Best Epicor Alternatives

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central as an Epicor alternative

The clearest published prices in this guide, with production orders in the Premium plan and agents for orders and payables.

By The editors · Updated · 2 min read

Contents
  1. What it offers a manufacturer leaving Epicor
  2. Published evidence
  3. Strengths and limits
  4. Pricing
  5. Questions to ask a Business Central partner
  6. Sources
TypeCloud ERP
PricingPublished
Websitemicrosoft.com

Business Central is Microsoft's ERP for small and midsize businesses. Microsoft says 55,000 companies use it⁠1. For a smaller Epicor manufacturer already working in Outlook, Excel and Teams, it is the most predictable option to price.

Best for: Smaller and mid-sized manufacturers on Microsoft 365 that want a published per-user price, production orders and built-in AI agents.

Not the right fit for: Plants that need MES, advanced scheduling or configure-to-order depth in the core product.

What it offers a manufacturer leaving Epicor

Business Central brings finance, production, inventory and supply chain into one system, with detailed bills of materials, assembly-to-order and production orders⁠1. Manufacturing capabilities sit in the Premium plan. Copilot is included, and agents handle specific jobs: the Sales Order Agent converts email orders into quotes and orders, the Payables Agent captures, matches and routes invoices, and the Expense Agent applies policy checks to receipts. Custom agents can be built in Copilot Studio.

For manufacturers that outgrow it, Microsoft publishes the price of Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management at $210 per user a month, and $300 for its Premium version, which includes 1,000 Copilot Credits per user a month⁠2.

Published evidence

Microsoft's product page reports named customer results, such as a 50 to 60% efficiency improvement at UNTHA UK, without describing the deployments or the customers' sectors. Its ROI figures come from a Forrester study commissioned by Microsoft that models a composite organisation⁠1. Treat both as vendor-published.

Strengths and limits

Strengths

  • The clearest published prices in this guide, including an $8 Team Members licence for people who only read, approve or update a few records.
  • Agents built into the product: the Sales Order Agent converts email orders into quotes and orders, and the Payables Agent captures, matches and routes invoices.
  • Works with Outlook, Excel and Teams.
  • A larger step, Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management, is published at $210 per user a month.

Limits

  • The product page describes manufacturing only at the level of bills of materials, assembly-to-order and production orders.
  • Sold and supported only through Microsoft’s partner network.
  • Customer results on the page are vendor-published, and its ROI figures come from a Forrester study commissioned by Microsoft using a composite organisation.

Choose another option if: Your production is complex enough to need MES, finite scheduling or a configurator in the core ERP (Infor CloudSuite Industrial or Acumatica).

Pricing

Published: Essentials $80, Premium $110 and Team Members $8 per user a month, paid yearly.

Questions to ask a Business Central partner

  • Which of our Epicor production processes need an add-on beyond the Premium plan?
  • How many of our users could work on Team Members licences?
  • What do the agents cost to run once included Copilot use is exhausted?
  • Which manufacturing customers of our size has the partner moved from Epicor?

The comparison table in the main guide sets Business Central against the other seven options.

Sources

  1. Business Central | Microsoft Dynamics 365. Microsoft. Accessed 8 Nov 2026.
  2. Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management pricing. Microsoft. Accessed 8 Nov 2026.
  3. Business Central pricing. Microsoft. Accessed 8 Nov 2026.

Further reading