Business Central licensing explained

Dynamics 365 Business Central licensing can appear complicated, but there are really only a few options, and fortunately we are here to simplify it for you.

To start with you might see the term User SL or Device SL being used. This literally means "Subscription License". Therefore, that translates to User Subscription License or Device Subscription License.

Now to User options.

There are three types of User Subscription Licenses:

Essentials, Premium, and Team Members.

Essentials User Subscription License

An Essentials User Subscription License gives you access to all the great financial modules that you need.

• Financial Management.

• Project Management.

• Supply Chain Management.

• Human Resources Management.

• Warehouse Management.

Note: This license is also the prerequisite for a 1Staff Back Office License.

Premium License

The Premium License adds Manufacturing and Service Order Management to the Essentials functionality.

• Everything in Essentials plus:
• Service Management.
• Manufacturing.

Team Members

Now that you understand Essential and Premium User Subscription Licenses, let us focus on Team Members.

This is for users who are not tied to a particular function, but who require basic Business Central functionality. This License includes read access as well as some write access for select light tasks across Business Central functionality for a given tenant.

The specific rights for a Team Members user are:

• Read anything within Business Central.

• Update existing data and entries in Business Central. These are records like customers, vendors, or items that are already created. Entries refer to when it is specifically allowed from an accounting perfective to update specific information (e.g. due date on customer ledger entries).

• Approve or reject tasks in all workflows assigned to a user.

• Create, edit, or delete a quote.

Note: This license is not sufficient for a 1Staff Back Office License.

Note: A Team Members application module may not use more than 15 custom entities available to the Dynamics 365 team license.

Device License

Finally, Business Central also has the concept of a Device license.

With the Business Central Device license, multiple users can use a device that is licensed with a Business Central Device SL to operate a point-of-sale device, shop floor device, or warehouse device. A single device can provide some functionality in these areas but does not provide all the capabilities of the Full user.

Is there more? Absolutely!

There are Auditor Licenses, as well as conditions on Multiplexing, Power Apps, and dual use rights. But that is for another time.

For now, simply enjoy your Dynamics 365 Business Central journey.