We live in a world with many famous rivalries dividing communities and conversations. Ultimately, there are many of these that are debatable and probably do not have an effect on daily life. Likewise, in the IT business, Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics 365 are long-standing rivals. 

The two biggest CRM vendors in the world are Dynamics 365 and Salesforce. Putting your company on a CRM platform can be exciting, yet challenging due to so many CRM tools available on the market.

However, choosing the right software will determine the efficiency of your teams, the quality of service you provide to your customers, and ultimately the success of your business. Small businesses and companies use CRM software to track, interact, and store information about their clients. 

There are various CRM tools available, but they differ in terms of accessibility, deployment, pricing, features, reviews, and many other factors. If you are looking for an established vendor who offers comprehensive services, look for market leaders. 

Would you like more information on selecting the best CRM to suit your company’s needs? We would like to assist you in finding the right product for your organization with this comparison-based article.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 vs. Salesforce CRM Comparison

During the last 15 years, CRM software has gained in popularity, with Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Salesforce at the top of the list. The CRM market is dominated by Microsoft and Salesforce. A comparison of the two most popular CRM providers is crucial for making the right decision. Let’s look at their differences:

1. Deployment options

Salesforce was built and designed for the cloud. Using a browser-based and/or mobile-friendly application is great for your business if you are onboard for data storage on the remote server.

On the other hand, Dynamics 365 can be used on-premises or in the cloud. Sale and Service are available in fully cloud-based versions, whereas Finance and Operations can be installed on-premises. It is perfect for businesses that are still unsure whether to move their core systems online.

Best option: I think Dynamics 365 is the best option, because of its flexibility.

2. Integration Options

There are plenty of application add-ons available for both Microsoft and Salesforce to let you customize your system as you see fit. For third-party applications and integrations, browse Salesforce’s AppExchange and Microsoft’s AppSource.

It’s generally believed Salesforce has an edge in optimizing standard CRM solutions for specific industries and business models. The reason is Salesforce provides over 3,000 apps and has an integrated platform and partner program. The Salesforce platform makes it easy for developers to develop custom solutions.

Microsoft, however, has heavily invested in app integration, and as a result, Salesforce is beginning to lose ground. Microsoft also offers native integration across other popular market-leading applications, including PowerApps and Microsoft Power BI, Teams, and Office 365.

The Salesforce platform does integrate with Microsoft’s popular applications, although Dynamics 365 offers a much better native integration since Microsoft owns these products. If you have a lot of Microsoft products in your company, Dynamics CRM 365 may be the best fit.

Best Option: Salesforce has more integration options (including third-party integrations), However, the native integrations offered by Microsoft are far superior. There’s no clear winner here

Also Read: 7 Reasons Why CRM Improves the Customer Experience

3. Customizable Options

Users can customize both software with their built-in tools to meet their changing needs. In both Salesforce and Dynamic 365, users can add new objects and customize fields in their system, based on their business needs.

Salesforce enables users to retrieve and track information about their customers. By using this feature, the business can gather insights into each individual, task, and event in order to retain current customers and attract new clients.

However, Dynamics 365 also keeps track of a customer’s data, making it easier for users to determine where they are on the web and how they interact with that webpage.

Best Option: Salesforce

4. Pricing

Salesforce Pricing can be complex due to the number of application options, optional add-ons, and licensing levels to consider. In general, pricing varies depending on the features and users included in a package.

It is also quite complex to determine the price of Dynamics 365 since it’s not a standalone CRM system, but it comes with ERP applications available alongside it. However, some vendors offer specific discounts and pricing for certain packages/numbers of licensed products.

This is why Dynamics 365 is typically more flexible and cost-effective than Salesforce. Dynamics 365 offers a variety of apps, making it possible to build your own package that suits your business.

Salesforce is also very expensive compared to Dynamics 365. Suppose you want to access Salesforce’s automation and workflow features, it would cost you £120 per user per month. As for Dynamics 365, the Enterprise Sales plan costs £71.60 per user, which means that for about half of that price, you can get access to the same set of features.

Best Option: Dynamics 365 is more cost-efficient, suitable for Businesses of all sizes. 

5. Support for Vendors

Changing business systems will require you to train employees. Microsoft partners can provide you with the right training, support, and knowledge with Dynamics 365. As Microsoft typically works with partners, their CRM implementations are handled more by their network of partners.

Despite this, Salesforce CRM has its own customer orientation department. Both their expertise in the implementation of solutions and their partner network make them a valuable resource.

Best Option: Salesforce.

6. SLAs(Service Level Agreement)

The SLAs(Service Level Agreements) offered by Salesforce is only available upon request. With Microsoft Service Level Agreement, pledges to provide 99.9% uptime.

Best Option: Dynamics 365.

7. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service

Microsoft Dynamics offers three levels of support. Once you purchase a subscription, you will receive support immediately, with free online technical resources, community interaction, and support groups.  

An additional monthly subscription for $9 will grant you access to professional experts. If you require more support, you should request a quote for the ‘Unified Support Plan’.

On the other hand, Salesforce also offers Salesforce consultant groups called technical resources and  ‘success communities’. Salesforce’s customers may interact with each other directly, access self-service portals, and get online training. 

There is an additional charge of 20% of the total subscription fee for 24-hour support. In addition, ‘Premier Plus,’ is available at 30% for the same.

8. Ease of integrating with other business systems

In terms of integrations, Salesforce is a stand-alone CRM tool. Therefore, if you are planning to connect Salesforce with other systems, such as an ERP or a business communication system, you will require connectors to integrate. This can become more expensive as you add more systems.

As opposed to that, Microsoft offers many other business applications in addition to CRM. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance Operations and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central are two of the most popular ERP systems. Additionally, there are Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Office 365. These all easily integrate with Dynamics 365 CRM, no connector is needed.

Best Option: Definitely Dynamics 365.

9. Utilizing artificial intelligence

AI is a key feature in both of these systems that makes them distinct from the other CRM available in the market. Both tools offer intuitive AI and enterprise-level resources such as business intelligence that can be customized to improve customer service and sales.

Dynamic 365’s artificial intelligence features include:

• Ability to monitor market trends as well as customer needs
• Predictions for sales
• Based on past sales interactions, recommends next steps and key talking points
• You can actively flag deals at risk by receiving relationship health notifications
• Support throughout the entire sales cycle

Salesforce’s artificial intelligence features:

• Artificial intelligence algorithms that learn the unique selling techniques of each company and Provide proactive suggestions for improvement
• Answer questions from customers
• Provides tactics and strategies for effective marketing
• Recommends best practices for the sales team

Even though they are very similar, Einstein AI from Salesforce just edges Microsoft out by a very small margin. With AI-powered learning algorithms, Einstein is able to identify a company’s real-time sales patterns, very specifically. Additionally, it suggests ways to improve your business so it is always progressing.

The only drawback? The CRM’s AI features are packaged with Dynamics 365, but the AI add-on is an extra charge. Need to pay according to how many users you have.

Best option: Salesforce.

Conclusion:

Despite offering the same core functionality, Microsoft Dynamics and Salesforce focus on different aspects of operations or sales management. From the perspective of comparing core features between Microsoft Dynamics and Salesforce, Dynamics 365 appears to have a greater advantage in many areas than Salesforce, right? 

Nonetheless, if we are honest with ourselves, neither of them is necessarily “better.”. They are both market leaders and have intuitive features and scalable platforms. You have to decide what is best for your business, according to what you expect from your system. 

Salesforce CRM might be a good choice when it comes to moving your business fully to the cloud. But if you’re still uncertain, and you have already deployed some Microsoft software, Microsoft CRM makes sense if you already have Dynamics 365 finance and operations installed.