When choosing between Microsoft Dynamics and Salesforce, what we are looking for is a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) that fits our way of working. In an environment where the pace of sales and customer service make the difference, it is essential to have a platform that offers us power, yes, but also flexibility and good integration with the rest of our tool stack.
Let's imagine a typical day: we manage our emails in Outlook, organize ourselves in Teams, and review reports in Power BI. Dynamics 365 brings the CRM into that same flow, without forcing us to switch applications. On the other hand, without needing Microsoft platforms, Salesforce deploys an ecosystem so overwhelmingly broad that, with one click, we access thousands of apps in the AppExchange and predictive intelligence features with Einstein AI.
Thus, choosing between Dynamics 365 and Salesforce means evaluating everything from cost to the learning curve we will have to go through, as well as the adaptability to our specific industry. Both platforms dominate the market, but depending on our size, budget, and growth goals, one will stand out more strongly. Let's put the data on the table to see which software is most suitable for us.
What option to choose?
Dynamics 365: Microsoft's Star CRM
When we start getting to know Microsoft Dynamics 365, we quickly recognize Microsoft's hand in the design and goals. Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a solution designed to make the most of the environment we already know.
Microsoft Dynamics 365, integrated with the rest of Microsoft 365, focuses on the continuity of the Outlook, Microsoft Teams, and Power BI experience. Each module is integrated with the tools we already use, allowing us to perform a complete lead tracking without practically leaving our workflow.
With Dynamics 365 Sales we have access to opportunity management that updates instantly in Excel, while through Dynamics 365 Customer Service we can centralize all our tickets and extract satisfaction metrics from them. Thanks to Dynamics 365 Customer Insights, our customer view is enriched with data from the Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP and other sources we define and integrate.
Then it is with Power Platform BI that we can customize processes by simply dragging and dropping, reducing the need for code and enjoying flexibility that few tools of this complexity can provide.
Pros and cons of Microsoft Dynamics 365
What does Microsoft Dynamics 365 stand out for or fall short in? Mainly in the following:
|
Advantages of Dynamics 365 |
Disadvantages of Dynamics 365 |
|
Full integration with Microsoft 365 and Teams without context switching in the workflow we are already familiar with |
Less intuitive interface, especially at the beginning, compared to Salesforce |
|
Very comprehensive analytics thanks to Power BI always available in each module |
Complex initial configuration especially in hybrid environments |
|
Low-code and customization with Power Platform to adapt all processes |
AppSource marketplace with fewer applications than AppExchange |
|
Agile scalability in Azure Cloud with enterprise-level reliability |
AI capabilities less mature than Einstein AI |
|
Corporate-level security thanks to Azure standards |
Migrating data from Salesforce is quite complex |
|
Unified management of CRM and ERP in a single environment |
Limited offline mobility options in basic plans |
|
Planned quarterly updates with periodic improvements to avoid disrupting existing workflows with new features |
Moderate learning curve for teams without Microsoft experience |
|
Global partner network with local support and certified training |
Additional licenses required for certain Customer Insights modules |
|
Multiple modules (sales, service, and finance) within Dynamics 365 |
More complex customizations may require external consulting |
|
Permission management can be cumbersome, especially at the beginning |
Dynamics 365 Sales Plans and Pricing
Microsoft Dynamics 365 offers different products depending on the needs of your business. Below we present the plans and pricing for Dynamics 365 Sales, the basic CRM platform for automation and sales designed to help your business take off.
- Dynamics 365 Sales Professional: (€60.80/user per month, billed annually) Includes sales staff automation, mobile apps, Microsoft 365 interoperability, reports and dashboards, as well as limited customization features.
- Dynamics 365 Sales Enterprise Edition: (€98.30/user per month, billed annually) Includes everything in the Professional plan plus full application customization, advanced sales staff automation, Copilot features, sales interactions, and conversation intelligence,
- Dynamics 365 Sales Premium: (€140.40/user per month, billed annually) Includes all features of the Enterprise plan, plus advanced sales interactions.
- Microsoft Relationship Sales: This is the most advanced and tailored plan for the company. To get a quote, it is necessary to contact sales.
If you wish, Microsoft offers a free 30-day trial period for its Dynamics 365 Sales plans. This allows you to evaluate the platform without committing to a payment.
Why look for alternatives to Dynamics 365?
While it is a great tool, there are some factors to consider:
- Quite complex initial setup in environments with multiple legacy systems
- AppSource with a limited number of specialized integrations
- Limited offering of vertical modules compared to AppExchange
- Dependence on additional licenses to use integrated AI
- Somewhat limited offline mobility in standard versions
- Requires specific training in Power Platform for customizations and automations
- Considerable learning curve for teams not familiar with Microsoft 365
- Few predefined templates for certain sectors
- Graphical reporting options may fall short compared to Tableau
Salesforce: A Leading CRM Powered by Artificial Intelligence
When we talk about what Salesforce is, we find an extremely complete CRM. In fact, it is the leading CRM platform, with its AppExchange and Einstein AI as major highlights. Let's see what makes each platform special. Its functions cover all our needs from the comfort of the cloud. Sales Cloud allows us to enjoy predictive scoring with Einstein AI, while Marketing Cloud automates multichannel campaigns with astonishing precision.
On the platform, we have interactive reports gathered in the Salesforce Dashboard, which also includes insights from the Salesforce CRM Analytics module. We can go much further, because thanks to the AppExchange, we can, in a few clicks, install extensions to integrate Salesforce ERP or Salesforce CDP modules. Meanwhile, the Salesforce API allows us to develop custom integrations as needed.
Its Lightning user interface is really comfortable and, although it requires some initial adaptation to take full advantage of all the functions, we are facing a system that, given its power, is really easy to manage. In short, Salesforce is perfect for gathering all the information of our business in a single database, facilitating all business processes.
Pros and Cons of Salesforce
What are the strengths of Salesforce and where could it improve? Mainly in the following:
|
Advantages of Salesforce |
Disadvantages of Salesforce |
|
AppExchange with thousands of apps for, practically, any need |
High total cost of ownership, especially due to add-ons |
|
Capable and recognized Einstein AI for predictive scoring and data analysis |
Considerable learning curve for new users |
|
Modern Lightning interface highly adaptable to our workflows |
Dependence on AppExchange for certain integrations |
|
Multichannel capability thanks to Marketing Cloud and Service Cloud |
License management quite complex due to multiple editions |
|
Mobility with Salesforce Mobile App and an offline SDK |
Need for a dedicated admin to optimize the system |
|
Very active Trailblazer community and free learning resources |
Excess of features that may overwhelm smaller SMEs |
|
Truly agile development with Flow Builder and Apex |
Data migration from Dynamics CRM involves manual mappings |
|
CPQ and Pardot functionality for sales and marketing automation |
Frequent updates that may require adjustments or testing |
|
Einstein Analytics dashboards require dedicated licenses |
|
|
Specialized modules, especially CDP and CPQ, with considerable costs |
Salesforce Plans and Pricing
Salesforce offers 5 different payment plans, designed to adapt to the needs of your business. They are as follows:
- Starter Suite: (€25/user/month) Basic CRM with marketing, sales, support, and web builder.
- Pro Suite: (€100/user/month) Everything in Starter + real-time chat, extra customization, and automation.
- Enterprise: (€165/user/month) Everything in Pro + integrated AI, help center, and flow automation.
- Unlimited: (€330/user/month) Everything in Enterprise + chat, bots, knowledge base, and full sandbox.
- Agentforce 1 Service: (€330/user/month) Everything in Unlimited + full AI suite, Tableau Next, cloud credits.
It is possible to try Salesforce free for 30 days. We recommend taking advantage of this opportunity to test this platform firsthand before committing to a monthly payment.
Why look for alternatives to Salesforce?
Although Salesforce is a market leader, there are variables to consider:
- Considerably high total cost for SMEs with tight budgets
- Quite slow adoption curve without a specialized admin
- Dependence on AppExchange for certain ERP functions
- Complex license management with multiple editions
- Frequent updates requiring adaptation
- Overload of functionalities that can hinder some simpler workflows
- Modules like CPQ or Pardot with considerably high individual costs
- AI tools (Einstein) with their own licenses and additional cost
- Migration options from Dynamics 365 require third-party connectors
Direct Comparison: Microsoft Dynamics CRM vs Salesforce CRM
With the initial introductions made, let’s focus the information graphically in the following table. Let’s compare the most relevant aspects of the Microsoft Dynamics CRM vs Salesforce CRM matchup. The situation is as follows.
|
Criterion |
Microsoft Dynamics 365 |
Salesforce Sales Cloud |
|
Lead management |
★★★★☆ Native integration with Outlook |
★★★★★ Einstein AI for scoring and priorities |
|
Opportunities and pipeline |
★★★★☆ Customization with Power Platform |
★★★★★ Advanced workflows |
|
Analytics and reporting |
★★★★☆ Integrated Power BI |
★★★★☆ Tableau CRM in Lightning |
|
App Marketplace |
★★★☆☆ Growing AppSource |
★★★★★ Huge AppExchange |
|
ERP integration |
★★★★☆ Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP |
★★★☆☆ Requires external connectors |
|
Learning curve |
★★★☆☆ Familiar for Office users |
★★★★☆ Requires initial training |
|
Cost |
★★★★☆ From €65/user/month |
★★★☆☆ From €25/user/month, frequent extras |
|
Customization |
★★★★☆ Low-code with Power Automate |
★★★★★ Professional-level Flow Builder |
|
Mobility |
★★★★☆ Integrated mobile app |
★★★★☆ Salesforce Mobile app |
|
Security |
★★★★★ Trust in Azure |
★★★★☆ Meets ISO and GDPR standards |
|
Scalability |
★★★★★ Scales with Microsoft Cloud |
★★★★★ Resilient infrastructure on AWS |
|
Artificial intelligence |
★★★☆☆ Growing Dynamics AI |
★★★★★ Established Einstein AI |
|
Data migration |
★★★★☆ Data migration tools from Salesforce to Dynamics CRM |
★★★☆☆ Requires adaptations via API |
|
Offline mobility |
★★★☆☆ Limited in basic versions |
★★★★☆ Cache options in Mobile SDK |
|
Updates |
★★★★☆ Planned with quarterly cycles |
★★★★☆ Frequent releases |
Differences and Similarities
Both platforms provide their perspective on customer, opportunity, and data management, so together, they have several differences and also similarities.
|
Similarities between Dynamics 365 and Salesforce |
Differences between Dynamics 365 and Salesforce |
|
Both systems offer excellent contact management, sales pipelines, and customizable reports. |
Dynamics analytics relies on Power BI, while Salesforce uses Tableau CRM. |
|
Both have partner communities, but Salesforce stands out with its global Trailblazer Community. |
In mobility, Dynamics offers an app integrated with Teams, while Salesforce focuses on the Salesforce Mobile App featuring an excellent SDK for the developments and integrations we need. |
|
Each platform provides its own API for all the custom integrations we require. |
In automation, Power Automate is the foundation of Dynamics, and Flow Builder is that of Salesforce. |
|
Dynamics security rests on Azure and all its guarantees, while Salesforce complies with ISO, GDPR, and other standards specifically. |
|
|
Dynamics allows migrating data from Salesforce to Dynamics CRM with its guided assistant, while Salesforce depends on external connectors. |
Use Cases
By now, we have clarified the use cases of both tools quite a bit. As a summary, always in general terms, the situation is this:
- If our team lives in Outlook and Teams, Dynamics 365 is better for its ability to sync sales with the Microsoft suite.
- If we are looking for a truly customizable CRM and have resources, Salesforce is better relying on Einstein AI and its AppExchange.
- For small teams with limited budgets, solutions like HubSpot CRM or Zoho CRM are worth considering.
- If we plan to scale in marketing and service in the short term, Salesforce allows us to grow with modules like Pardot and Service Cloud.
- If we need an integrated ERP, Dynamics 365 Business Central combines finance and sales in a single environment.
What option to choose?
What is the best CRM for our company?
Given what we have seen, choosing between Dynamics CRM and Salesforce involves a decision that goes far beyond the basic functionality of the tool or its purpose to focus on the how. Dynamics 365 is ideal for companies already accustomed to Microsoft 365, where Azure’s continuity and security immediately provide great value. On the other hand, Salesforce CRM stands out when what we are looking for is an extensive ecosystem, with ready-made applications for every need and artificial intelligence up to the challenge.
Although the best option is to conduct pilot tests of both systems, the truth is that with the information we have presented it is very likely that we can focus our attention on one of the two options. In any case, whichever we choose, we will have a CRM solution that will enhance our customer relationships and optimize the success of our commercial processes.
