What does a half-decade of innovation cost? For Business Central users, the answer will be available in November 2025. Microsoft’s first Dynamics 365 Business Central Price Update since the platform’s cloud launch reflects hundreds of added features, embedded AI through Copilot, and expanded storage entitlements. Understand what changed, why it matters to your bottom line, and what strategic moves you should make right now. Separate your business from one that absorbs costs from those that leverage transitions.
What Microsoft Updated in the Latest Business Central Pricing Structure
Microsoft’s November updates send a clear signal that it’s time to reassess how it licenses its Business Central environment. This update represents the first Business Central pricing change since the platform’s cloud launch, reflecting over five years of platform development.
The core Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Price hike is paired with two major value injections: AI features (Copilot) and increased storage.
Here is the breakdown.
| License Type |
Old monthly price |
New monthly price |
Price increase |
Storage boost |
| Essentials |
$70 |
$80 |
14.30% |
2GB → 3GB |
| Premium |
$100 |
$110 |
10.00% |
3GB → 5GB |
| Device |
$40 |
$45 |
12.50% |
1GB → 1.5GB |
| Team Members |
$8 |
$8 |
Unchanged |
N/A |
While these numbers may seem small individually, they matter when you consider how quickly Business Central data grows over time. More transactions, more documents, more activity across teams; they all add up. Even a gigabyte or two can push you to buy extra capacity sooner than you planned.
As more organizations adopt cloud ERP and store larger volumes of data, the older entitlements no longer go as far. For many teams reviewing their budgets, the numbers become an essential part of planning for the next financial year.
AI and Copilot capabilities
Microsoft has enhanced the platform with AI-powered capabilities through Copilot. AI is most useful when integrated into the workflows your team already follows. For example, finance teams benefit from automated explanations and reconciliation support, while operations teams gain from cleaner data entry and faster document handling. These are the kinds of improvements that accumulate quietly but save hours over the course of a month.
Power Platform integration further strengthens this. Automations, approvals, and low-code apps can plug into Business Central without extensive development. When Copilot assists with those flows, small tasks, such as triggering reminders, updating records, or routing information, require less manual effort.
Here are key benefits:
- Faster document handling through Copilot-assisted drafting, summaries, and data entry.
- Clearer financial insights with suggestions, anomaly flags, and explanation prompts.
- Smoother workflows when Copilot connects with Power Automate for approvals and routine tasks.
- Less manual effort overall, especially for teams managing high volumes of transactions or documents.
The real-world impact of Microsoft’s 2025 price changes
Essentials: Noticeable for teams with broad usage
Companies using Essentials across multiple departments will feel the increase quickly, primarily when the system supports daily operations. Ten dollars per user each month sounds small, but it adds up across a large workforce. The added storage helps, since it delays the need to buy extra capacity as your data grows.
Premium: Higher storage makes a practical difference
The pattern is similar for Premium. Organizations that rely on manufacturing, service management, or advanced operations typically store more data. Moving to five gigabytes gives them more room to work with. The price climbs by $10, but this time the added storage has clear value for teams handling production data, service records, and documents every day.
Device Licensing: Small increase, bigger impact at scale
Device licenses are common in warehouses, retail counters, and shop-floor setups. Five extra dollars per device may not matter individually, but companies with dozens or hundreds of shared devices will still need to plan for it. The storage bump is smaller here, yet it still supports teams running frequent scans, counts, and transactions.
Decisions to make before your renewal date
The first step is simple: confirm your renewal date early. It becomes much easier to plan when you are not rushing toward a deadline. If your renewal falls before November 1, you get a window to review your license mix without the new pricing influencing your choices.
Renewals after November 1 are subject to different considerations. The price changes are part of the picture, so the focus shifts to getting more value from features already available in your environment.
Leverage your existing licenses
Many businesses hold assignments that no longer align with day-to-day responsibilities, especially after team changes or process updates. A quick check often reveals profiles sitting in a higher tier than required or users who rarely sign in.
Team Member licenses, still priced at $8, can be a good fit for light-use roles that only need occasional access. Even shifting a handful of these users to a more suitable tier can yield noticeable savings over the year.
Growth plans matter too. If you expect to add new staff or expand certain functions, the timing of those new licenses affects your total spend. Adding them before your renewal keeps them under the current rate, while adding them afterward places them under the latest pricing.
Why work with LevelShift during a pricing update
Key moments like these, when pricing shifts and licensing rules change, highlight the importance of having the right Microsoft partner. Experts at LevelShift work closely with organizations that rely on Business Central every day. Our job is to help you understand what the update means for your environment, your users, and your budget.
We look at real usage to review how your teams work across finance, operations, projects, service, or manufacturing, and map that to the license types that matter most. Many businesses discover that a few minor adjustments, such as removing unused users, reassigning roles, or switching specific profiles to Team Member, lead to immediate savings.
We also help you evaluate the features you already have access to but may not be using to their full potential. Copilot and AI integrations only deliver returns when they are strategically implemented. LevelShift’s role is to show you where those gains are possible and guide you in making them a reality.
If your renewal is coming up or you are unsure how the November update affects you, it is worth starting that conversation now. A quick review can reveal options you did not realize you had. Let us talk.
