Dynamics 365 vs. Sugar CRM – A comprehensive comparison

Are you on the hunt for the perfect CRM solution to elevate your business to new heights? The customer relationship management (CRM) market is full of options, but two stand out: Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Sugar CRM. Established in 2004, Sugar CRM has over 2 million users across 120 countries with a strong foothold of mid to large-sized enterprises. Dynamics 365 (formerly Dynamics) was introduced in 2016 as a single enterprise-grade service. Businesses across many industries and sizes now use it. This blog compares these CRM platforms and uncovers the features, integrations, and benefits that can make all the difference. By the end, you’ll be well informed to make a transformative decision for your business’s approach to customer relationships.

Your CRM software should be your most valuable asset.

A CRM platform should help you know your customers better, understand their needs, and provide them with the best possible experience. When you do that, they’ll keep coming back for more. Let’s see how Dynamics 365 and Sugar CRM fill these requirements.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 vs. Sugar CRM—an overview

Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a cloud-based CRM solution that combines the best of Microsoft’s ERP and CRM products into a single, enterprise-grade offering. It is designed to help businesses of all sizes improve customer relationships, boost sales, and streamline operations. It is a modular platform, so you can start with just the modules you need and add others as your business grows. This makes it a cost-effective solution for businesses of all sizes.

Sugar CRM is a cloud-based platform composed of several solutions that can be used individually or in combination, making it a good fit for businesses of all sizes. It offers features for marketing automation through Sugar Market. With its user-friendly design and seamless integrations, Sugar CRM stands out as a top-tier cloud-based CRM solution. It caters perfectly to medium to large-sized B2B companies seeking streamlined sales, marketing, and customer service management.

Comparison between Dynamics 365 and Sugar CRM along the following criteria:

• Target market
• Deployment options
• Data-driven customer insights
• Support
• Customer service
• Pricing

CRM	Target market	Deployment options	Data-driven customer insights	Support options	Customer service features	Pricing
Dynamics 365	Mid-market and enterprise businesses	Cloud, on-premises, or hybrid	Provides scores and suggestions for potential customers who are ready to buy, personalized email tips, and access to Office 365 and LinkedIn’s database	Phone, email, chat, and web support	AI-powered customer insights, seamless omnichannel engagement, and AI-driven tools to automate tasks	Sugar CRM: Tiers for Sell, Serve, Market, Enterprise.
Sugar CRM	Medium to large-sized B2B companies	On-premise or cloud-based	Automatically collects data from various sources, provides helpful insights and notifications, and tracks each customer’s journey	Phone, email, chat, and web support	Prioritizes cases based on SLA and severity, tracks time-aware data to identify and resolve issues more quickly, and offers self-service portals	Dynamics 365 CRM: Varies per module (Insights, Sales Pro, Enterprise, etc.)

Target market

Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a more comprehensive CRM solution for mid-market and enterprise businesses. It offers a broader range of features than Sugar, including marketing automation, lead management, customer service, field service, and business intelligence. Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM is also integrated with other Microsoft products, such as Microsoft 365 and Power BI. This makes it a good option for businesses already invested in the Microsoft ecosystem.

Sugar CRM targets medium to large-sized B2B companies that seek a cost-effective, robust, and user-friendly CRM solution. It consists of several solutions that can be used individually or in combination. Sugar Market, the marketing automation component, empowers users to create campaigns effortlessly using an intuitive drag-and-drop interface. Meanwhile, Sugar Sell incorporates collaboration tools and automated data capture to streamline processes and reduce manual data entry. The platform facilitates swift data retrieval, automates repetitive tasks, and provides real-time monitoring of sales activities. Sugar CRM also helps businesses cater to their customers easily through reports, data visualizations, and alerts, enabling prompt issue resolution and comprehensive monitoring across various channels.

Deployment options

Sugar CRM caters to diverse preferences by offering both on-premise and cloud-based deployments. On-premise deployment is available for bundles like Sugar Enterprise, providing greater control and customization. Alternatively, Sugar Sell uses its SugarCloud system, powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS), for seamless and secure cloud-based deployment. This reduces hardware maintenance costs and automates software updates to streamline management.

Microsoft initially focused on on-premise deployment. However, Dynamics 365 introduces the power of the cloud and presents a suite of applications that enhance Microsoft CRM’s capabilities. This transformation offers businesses a versatile range of deployment choices and helps them make informed decisions that align with their needs.

Data-Driven customer insights

The Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales module helps you sell smarter by providing suggestions for potential customers who are ready to buy. It also gives you personalized email tips to understand your clients better. You can easily find the right prospects with access to useful tools like Office 365 and LinkedIn’s database.

On the other hand, Sugar Sell primarily focuses on customer experience enhancement. Its no-touch feature automatically collects data from various sources, saving you time and effort. It includes a feature called Hint, where you get helpful insights and notifications. You can track each customer’s journey from the beginning to sending them surveys, which helps you build better relationships and manage connections efficiently.

Support

Both SugarCRM and Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM offer various support options, including phone, email, chat, and web support. Both also provide 24/7 support, so you can get help whenever needed.

Customer service

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service and Sugar CRM’s Sugar Serve offer personalized customer support. Dynamics 365 uses AI to deliver seamless omnichannel engagement and empower agents, while Sugar Serve prioritizes cases based on SLA and tracks time for efficient resolution. Both platforms offer a variety of features to cater to diverse customer service needs so that businesses can choose the best fit for their organization.

Sugar CRM’s Sugar Serve

• Prioritizes cases based on SLA and severity
• Tracks time-aware data to identify and resolve issues more quickly
• Offers self-service portals to help customers find answers to their questions on their own

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service 

• Offers AI-powered customer insights to help agents predict customer needs
• Provides seamless omnichannel engagement across chat, email, and social media
• Empowers agents with AI-driven tools to automate tasks and resolve issues faster

Pricing

Both Dynamics 365 and Sugar CRM are priced on a per-user per-month basis. The price per user varies depending on the number of users and the features and functionality included in the plan.

Sugar CRM

Sugar Sell: $49 per user per month

Sugar Serve: $80 per user per month

Sugar Market: $1,000 for 10K users per month (billed annually)

Sugar Enterprise: $85 per user per month

Dynamics 365 CRM

Customer Insights: From $1500 Per account/month

Customer Voice: From $200 per account/month

Sales Professional: $65 per user/month

Sales Enterprise: $95 per user/month

Sales Premium: $135 per user/month

Microsoft Relationship Sales: $162 per user/month

Dynamics 365 marketing: From $1,920 per account/month (For companies without other Dynamics 365 applications)

Dynamics 365 marketing: From $960 per account/month (For companies with an eligible Dynamics 365 application)

Note: Dynamics 365 Marketing is not priced per user. If users are already licensed for any Dynamics 365 app where Marketing is installed, they can access Marketing without extra costs.

Wrap up

Both Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM and Sugar CRM are good CRM solutions. The best solution for your business will depend on your specific needs and budget. An experienced CRM implementation partner can carefully evaluate your business requirements and help you select which system best fits your organization’s goals. DemandDynamics is a trusted Microsoft partner that provides top-notch Dynamics 365 services ranging from migrations and implementations to consulting, customization, and support.

Receive a one-on-one briefing with our experts to learn how to make the most of this world-class CRM solution.

Here is how we helped one of our customers leverage Dynamics 365 CRM: Dynamics 365 CRM implementation for an engineering design company to streamline business processes –Download case study.