Is your business currently looking for a comprehensive business solution?
With so many different CRM options available, it can often be hard to know how to evaluate each individual one. To help you understand which CRM system will best fit your business, we’re going to compare two of the biggest competitors in the CRM market: Dynamics 365 and NetSuite.
These two competitors have more in common than some of their other competitors. For example, both of these systems started out as cloud-first software with both solutions rolling together CRM, ERP & e-commerce into one interface aimed at targeting small and medium sized businesses across the UK.
It is safe to say that some businesses, due to size and the industry they operate in, may not require both CRM and ERP solutions.
Dynamics 365 vs NetSuite CRM
Both Dynamics 365 and NetSuite products consist of three main touchpoints for CRM: sales, marketing and customer service.
NetSuite’s CRM product which is known as CRM+ was officially released back in 2005 & was seen as their transition from accounting software into a tailored business solution provider.
Dynamics CRM was launched by Microsoft back in 2003 and became their official customer relationship management part of their Microsoft suite of products. Further to this, in 2011, Dynamics CRM became available in the Cloud with more recent versions helping to form the basis for more intelligent CRM applications that are now present within Dynamics 365.
Key Features
NetSuite CRM+
As with many different cloud-based service providers by splitting down NetSuite’s functionality gives a greater flexibility for many businesses when it comes to creating a solution that meets the requirements of their business. NetSuite CRM+ platform consists of four core modules:
| Module |
Core Features |
| Sales Force Automation | Opportunity management Sales Forecasting Quote and order management Incentive compensation management |
| Customer Service Management | Case management Customer portal Knowledge management Time tracking |
| Marketing Automation | Lead reporting and analysis SEO Landing pages and forms Campaign and email management |
| Partner Relationship Management | Lead management Joint selling Joint demand generation Knowledge management and sharing |
Dynamics 365
As with the NetSuite software above, the CRM functions of Dynamics 365 are broken down into unique apps with more future applications on the horizon. By being developed in this way, it provides users with the opportunity to only use the functionality that their business needs and nothing more. Each of the apps can be used individually or as part of a more tailored approach with all Dynamics 365 apps as well as in unison with both Office 365 and Outlook which are able to both share and synchronise data across the different apps.
Dynamics 365’s core CRM service consists of the following:
| Module | Core Features |
| Dynamics 365 for Sales | Customer data management Partner Relationship Management Task management Sales performance management Contract management Quote and order management Marketing automation Customer service Knowledge base management Reporting and analytics |
| Dynamics 365 for Customer Service | Cross-channel customer case management Knowledge base management Service intelligence Incident routing |
| Microsoft Social Engagement |
Social media management |
With Microsoft also offering additional apps which come to include:
| Module | Core Features |
| Dynamics 365 for Marketing | Customer journey creation Multichannel campaigns Event management Webinars Lead management Marketing insights Dynamics 365 Portals |
| Dynamics 365 for Field Service | Work orders Scheduling and dispatch tools Inventory, purchasing, and returns capabilities Billing capabilities Time tracking |
| Dynamics 365 for Project Service Automation | Project Planning Resource Management Time & Expenses Project Analytics Project Billing |
Pricing Structures
NetSuiteCRM+
NetSuite’s software pricing is not provided for its CRM solutions with users needing to make an enquiry directly to NetSuite or through a NetSuite partner to be able to obtain a quote.
When a business sign ups for NetSuite they need to buy a standard NetSuite license (Small, Mid-Market or Enterprise) depending on the size of your business and add in other modules as and when needed. In terms of a ballpark figure, a baseline NetSuite license starts at around $999 a month (approx £862 a month).
Dynamics 365
Microsoft has recently changed the way that they license Dynamics 365 applications. Please find below the new pricing breakdowns per user per month excluding VAT for the Dynamics 365 base licenses
| Module | Cost Per User Per Month |
| Dynamics 365 for Sales Enterprise Dynamics 365 for Sales Professional |
£71.60 £49.00 |
| Dynamics 365 for Customer Service Enterprise Dynamics 365 for Customer Service Professional |
£71.60 £37.70 |
| Dynamics 365 for Field Service | £71.60 |
| Dynamics 365 for Project Service Automation | £71.60 |
Additional Team Member licenses are priced at £6 per user per month.
Pros and Cons
| Software | Pros | Cons |
| Dynamics 365 | - Dynamics 365 is a single-tenant solution which allows users more flexibility over updates with the option to choose to update or not. - Dynamics 365 seamlessly works in conjunction with Office 365 and Outlook as well as with LinkedIn which gives you access to even more data through Microsoft Relationship Sales (Dynamics 365 Sales + Linkedin Sales Navigator). - Dynamics 365 has been more reporting functionality than NetSuite CRM+. |
As with its productivity counterparts such as SharePoint, the number of functions and capabilities can be overwhelming to new users, and can prolong set-up. |
| NetSuite CRM+ | - Simplistic reporting functions which are pain free and user friendly. - Third-party integrations well supported through SuiteTalk thus allowing web-to-NetSuite integrations to be built by developers and users. |
- Although, NetSuite support many third-party integrations, it still struggles with the integration capability needed for productivity tools such as Skype. - Difficult process for users looking for customer support as NetSuite is very costly for access to support. |
Next Steps
Selecting the right CRM solution for your business largely revolves around what your business requirements are and being able to evaluate potential partners and how they can tailor their solutions to match your exact needs.
If you are interested in finding out more about how a customised Dynamics 365 solution can transform the way you work, please do get in touch with one of our of Dynamics 365 experts today to discuss all the options available for you.
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