Replacing Dynamics GP (dates, options and migration)
Dynamics GP support ends 31 December 2029. Compare Business Central, Odoo and other replacements, with migration steps, Canada and US notes, and cost drivers.
Key takeaways
- Microsoft's lifecycle policy page for Dynamics GP states that support ends on 31 December 2029 for product enhancements, regulatory (tax) updates and technical support.
- Three streams end together on 31 December 2029: product enhancements, regulatory and tax updates, and technical support.
- Five routes are realistic for a company of 20 to 100 people.
- Because Microsoft names Business Central as the destination, its tooling is the reference point even if you choose another system.
Dynamics GP end of life: the dates Microsoft has published
Microsoft's lifecycle policy page for Dynamics GP states that support ends on 31 December 2029 for product enhancements, regulatory (tax) updates and technical support. Security updates and patches, if needed, stay available until 30 April 2031. The same page notes that the earlier announced end date was 30 September 2029.
The change is visible in Microsoft's own announcement. The post "Announcing End of Support for Dynamics GP" was published on 25 September 2024. An update dated 15 January 2025 says support now ends on 31 December 2029 so that GP customers can meet their payroll and tax obligations for the full year. The security patch date of 30 April 2031 did not change. Any article that still shows 30 September 2029 repeats the first version of the announcement.
GP version 18.x follows Microsoft's Modern Lifecycle Policy, which Microsoft's lifecycle record dates from 7 October 2019. Under it you stay supported by taking at least one of the three yearly updates, typically released in June, October and December. Older releases keep fixed dates, in the table below.
| Release | Mainstream support | Extended support | Status on 24 October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| GP 2013 and 2013 R2 | Ended 4 April 2018 | Ended 11 April 2023 | Out of support |
| GP 2015 and 2015 R2 | Ended 14 April 2020 | Ended 8 April 2025 | Out of support |
| GP 2016 and 2016 R2 | Ended 13 July 2021 | Ended 14 July 2026 | Out of support |
| GP 2018 and 2018 R2 | Ended 10 January 2023 | Ends 11 January 2028 on the fixed policy | Extended support, unless a tax release or hotfix has moved it to 18.5 or later |
| GP 18.x (modern lifecycle) | Not applicable | Not applicable | Supported until 31 December 2029, with security patches only if needed until 30 April 2031 |
What changes for a company that stays on GP
Three streams end together on 31 December 2029: product enhancements, regulatory and tax updates, and technical support. The sharpest edge is tax. Any close, filing or payroll run that needs a 2030 rate, form or table has to run somewhere else once those updates stop. Microsoft's published pages do not give payroll a later date of its own, so ask your payroll vendor and Microsoft for the payroll position in writing before anyone plans to run payroll on GP into 2030.
Technical support ends with the updates, so a failure in 2030 has no vendor case behind it. Enhancements stop too, which means a gap you live with today becomes permanent. Security patches are conditional: Microsoft says they will be available if needed, and promises nothing after 30 April 2031.
GP 2018 sites have a wrinkle. Microsoft's page says that installing any compatible GP tax release or hotfix on GP 2018 or 2018 R2 brings the install to version 18.5 or later, which puts it on the modern lifecycle. No update keeps 2018 on the fixed dates. A 2018 site that has taken nothing since the release is on the 11 January 2028 date. One that has been patched for tax is already on the 2029 timeline. Check the version number on the About window before you pick a date.
The surroundings age as well. Windows, SQL Server and Office keep moving while GP stands still, and add-ons such as check printing, reporting and integration tools each carry their own support answer. List every one your site runs and ask each vendor for a written plan.
Replacement options for Dynamics GP
Five routes are realistic for a company of 20 to 100 people. Microsoft encourages GP customers toward Dynamics 365 Business Central, and its migration documentation covers that path only. The other routes are legitimate choices, but each becomes a larger data project because no Microsoft GP migration tool applies to them.
Score every option on the same material: your ten highest-volume workflows, your chart of accounts, one representative year of transactions, your add-on list and your payroll calendar. Ask each vendor or implementer to show the path for each item rather than describe it.
| Route | What Microsoft or the vendor documents | Where it fits | What to test first |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dynamics 365 Business Central | A Microsoft cloud migration tool for GP 2015 or later. Essentials $80 and Premium $110 per user per month in the US, CAD 108.50 and CAD 149.20 in Canada, paid yearly. | Finance-led companies that want the shortest documented path and stay in the Microsoft ecosystem | Add-on replacements, reports that must match GP, payroll plan, number of companies |
| Dynamics 365 Finance | Part of the Dynamics 365 family. Microsoft's GP migration tooling targets Business Central, so a Finance move scopes its own data load. | Larger or multi-entity groups that have outgrown a small-business ERP | Whether the size and cost match a 20 to 100 person company |
| Odoo | Standard lists at $24.90 per user per month on yearly billing in year one, then $31.10. No Microsoft migration tool applies, so data moves by export and import. | Companies that want sales, stock, projects and finance on one database, and accept a rebuilt chart of accounts and reports | US or Canadian localization, payroll, and how much GP customization must be recreated |
| Another cloud ERP such as NetSuite, Acumatica or Sage Intacct | Each vendor sets its own price and import method. Microsoft publishes no GP migration path for them. | Companies with a specific industry module or a group standard | Real data load, total cost over five years, and who implements |
| Stay on GP past 2029 | Unsupported after 31 December 2029, with security patches only if needed to 30 April 2031 | A planned, short bridge while a replacement is built | Tax and payroll updates for 2030, auditor view, add-on support |
The Business Central path and what the migration tool moves
Because Microsoft names Business Central as the destination, its tooling is the reference point even if you choose another system. Microsoft's overview describes moving data from an on-premises SQL Server database to Business Central online through Azure Data Factory, table by table, with success and failure tracked per table. Your GP system stays the operating system until you complete the cloud migration. The source must be GP 2015 or later on SQL Server 2016 or later at compatibility level 130 or higher.
The documented sequence runs from a migration assessment, through preparation and cloud migration setup, to data replication, data upgrade, validation and completion. Replication can be rerun while you verify the result. Once the data upgrade succeeds you cannot replicate again from an earlier version, because mixing upgraded and non-upgraded records risks corrupting the online database. Microsoft also warns against setting up cloud migration into a production environment that is already in use for business. Run the first pass on a sandbox.
Several mappings change how your chart of accounts and history look after the move, so they belong in the scope before data work starts. The table summarizes what Microsoft documents.
| GP data | What arrives in Business Central | What you decide or check |
|---|---|---|
| Fiscal periods | Accounting periods. Years marked historical in GP arrive open and must be closed in Business Central. | Who closes the historical years and when |
| Chart of accounts | The main account segment becomes the account number. Other segments become dimensions: two global dimensions you choose, and shortcut dimensions 3 to 8 for further segments. | Whether the segment structure still suits your reporting |
| GL history | Summary transactions are generated per fiscal period for open and history years. You choose the oldest historical year. | How far back summaries should go |
| Customers and vendors | Master records, with an option to migrate active records only. Outstanding receivables and payables arrive at the amount remaining. | Cleanup of inactive and duplicate records first |
| Open purchase orders | Items and quantities still outstanding. Fully received and invoiced items are not migrated. | Receive and invoice what you can before cutover |
| Inventory | Items with the cost valuation method set in GP when the migration runs, with locations, quantities, and lot or serial data where tracked. GP unit of measure schedules have no direct equivalent. | Unit of measure design for items that use schedules |
| Checkbooks | Unreconciled bank transactions arrive so you can reconcile after migration. Undeposited cash receipts do not. | Deposit posted receipts in GP before migrating |
| 1099 data | Vendor 1099 information and box amounts for the calendar year you choose. The first supported year is 2024. | Which year to bring for US filing |
| Detail history | An optional GP Historical Snapshot stores GL detail, receivables, payables, sales order, purchase receipt and inventory transactions in extension tables. You set the oldest snapshot year. | Which modules you still look up, and for how many years |
Odoo as a Dynamics GP replacement
Odoo suits a GP site that wants more than finance on the new system, for example sales, stock, purchasing and projects on one database, or that wants a lower per-user license. Odoo's list price for Standard is $24.90 per user per month on yearly billing in year one, then $31.10; confirm the figure for your region on Odoo's pricing page. That covers the license only, and seat counts rarely match between platforms, since the two count and price user types differently.
No Microsoft tool moves GP data into Odoo. The work is an export from the GP SQL database, a mapping to Odoo's chart of accounts, partners, products and opening entries, and a reconciliation of balances before go-live. Plan for a rebuilt chart of accounts and rebuilt reports rather than a copy of GP's structure. That is more design work than the Business Central path, and it is also a chance to drop GP segments and add-ons you no longer use.
For US and Canadian companies, check localization first. Odoo's documentation lists accounting localizations for both the United States and Canada. Its payroll localization list includes the United States, covering federal taxes and a stated set of states, and does not list Canada, so a Canadian payroll needs a separate plan under either platform. Flectic's Odoo pricing and Odoo versus Business Central guides cover the platform choice in more depth.
A migration approach that works for either destination
Whatever you choose, the data work follows the same order. Settle the history question early, because it sets the volume you validate. A common rule is to load open items and balances, summarize older years, and archive the rest where finance can still query it.
Inventory companies, add-ons and customizations
List every GP company database, every add-on (check printing, reporting, integration tools, payroll), and every customization such as modified forms, reports and Visual Basic or SQL logic. Each item needs a replace, retire or rebuild decision.
Decide how much history to carry
Set the oldest year where your retention policy starts. Bring balances and open items in full, bring summaries for the years you report on, and keep older detail in an archive or snapshot that finance can query. Less volume means less to validate.
Clean before the first load
Merge duplicate customers and vendors, close or write off stale open items, retire dead inventory and apply unapplied credits. Dirty data costs little in GP and costs validation hours in a migration.
Rebuild the chart of accounts and reports
Decide which GP segments become accounts and which become dimensions. List the reports finance must see match GP output, and design them on the new system before the first rehearsal.
Rehearse on a sandbox, then run a parallel close
Run at least one full trial load, reconcile trial balance, receivables, payables and inventory to GP, and fix mappings. Run one month-end on both systems while GP is still supported so errors surface while they are cheap.
Cut over and stabilize
Freeze GP on a planned date, run the final load, reconcile opening balances, and stay with the finance team through the first close on the new system.
Canada and US notes for a GP replacement
Prices and payroll differ by country, and they change the shortlist. Business Central lists in Canadian dollars on Microsoft's Canadian pricing page, CAD 108.50 for Essentials and CAD 149.20 for Premium per user per month, paid yearly, plus applicable tax. US prices are $80 and $110. Both were read on 24 October 2026.
Payroll is the item most often found late. Business Central's pricing page lists Essentials, Premium and Team Members plans and no payroll plan, so payroll on Business Central is a separate decision with its own vendor and contract. If your GP site runs payroll today, in the US or Canada, get the replacement payroll plan and its cutover date in writing before you sign the ERP scope. Canadian payroll needs T4 year-end output and provincial rules, and in Odoo it needs a separate arrangement because Odoo's documented payroll localizations do not include Canada.
For US companies, vendor 1099 data can move with the Business Central migration tool, starting with calendar year 2024. State payroll and sales tax setup should be tested for each state where you have employees or nexus. For Canadian companies, test GST and HST and each provincial tax you file against real invoices before cutover, and confirm CAD and USD handling if you bill in both. A company with entities on both sides of the border should list every entity in the migration set early, since each company adds validation work.
What drives the cost of leaving Dynamics GP
Start with the part you can compute today, the license. Microsoft lists Business Central Essentials at $80 per user per month in the US and CAD 108.50 in Canada, paid yearly. For 12 full users that is $960 a month, or $11,520 a year, in the US, and CAD 1,302 a month, or CAD 15,624 a year plus tax, in Canada. Premium adds service management and manufacturing at $110 or CAD 149.20. Odoo Standard for the same 12 users is $298.80 a month in year one ($3,585.60 a year), then $4,478.40 a year at $31.10. These are license figures only. Team Members and other user types change the Business Central total.
The implementation has no list price. Microsoft publishes license prices and the migration tool, and the services figure exists only after scoping. These drivers move it most, in rough order: the number of company databases in the migration set, the number of add-ons needing a replacement, how much history you carry, whether payroll moves or is re-homed, how many reports must match GP output, and how clean the data is before the first load.
Ask every bidder for three things in writing: a fixed price for phase one, data migration priced as its own line, and a phase plan with calendar dates. Treat any number quoted before a scope exists as a placeholder. Flectic's cost guides for Business Central and for ERP implementation show how the pieces add up.
Back-solving your timeline from 31 December 2029
Work backwards from the dates you control. Two anchors set the shape: the last tax and regulatory updates cover periods through 31 December 2029, and you want at least one full quarter of live running, with a parallel close, while GP is still supported. The durations below are a Flectic planning schedule for a 20 to 100 person company, not a Microsoft figure. Your scope sets the real durations.
| When | Phase | Done means |
|---|---|---|
| By mid-2027 | Decide the path | Destination chosen, add-on inventory written down, budget approved, payroll plan agreed |
| Late 2027 to early 2028 | Select and contract | Phase-one scope and price signed, data cleanup under way |
| 2028 | Build and rehearse | Chart of accounts and reports designed, trial loads reconciled, core team trained |
| First half of 2029 | Phase one live | Finance on the new system, first close done, GP kept read-only |
| Second half of 2029 | Parallel close and wind-down | Mapping errors fixed while GP is still supported, GP archived before 31 December 2029 |
Checks to finish before you sign a scope
Each check changes the quote or the calendar. A one-page record of the answers is what finance can approve and what a bidder can price.
| Check | What to record | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| GP version | Exact version from the About window, and whether a tax release has moved it to 18.5 or later | Decides which support date applies |
| SQL Server | Version and database compatibility level | The Business Central tool needs SQL Server 2016 or later at level 130 or higher |
| Company databases | Count, and which ones move | Each company adds validation work |
| Add-ons | Every add-on with its vendor's written plan | Unknown add-ons are where scope grows |
| Payroll | Where payroll runs, in the US or Canada, and the replacement plan | Payroll tolerates a frozen tax table the least |
| History | Oldest year of detail anyone still looks up | Sets data volume and validation effort |
| Reports | The reports that must match GP output | Reports drive design effort more than table counts |
| Opening balance owner | The person who signs reconciled balances | Cutover needs one accountable sign-off |
How Flectic can help
Flectic is an independent ERP consultancy for companies of 20 to 100 people in the US and Canada, and it implements both Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Odoo, so a GP site gets a recommendation in writing rather than a default. We hold no certification from either vendor. On a GP exit we start with your version, your add-ons, your payroll and your history, then recommend Business Central, Odoo or a different route.
On Business Central we set up the finance foundation: general ledger, payables and receivables, dimensions and bank reconciliation, with opening balances reconciled before go-live. We work alongside your team through the first month-end close. Book a free discovery call with Flectic to price the Microsoft license from the current list, and we will send a written proposal with a fixed price for each phase before work starts. Start with the Business Central implementation scope or the ERP implementation service.
Sources
Dynamics GP support ends on 31 December 2029 for product enhancements, regulatory (tax) updates and technical support (previously announced end date 30 September 2029). Security updates and patches, if needed, are available until 30 April 2031. Fixed lifecycle dates for GP 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2018; installing a compatible tax release or hotfix on GP 2018 moves it to 18.5 or later on the Modern Lifecycle Policy. Three yearly updates typically in June, October and December.
learn.microsoft.comChecked 2026-10-24Microsoft's lifecycle record: Dynamics GP follows the Modern Lifecycle Policy, start date 7 October 2019.
learn.microsoft.comChecked 2026-10-24Announcing End of Support for Dynamics GP, Microsoft Dynamics 365 blog, published 25 September 2024. Update of 15 January 2025: product support and updates now end on 31 December 2029 (previously 30 September 2029) so GP customers can meet payroll and tax obligations for the full year; security patches still end 30 April 2031. Microsoft names Business Central as its flagship SMB ERP for the move.
microsoft.comChecked 2026-10-24GP to Business Central online migration: data moves from an on-premises SQL Server database through Azure Data Factory, table by table; GP 2015 or later is the source; sandbox first; do not set up cloud migration on a production environment already in use; after the data upgrade succeeds, replication cannot be rerun from an earlier version; validation compares GP source data with migrated data.
learn.microsoft.comChecked 2026-10-24SQL Server 2016 or later with compatibility level 130 or higher is required; GP 2015 and later can migrate to Business Central online.
learn.microsoft.comChecked 2026-10-24What GP data migrates: fiscal periods, chart of accounts mapping to account number and dimensions, GL summary transactions, customers, vendors, outstanding receivables and payables at remaining amounts, open purchase orders, inventory, unit of measure handling, unreconciled checkbook transactions (undeposited receipts are not migrated), 1099 data from calendar year 2024, and the optional GP Historical Snapshot.
learn.microsoft.comChecked 2026-10-24Business Central US list prices: Essentials $80, Premium $110 and Team Members $8 per user per month, paid yearly. The plans list no payroll plan.
microsoft.comChecked 2026-10-24Business Central Canada list prices: Essentials CAD 108.50 and Premium CAD 149.20 per user per month, paid yearly, plus applicable tax.
microsoft.comChecked 2026-10-24Odoo's pricing page shows per-user prices by plan, region and billing period. Read from a European address on 24 October 2026 it showed Standard at 24.90 list and 31.10 figures in euros. The US dollar figures in this guide, $24.90 in year one then $31.10 on yearly billing, are Flectic's own record of Odoo's US list price; confirm them for your region.
odoo.comChecked 2026-10-24Odoo 20 payroll localizations list the United States (federal taxes and a stated set of states) and do not list Canada.
odoo.comChecked 2026-10-24Odoo 20 United States payroll localization: federal income tax, FICA and unemployment tax for employees and employers, plus 26 states and Washington, D.C.
odoo.comChecked 2026-10-24Odoo fiscal localizations are available for the United States and Canada.
odoo.comChecked 2026-10-24
Frequently asked questions
When does Dynamics GP support end?
Microsoft's lifecycle policy page says Dynamics GP support ends on 31 December 2029 for product enhancements, regulatory and tax updates, and technical support. Security patches, if needed, continue until 30 April 2031. The earlier announced date was 30 September 2029, which some older articles still show.
What replaces Dynamics GP?
Microsoft points GP customers to Dynamics 365 Business Central and publishes a cloud migration tool for GP 2015 or later. Other realistic routes are Dynamics 365 Finance for larger groups, Odoo, or another cloud ERP. Only Business Central has a Microsoft GP migration tool, so the others become larger data projects.
Is Dynamics GP the same as Great Plains?
Yes. Great Plains was the product's earlier name, and buyers still search for it. Microsoft's lifecycle record for the product carries the keyword Great Plains next to Dynamics GP, and the support dates in this guide apply to the product under either name.
Which GP versions does the Business Central migration tool accept?
Microsoft's migration FAQ says GP 2015 and later versions can migrate to Business Central online, using SQL Server 2016 or later with database compatibility level 130 or higher. Microsoft's overview says to run the migration as a test on a sandbox first, and warns against setting it up on a production environment already in use.
Does Canadian payroll move with GP data?
Microsoft's migration documentation covers accounts, customers, vendors, items, open transactions, checkbooks and history, and does not describe a payroll move. Business Central's pricing page lists no payroll plan. Get the Canadian payroll plan for the new system in writing before you sign an ERP scope.
How much does leaving Dynamics GP cost?
The license is public. Business Central Essentials lists at $80 per user per month in the US and CAD 108.50 in Canada, paid yearly, as of 24 October 2026. Microsoft publishes no project price. The services cost depends on company count, add-ons, history, reports and payroll, so get a fixed price for each phase after scoping.
When should we start moving off GP?
Work back from 31 December 2029 and keep at least one full quarter of live running with a parallel close. For most companies that puts the decision in 2027 and the build in 2028. Sites on GP 2016 or earlier are already past extended support, so their decision belongs in this budget year.