When working in a fast-paced environment and with technological innovations at an all-time high, the need to ensure that your business has the right software in place to cope with the shift to the digital workplace is vital.
When looking at cloud-based finance systems you need to select one that is scalable as your business grows as well as being able to complete the core functions required for your business.
To help you with your decision, we will provide you with a comparison between two of the biggest ERP options for SMEs: Dynamics 365 Business Central & Sage 50.
| Parameters | Dynamics 365 Business Central | Sage 50 |
| Latest Version | Dynamics 365 Business Central | Sage 50 |
| Implementation Costs | £12,000 | Depends on the project |
| Ongoing Costs | Much lower cost of ongoing usage & support | Higher cost of ongoing usage & support |
| Licensing Models | Subscription based model - you pay to use the system on a monthly basis | Subscription based model - you pay to use the system on a monthly basis |
| Types of User |
A user is licensed for either of the following licensing options: Dynamics 365 Business Central Essentials: - Financial Management, Customer Relationship Management, Supply Chain Management, Human Resources, Project Management Dynamics 365 Business Central Premium: All of the variables included in the above + Service Order Management & Manufacturing Dynamics 365 Business Central Team Member |
A user is licensed for either of the following licensing options: Sage 50 Standard: - Add up to 2 users & manage up to 2 companies - Easy to setup and manage your accounts - Manage invoices, cash flow, banking, customers - Manage sales, suppliers, stock & VAT Sage 50 Professional All of the variables included in the above plus: - Track & manage stock - Manage multiple departments & budgets - Track project income, expenses & profit - Create sales & purchase orders - Trade in multiple currencies - Office 365 integration with 1 user free included in the price |
| Price/license (per month) |
Essential - £53 |
First User - £125 |
| Premium - £78 | 20 Users - £140 (Total) | |
| Team Member - £6 | N/A | |
| Number of Users | Unlimited | Up to 20 users |
| Number of Transactions | Unlimited | Up to 1.5 million |
| Core Functionality | ||
| Finance | Yes | Yes |
| Warehouse Management | Yes | Limited |
| Sales CRM | Yes | No |
| Supply chain management | Yes | Limited |
| Manufacturing | Yes | Yes via Sage 50 manufacturing separate module |
| Additional Capabilities | ||
| Configuration | Very configurable | Minimal configuration |
| Cloud Based or On Premise | Both | Local access but Cloud available |
| Accessible across all devices | Yes | Yes |
| Data Analysis | Fully integrated with Power BI | No |
| Artificial Intelligence | Yes | No |
| Connectivity | Fully connective via Common Data Model, 200+ connections available | No |
| Office 365 Integration | Office 365 seamlessly integrates with Dynamics 365 for Outlook & Excel | Available from £10 per month |
| Automation and custom applications | Yes through the Microsoft Power Platform | No |
| MTD Compliant | Yes | Yes, free for latest subscription, additional cost for previous versions & perpetual licence |
As you can see from the above comparison table, it is pretty evident that Dynamics 365 Business Central is a leading alternative to Sage 50 Accounts Professional and can easily be scaled up as your small and medium sized business grows. In addition to this, you don’t need to use a server with Dynamics 365 Business Central which is an essential part of using Sage 50 Accounts Professional.
Next Steps?
If you have read the above comparison table and are looking to take the next step towards implementing Dynamics 365 Business Central in your small business then please get in touch with our team of ERP experts today who will be able to discuss your specific requirements.
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