Updated September 2026. We first published this comparison in 2021; since then both vendors have rebuilt their pricing around AI, renamed their app marketplaces and changed what “CRM” includes. Prices below are US list prices from the vendors’ own pages as of September 2026; EUR prices and negotiated contracts differ.
“CRM” stands for Customer Relationship Management: a system that collects everything a company knows about its customers in one place, so marketing, sales and service work from the same record instead of from spreadsheets and inboxes. Marketing gets better leads, sales closes more deals, and nobody has to re-type data between departments.
Two cloud CRMs still dominate that conversation for mid-sized and large companies: Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics 365. What has changed since 2021 is what you actually buy. Both vendors now sell their CRM with AI agents built in, and pricing reflects that.
Salesforce’s strength is still breadth and flexibility. The platform can be adapted almost without limit, either by your own admins with clicks and Flow automation, or by developers and partners.
Two things around the product matter as much as the product itself. AgentExchange – the marketplace formerly known as AppExchange, renamed in 2026 after it absorbed the Slack Marketplace and the Agentforce agent catalogue – lists more than 10,000 apps, from small utilities to full integrations with tools like Jira. Trailhead, Salesforce’s free learning platform, and the community around it mean most admin questions already have an answer somewhere.
- Broad product range and deep customisation
- AI agents (Agentforce), Slack and analytics bundled into the main editions
- The largest CRM app marketplace (AgentExchange)
- Trailhead and a very large admin community
Price. In September 2026 Salesforce replaced its Enterprise and Unlimited editions with three new tiers: Core at $195, Advanced at $395 and Max at $550 per user per month, billed annually. Core replaces Enterprise, which cost $175. The new tiers include more (AI, Slack, analytics, Premier Success), but you pay for the bundle whether you use all of it or not. Existing contracts keep their old editions until renewal.
For small teams there are cheaper entry points – Starter Suite at $25 and Pro Suite at $100 per user per month – but they are deliberately limited, and moving up to Core is a large step.
- High price per user in the main editions
- Bundled pricing: you pay for AI and add-ons you may not use
- Customisation power comes with admin effort
If you are unsure whether and which Salesforce solution is right for you, please contact us for a free consultation.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 is Microsoft’s family of cloud business applications, introduced in 2016. On the CRM side the core apps are Sales, Customer Service and Customer Insights (the former Marketing app); on the ERP side there are Business Central, Finance and Supply Chain Management. Its AI layer is Copilot, which comes built into the Sales Enterprise and Premium plans.
The main advantage is still the Microsoft ecosystem. If your company runs on Microsoft 365, Teams, Outlook and Power BI, Dynamics fits in without integration projects, and the Power Platform (Power Automate, Power Apps) handles automation and custom apps.
Pricing is also lower at the comparable level. Sales Professional costs $65, Sales Enterprise $105 and Sales Premium $150 per user per month, billed annually. Enterprise already includes Copilot with email and meeting assistance and opportunity summaries; Premium adds Copilot credits and sales insights. And because CRM and ERP live in the same family, one vendor can cover both.
- Seamless integration with Microsoft 365, Teams and Power Platform
- Lower price per user at comparable levels, Copilot included from Enterprise
- CRM and ERP from one vendor
Outside the Microsoft world, integration takes more work. Dynamics apps are sold through Microsoft Marketplace (which replaced AppSource in 2025), but the selection of CRM-specific apps is smaller than on AgentExchange, especially for niche and developer-tool integrations.
The 2021 criticism that Dynamics had no real learning platform no longer holds: Microsoft Learn offers free learning paths and certifications. The admin and consultant community is still smaller than Salesforce’s, though, so you rely on partners more often.
- Fewer ready-made integrations with non-Microsoft tools
- Smaller CRM app ecosystem
- Smaller community; more reliance on implementation partners
Whichever CRM you choose, your sales and support teams will need to see what’s happening on the development side. Without an integration, bug status travels by Slack message and hallway conversation.
If you run Salesforce and Jira, read our guide How to Integrate Jira and Salesforce. It covers what to sync, the four ways to connect the two systems, how to choose a connector and a step-by-step setup.
The short version has not changed since 2021, only the numbers have.
Choose Microsoft Dynamics 365 if your company already lives in Microsoft 365, you want CRM and ERP from one vendor, or price per user is the deciding factor. At $105 for Sales Enterprise with Copilot included, it is considerably cheaper than Salesforce’s Core edition.
Choose Salesforce if you need deep customisation, many integrations beyond Microsoft (including developer tools like Jira), or a large pool of admins and partners to hire from. Expect to pay more: $195 per user for Core, with AI bundled in whether you need it or not.
For small teams, compare Salesforce Starter or Pro Suite ($25 / $100) with Dynamics 365 Sales Professional ($65) – but check what you would pay once you outgrow them.
If you are still unsure, contact us for a free consultation and let’s find out together which system suits your company.
