below category average
Xero
-
Ratings
Production Process Design9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Production Management5.83 Ratings00 Ratings
Configuration Management1.32 Ratings00 Ratings
Work Execution9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Manufacturing Costs8.63 Ratings00 Ratings
Supply Chain
Comparison of Supply Chain features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
9.5
5 Ratings
27% above category average
Xero
-
Ratings
Forecasting9.05 Ratings00 Ratings
Inventory Planning10.05 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance Monitoring10.05 Ratings00 Ratings
Product Lifecycle Management
Comparison of Product Lifecycle Management features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
9.3
2 Ratings
25% above category average
Xero
-
Ratings
Proposal Management9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Product Master Data Management9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
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Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business CentralXero
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User Ratings
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business CentralXero
Likelihood to Recommend
8.0
(21 ratings)
8.6
(204 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
10.0
(1 ratings)
9.9
(32 ratings)
Usability
9.0
(3 ratings)
8.8
(129 ratings)
Availability
8.0
(1 ratings)
9.0
(10 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(8 ratings)
Support Rating
10.0
(2 ratings)
8.9
(36 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(1 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(5 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
7.3
(10 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
6.5
(89 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(6 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(2 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(2 ratings)
User Testimonials
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business CentralXero
Likelihood to Recommend
Microsoft
It addresses well some integration and connectivity issues with other software and adapted technologies: formulation and manufacturing batching software, scanners and bar codes, inventory, financials, emailing of invoices and statement, sales and purchasing... etc. I believe it to be better suited to a medium to large company. Not as simple and seamless as we expected for migrating from another Microsoft Dynamics software product (we moved from GP to NAV). Our staff is going through a tougher time than we thought to learn some procedures. Normal growing pains?!
Read full review
Xero
If they are using foreign exchange I always use Xero. If I need reporting to be customized we always use Xero. If the client is already working in a software and it is working for them we will leave them in the software they are in.
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
Xero
  • Their method of moving between screens was very logical and intuitive which is not a "given" attribute among software packages.
  • Finding transactions was relatively easy with just common sense.
  • The use of this software was generally well received in that the accountants did not discredit the software as cheap, poorly organized, or timely to learn. No one at Corporate had a vendetta against using Xero.
  • It does a good job of allowing the users to drill down to the final detail of an account balance - which is fundamental to the accounting department's needs.
Read full review
Cons
Microsoft
  • The version of software that we currently use isn't compatible with Windows 7, therefore we had to install it using the virtual computer under Windows XP. This created a few additional steps that the users had to go through in order to access the software which generated more calls to our IT Helpdesk.
  • We did research how much it would cost to upgrade the software so that we could get a version compatible with Windows 7, but the cost was way too expensive for our organization. Also, when we need to make updates or changes to the software, there are very few consultants who are familiar with the software so we are limited in who we can use for consulting services. Since we are limited in choosing consultants who can make updates and changes to the software the fees are usually really expensive for their services.
  • There is a .zup file that we constantly have to delete in order for the database to work properly and update. Users get a pop-up about once a week asking if they want to replace the .zup file and if the file is not deleted then the opening page for the software will not show up correctly and the database will not have the most up to date information.
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Xero
  • Occasionally, the price increases and I feel that prices should be fixed for long-term users as there are very few changes in the software from when I started using it 6 years ago.
  • It would be useful to have the emails sent with invoices saved.
  • Visual dashboards are limited.
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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
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Xero
In addition to the matters covered in this review, my reason for renewing this product is that Xero's functionality and the constant updates that the company provides, makes the software even more business friendly. The software therefore builds a brand loyalty among customers.
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Usability
Microsoft
It has simplified all processes and reduces turnaround time for month end processes. You can easily navigate through the dashboard which is very user friendly and easily guides you to different functionalities. Duplications of Invoices is avoided because NAV rejects posting of an invoice number already in the system so you increase accuracy.
Read full review
Xero
Xero has all the features that you need, basically. From chart of accounts, reconciling books, to making annual financial reports. What I'm currently looking for Xero right now is to provide more broader integration with the other apps so we can use it for customer-facing experience also. All in all, everything works well!
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Reliability and Availability
Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Xero
We have been actively using and 100% Xero based for our ecommerce accounting practice for over 4 years. There has on been one real outage for more than 5 minutes. Xero was open and transparent about the outage, what they were doing to resolve the issue, and provided 15 minute updates. Showing how they care about their customers and partners. Plus, showing that their customers care too, were understanding, and went surfing or in our case took a nap. Couldn't run our business without Xero as a partner.
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Performance
Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Xero
Pages generally load quickly, but it's a fairly common occurrence to have pages taking a bit longer than I'd like to load (as in, 4+ seconds). Occasionally I have to refresh a page to get it to work. Bank feed and integrations tend to be slow in general, but that could easily be due to API latency on the side of the other parties. Most of the time, though, the bank feeds refresh before I login so it's not a huge problem. Not necessarily good performance compared to a local app like QuickBooks desktop, but definitely good performance for a cloud application. Room for growth? yes.
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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.
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Xero
Always respond and keep issues open until you are satisfied with the result. Generally good responses, in the past, I had some support responses that were really basic and really annoying. They type where "have your tried restarting your computer" style of answers. Well, of course, I went through all the basics before contacting them. Duh, but I suppose not everyone does. Otherwise, it would be a 10. The last year has shown a marked improvement in the support responses however.
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In-Person Training
Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Xero
The format was great; someone was there to ask questions or help if you were stuck.
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Online Training
Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Xero
All of Xero's training is online and available for anyone (business owner or accountants) to learn and become experts in their system. There is a range of content from product training to real world webinars from their partners. Xero is beautiful accounting software and their training is the same.
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Implementation Rating
Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Xero
If it can be done, time the implementation near a new fiscal year so you can start clean. Otherwise, you have to go back and do historical data from the beginning of the fiscal year, which can be brain draining.
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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
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Xero
I've used a lot of different accounting systems. Many of them so big and powerful, but a hassle to get set up. Xero is light, inexpensive, and easy to use. When I originally selected them they seemed like they were developing new features at a quick rate as well. I was invited to be part of focus sessions to make the product better. That part has slowed down significantly though.
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Scalability
Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Xero
I have yet to fully stress test the product given the size of the company where I am using it. I am sure as we scale to more customers, more vendors and more reporting requirements, I will have a better understanding of what it is capable of in terms of bandwidth and processing
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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.
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Xero
  • Saved many hours through automatic invoices and followups
  • Saved many hours by allowing transactions to start via bank feeds (ie I don't have to input a transaction and mark it against what is in the bank/cc account; rather, the transaction in the account is where you input the transaction into the books.
  • Has the scalability my business requires, and not much more.
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ScreenShots

Xero Screenshots

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