Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued vs. SAP S/4HANA Cloud

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
Score 8.0 out of 10
N/A
Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations (or Dynamics AX) was an ERP product in the Dynamics family. It has been split into separate Dynamics 365 products to provide more flexibility to customers, allowing users to pay only for the functionality they need. Microsoft Dynamics AX will reach end of support in 2021, and end of extended support in 2023. Financial tracking and budgeting features are now found in the newly launchedN/A
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
Score 8.4 out of 10
N/A
SAP S/4HANA Cloud is a modular cloud ERP software designed for every business need – powered by AI and analytics. SAP S/4HANA Cloud enables users to run mission-critical operations in real time from anywhere, introduce new business models in an industry, and expand globally. It can be deployed either on premise, in the cloud, or in a hybrid combination for quicker time-to-value.
$0
per month FUE users*
Pricing
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinuedSAP S/4HANA Cloud
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
Custom Pricing
per month FUE users*
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinuedSAP S/4HANA Cloud
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoYes
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeRequired
Additional Details* FUE = Full user equivalent, which allows flexible customer choice among: 1 Advanced user, 3 Core-users, or 30 self-service users per FUE. Minimum purchase is 35 FUEs.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinuedSAP S/4HANA Cloud
Considered Both Products
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued

No answer on this topic

SAP S/4HANA Cloud
Chose SAP S/4HANA Cloud
When it comes to processes best practices and standardization, there is only one feasible option. That is SAP S/4HANA Cloud. There is no enterprise application suite in the market that shareholders and the finance market recognize as SAP S/4HANA Cloud when it comes to …
Chose SAP S/4HANA Cloud
SAP S/4HANA Cloud has more functionalities, better integration and is more robust. It also has greater local and regional support that allows you to extend or improve your processes according to the business or according to its evolution. On the other hand, SAP S/4HANA Cloud …
Chose SAP S/4HANA Cloud
SAP S/4HANA Cloud is at least on the same level as the competition when considering ease of implementation and use when comparing cloud-based SaaS products. When comparing on-premise versions SAP S/4HANA Cloud is clearly ahead in the adaptability of the product to customer …
Top Pros

No answers on this topic

Top Cons

No answers on this topic

Features
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinuedSAP S/4HANA Cloud
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
8.8
8 Ratings
20% above category average
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
7.7
249 Ratings
7% above category average
Pay calculation9.07 Ratings7.4209 Ratings
Benefit plan administration9.05 Ratings7.3212 Ratings
Direct deposit files8.05 Ratings7.4210 Ratings
Customization
Comparison of Customization features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
7.0
13 Ratings
4% below category average
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
7.3
363 Ratings
1% above category average
API for custom integration5.013 Ratings7.3348 Ratings
Plug-ins8.912 Ratings7.2319 Ratings
Security
Comparison of Security features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
6.0
14 Ratings
30% below category average
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
8.3
418 Ratings
2% above category average
Single sign-on capability5.013 Ratings8.5391 Ratings
Role-based user permissions7.014 Ratings8.0411 Ratings
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
8.3
14 Ratings
17% above category average
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
7.4
422 Ratings
6% above category average
Dashboards9.012 Ratings7.2392 Ratings
Standard reports7.014 Ratings7.6416 Ratings
Custom reports9.014 Ratings7.3389 Ratings
General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
8.2
15 Ratings
7% above category average
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
8.3
417 Ratings
8% above category average
Accounts payable7.015 Ratings8.1415 Ratings
Accounts receivable7.014 Ratings8.0397 Ratings
Global Financial Support8.06 Ratings00 Ratings
Primary and Secondary Ledgers9.07 Ratings00 Ratings
Journals and Reconciliations7.010 Ratings00 Ratings
Configurable Accounting9.08 Ratings00 Ratings
Standardized Processes8.99 Ratings00 Ratings
Inventory Management
Comparison of Inventory Management features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
8.7
13 Ratings
10% above category average
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
7.9
362 Ratings
1% above category average
Inventory tracking8.013 Ratings8.2353 Ratings
Automatic reordering9.011 Ratings7.8308 Ratings
Location management9.011 Ratings7.0297 Ratings
Order Management
Comparison of Order Management features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
7.6
13 Ratings
2% below category average
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
8.0
378 Ratings
3% above category average
Pricing8.012 Ratings7.9358 Ratings
Order entry9.011 Ratings8.5367 Ratings
Credit card processing3.09 Ratings7.423 Ratings
Cost of goods sold8.010 Ratings8.1347 Ratings
Order Orchestration9.05 Ratings00 Ratings
Subledger and Financial Process
Comparison of Subledger and Financial Process features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
8.7
10 Ratings
16% above category average
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
-
Ratings
Billing Management8.99 Ratings00 Ratings
Cash and Asset Management8.010 Ratings00 Ratings
Travel & Expense Management8.97 Ratings00 Ratings
Budgetary Control & Encumbrance Accounting8.97 Ratings00 Ratings
Period Close8.07 Ratings00 Ratings
Project Financial Management
Comparison of Project Financial Management features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
8.9
7 Ratings
16% above category average
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
-
Ratings
Budgeting and Forecasting9.06 Ratings00 Ratings
Project Costing8.06 Ratings00 Ratings
Cost Capture8.05 Ratings00 Ratings
Capital Project Management9.05 Ratings00 Ratings
Customer Contract Compliance9.03 Ratings00 Ratings
Project Revenue Recognition8.95 Ratings00 Ratings
Project Execution Management
Comparison of Project Execution Management features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
8.8
5 Ratings
25% above category average
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
-
Ratings
Project Planning and Scheduling8.95 Ratings00 Ratings
Task Insight for Project Managers9.04 Ratings00 Ratings
Project Mobile Functionality6.04 Ratings00 Ratings
Definable Resource Pools9.04 Ratings00 Ratings
Grants Management
Comparison of Grants Management features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
8.7
4 Ratings
14% above category average
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
-
Ratings
Award Lifecycle Management9.04 Ratings00 Ratings
Procurement
Comparison of Procurement features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
8.7
7 Ratings
22% above category average
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
-
Ratings
Bids Analyzed and Compared9.05 Ratings00 Ratings
Contract Authoring9.03 Ratings00 Ratings
Contract Repository9.04 Ratings00 Ratings
Requisitions-to-Purchase Orders Integrated8.05 Ratings00 Ratings
Supplier Management8.06 Ratings00 Ratings
Risk Management
Comparison of Risk Management features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
8.8
2 Ratings
30% above category average
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
-
Ratings
Risk Repository9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Control Management9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Control Efficiency Assessments9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Issue Detection9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Remediation and Certification9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Logistics
Comparison of Logistics features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
8.5
6 Ratings
21% above category average
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
-
Ratings
Transportation Planning and Optimization8.06 Ratings00 Ratings
Transportation Execution Management8.05 Ratings00 Ratings
Trade and Customs Management8.95 Ratings00 Ratings
Fulfillment Management8.04 Ratings00 Ratings
Warehouse Workforce Management10.05 Ratings00 Ratings
Manufacturing
Comparison of Manufacturing features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
7.7
6 Ratings
2% above category average
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
-
Ratings
Production Process Design9.05 Ratings00 Ratings
Production Management8.05 Ratings00 Ratings
Configuration Management7.04 Ratings00 Ratings
Work Execution8.05 Ratings00 Ratings
Manufacturing Costs9.05 Ratings00 Ratings
Supply Chain
Comparison of Supply Chain features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
9.2
6 Ratings
24% above category average
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
-
Ratings
Forecasting9.95 Ratings00 Ratings
Inventory Planning9.05 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance Monitoring9.04 Ratings00 Ratings
Product Lifecycle Management
Comparison of Product Lifecycle Management features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
9.0
3 Ratings
21% above category average
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
-
Ratings
Proposal Management9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Product Master Data Management9.03 Ratings00 Ratings
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Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinuedSAP S/4HANA Cloud
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Score 8.7 out of 10
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User Ratings
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinuedSAP S/4HANA Cloud
Likelihood to Recommend
8.0
(19 ratings)
8.5
(479 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
8.0
(4 ratings)
8.9
(9 ratings)
Usability
8.0
(3 ratings)
8.1
(372 ratings)
Availability
7.0
(1 ratings)
10.0
(2 ratings)
Performance
7.0
(1 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
8.0
(3 ratings)
8.4
(75 ratings)
In-Person Training
9.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Online Training
8.0
(1 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Implementation Rating
7.3
(2 ratings)
7.3
(4 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
6.0
(1 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
7.0
(1 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
6.0
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinuedSAP S/4HANA Cloud
Likelihood to Recommend
Microsoft
It integrates fully with the other Microsoft software we use daily, and this coordination speeds up our work and gives us the agility to run easily. For example, in a purchase inquiry, the customer, after submitting a request, identifies the teams that should work on the project, and if they need further review by other people, they are added to the process, and everything is managed seamlessly rather than the sales process. Get the result as fast as possible.
Read full review
SAP
SAP S/4HANA Cloud leverages an in-memory database, allowing for real-time data processing and analytics. This enables organizations to make informed decisions based on up-to-the-minute information S/4HANA Cloud integrates various business modules, including finance, procurement, sales, manufacturing, and supply chain. This integration facilitates seamless data flow across different functional areas
Read full review
Pros
Microsoft
  • Microsoft Dynamics AX's scalability to meet our regional office needs provide flexibility to the team's requirements.
  • Combined with Citrix Xenapp, the application offers seamless access for users on high latency unreliable network connection to the application.
  • Application maintenance and updates are easy which makes it possible for us to manage remotely considering the servers are located in a remote Asia site.
Read full review
SAP
  • Complete production cycle, right from planning to final product manufacturing.
  • Keeping all documents in one place, with ability to upload important stuff against the particular entries.
  • Maintain trail of any changes made to data, validations at the right places and methodological working of each process
Read full review
Cons
Microsoft
  • MRP can be slow to adapt to changes in actual production or supply chain transactions.
  • Setting up number sequences seems a trivial matter, but these numbers ID transactions once they are in the ledger and are key--easy to miss this point in the implementation process.
  • Bank rec being easily automated and able to quickly plug into a bank back end to get data is not the best.
  • Payment processing can be 'clunky' based on checks, ACH, Wires...as some of these items are not triggered out of the box in AX, bur are easily added --talking ACH and Wires specifically.
Read full review
SAP
  • The complex integration we have with ERPs make it difficult to move or upgrade to SAP S4 HANA. Reimplementing all integrations and not impact business is a challenge
  • Requires a lot of tedious testing so that no role or function is impacted
  • Very time consuming to implement or upgrade. For large corporations it would take years to slowly migrate to S4HANA
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
Microsoft
Microsoft Dynamics continues to evolve by bringing more functionality to the customer. Also there are several independent software providers that offer a wide range of solutions for vertical markets.
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
Overall the product does what we need it to do in order for us to function as a company. While there are some concerns over ongoing costs, the belief is, once we have it fully acclimated to our business the cost should settle into alignment with our original expectations. The new features that are consistently being added do add value to the product as they are usually customer request directed.
Read full review
SAP
Modern User Interface:
The system features a contemporary and visually appealing interface, promoting a more engaging user experience.
Role-Based Access:
Users access role-specific dashboards and functionalities, ensuring a personalized experience tailored to their responsibilities.
Intuitive Navigation:
Streamlined menus and navigation paths contribute to an intuitive user experience, reducing the learning curve for new users.
Responsive Design:
The platform is designed to be responsive across various devices, allowing users to access information and perform tasks on desktops, tablets, or mobile devices
Read full review
Reliability and Availability
Microsoft
Some integration and high volume ramping challenges, particularly with BizTalk and SQL Server, but getting sorted out. Outages over time appeared to be more dependent on integration complexity than AX MES.
Read full review
SAP
No answers on this topic
Performance
Microsoft
Some integration and high volume ramping challenges, particularly with BizTalk and SQL Server, but getting sorted out. Outages over time appeared to be more dependent on integration complexity than AX MES.
Read full review
SAP
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
Microsoft
We use a 3rd-party Microsoft Partner for the system. They are responsive and very knowledgeable. While costs have been mentioned several times in this review they are very aware of costs and have developers who are more economical they use to help offset the level of work required to meet our changes and fix our issues.
Read full review
SAP
The technical support received by the ITT design teams and OS implementation team has been very useful in ensuring that the SAP ERP is well-tailored to our company's specific needs and operations. This coupled with the training materials, business process maps, and concept demos (sand-box demos) makes adoption easy on end-users.
Read full review
In-Person Training
Microsoft
It took a lot of work, but Microsoft ultimately did a good job with in-person training, including being onsite in multiple global locations for extended periods.
Read full review
SAP
No answers on this topic
Online Training
Microsoft
Our solution deviated from a number of key out-of-the-box standards that were included in Online training. We just used that for introduction to the general functionality.
Read full review
SAP
No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
Microsoft
Some rough spots, but ultimately worked out. The contract didn't appear to be structured to support the level of overlapping facility deployments required to meet timeline commitments. Merging cultures on the program was also challenging. Overall, not an easy implementation by any stretch. Everyone did the best they could.
Read full review
SAP
Implementation was as expected. We had minor issues with our Z* transactions, but nothing special. Some tables were extended and needed regeneration. Overall satisfactions is good.
Read full review
Alternatives Considered
Microsoft
I was not part of the decision making process to select Microsoft Dynamics AX, however, I do know that an exhaustive search was done and many options were considered alongside Microsoft Dynamics AX and I feel that the right decision was made in choosing this solution.
Read full review
SAP
In our quest for an ERP solution, we evaluated alternatives such as Oracle ERP Cloud and Microsoft Dynamics 365. However, SAP S/4HANA Cloud's reputation for advanced analytics, scalability, and seamless integration with other SAP solutions made it the natural choice for our organization's digital journey.
Read full review
Return on Investment
Microsoft
  • With the robust built-in reporting we were able to drop an external reporting platform that costed about $40,000.
  • API integrations have saved manual entry and reduced having to hire 2-3 people to manage data.
  • Several administrators and developers are required for this which costs about 200-300 thousand in employee costs.
Read full review
SAP
  • Cost Savings and Lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO):
  • While the initial implementation costs might be significant, the centralized data management and automation features can lead to cost savings over time. This might be achieved through reduced manual labor, better inventory control, optimized procurement processes, and streamlined operations, resulting in a lower TCO.
  • Better Visibility and Compliance:
  • The system's ability to offer comprehensive data visibility can enhance compliance efforts, mitigating risks and ensuring adherence to regulatory requirements. This can lead to reduced fines or penalties related to non-compliance issues.
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 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 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.