Dynamics 365 vs Salesforce (2026) Compared
Salesforce has 26x more job postings. Dynamics 365 has Microsoft behind it. The right CRM depends on which ecosystem your company already lives in.
The Short Version
Salesforce is the safer choice for most B2B companies because of its unmatched ecosystem, talent availability (1,694 job postings vs 65), and integration depth. Dynamics 365 wins specifically for organizations deep in the Microsoft stack (Microsoft 365, Teams, Azure, Power BI) or operating in regulated industries where Microsoft's compliance certifications matter. The risk with Salesforce is total cost of ownership. The risk with Dynamics is a smaller partner and talent ecosystem.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Microsoft Dynamics 365 | Salesforce CRM |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $65/user/mo (Sales Professional) | $25/user/mo (Starter Suite) |
| Enterprise Price | $105/user/mo (Sales Enterprise) | $165/user/mo (Enterprise) |
| Premium Price | $150/user/mo (Sales Premium) | $330/user/mo (Unlimited) |
| Ecosystem Size | Smaller, Microsoft-focused | 5,000+ AppExchange integrations |
| Native Integrations | Outlook, Teams, Excel, Power BI | Broad third-party ecosystem |
| Customization | Power Platform (Power Apps, Power Automate) | Apex, Flows, Lightning |
| AI Features | Copilot for Dynamics 365 | Einstein AI |
| Compliance | Strong (govt, healthcare, finance) | Good (growing compliance offerings) |
| Job Demand | 65 postings (45 companies) | 1,694 postings (1,047 companies) |
| The Big Risk | Smaller talent pool, fewer integrations | Total cost 2-3x listed pricing |
Deep Dive: Microsoft Dynamics 365
What They're Selling
Dynamics 365 is Microsoft's enterprise CRM, and its pitch is simple: if your company runs on Microsoft, your CRM should too. Outlook, Teams, Excel, Power BI, Azure Active Directory. Dynamics connects to all of them natively, without middleware or connectors. The Power Platform (Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI) extends Dynamics into custom app development and workflow automation without writing code.
What It Actually Costs
Sales Professional starts at $65/user/mo. Most mid-market teams land on Sales Enterprise ($105/user/mo) for customization and AI features. Sales Premium ($150/user/mo) adds conversation intelligence and predictive forecasting. A 50-person team on Enterprise: roughly $63K/year in licensing. Microsoft often bundles Dynamics discounts into larger Microsoft 365 enterprise agreements, which can bring the effective price down 20-30%.
What Users Say
Teams already in Microsoft love the integration. Outlook and Teams embedding feels natural. The Power Platform gets high marks for extending functionality without code. Complaints focus on a less polished UI compared to Salesforce, fewer third-party integrations, and a smaller consulting ecosystem. Finding experienced Dynamics admins takes longer than finding Salesforce admins.
Pros
- Deep native integration with Microsoft 365, Teams, and Power BI
- Power Platform extends CRM without custom code development
- Often bundled at discounts in Microsoft enterprise agreements
- Strong compliance certs for regulated industries (FedRAMP, HIPAA, SOC 2)
Cons
- 65 job postings vs Salesforce's 1,694 means a much smaller talent pool
- Third-party integration ecosystem is significantly smaller
- UI/UX is improving but still trails Salesforce Lightning
- Marketing module lags behind Pardot and HubSpot
Deep Dive: Salesforce CRM
What They're Selling
Salesforce is the world's largest CRM platform, and the numbers back it up. 1,694 job postings across 1,047 companies in our dataset. That's not just market share. It's an ecosystem of consultants, integrators, apps, and talent that no competitor can match. For enterprise B2B, Salesforce is the default for a reason: everything integrates with it.
What It Actually Costs
Starter Suite starts at $25/user/mo, but most B2B teams land on Enterprise at $165/user/mo. Add Pardot for marketing ($1,250/mo), CPQ for quoting, and implementation consulting ($50K-150K). An admin or RevOps hire to manage it ($90K-130K salary). A 50-person team typically spends $150K-250K/year all-in. That's 2-3x the sticker price.
What Users Say
Power users love the depth. You can build almost anything on Salesforce. The ecosystem means there's an AppExchange solution for every niche requirement. Complaints center on complexity, cost creep, and the learning curve. Teams without a dedicated admin struggle. The platform is powerful but demanding.
Pros
- 1,694 job postings, so finding experienced admins and consultants is straightforward
- 5,000+ AppExchange integrations cover virtually every B2B use case
- Deepest customization with Apex code, Flows, and Lightning components
- Dominant market position means it's the safe choice for enterprise buying decisions
Cons
- Real costs run 2-3x listed pricing after add-ons and consulting
- Requires dedicated admin or consultant for ongoing management
- Implementation takes 3-6 months for mid-market deployments
- Complexity can slow down lean, agile teams
Which Should You Pick?
The Honest Take
Salesforce is the CRM that companies buy because everyone else does. Dynamics 365 is the CRM companies buy because their CTO already has a Microsoft enterprise agreement. Both are valid reasons, but they lead to very different experiences. The talent gap is the elephant in the room. 1,694 Salesforce job postings vs 65 for Dynamics isn't just a popularity contest. It means you'll find a Salesforce admin in weeks. Finding an experienced Dynamics consultant might take months. That gap affects implementation timelines, customization quality, and ongoing support. But Dynamics has a real trump card: the Microsoft stack integration. If your company already pays for Microsoft 365, Teams, and Azure, adding Dynamics creates a coherent ecosystem that Salesforce + Slack + third-party BI tools can't replicate. And Microsoft's enterprise agreement discounts often make Dynamics 30-40% cheaper than Salesforce at the same tier. The honest advice: unless you're deeply invested in Microsoft, go with Salesforce. The ecosystem advantage compounds over time. But if Microsoft is already your company's backbone, Dynamics is the underrated choice that gets more compelling every year.
Questions to Ask Before Buying
- Does your company already use Microsoft 365 and Teams as primary collaboration tools?
- How many third-party tools need to integrate with your CRM? Check both ecosystems.
- Are you in a regulated industry with specific compliance requirements?
- Do you have access to Salesforce or Dynamics talent for implementation and ongoing management?
- What's your realistic all-in budget including implementation, training, and administration?
- Does your Microsoft enterprise agreement include Dynamics 365 discounts?
- How complex is your sales process? Simple pipeline or multi-product, multi-territory?
- What's your timeline for implementation? (Salesforce and Dynamics both take 3-6 months for enterprise)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dynamics 365 cheaper than Salesforce?
At comparable tiers, yes. Dynamics Sales Enterprise costs $105/user/mo vs Salesforce Enterprise at $165/user/mo. Microsoft bundle discounts can reduce Dynamics pricing by another 20-30%. However, both platforms have hidden costs (consulting, add-ons, admin talent) that close the gap.
Why does Salesforce have 26x more job postings than Dynamics?
Salesforce has been the dominant CRM since the mid-2000s and has a massive installed base, especially in tech and SaaS companies. Dynamics 365 is more popular in traditional enterprise, government, and regulated industries that don't post as many jobs on the platforms we track. The 1,694 vs 65 gap reflects Salesforce's dominance in the startup/tech ecosystem, not necessarily overall market share across all industries.
Can you migrate from Salesforce to Dynamics 365?
Yes, but it's not trivial. Microsoft offers migration tools and partner services. The process typically takes 3-6 months for mid-market orgs. The main challenges: recreating Apex customizations in Power Platform, retraining users on a new UI, and remapping third-party integrations. Most companies that switch do so during a broader Microsoft ecosystem consolidation.
Which CRM has better AI features?
Both are investing heavily. Salesforce has Einstein AI for predictions and automation. Dynamics 365 has Copilot, which benefits from Microsoft's OpenAI partnership. As of 2025, Copilot's integration with Outlook and Teams gives Dynamics an edge for day-to-day AI assistance, while Einstein is more mature for CRM-specific predictions like lead scoring and forecasting.