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Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued) vs. Sage Accounting

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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued)

    Score4.8 out of 10
    N/AMicrosoft 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 and is no longer available.N/A

    Sage Accounting

    Score7.5 out of 10
    N/ASage Accounting is online accounting software made to simplify life for small business owners, entrepreneurs, and freelancers by providing the functions needed to take care of daily business to-dos. Users can create and send professional quotes and invoices, track income and expenses and know where the business' financials stand. Every Sage Business Cloud Accounting subscription includes unlimited access to support as well as automatic backups and product updates.

    $19

    per month

    Pricing
    Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued)Sage Accounting
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued)Sage Accounting
    Free Trial
    NoYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details—Versions and pricing listed are for CA products. Versions available and pricing may vary by country. * 2 months free to start, or free for 1 month to try, then $19/$43/$62 +tax/mo (tier depending). Offer valid for new customers only on monthly subscriptions of Sage Business Cloud Accounting. After the promotional period, the monthly subscription rate will renew at the then current rate. May not be combined with any other offers or discounts. To ensure continuous service the subscription plan is an automatically renewing plan. Subsequent months will automatically be billed to the same credit card each month on the anniversary date of purchase. Plans can be terminated at any time prior to the renewal data and not charged for renewal.
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued)Sage Accounting
    Considered Both Products
    Discontinued Products
    No answer on this topic
    Sage
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    No answers on this topic
    85%
    Would buy again
    163 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    No answers on this topic
    85%
    Delivers good value for the price
    145 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    No answers on this topic
    85%
    Happy with the feature set
    162 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    No answers on this topic
    83%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    119 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    No answers on this topic
    82%
    Implementation went as expected
    130 Answers
    Features
    Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued)Sage Accounting
    Payroll Management
    Comparison of Payroll Management features of Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued) and Sage Accounting
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued)
    8.8
    8 Ratings
    16% above category average
    Sage Accounting
    9.3
    19 Ratings
    21% above category average
    Pay calculation9.07 Ratings10.015 Ratings
    Benefit plan administration9.05 Ratings9.312 Ratings
    Direct deposit files8.05 Ratings8.812 Ratings
    Salary revision and increment management00 Ratings9.410 Ratings
    Reimbursement management00 Ratings9.112 Ratings
    Customization
    Comparison of Customization features of Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued) and Sage Accounting
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued)
    7.0
    13 Ratings
    7% below category average
    Sage Accounting
    8.6
    23 Ratings
    13% above category average
    API for custom integration5.013 Ratings9.120 Ratings
    Plug-ins8.912 Ratings8.017 Ratings
    Security
    Comparison of Security features of Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued) and Sage Accounting
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued)
    6.0
    14 Ratings
    33% below category average
    Sage Accounting
    9.7
    42 Ratings
    17% above category average
    Single sign-on capability5.013 Ratings9.931 Ratings
    Role-based user permissions7.014 Ratings9.539 Ratings
    Reporting & Analytics
    Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued) and Sage Accounting
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued)
    8.3
    14 Ratings
    10% above category average
    Sage Accounting
    9.3
    44 Ratings
    17% above category average
    Dashboards9.012 Ratings8.340 Ratings
    Standard reports7.014 Ratings9.844 Ratings
    Custom reports9.014 Ratings9.735 Ratings
    General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
    Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued) and Sage Accounting
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued)
    8.2
    15 Ratings
    6% above category average
    Sage Accounting
    8.8
    200 Ratings
    14% above category average
    Accounts payable7.015 Ratings8.1187 Ratings
    Accounts receivable7.014 Ratings9.945 Ratings
    Global Financial Support8.06 Ratings9.38 Ratings
    Primary and Secondary Ledgers9.07 Ratings9.515 Ratings
    Journals and Reconciliations7.010 Ratings9.033 Ratings
    Configurable Accounting9.08 Ratings9.318 Ratings
    Standardized Processes8.99 Ratings9.520 Ratings
    Cash management00 Ratings8.3159 Ratings
    Bank reconciliation00 Ratings7.9190 Ratings
    Expense management00 Ratings9.934 Ratings
    Time tracking00 Ratings6.611 Ratings
    Fixed asset management00 Ratings8.428 Ratings
    Multi-currency support00 Ratings10.018 Ratings
    Multi-division support00 Ratings9.918 Ratings
    Regulations compliance00 Ratings9.529 Ratings
    Electronic tax filing00 Ratings7.3102 Ratings
    Self-service portal00 Ratings10.025 Ratings
    Intercompany Accounting00 Ratings8.111 Ratings
    Localizations00 Ratings8.49 Ratings
    Enterprise Accounting00 Ratings6.910 Ratings
    Centralized Rules Framework00 Ratings8.98 Ratings
    Inventory Management
    Comparison of Inventory Management features of Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued) and Sage Accounting
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued)
    8.7
    13 Ratings
    9% above category average
    Sage Accounting
    6.9
    17 Ratings
    5% below category average
    Inventory tracking8.013 Ratings6.717 Ratings
    Automatic reordering9.011 Ratings8.26 Ratings
    Location management9.011 Ratings5.77 Ratings
    Manufacturing module00 Ratings7.05 Ratings
    Order Management
    Comparison of Order Management features of Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued) and Sage Accounting
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued)
    7.6
    13 Ratings
    4% below category average
    Sage Accounting
    8.2
    28 Ratings
    10% above category average
    Pricing8.012 Ratings9.917 Ratings
    Order entry9.011 Ratings7.615 Ratings
    Credit card processing3.09 Ratings8.118 Ratings
    Cost of goods sold8.010 Ratings7.620 Ratings
    Order Orchestration9.05 Ratings7.66 Ratings
    End-to-end order visibility00 Ratings7.57 Ratings
    Order exception Resolution00 Ratings8.95 Ratings
    Subledger and Financial Process
    Comparison of Subledger and Financial Process features of Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued) and Sage Accounting
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued)
    8.7
    10 Ratings
    14% above category average
    Sage Accounting
    -
    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 Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued) and Sage Accounting
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued)
    8.9
    7 Ratings
    16% above category average
    Sage Accounting
    -
    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 Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued) and Sage Accounting
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued)
    8.8
    5 Ratings
    22% above category average
    Sage Accounting
    -
    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 Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued) and Sage Accounting
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued)
    8.7
    4 Ratings
    16% above category average
    Sage Accounting
    -
    Ratings
    Award Lifecycle Management9.04 Ratings00 Ratings
    Procurement
    Comparison of Procurement features of Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued) and Sage Accounting
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued)
    8.7
    7 Ratings
    20% above category average
    Sage Accounting
    -
    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 Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued) and Sage Accounting
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued)
    8.8
    2 Ratings
    26% above category average
    Sage Accounting
    -
    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 Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued) and Sage Accounting
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued)
    8.5
    6 Ratings
    19% above category average
    Sage Accounting
    -
    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 Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued) and Sage Accounting
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued)
    7.7
    6 Ratings
    3% above category average
    Sage Accounting
    -
    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 Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued) and Sage Accounting
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued)
    9.2
    6 Ratings
    22% above category average
    Sage Accounting
    -
    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 Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued) and Sage Accounting
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued)
    9.0
    3 Ratings
    20% above category average
    Sage Accounting
    -
    Ratings
    Proposal Management9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Product Master Data Management9.03 Ratings00 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued)Sage Accounting
    Small Businesses
    Zoho One
    Score9.1 out of 10
    QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Score4.2 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Zoho One
    Score9.1 out of 10
    MYOB
    Score8.3 out of 10
    Enterprises
    SAP Cloud ERP (SAP S/4HANA Cloud)
    Score8.6 out of 10
    Microsoft Dynamics GP
    Score5.4 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued)Sage Accounting
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.0
    (19 ratings)
    7.4
    (218 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    8.0
    (4 ratings)
    9.0
    (27 ratings)
    Usability
    8.0
    (3 ratings)
    7.9
    (185 ratings)
    Availability
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    8.5
    (12 ratings)
    Performance
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    7.7
    (12 ratings)
    Support Rating
    8.0
    (3 ratings)
    7.6
    (30 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    9.1
    (3 ratings)
    Online Training
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    9.8
    (5 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    7.3
    (2 ratings)
    7.7
    (10 ratings)
    Configurability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.0
    (10 ratings)
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.5
    (6 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    -
    (0 ratings)
    5.0
    (4 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    6.9
    (11 ratings)
    Professional Services
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.2
    (3 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.5
    (9 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.7
    (9 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued)Sage Accounting
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Discontinued Products
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Sage
    Sage Accounting seems appropriate for a small business that has basic accounting needs and is just starting from the beginning to set up its accounting software. It is less appropriate for businesses that have been using Sage 50, as Sage Accounting Standard does not successfully transfer important data from Sage 50.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    Discontinued Products
    • 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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Sage
    • Cloud Based - I work from different offices so I can access anywhere.
    • Whether paying a bill or receiving a payment it's done similarly. The consistency makes it easy to get in workflow.
    • I appreciate the setup of the statements - easy to read.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    Discontinued Products
    • 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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Sage
    • Sorting reports - I want to sort my projects by what has and has not been paid, and this is unavailable.
    • Print preview.
    • FONT SIZE: This should be an option directly available to increase screen font sizes. Also, report font adjustments are incredibly difficult.
    • Understanding all options and the performance the program can do, I would much prefer an in-person session or scheduled webinar because it is far too overwhelming to search forums/help centers. Just a useless vortex to get sucked into.
    • Updates are easier than they used to be, but there’s still a big communication barrier. E.g., I install updates and restart programs, and then the next day or two it tells me to restart again because there have been updates. I know, I installed them already! It’s frustrating.
    • Removing inactive vendors or clients - why is this so difficult? Can I not just delete and move to the next one? Every time I try it, it just defaults back to the top of the report… It’s fine for the first couple of letters in the alphabet, but that’s about all. Multi-select would be nice!
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Discontinued Products
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Sage
    Because we don't have time to migrate to a new system. So, we are kind of stuck with this system until our company grows or we are in a better financial position to afford the larger expense of moving to a new platform and doing what it should be doing in the first place.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    Discontinued Products
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Sage
    I find Sage's usability very intuitive. Everything from data entry to high level reporting it easy to navigate. Some of the other accounting software programs I have used have not had adequate forms or menus to help navigate the program. Sage does a good job of balancing providing the proper forms without being overly difficult to understand or use
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    Discontinued Products
    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
    Sage
    Sage has been always available when I want it. If there is any maintenance work to be done by the Sage team, you are told well in advance. Maintenance is generally carried out late at night or before the day begins for most of us. It continues to be the most reliable software I use.
    Read full review
    Performance
    Discontinued Products
    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
    Sage
    The day-to-day performance is very good. Items such as transactions or reports load and process quickly. You never feel like you're waiting in Sage. I have never seen Sage Accounting affect the speed or performance of any integrated system. However, I do think when you are bringing very old files up to date the updates are slow but that'll be a rare occurrence and not reflective of the day-to-day usage.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    Discontinued Products
    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.
    Incentivized
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    Sage
    Sage Accounting are easy to contact and have knowledgeable and helpful staff. Whenever I've encountered a problem I've always been able to get assistance and guidance and it feels like the person at the end of the phone/screen knows the product well.
    Read full review
    In-Person Training
    Discontinued Products
    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
    Sage
    Staff are always friendly, and patient, always work at a speed that suits you. You are never rushed, and In only a short time they seem to be able to help you make great strides. It has been a pleasure not a chore, learning how SAGE Accounting works and benefits me and the company.
    Read full review
    Online Training
    Discontinued Products
    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
    Sage
    I find the online training was very informative and they answered all my questions. I am also certified in Sage One and provided online training in the program which I have set up several people on and they love how it keeps them organized.
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    Discontinued Products
    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
    Sage
    This was generally a very straightforward process. I have previously implemented other software which required considerable external support. I implemented Sage Accounting with only a minimal amount of reference to the Sage support desk. I was extremely pleased with the implementation process.
    Incentivized
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    Alternatives Considered
    Discontinued Products
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Sage
    I also like Quickbooks Desktop, however, they are forcing customers to switch to Quickbooks Online. I will be moving forward with SAGE in this case, unless there is a valid reason the client would like to use QBO instead. I have not used the version of SAGE where the client doesn't need to purchase the full version, themselves, in order to access their file so this is something that I may consider looking into, in the near future, for this reason.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    Discontinued Products
    No answers on this topic
    Sage
    The pricing structure is fair and offers good value for money. The billing is done through their online system and you can access your bills at any time. Most contacts only require 30 days' notice, so no need to feel tied in, although I can't imagine why you would want to leave Sage.
    Read full review
    Scalability
    Discontinued Products
    No answers on this topic
    Sage
    You can use Sage in your company for various aspects/positions such as bookkeepers, invoicing clerks, accountant, purchasing etc. Everyone can have their own user login and permissions can be set that specific people can do specific jobs without being able to access other peoples progress or accounts of the company.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Professional Services
    Discontinued Products
    No answers on this topic
    Sage
    Do not use
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    Discontinued Products
    • 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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Sage
    • Sage has allowed us to be self-supporting and to perform full-cycle accounting up to the point of handing off to the accountant at year-end.
    • We are self-sustaining and do not need outside accounting assistance, such as an independent bookkeeper.
    • Sage has allowed us to save money at year's end, as we can do all the prep internally up until the handoff to the accountant, minimizing the hours he has to spend on our file.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    Sage Accounting Screenshots

    Screenshot of the All-in-One DashboardScreenshot of the Accounting DashboardScreenshot of an Invoicing Quote EstimateScreenshot of the Purchases TrackerScreenshot of Stock InventoryScreenshot of a VAT Returns List