Microsoft Dynamics NAV vs GP

Houston Neal, at Software Advice, asked me to blog about the differences between Navision and Great Plains accounting software, or, as they are currently known, Microsoft Dynamics NAV and GP.  Houston has done a great job of describing the different Microsoft ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning – an accounting system on steroids – i.e. including purchasing, manufacturing and distribution etc.) packages, so I will just give you my rule of thumb.

When I was with a company selling Great Plains, we talked about it being cheaper because the functionality came out of the box.  You didn’t have to pay for a lot of customization, either during the initial implementation or later, during upgrades.  When I was with a company selling Navision, we talked about flexibility, how easy and cheaply the software could be customized to the individual needs of the customer

My take on this issue is that if Great Plains fits you out of the box, it’s a better package.  If customization is needed, then Navision is the better pick.

Having said that, I think that both packages would work well for a wide variety of companies.  If that is the situation with you, then I recommend taking a close look at the consulting firms selling you the package.  A skilled, experienced consultant can make even a limited software package look good, while a bad one can ruin good software.

If you have looked at both packages are still unsure, try what we used to call a Boardroom Pilot.  Get a sample batch of different transactions and invite the vendors in to enter those transactions into their systems.  That will give you a side by side comparison of the software.

Happy hunting!

20 Comments on “Microsoft Dynamics NAV vs GP

  1. Bill,
    I don’t disagree with your historic comparison of GP and NAV. One thing to note about NAV is that it is a much better answer to any international implementation than GP. We sell both products and we differentiate often on the sophistication of the users (GP for less, NAV for more) and the industry. Some of our industry drive is driven by the talent on our teams, but we find NAV to be a much better play in manufacturing and GP to be a much better play in straight up accounting/finance.

  2. I have worked with and consulted on both products. I prefer NAV hands down. That being said, GP does have its own advantages and yes, in a straight “out of the box” finance implementation GP is easier to grasp and would probably come in less expensive, although in the long run if any other users are “powerusers” NAV would be putty in their hands.

  3. This is a great post Dmitry. I just had one of the ‘Doh!’ moments and ran back to correct my own site before publishing my comment. You see my own comment form did not match what I’m about to advise. I get less comments than you, so never noticed any problem. I’ve changed it now anyway so here goes.

    money and profit

  4. I’ve been looking for accounting software for my business. I want my accounting to be aided by an accounting software just so that I can focus with the other aspects of my business. I’ve considered the ones you’ve presented in this post, but there’s a software by Sage called the Peachtree Quantum which was recommended to me by my friend.

    She has the latest version, and so far, she’s loving it. She always tells me about how easy her accounting is now compared to before when she’s using just a spreadsheet program. I’m thinking of getting the new Peachtree Quantum 2011 for my business. I want to experience firsthand how easy it really is to be aided by a software in your accounting.

  5. I think I’ll need one of these software. Any one of these is going to help me in my business financing. I’m going to buy this so that I won’t be having trouble with the history of my earnings and my payments, and so that I’ll remember where my money goes. Whether it’s for paying the unsecured financing loans, the payday loans, and all the other payables I have.

  6. Microsoft Dynamics NAV and GP have their own advantages over the other. As you’ve said, one picks NAV when customization is needed. One picks GP if it already meets the minimum requirements for an accounting software. There are a lot more accounting software out there. Those two are among the best accounting software. Sage has also made their own line of accounting software like the Sage MAS 200. Another one of Sage’s accounting software would be the Peachtree Complete Accounting series. I’ve never used NAV and GP before, so maybe I’ll give them a try, then compare the Sage software with them.

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