Outdated systems, disjointed workflows and rising costs from inefficiencies can affect your bottom line. Choosing the right enterprise resource planning (ERP) system can support your company’s operational resilience, scalability and return on investment.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Acumatica are two popular ERP options. Both streamline operations, improve reporting and support growth. However, each solution caters to different company sizes and goals.
This ERP systems comparison guide will help you discover the difference between the two business management software and how to choose the right one for your company.
Acumatica and Microsoft Dynamics 365 are cloud-based platforms, but their capabilities impact how businesses scale.
Acumatica is a cloud-native ERP platform built for midsize businesses that want control over their deployment and licensing terms. The system uses an open architecture and prioritizes flexibility and industry-specific configurations.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a modular ERP and customer relationship management (CRM) platform that unifies business applications across finance, operations, customer service and supply chain functions. It caters to small and midsize businesses, and is integrated within Microsoft’s ecosystem, including:
Within the Dynamics 365 suite, Business Central is the midmarket solution aimed at companies ready to move away from legacy systems.
While Acumatica and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central support various business operations, their effectiveness lies in their performance in core areas.
Both systems support the general ledger, accounts payable and receivable, bank reconciliation, and fixed assets. However, they differ in compliance and reporting flexibility.
Acumatica offers a stable financial suite designed for midmarket requirements. It includes support for multiple entities and currencies, real-time dashboards and budget control. Its project accounting module also supports companies running job-based or contract work. Reporting is available out of the box, but may require additional configuration to match enterprise-grade analytics.
Dynamics 365 Business Central embeds financials within a regulatory-aware and analytics-driven architecture. It supports localized compliance standards, audit trails and accounting. Organizations can report across products, cost centers or regions without restructuring the chart of accounts. Built-in Power BI integration enhances visibility, allowing finance teams to generate predictive forecasts within the software’s interface.
Both ERPs support manufacturing and distribution workflows, but the depth and flexibility vary.
Acumatica provides strong tools for its size category. Its manufacturing management platform includes:
On the distribution side, it supports:
Dynamics 365 Business Central benefits from Microsoft’s broader ERP system. It supports:
Businesses can model subcontracted operations, multiple warehouses and vendor performance analytics. Business Central’s extensibility provides broader coverage for firms needing project-based manufacturing.
Acumatica offers a representational state transfer (REST) application programming interface (API) and built-in tools for developers to create custom modules or workflows. Companies with internal IT teams or development partners can tailor the system to their needs.
Dynamics 365 Business Central offers integrated tools and a low-code development environment. Using Microsoft’s Power Platform, teams can extend functionality through Power Apps, automate workflows via Power Automate and analyze operational data using Power BI. Additionally, the Dataverse makes it easier to store and manage data across systems.
Ease of use directly affects ERP adoption among non-technical users or frontline staff.
Acumatica provides a clean, functional interface with role-based dashboards, configurable navigation and mobile app access. Users can personalize their workspace, and the user interface is consistent across modules.
Dynamics 365 Business Central feels familiar to users of Microsoft Office products. The interface reflects the same logic and design principles as Excel, Outlook and Teams. Its integration with Copilot AI improves usability by helping technical and non-technical staff analyze data faster using natural language prompts.
If you’re planning a major ERP rollout, you’ll need a solid support structure.
Acumatica’s vendor network has grown steadily, but it’s still smaller and more regionally fragmented. Many customers report positive experiences, but users may struggle to find experienced partners for complex implementations. This could make it harder to access local support teams or specialized resources in certain markets.
With thousands of certified Dynamics 365 partners operating worldwide, Microsoft gives you more flexibility to choose the right implementation consultant based on your industry, region or business size. These experts also offer training, change management support and ongoing technical help.
Understanding how each platform structures its pricing and deployment may help businesses manage budgets or usage patterns.
Acumatica uses a consumption-based pricing model. It charges according to the computing resources a business consumes, such as storage and transaction volumes. This structure allows companies to add unlimited users without affecting license costs.
Acumatica can be deployed on the company’s infrastructure, a private host or in the cloud.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central follows a per-user subscription model. Pricing is based on the number of users and the access level each requires. This model is often more predictable and easier to forecast for companies with stable organizational structures.
Dynamics 365 is available as a fully managed solution on Microsoft Azure. Businesses experience built-in security, compliance, backups and automatic updates.
Selecting the right software depends on fit, scale and integration priorities.
Acumatica is well-suited for midsize companies that want flexibility without the overhead of a full enterprise suite. Its resource-based pricing makes it attractive for businesses with numerous occasional users. It’s also ideal for companies that:
Dynamics 365 Business Central is better suited for organizations that need structured scalability, integration across business units, and advanced functionality across financials, supply chain and reporting. It is effective for:
Implementing an ERP system requires a consultation provider with proven expertise, industry insight and customization abilities. Winfosoft has over 30 years of experience integrating Microsoft Dynamics 365 solutions for the metal, manufacturing and distribution industries. As a Microsoft Gold-Certified Partner, our team helps you design and implement systems that fit your operations. We also provide technical support to ensure sustainable growth.
Contact us today to make the most of Microsoft Dynamics 365.
