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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Microsoft Dynamics SL

    Score5.1 out of 10
    N/AMicrosoft Dynamics SL is one of the ERP products in the Dynamics family. This product was acquired from Solomon 2000. The product is typically used by SMBs, particularly in project-based businesses (e.g. construction). It has strong accounting and project management capabilities.N/A

    Salesforce Starter

    Score9 out of 10
    Small Businesses (1-50 employees)
    Salesforce Starter (formerly Salesforce Essentials) is a small business CRM that replaces the former SalesforceIQ product. It is priced at $35 per user, on a monthly basis, or at $25 per month for if billed annually ($300) and can be tried free for 14 days on a trial.

    $35

    per month per user

    Pricing
    Microsoft Dynamics SLSalesforce Starter
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Microsoft Dynamics SLSalesforce Starter
    Free Trial
    NoYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoYes
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details——
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Microsoft Dynamics SLSalesforce Starter
    Considered Both Products
    Microsoft
    No answer on this topic
    Salesforce
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    No answers on this topic
    80%
    Would buy again
    4 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Happy with the feature set
    No answers on this topic
    100%
    Happy with the feature set
    5 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    No answers on this topic
    80%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    4 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    No answers on this topic
    80%
    Implementation went as expected
    4 Answers
    Features
    Microsoft Dynamics SLSalesforce Starter
    Payroll Management
    Comparison of Payroll Management features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and Salesforce Starter
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    8.5
    2 Ratings
    12% above category average
    Salesforce Starter
    -
    Ratings
    Pay calculation9.62 Ratings00 Ratings
    Direct deposit files9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Customization
    Comparison of Customization features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and Salesforce Starter
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    6.0
    6 Ratings
    23% below category average
    Salesforce Starter
    6.7
    6 Ratings
    13% below category average
    API for custom integration6.06 Ratings7.35 Ratings
    Plug-ins6.04 Ratings00 Ratings
    Custom fields00 Ratings7.06 Ratings
    Custom objects00 Ratings7.05 Ratings
    Scripting environment00 Ratings5.75 Ratings
    Security
    Comparison of Security features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and Salesforce Starter
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    8.7
    10 Ratings
    3% above category average
    Salesforce Starter
    8.6
    6 Ratings
    2% above category average
    Single sign-on capability7.49 Ratings8.66 Ratings
    Role-based user permissions10.09 Ratings8.66 Ratings
    Reporting & Analytics
    Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and Salesforce Starter
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    8.0
    10 Ratings
    6% above category average
    Salesforce Starter
    -
    Ratings
    Dashboards8.06 Ratings00 Ratings
    Standard reports8.010 Ratings00 Ratings
    Custom reports8.010 Ratings00 Ratings
    General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
    Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and Salesforce Starter
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    7.1
    11 Ratings
    8% below category average
    Salesforce Starter
    -
    Ratings
    Accounts payable6.011 Ratings00 Ratings
    Accounts receivable6.08 Ratings00 Ratings
    Global Financial Support6.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Primary and Secondary Ledgers6.63 Ratings00 Ratings
    Journals and Reconciliations3.04 Ratings00 Ratings
    Configurable Accounting8.03 Ratings00 Ratings
    Standardized Processes6.03 Ratings00 Ratings
    Inventory Management
    Comparison of Inventory Management features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and Salesforce Starter
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    5.7
    6 Ratings
    33% below category average
    Salesforce Starter
    -
    Ratings
    Inventory tracking5.06 Ratings00 Ratings
    Location management6.03 Ratings00 Ratings
    Order Management
    Comparison of Order Management features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and Salesforce Starter
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    6.2
    4 Ratings
    25% below category average
    Salesforce Starter
    -
    Ratings
    Pricing6.03 Ratings00 Ratings
    Order entry3.04 Ratings00 Ratings
    Credit card processing7.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Cost of goods sold7.03 Ratings00 Ratings
    Subledger and Financial Process
    Comparison of Subledger and Financial Process features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and Salesforce Starter
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    5.7
    4 Ratings
    28% below category average
    Salesforce Starter
    -
    Ratings
    Billing Management6.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Cash and Asset Management7.33 Ratings00 Ratings
    Travel & Expense Management5.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Budgetary Control & Encumbrance Accounting6.32 Ratings00 Ratings
    Period Close6.04 Ratings00 Ratings
    Project Financial Management
    Comparison of Project Financial Management features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and Salesforce Starter
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    4.7
    3 Ratings
    47% below category average
    Salesforce Starter
    -
    Ratings
    Budgeting and Forecasting7.33 Ratings00 Ratings
    Project Costing6.33 Ratings00 Ratings
    Cost Capture2.12 Ratings00 Ratings
    Capital Project Management8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Project Revenue Recognition2.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Grants Management
    Comparison of Grants Management features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and Salesforce Starter
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    6.3
    1 Ratings
    17% below category average
    Salesforce Starter
    -
    Ratings
    Award Lifecycle Management6.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Manufacturing
    Comparison of Manufacturing features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and Salesforce Starter
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    6.0
    1 Ratings
    22% below category average
    Salesforce Starter
    -
    Ratings
    Production Management6.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Supply Chain
    Comparison of Supply Chain features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and Salesforce Starter
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    6.0
    1 Ratings
    20% below category average
    Salesforce Starter
    -
    Ratings
    Inventory Planning6.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Sales Force Automation
    Comparison of Sales Force Automation features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and Salesforce Starter
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    -
    Ratings
    Salesforce Starter
    8.7
    7 Ratings
    10% above category average
    Customer data management / contact management00 Ratings7.37 Ratings
    Territory management00 Ratings7.57 Ratings
    Opportunity management00 Ratings9.07 Ratings
    Integration with email client (e.g., Outlook or Gmail)00 Ratings9.46 Ratings
    Quote & order management00 Ratings9.55 Ratings
    Interaction tracking00 Ratings8.56 Ratings
    Channel / partner relationship management00 Ratings9.75 Ratings
    Marketing Automation
    Comparison of Marketing Automation features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and Salesforce Starter
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    -
    Ratings
    Salesforce Starter
    7.2
    6 Ratings
    7% below category average
    Lead management00 Ratings7.26 Ratings
    CRM Project Management
    Comparison of CRM Project Management features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and Salesforce Starter
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    -
    Ratings
    Salesforce Starter
    8.2
    5 Ratings
    6% above category average
    Task management00 Ratings9.65 Ratings
    Billing and invoicing management00 Ratings6.35 Ratings
    Reporting00 Ratings8.65 Ratings
    CRM Reporting & Analytics
    Comparison of CRM Reporting & Analytics features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and Salesforce Starter
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    -
    Ratings
    Salesforce Starter
    9.0
    5 Ratings
    16% above category average
    Forecasting00 Ratings9.05 Ratings
    Pipeline visualization00 Ratings8.85 Ratings
    Customizable reports00 Ratings9.25 Ratings
    Social CRM
    Comparison of Social CRM features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and Salesforce Starter
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    -
    Ratings
    Salesforce Starter
    8.6
    5 Ratings
    14% above category average
    Social engagement00 Ratings8.65 Ratings
    Integrations with 3rd-party Software
    Comparison of Integrations with 3rd-party Software features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and Salesforce Starter
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    -
    Ratings
    Salesforce Starter
    8.2
    5 Ratings
    8% above category average
    Marketing automation00 Ratings8.35 Ratings
    Compensation management00 Ratings8.15 Ratings
    Platform
    Comparison of Platform features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and Salesforce Starter
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    -
    Ratings
    Salesforce Starter
    8.3
    6 Ratings
    9% above category average
    Mobile access00 Ratings8.36 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Microsoft Dynamics SLSalesforce Starter
    Small Businesses
    Zoho One
    Score9.2 out of 10
    Salesflare
    Score10 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Zoho One
    Score9.2 out of 10
    Kintone
    Score9.7 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued)
    Score4.8 out of 10
    Oracle Sales
    Score8.9 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Microsoft Dynamics SLSalesforce Starter
    Likelihood to Recommend
    5.0
    (18 ratings)
    9.0
    (7 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    5.4
    (8 ratings)
    4.0
    (1 ratings)
    Usability
    3.0
    (7 ratings)
    8.4
    (4 ratings)
    Availability
    9.9
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Performance
    1.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    9.5
    (4 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Online Training
    1.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    9.0
    (4 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    1.4
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Microsoft Dynamics SLSalesforce Starter
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Microsoft
    For a small to mid-size business, MS Dynamics SL is effective. We are capable of managing our finances with a very low risk of error. We have worked with MS Dynamics for almost 15 years and have more than doubled the size of our business in that time with very few issues from the program. We have exponentially increased our revenue and reporting demands and have found SL to be very dependable and stable. The program does have the occasional glitch and those are sometimes outside of the realm of expertise of our IT department. SL support is excellent, but their timeliness is not as urgent as ours.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Salesforce
    If you own a business that has complex selling processes or requires integrations with 3rd party tools/systems, you should look at Professional, Enterprise, or Unlimited editions. Salesforce operates very well across pretty much every industry, but not all sales, marketing, and operational processes are created equal. If your marketing process requires a long list of sendable contacts then I would recommend adding on Pardot or Hubspot. Always start small and scale up, to avoid boxing yourself in down the road.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    Microsoft
    • Provides flexibility for complex project based cost accounting
    • Strong and flexible allocation processer for cost allocations, markups, and pricing
    • A "Flexible Billing" module under the project controller series that allows for multiple billing formats ranging from fixed price schedule of values, T&M or Cost Plus, and scheduled billing.
    • Flexible reporting with options using Crystal Reports, SSRS, a Quick Query tool, and ability to tie into MS Office tools such as MS Access and MS Excel
    • Tight integration with Financials, but also the ability to integrate with modules such as Sales Order, Inventory, and Field Service
    • Customization abilities ranging from a VBA (visual basic for application) foundation to allow customizing existing forms to the ability to use the SDK (Software Development Kit) to build more complex customizations that integrate with Dynamics SL.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Salesforce
    • Tracking phone calls is extremely easy when using the app on the iphone. After a phone call is complete it prompts the user to enter in call details.
    • SalesforceIQ also automatically logs emails for us. This has saved us time from entering in information manually.
    • SalesforceIQ was easy to set up and allowed us customization for fields that were relevant to our business.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    Microsoft
    • Reporting in the Project module is lacking functionality. I understand that most companies have specific needs when it comes to tracking project information but the standard reports are not good.
    • I would recommend a product like Management Reporter that is for Projects only. Project Reporter should allow users to pull in all Project related data into reports.
    • Fixing suspended batches. Obviously all of us users have experienced this mess. SL knows what needs to be corrected and there could be some step by step fixes in a separate repair module to do the steps we do in Query Analyzer.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Salesforce
    • Table views can be sorted by column. Filters can be applied, but only to one column. Multi-column filtering like Excel allows would be extremely useful and a big improvement.
    • The ability to quick copy data in a table view would also be helpful, like (ctrl ') in excel.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Microsoft
    Unfortunately, Dynamics' lack of ability to smoothly integrate with our CRM system is causing us to look at other solutions. The efficiencies that we gain by using Dynamics for our day to day accounting are lost in the constant headaches of getting sales quotes to import properly into the system for invoicing. Another major issue for us has been budgeting and reporting. We currently do all of our budgeting and board reporting in Excel, which is too time consuming and inefficient, especially when a system as robust as Dynamics should easily be able to handle this relatively simple task.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Salesforce
    No answers on this topic
    Usability
    Microsoft
    I rate it a 10 because we have removed the fields we don't need so users can really crank the data into the system. The software was designed for the professional services firm in mind but does a tremendous job for construction firms and "blended" companies that are both distribution firms but project centric as well. Perhaps they drop ship inventory to a project where their employees or subs need to work on a project for example.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Salesforce
    The system is very user-friendly on a desktop but lacks mobile friendliness. The Customer relationship manager disappears after the deal is signed. We struggled to get the system in a usable format, which was not cost-effective. The CRM system on desktop was great but way more complicated than it should be.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    Microsoft
    We have had only one unplanned outage for 2 hours in the last 30 months. We shut down for 30 min to 1 hour once a month, but that is for Microsoft OS updates to the servers. Being a 24/7 world wide operation, the reliability is really important. We do get an 8 hour window on the weekend that we can be down for a short period to install Microsoft Dynamics SL updates, but we do not have many of those. On our last version upgrade, we shut the users out at 9:30 am and were fully operational in less than 6 hours. The upgrade was New SQL server, New SL server and 2 new Citrix servers.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Salesforce
    No answers on this topic
    Support Rating
    Microsoft
    Support is only used when needed, so unfortunately ,they get all the odd issues. It's a difficult business, but Microsoft and our firm do a great job of meeting customer needs. We get routine feedback that our support services are very good.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Salesforce
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation Rating
    Microsoft
    Just to let it take its course. The implementation for me once I became a part of my former organization was pretty seamless. Just get to know the basics and call the support team to ask questions if you need help on an issue, should they arise. They are ready, willing, and able to help!
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Salesforce
    No answers on this topic
    Alternatives Considered
    Microsoft
    Of the comparable mid-range ERP systems, Dynamics SL competes at the lower end based on price, but also above the high-end based on flexibility, data, and reporting. Being able to stay with the same core accounting from a $100 million dollar company to a $3 billion dollar company shows the range of capabilities.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Salesforce
    more expensive but as an industry leader and go, the learning curve pays for itself in ROI in lost time in onboarding
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Scalability
    Microsoft
    Since the backbone of the database is MS SQLServer, the database can be easily scaled.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Salesforce
    No answers on this topic
    Return on Investment
    Microsoft
    • More time is spent on manipulating reports which can and should be automated.
    • Lack of electronic invoicing process and other green technology features creates more cost on printing and storage costs.
    • The lack of a user friendly interface requires more training and a bigger learning curve for staff.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Salesforce
    • It made the job more efficient for staff so they can spend time doing other tasks rather than configuring and maintaining Salesforce Starter.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    Salesforce Starter Screenshots

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