Our research shows that Salesforce is better than Microsoft Dynamics, although both are decidedly respectable options, particularly for larger businesses. When it comes to customer relationship management software there are numerous services out there, but these two providers are giants among the rest.
Salesforce is certainly the popular CRM software option, used by thousands of businesses worldwide, thanks largely to its massive features catalogue. Microsoft Dynamics, meanwhile, is a great choice for those whose businesses are already integrated with other Microsoft services, such as Outlook and Office 365.
For a thorough look at the benefits and features of Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics CRM, take a look at our head to head comparison table, below:
| Verdict | Data cap in basic plan | Email integrations | Social media integrations | Marketing campaigns | API | Email Support | Live chat support | Phone support | Free Trial Version | Cheapest paid plan Price quoted is per user, per month | Most expensive plan Price quoted is per user, per month | ||
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Salesforce | Microsoft Dynamics | ||||||||||||
A market leading CRM for good reason and a great all-rounder – with tailored pricing plans available, it should always be considered first. | A robust CRM platform that embeds brilliantly with Microsoft products | ||||||||||||
612MB/user | 10GB + 5GB/20 users | ||||||||||||
Open | Limited | ||||||||||||
$25 | $50+ | ||||||||||||
$300 | $1,500 |
Of course, these aren't the only CRM tools to consider. Check out some of these further alternatives, below. Or, scroll on to learn more about Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics.
Deciding on which one to use comes down to personal taste, and which one fits your company's needs. A CRM platform isn't just about the service's various attributes, but which one fits best with your company. Let's take a look at the strengths of both services to get a better handle on the two CRM giants.
A good way to discover a CRM that can be customized for your needs is to use our handy CRM Quotes Tool to receive tailor-made, zero-obligation CRM cost quotes that take into account your company's individual needs and scale.
Microsoft Dynamics vs Salesforce: CRM Systems Compared
Microsoft Dynamics and Salesforce are reputable CRM brands from two of the biggest names in global software. While Microsoft is well-known for its consumer and business software – including the ubiquitous Windows and Office platforms – Salesforce is more of a CRM purist.
Indeed, Salesforce is almost a byword for CRM software, it's become so well-established in the field. But, that's not to say Microsoft is an also-ran. In fact, one of the strongest things going in Microsoft Dynamics' favor is how well this platform can integrate with other Microsoft software. Chances are, your business is already running plenty of other Microsoft tools, so adding Dynamics may be a smart choice.
Let's look in a little more depth at the pros and cons of each of these big name CRM providers.
Pros
- Integrates with Microsoft products
- Features on par with Salesforce catalog
- Robust, 24/5 support options
Cons
- Decidedly expensive
- Limited API, particularly compared to Salesforce
- No free plan
Microsoft Dynamics
The first thing to know about Microsoft Dynamics is that it is heavily integrated into other Microsoft applications. Microsoft's integration doesn't just extend to its desktop software, either.
Even LinkedIn, which Microsoft acquired in 2016, integrates with Dynamics CRM. The platform uses design language similar to other Microsoft software, making it easier for anyone who's already familiar with the look and feel of modern Microsoft applications to feel right at home.
Dashboard View
Most of the various Microsoft Dynamics services use a dashboard as their starting point similar to Salesforce. Here, you get at-a-glance information about the current state of your business. In Dynamics CRM for Sales, for example, the dashboard supplies current sales revenue, the average deal size, and your sales force's lead conversion rate.
Dashboards are completely customizable and usually take the form of a tiled interface with large lettering for key numerical data, as well as large charts and graphs.
Sales App
The primary starting point for many is Microsoft Dynamics for Sales. This core CRM app uses predictive analytics to better enhance the sales team's snapshot data and help make better decisions. This is also where Microsoft's LinkedIn integration comes into play; the LinkedIn Sales Navigator (available at higher pricing tiers) leverages your professional network to get introductions to potential leads through a mutual connection.
Beyond sales there's a customer service module that can present key data such as open cases and email history as a dashboard or you can drill deeper with a timeline of interactions. Dynamics also uses a guided three-step process (identify-research-resolve) for dealing with customer services issues. Harnessing Microsoft's server power, Dynamics offers intelligent chatbots that can help customer service agents surface important data about their customers.
For companies that need it there are also project and field service modules to help manage ongoing services delivered to a client, as well as those times your company needs to send a technician into the field.
Smart Automation
Microsoft offers some helpful, smart automation, and a big emphasis on graphics to help absorb information rapidly. The big deal with Dynamics CRM is its easy integration with other Microsoft software. This is something Salesforce simply can't compete with and should be a big consideration for any business already using a variety of Microsoft services.
Take Outlook 365 webmail, for example. The Dynamics Sales module has a feature called Microsoft Relationship Sales that can automatically pull information from Dynamics into Outlook.
On top of that, the same feature can pull in LinkedIn data to give you a better understanding of potential and current clients. Dynamics offers on premise or self-hosted options for its software whereas Salesforce is an entirely cloud-hosted service.
Pros
- Tailored pricing plans
- Wide feature set
- Frequently updated
- Robust support & training
Cons
- No free plan
- On the more expensive end of the industry
- Basic plan caps data at 612 MB/user
Salesforce
Widely known as one of the best CRM systems around, Salesforce has much cause for confidence. The company insists, for example, that Salesforce can outdo its main competitors. In truth, the functions of Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics are broadly similar.
Where Dynamics has its modules, Salesforce has its various “clouds”, such as Sales Cloud and Service Cloud. These two form the major components of its CRM solution.
Sales Cloud offers all the essential features you need for CRM, such as managing opportunities, leads, contacts, accounts, and email integration (Gmail and Outlook). Alternatively, users can access Salesforce data from within Gmail. This is similar to Microsoft’s Relationship with Sales feature we discussed earlier.
Service Cloud also offers a number of essential features such as the ability to chat with customers across multiple platforms including IM, social media, and SMS. There’s also an integrated field service option and the ability to see all communication with particular customers.
Salesforce Lightning Interface
What really sets Salesforce apart, however, is its intuitive Lightning interface, which uses a mix of tabs, lists, and customizable dashboards with tiled components, similar to Dynamics, offering at-a-glance data.
Salesforce also has its Einstein analytics for automated insights into the business, and Chatter is an internal social network where employees can post information publicly to the rest of the team to keep the communication lines open.
For more, see our guide to Salesforce Lightning vs Classic Compared
Microsoft Dynamics Pricing vs Salesforce Pricing
While business software pricing is typically pretty cut and dry, Microsoft Dynamics and Salesforce represent, arguably, two of the most thorough and confusing pricing systems you can find. They both offer a seemingly endless array of add-ons, optional packages, and core functionalities that can make the process a bit intimidating.
In hopes of making it a bit less daunting, we've covered each providers pricing plans and options to give you a better idea of what you're signing up for and how much it's going to cost you.
Microsoft Dynamics Pricing
Microsoft offers its CRM platform under the Dynamics 365 app, which caters to a wide range of business types. As such, pricing for the platform depends on what kind of business area your company falls under. Here is a breakdown of how much the platform costs for specific businesses:
- Sales – between $65 and $162 per user per month
- Customer service – between $50 – $95 per user per month
- Field service – $95 per user per month
- Remote access – $65 per user per month
- Marketing – $1,500 per tenant per month
- Commerce – $180 per user per month
- Supply chain – $180 per user per month
- Human resources – $120 per user per month
- Finance – $180 per user per month
- Project operations – $120 per user per month
In addition to all these specific app functionalities and plans, Microsoft Dynamics offers a Customer Insights option for $1,500 per tenant per month, which acts as a real-time data platform give you meaningful information about how your customers are interacting with your business, no matter the industry.
Salesforce Pricing
Salesforce is definitely a more affordable option than Microsoft Dynamics, although it's only slightly less complex as far as how it works.
| Essentials | Standout features (Salesforce Essentials) | Professional | Standout features (Lightning Professional) | Enterprise | Standout features (Lightning Enterprise) | Unlimited | Standout features (Lightning Unlimited) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BEST CRM FOR SALES  | | | | ||||||
Salesforce Sales Cloud | Salesforce Service Cloud | Salesforce Sales and Service Cloud | Salesforce Marketing Cloud | ||||||
$25 per user, per mo | $25 per user, per mo | N/A | $400 per mo | ||||||
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| No combo deal available in the Salesforce first tier |
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$75 per user, per mo | $75 per user, per mo | $100 per user, per mo | $1,250 per mo | ||||||
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$150 per user, per mo | $150 per user, per mo | $175 per user, per mo | $3,750 per mo | ||||||
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$300 per user, per mo | $300 per user, per mo | $325 per user, per mo | By request | ||||||
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Sales & Service Cloud
The most common options for CRM are the Sales Cloud and Service Cloud, which give you all the CRM functionality you need for your sales or customer service business.
Each platform offers four different pricing plans, which conveniently line up in price and functionality: Essentials, Professional, Enterprise, and Unlimited.
The Essentials plan costs $25 per user per month and offers basic sales/service and support functionality. The Professional plan costs $75 per user per month and offers the full CRM functionality you'd need for any sized business. The Enterprise plan costs $150 per user per month and offers a more customizable experience for businesses with more specific needs. Finally, the Unlimited plan costs $300 per user per month and allows unlimited use of all Salesforce features.
Marketing Cloud
In addition to the Sales Cloud and Service Cloud options, Salesforce also offers a Marketing Cloud option with similar pricing plan options, although the prices are much higher.
The Essentials plan is the costs $400 per month and offers email marketing and content creation features. The Professional plan costs $1,250 per month and adds automations features powered by Einstein AI. The Enterprise plan costs $3,750 per month and offers more advanced analytics along with improved mobile functionality. Finally, the Unlimited plan requires you to request pricing and allows you to work with multiple businesses across the platform.
Salesforce or Microsoft Dynamics – Which CRM System Should You Choose?
Let's be clear – neither CRM tool would be a bad choice for your business, and both are market leading CRM suppliers. As for which is best? That really comes down to what your particular needs are, and what your existing setup looks like.
If you are already working within a dedicated Microsoft infrastructure, then take a hard look at Dynamics CRM to see if the integration with other Microsoft services will be useful to you.
For smaller, price-sensitive companies, however, Salesforce is probably the better option since the starting cost is a lot lower especially for CRM-only teams of 5 or less.
The downside with the cheaper Salesforce options is that you cannot customize them to the same extent as the the higher priced tiers. Both services offer mobile apps for employees on the go, but based on app reviews Salesforce has the clear lead there.
As we said earlier the key to deciding on a CRM is finding a service that fits your needs in terms of functionality, price, and customizability. For that you really need a bespoke quote that takes all of those factors into account. To get a personalized proposal for your business, use our CRM quotes tool now.
Frequently Asked Questions
Check out our Best CRM for Small Business guide for more information
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