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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central

    Score8 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

    Xero

    Score8.4 out of 10
    N/AXero 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
    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
    Early
    $13
    per month
    Growing
    $37
    per month
    Established
    $70
    per month
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business CentralXero
    Free Trial
    YesYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    YesNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details—Prices 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
    Considered Both Products
    Microsoft
    No answer on this topic
    Xero
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    92%
    Would buy again
    11 Answers
    93%
    Would buy again
    160 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    91%
    Delivers good value for the price
    10 Answers
    94%
    Delivers good value for the price
    153 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    92%
    Happy with the feature set
    11 Answers
    93%
    Happy with the feature set
    160 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    89%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    8 Answers
    94%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    131 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    82%
    Implementation went as expected
    9 Answers
    99%
    Implementation went as expected
    149 Answers
    Features
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business CentralXero
    Payroll Management
    Comparison of Payroll Management features of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Xero
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    6.6
    11 Ratings
    13% below category average
    Xero
    7.5
    73 Ratings
    1% below category average
    Pay calculation6.211 Ratings8.065 Ratings
    Benefit plan administration6.39 Ratings8.023 Ratings
    Direct deposit files6.610 Ratings7.249 Ratings
    Salary revision and increment management00 Ratings7.141 Ratings
    Reimbursement management00 Ratings7.054 Ratings
    Customization
    Comparison of Customization features of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Xero
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    8.0
    25 Ratings
    6% above category average
    Xero
    8.0
    169 Ratings
    6% above category average
    API for custom integration8.124 Ratings7.979 Ratings
    Plug-ins7.922 Ratings8.1156 Ratings
    Security
    Comparison of Security features of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Xero
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    8.4
    29 Ratings
    0% above category average
    Xero
    7.1
    213 Ratings
    14% below category average
    Single sign-on capability8.425 Ratings5.572 Ratings
    Role-based user permissions8.328 Ratings8.7211 Ratings
    Reporting & Analytics
    Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Xero
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    8.4
    30 Ratings
    11% above category average
    Xero
    8.3
    241 Ratings
    6% above category average
    Dashboards8.326 Ratings8.3237 Ratings
    Standard reports8.530 Ratings8.9239 Ratings
    Custom reports8.629 Ratings7.9212 Ratings
    General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
    Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Xero
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    8.4
    30 Ratings
    8% above category average
    Xero
    8.3
    251 Ratings
    8% above category average
    Accounts payable8.429 Ratings7.9229 Ratings
    Accounts receivable8.328 Ratings8.1234 Ratings
    Global Financial Support8.517 Ratings7.884 Ratings
    Primary and Secondary Ledgers8.416 Ratings7.881 Ratings
    Journals and Reconciliations8.919 Ratings10.090 Ratings
    Configurable Accounting7.119 Ratings10.059 Ratings
    Standardized Processes8.720 Ratings8.059 Ratings
    Cash management00 Ratings7.7217 Ratings
    Bank reconciliation00 Ratings8.6244 Ratings
    Expense management00 Ratings7.8224 Ratings
    Time tracking00 Ratings6.387 Ratings
    Fixed asset management00 Ratings7.7152 Ratings
    Multi-currency support00 Ratings7.9149 Ratings
    Multi-division support00 Ratings7.4129 Ratings
    Regulations compliance00 Ratings8.3131 Ratings
    Electronic tax filing00 Ratings8.6134 Ratings
    Self-service portal00 Ratings7.7153 Ratings
    Intercompany Accounting00 Ratings10.040 Ratings
    Localizations00 Ratings10.039 Ratings
    Enterprise Accounting00 Ratings10.033 Ratings
    Centralized Rules Framework00 Ratings6.033 Ratings
    Inventory Management
    Comparison of Inventory Management features of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Xero
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    8.5
    26 Ratings
    6% above category average
    Xero
    6.3
    119 Ratings
    14% below category average
    Inventory tracking8.426 Ratings7.1115 Ratings
    Automatic reordering7.618 Ratings6.224 Ratings
    Location management8.222 Ratings6.229 Ratings
    Manufacturing module00 Ratings6.016 Ratings
    Order Management
    Comparison of Order Management features of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Xero
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    8.0
    28 Ratings
    1% above category average
    Xero
    7.3
    89 Ratings
    1% below category average
    Pricing8.225 Ratings10.062 Ratings
    Order entry8.925 Ratings10.056 Ratings
    Credit card processing7.517 Ratings6.358 Ratings
    Cost of goods sold8.422 Ratings6.366 Ratings
    Order Orchestration8.213 Ratings6.121 Ratings
    End-to-end order visibility00 Ratings6.124 Ratings
    Order exception Resolution00 Ratings6.117 Ratings
    Subledger and Financial Process
    Comparison of Subledger and Financial Process features of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Xero
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    8.2
    20 Ratings
    8% above category average
    Xero
    -
    Ratings
    Billing Management8.518 Ratings00 Ratings
    Cash and Asset Management8.619 Ratings00 Ratings
    Travel & Expense Management7.614 Ratings00 Ratings
    Budgetary Control & Encumbrance Accounting8.216 Ratings00 Ratings
    Period Close8.219 Ratings00 Ratings
    Project Financial Management
    Comparison of Project Financial Management features of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Xero
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    8.7
    8 Ratings
    14% 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 Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Xero
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    7.6
    11 Ratings
    7% above category average
    Xero
    -
    Ratings
    Project Planning and Scheduling7.510 Ratings00 Ratings
    Task Insight for Project Managers7.110 Ratings00 Ratings
    Project Mobile Functionality7.19 Ratings00 Ratings
    Definable Resource Pools6.910 Ratings00 Ratings
    Grants Management
    Comparison of Grants Management features of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Xero
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    8.9
    8 Ratings
    18% above category average
    Xero
    -
    Ratings
    Award Lifecycle Management6.78 Ratings00 Ratings
    Procurement
    Comparison of Procurement features of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Xero
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    7.9
    16 Ratings
    11% above category average
    Xero
    -
    Ratings
    Bids Analyzed and Compared7.410 Ratings00 Ratings
    Contract Authoring7.210 Ratings00 Ratings
    Contract Repository7.510 Ratings00 Ratings
    Requisitions-to-Purchase Orders Integrated8.114 Ratings00 Ratings
    Supplier Management7.613 Ratings00 Ratings
    Risk Management
    Comparison of Risk Management features of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Xero
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    8.3
    12 Ratings
    21% above category average
    Xero
    -
    Ratings
    Risk Repository7.211 Ratings00 Ratings
    Control Management7.411 Ratings00 Ratings
    Control Efficiency Assessments6.711 Ratings00 Ratings
    Issue Detection7.511 Ratings00 Ratings
    Remediation and Certification7.59 Ratings00 Ratings
    Logistics
    Comparison of Logistics features of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Xero
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    7.7
    10 Ratings
    9% above category average
    Xero
    -
    Ratings
    Transportation Planning and Optimization7.88 Ratings00 Ratings
    Transportation Execution Management7.58 Ratings00 Ratings
    Trade and Customs Management7.98 Ratings00 Ratings
    Fulfillment Management7.410 Ratings00 Ratings
    Warehouse Workforce Management9.27 Ratings00 Ratings
    Manufacturing
    Comparison of Manufacturing features of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Xero
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    8.0
    10 Ratings
    7% above category average
    Xero
    -
    Ratings
    Production Process Design9.27 Ratings00 Ratings
    Production Management8.88 Ratings00 Ratings
    Configuration Management7.17 Ratings00 Ratings
    Work Execution9.27 Ratings00 Ratings
    Manufacturing Costs7.310 Ratings00 Ratings
    Supply Chain
    Comparison of Supply Chain features of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Xero
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    7.4
    12 Ratings
    1% above category average
    Xero
    -
    Ratings
    Forecasting6.412 Ratings00 Ratings
    Inventory Planning7.212 Ratings00 Ratings
    Performance Monitoring6.912 Ratings00 Ratings
    Product Lifecycle Management
    Comparison of Product Lifecycle Management features of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Xero
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    8.8
    9 Ratings
    18% above category average
    Xero
    -
    Ratings
    Proposal Management7.18 Ratings00 Ratings
    Product Master Data Management7.78 Ratings00 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business CentralXero
    Small Businesses
    Zoho One
    Score9.1 out of 10
    QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Score4.1 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Zoho One
    Score9.1 out of 10
    MYOB
    Score8.3 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued)
    Score4.8 out of 10
    Microsoft Dynamics GP
    Score5.4 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business CentralXero
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.6
    (31 ratings)
    8.3
    (266 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    4.6
    (38 ratings)
    Usability
    8.9
    (11 ratings)
    8.3
    (192 ratings)
    Availability
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    3.1
    (12 ratings)
    Performance
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.0
    (10 ratings)
    Support Rating
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    5.6
    (40 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    Online Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (6 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.6
    (13 ratings)
    Configurability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.1
    (3 ratings)
    CPA Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.1
    (10 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.4
    (150 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.0
    (8 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    6.5
    (4 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    6.5
    (4 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business CentralXero
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Xero
    The only time I wouldn't be suggesting it is to consultants or solopreneurs. I think it's too overwhelming unless you are experienced or have a background related to finance. So it's not that the product isn't powerful, it's that it can be too powerful. For all other size businesses it really is what you need to use to make life simple to track everything in your business. It definitely saves me time by having it all in one place and not multiple spreadsheets etc
    Incentivized
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Xero
    • The bank feed integration makes reconciling transactions easy
    • Once you load a template for your invoices, every client gets a professional looking invoice
    • Bill paying and tracking of payments is also easy; you load your bill into Xero, pay it through the bank, and when the transaction is completed it comes through on bank feeds. If you need to query when a bill was paid, it is all there in Xero
    Incentivized
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Xero
    • Having different email addresses for different parts of a customer's business (eg invoices and statements to different places)
    • Easily seeing the text of emails that have been sent through Xero
    • More easily archiving old pay items. Our HR software updates rates when awards are updated which means a lot of old pay rates are in the system and they have multiple clicks to archive each one. Clicking the ones to archive in bulk and then just click archive for all would be much more efficient.
    Incentivized
    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
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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.
    Read full review
    Usability
    Microsoft
    Ever since we deployed it, it has been a one-stop-shop for our organization. Everything we do has been through it, and we do not need to use other vendors to access student records, accounts receivable, procurement records, grades, transcripts, and report cards... they are all in one interface, which has been a solid plus for our organization.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Xero
    As a standalone software, it allows users to fulfill most of the basic functions (e.g. transaction input and report generation) simply and conveniently. It also allows for multiple APIs to help augment various tasks that accounting-adjacent (e.g. claims processing). The cloud based model and portability to mobile devices allows tasks to be carried out in a more convenient way.
    Read full review
    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.
    Read full review
    Performance
    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    Xero
    On a good day, things worked but after upgrades, things began to slow and or not work at all at times. I coined the moving circle while I waited as the "Xero Wheel of Death". Sometimes it never stopped and force quitting was necessary.
    Incentivized
    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
    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.
    Read full review
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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.
    Read full review
    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.
    Incentivized
    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
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Xero
    Each of the products I listed had their own list of drawbacks, but the one thing they all had in common, which was right on top of that list of drawbacks, was ease of use. I struggled to get myself accustomed to each system and struggled, but when it came to getting a client to even try and use it was when the true struggle started. Just found it easier to make use of Xero from the very beginning.
    Read full review
    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
    Incentivized
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Xero
    • Xero is a basic accounting system that performs basic accounting tasks easily and accurately. For that, it provides a positive impact on our day to day accounting operations.
    • Because of Xero's basic structure, I feel it lacks some of the sophistication that some users want and need. The ability to create unique custom reports would enhance the impact Xero would have on meeting business objectives by providing current and useful accounting information.
    • In my opinion, Xero's lack of focus on their customers - their users - is a real issue with me. In my opinion, those of us that are in the trenches that work with the system on a daily basis have to deal with the shortcomings of the system with the knowledge that Xero support refuses to address the operational issues that make their user's lives difficult. I feel if Xero would focus on truly making their software better from a users point of view, it has the potential to be a great system.
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    Xero Screenshots

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