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IFS Cloud Platform vs Microsoft Dynamics AX comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

IFS Cloud Platform
Ranking in ERP
12th
Ranking in Activity Based Costing Software
7th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
30
Ranking in other categories
CRM (21st), Customer Experience Management (7th), Field Service Management (2nd), Help Desk Software (12th), Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) (2nd), Local Government CRM (9th), IT Asset Management (10th), IT Service Management (ITSM) (11th), License Management (2nd)
Microsoft Dynamics AX
Ranking in ERP
7th
Ranking in Activity Based Costing Software
3rd
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
56
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the ERP category, the mindshare of IFS Cloud Platform is 2.5%, up from 2.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Dynamics AX is 6.2%, down from 6.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
ERP
 

Featured Reviews

Brendan Fisher - PeerSpot reviewer
Robust, customizable, and modern
IFS is a very large and complex software, and implementation of IFS can be challenging and may lead to a difficult lengthy project. It can take between 12 and 24 months in some cases to deploy. I have found that not all clients are fully aware of how big the task is that they're undertaking when they make a decision to move to software like this. Companies need to be more aware of the complexity of an ERP implementation project and while I fully recommend moving to IFS, it is not easy and does require business change when adopting an ERP solution. New features are a difficult ask - I work across multiple industries and everyone would probably choose a different feature. Maybe BIM in Construction or Customs link-ups for importers/exporters.
SherifAnter - PeerSpot reviewer
The sales and distribution modules are robust, and reliable, and seldom encounter issues
In GP, there are certain features like financial reporting that aren't part of the core GP package. Users might need to install additional components for these features. For example, there's a reseller product called Management Reporter, but many users would prefer to have the reporting capabilities integrated within GP itself, rather than relying on external tools. The manufacturing module in GP is quite basic, and those who require more advanced manufacturing capabilities often turn to third-party modules or tools. Additionally, you might be aware that in 2028, GP is expected to reach its end of life. Microsoft has already ceased selling GP to new customers. It's essentially the same product, but this marks the final year for GP's availability.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"What I like about IFS Applications is that it's easier to use and implement than SAP. I also like that the IFS Applications team is more flexible than the SAP team."
"The workflow of the solution is very good."
"I like the connectivity and interfaces. In V10, it's easy to modify the interfaces and layouts, but it's becoming more complicated in the cloud. IFS is excellent at asset maintenance and incident management. They have specialized modules for IFS that cover incident and asset management and everything else connected to finance. The reporting in IFS is also easy to use."
"IFS Applications' best feature is the user-friendly interface that has a .NET Framework application in the front end and an Oracle database and WebLogic middleware."
"The solution overall is very versatile and flexible, especially compared to other products."
"The most valuable feature is the distribution module."
"We could quickly understand what was going on and what the customer wanted to do."
"The main reason for the ERP project was to bring together our fourteen sites, which had until then worked in separate silos."
"In terms of features, GP offers a wide range of strong capabilities, particularly in the financial module."
"It is flexible and cost-effective."
"The product is easier to use and has more efficient workflow management features than other vendors."
"The most valuable feature of Microsoft Dynamics AX is customization."
"The most valuable features of Microsoft Dynamics AX are field services and the vendor collaboration portal. Both of the features are very good."
"Flexibility is the best feature. Because we have the source code, we can develop our ideas. It enables us to develop new functions."
"There's a moderate amount of scalability available."
"The tool makes it easier to manage things."
 

Cons

"Documentation-wise, they need more."
"The solution needs to improve its documentation and user-friendliness."
"It would be ideal if, in the future, the product could incorporate IoT and blockchain elements. We'd like to explore more of these types of features going forward."
"An area for improvement would be transactions, which can be tedious to complete as the process is very complex."
"We have upgraded to the latest version right now. We have issues with the quality. We tried to enroll in their Evergreen program which was meant to help us adopt any service update or anything that the tool’s providers come up with."
"The integration is a bit complex, and post-implementation support services need to be improved. They have a service center based out of Sri Lanka. The support aspect is good, but the response time is a little slower than we anticipated. In the next release, it would be better if Warehouse Management could be improvised. They have a product line that's a data warehouse management system, but it's still premature and requires a bit of enhancement."
"IFS Applications is not robust enough to handle high-volume transactions, so it's not suitable for larger enterprises."
"The solution's initial setup process was complex...The technical support my company receives from the implementation partners of the solution is not that great."
"AX does take some time and maintenance."
"Microsoft needs more presence in our region to help with management and maintenance."
"There is no Arabic interface in Microsoft Business Central, which is a big weak point."
"The initial setup can be complex at times and has room for improvement."
"The solution in general just needs a few quality improvements."
"The database requires a huge CPU and memory resources."
"There is also slowness in database backup."
"The older version of Microsoft Dynamics AX that we are using is not as scalable as the newer version."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There's an additional yearly cost for support."
"Licensing is on an annual basis, with no additional costs."
"The pricing of the solution may appear to be expensive for smaller companies with only tens of users; however, for larger and mid-size industrial companies, IFS is able to win deals and the pricing is competitive in the market."
"Ask for all-inclusive pricing, as they are pretty flexible if you ask for custom models."
"I consider it to be a well-priced solution compared to other mid-range or high-end ERP solutions."
"IFS Applications is expensive software, but it's on par with SAP and Oracle. It's for large enterprises and government entities and not for small and medium-sized enterprises. They have one licensing model, but if you want to have a module-specific license, they provide component-based licenses. Unlike SAP and Oracle, it doesn't have different levels of licensing. It's one level of licensing."
"IFS Applications are competitive in terms of pricing compared to other vendors, such as SAP, Oracle, and Epicor. They are generally cheaper, especially for licensing costs."
"Compared to SAP, the pricing for IFS Applications was very affordable. People using the solution would find that it's worth the money."
"There is an annual licensing cost for Microsoft Dynamics AX."
"Go for cloud implementation, if cost is critical."
"It has a pay-as-you-go subscription."
"The solution is expensive."
"It is $180 to $200 per user per month with a minimum of 20 users, which makes selling the product a bit difficult."
"I purchased the license once, and there is a license with a partner that I pay for annually."
"It is not the cheapest solution, but it is also not the most expensive one. It's in between and is cheaper than SAP but more expensive than other local vendors. It is worth the cost."
"The yearly licenses are priced okay."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
21%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Energy/Utilities Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Comms Service Provider
6%
Retailer
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IFS Applications?
Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a nine or ten out of ten since it is an extremely scalable solution that can be used for various use cases with thousands of users.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IFS Applications?
The product is reasonably priced. The costs are justified by the value provided, considering the comprehensive features and minimal need for customization. I rate the pricing a seven out of ten.
What needs improvement with IFS Applications?
I am not able to recall much about batch. Documentation-wise, they need more. There is not much available online, and the documentation availability is on the lower side compared to other products,...
What needs improvement with Microsoft Dynamics AX?
Microsoft Dynamics AX has several areas that need improvement, particularly when compared to larger systems. It lacks the concept of month-end closing, which is essential for tight control over fin...
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Dynamics AX?
I primarily use Microsoft Dynamics AX ( /products/microsoft-dynamics-ax-reviews ) for the financial module, which includes the general ledger, account payable, account receivable, inventory, and pu...
 

Also Known As

IFS Applications, Assyst, IFS Cloud
Dynamics AX, Axapta, MS Dynamics AX
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

China Airlines, Electrolux Group, Babcock, Cimcorp, Sky, Multiplex, Veolia. 
ConQuaestor, D & H Distributing, Sunny Queen, Mesa Associates, Britax Childcare, Ibema, Arafa, Sabo S.p.A.
Find out what your peers are saying about IFS Cloud Platform vs. Microsoft Dynamics AX and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
855,080 professionals have used our research since 2012.
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