Dynamics 365 Business Central Trial: Free 30-Day Guide

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central offers a free trial that allows businesses to explore the ERP before purchasing a licence. You can start by exploring Business Central with sample data and, when you are ready to test the solution with your own company data, switch to a free 30-day trial.

The trial gives you access to many of the key capabilities of Business Central, including finance, sales, purchasing, inventory, projects, reporting, and other business processes. If 30 days are not enough to complete your evaluation, Microsoft also provides an option to extend the trial.

In this blog, we will explain how to start a Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central trial, access Premium capabilities, set up your company, and understand what happens when the trial expires.

Why Try Dynamics 365 Business Central?

Dynamics 365 Business Central is an all-in-one business management solution designed primarily for small and medium-sized businesses. It connects finance, sales, purchasing, inventory, projects, supply chain, and other core business processes within one system.

A Business Central free trial gives you an opportunity to explore these capabilities before committing to implementation. You can use sample data to understand the interface and workflows or move to a 30-day trial when you want to evaluate Business Central with your own company data.

Microsoft currently offers Business Central Essentials at £61.50 per user/month and Business Central Premium at £84.60 per user/month when paid yearly. Prices exclude VAT. You can check the latest Business Central pricing and compare the available plans before making a decision.

If you are unsure which licence or configuration is suitable for your business, you can work with a Microsoft Solutions Partner such as Dynamics Square for Business Central Implementation and product guidance.

If you want to explore Business Central in more detail before starting your trial, read our Business Central Guide for SMBs.

How to Start a Dynamics 365 Business Central Free Trial?

Starting a Dynamics 365 Business Central trial is straightforward. You will need a work or school email address associated with your organisation, as Microsoft does not allow the Business Central trial to be created using personal email services such as Gmail, Hotmail, or Outlook.com.

1. Go to Microsoft’s official Dynamics 365 Business Central trial page.
2. Select the Try for free option for Dynamics 365 Business Central.
3. Enter your work or school email address and follow the sign-up instructions.
4. After completing the registration, Microsoft will create your Business Central trial environment.
5. You can initially explore Business Central using sample data and familiarise yourself with the interface, features, and common business processes.
6. If you want to evaluate Business Central using your own company data, you can switch to the 30-day trial experience.

Before importing a large amount of business data, it is worth identifying the processes you actually want to test, such as finance, inventory, purchasing, reporting, manufacturing, or order management. This makes the trial more useful when deciding whether Business Central fits your requirements.

How to Access Business Central Premium Features During the Trial?

Business Central Premium includes everything available with Essentials along with additional capabilities for manufacturing and service management.

You do not need to start a completely separate trial just to explore these capabilities. Users with an Evaluation or Premium licence can change the Business Central experience from Essentials to Premium.

1. Open your Business Central trial environment.
2. Select the Search icon or press Alt + Q and search for Company Information.
3. Open the Company Information page.
4. Go to the User Experience section.
5. Change the Experience field from Essentials to Premium.

After switching to Premium, additional functionality, including Manufacturing and Service Management, becomes available within the experience.

Remember that changing the Experience setting does not itself assign a Premium licence. If you decide to continue using Premium capabilities after the trial, you will need the appropriate Business Central licence.

Setting Up Company Profile

When you first access the Business Central trial, you can explore the system using sample data. This is useful for understanding how Business Central works without immediately importing your own business information.

If you want to evaluate Business Central with your own data and processes, you can switch to the 30-day trial experience and create an empty company for your evaluation.

• Click on the Gear icon (Setting button) from the top of the welcome screen and select the Assisted Setup button.
• In this, fill in the desired company details, as you can see in the below picture.
• Once you submit all details, your existing dashboard will be updated.

Also, you can import your business data to start using this ERP solution.

In case of special requirements, you can also customise Business Central to try the version most convenient for your business.

If you need any help with the customizations or have some special requirements, contact Dynamics Square to make things work according to your needs.

What Happens When the Business Central Trial Expires?

If you switch to the Business Central trial that allows you to work with your own company data, the trial period lasts for 30 days. If you need more time to evaluate the solution, Microsoft allows you to extend the trial once.

If you still need additional time after using the available extension, you can contact a Microsoft partner to discuss your evaluation and the available options.

Microsoft also states that if a Business Central trial is left unused for 45 days, the trial is considered expired and the Business Central tenant can be deleted.

If you decide that Business Central is suitable for your business, the trial can be converted to a paid subscription by purchasing and assigning the appropriate Business Central licence.

Before moving from trial to implementation, it is worth reviewing your required modules, users, integrations, customisations, data migration requirements, and licence type.

Dynamics Square can help you evaluate these requirements and determine whether Business Central Essentials or Premium is the right fit for your organisation. Our consultants can also help you plan the next steps for Business Central implementation, migration, integration, or customisation. Connect with us Today!

Some FAQs About Business Central Trial

Is Dynamics 365 Business Central available as a free trial?

Yes. Microsoft provides a free Business Central trial. You can explore the application using sample data and switch to a 30-day trial when you want to evaluate the solution using your own company data.

How long is the Business Central free trial?

The Business Central trial for using your own company data lasts for 30 days. Microsoft allows this trial period to be extended once if you need more time to evaluate the solution.

Can I extend my Business Central trial?

Yes. Microsoft allows you to extend the Business Central trial once. If you require additional evaluation time after the extension, you can contact a Microsoft partner to discuss your options.

Can I try Business Central Premium?

Yes. Eligible trial users can change the Experience setting to Premium from the Company Information page to explore additional capabilities such as manufacturing and service management.

Can I use my own data in the Business Central trial?

Yes. You can switch from the sample-data experience to a 30-day trial and create an empty company where you can evaluate Business Central using your own business data.

Do I need a business email for the Business Central trial?

Yes. Microsoft requires a work or school email address for Business Central trial sign-up. Personal email services such as Gmail, Hotmail, and Outlook.com cannot be used for this process.