Acumatica vs Dynamics GP
For organizations running Dynamics GP and considering modernization, Acumatica offers a compelling cloud-native alternative with unlimited users, modern architecture, and lower total cost of ownership.
The Dynamics GP Dilemma
Dynamics GP served mid-market organizations well for decades, but with mainstream support ended and extended support ending in 2029, GP customers face a critical decision: upgrade, migrate, or modernize?
Microsoft Dynamics GP is a mature, feature-rich ERP platform with strong financial management and project accounting capabilities. Many organizations have run GP successfully for 10, 15, even 20+ years.
But GP's future is defined: mainstream support ended in October 2024, and extended support concludes in 2029. Microsoft has made it clear that GP is not part of their long-term strategy—their focus is on cloud platforms like Dynamics 365 Business Central.
This creates three options for GP customers:
- Stay on GP until 2029: Acceptable short-term, but increasing risk as end-of-support approaches
- Migrate to Business Central: Microsoft's official path, but it's a migration, not an upgrade, with licensing challenges
- Modernize to Acumatica: Cloud-native platform with unlimited users and lower TCO
While Business Central is Microsoft's official GP successor, many organizations find Acumatica's unlimited user licensing, deeper functional capabilities, and lower total cost of ownership more compelling—especially for teams with 20+ users or complex distribution/manufacturing needs.
Acumatica vs Dynamics GP: Feature Comparison
A detailed look at how these platforms compare across key capabilities and operational requirements.
Key Differences That Matter
While GP remains functional today, the architectural and strategic differences between these platforms become increasingly important as you plan for the next 10+ years.
1. Cloud Architecture
Acumatica was built from the ground up as a cloud-native platform. GP was designed in the 1990s for client-server deployments. While GP can be hosted in the cloud, it's fundamentally a legacy architecture adapted for cloud hosting—not designed for it.
What this means practically:
- Acumatica updates automatically twice per year with zero downtime
- GP requires manual upgrade projects that can take weeks and often break customizations
- Acumatica scales elastically without infrastructure planning
- GP requires SQL Server sizing, OS patching, and infrastructure management
2. Licensing Model
This is often the most significant difference for growing organizations. GP uses traditional per-user licensing—every additional user requires another license purchase. Acumatica uses consumption-based pricing with unlimited users.
For a 50-user organization:
- GP: 50 user licenses at $1,500-2,500 each = $75,000-125,000 annually
- Acumatica: Unlimited users, pricing based on transaction volume = typically 30-40% lower TCO
Learn more in our Acumatica ROI & TCO Guide.
3. Integration and Extensibility
Acumatica provides modern REST APIs that make integration straightforward. GP uses older technologies like eConnect and SOAP web services that require more development effort and ongoing maintenance.
Integration examples:
- E-commerce: Acumatica has native connectors for Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce; GP requires third-party middleware
- CRM: Acumatica includes built-in CRM; GP requires separate Dynamics CRM license and complex integration
- Analytics: Acumatica connects easily to Power BI, Tableau; GP integration requires IT resources
4. Mobile Access
Acumatica is browser-based and mobile-responsive from the ground up. Any function available on desktop works on tablets and phones. GP's interface was designed for desktop use; mobile access is limited and clunky.
5. Distribution and Manufacturing
For organizations in distribution or manufacturing, Acumatica offers significantly deeper native capabilities:
- Advanced warehouse management with wave picking and RF scanning
- Native manufacturing module with MRP, production scheduling, and shop floor control
- E-commerce order management and fulfillment
- Lot/serial tracking with full traceability
GP requires third-party add-ons for most of these capabilities, adding cost and complexity.
Migrating from GP to Acumatica
Understanding the migration path, timeline, and what to expect helps you plan a successful transition