Is Great Plains still supported?

Only for a limited and published window. Microsoft will end Dynamics GP support on December 31, 2029 for product enhancements, regulatory and tax updates, and technical support. Security updates and patches, if needed, will be provided only until April 30, 2031. Microsoft has also closed Dynamics GP to new customers, with new-customer subscription licensing ending April 1, 2026. Older fixed-lifecycle releases end sooner: Dynamics GP 2016 ends extended support on July 14, 2026, and Dynamics GP 2018 on January 11, 2028. Current Dynamics GP 18.x runs under the Modern Lifecycle Policy and follows the 2029 and 2031 dates.

Why did Great Plains become Microsoft Dynamics GP?

Microsoft acquired Great Plains Software in 2001 to enter the mid-market business-applications space. The product moved through Microsoft Business Solutions branding and was then settled under the Microsoft Dynamics family as Dynamics GP. The "GP" preserves the Great Plains heritage, which is why many finance teams still refer to the system simply as Great Plains. The underlying product remained a mature on-premises accounting and ERP suite throughout. Lightbridge ERP treats that heritage neutrally: the question that matters now is the forward path, not the brand history.

What happens if we stay on Great Plains after 2029?

The software keeps running, but the risk profile changes. After December 31, 2029 there are no tax or regulatory updates, so payroll and compliance calculations drift out of date. After April 30, 2031 there are no security patches, which raises audit, cyber-insurance, and data-protection exposure. Third-party add-ons and integrations gradually lose vendor support, and the pool of practitioners who know Dynamics GP deeply shrinks each year. Staying is a decision to accept growing compliance and security risk, and it should be made deliberately, not by default.

How long does a migration off Great Plains take?

A typical mid-market move off Dynamics GP runs three to nine months from platform selection to go-live, depending on the number of entities, the depth of customization and add-ons, and the volume of historical data to convert. The biggest schedule risks are undocumented GP customizations, integrations built over years, and chart-of-accounts cleanup. Selection itself takes time to do well. Lightbridge ERP front-loads those risks in the assessment so the timeline reflects the real estate rather than an optimistic guess.

How does Lightbridge ERP help Great Plains customers?

Lightbridge ERP is an independent, vendor-neutral ERP advisory firm, not a Microsoft reseller. It runs the needs assessment in-house, selects the successor platform neutrally (Business Central scored against NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Acumatica, and others on fit), and owns the data-migration strategy, project management, and technical leadership of the move. Because it accepts no vendor kickbacks, no reseller quotas, and no partner-tier incentives, the recommendation follows fit rather than commission. Hands-on build of the chosen target, such as Business Central, is delivered by vetted partners under Lightbridge ERP project management and technical leadership.

KB Written by Kristy Barber with Robert LabardeeERP Selection Lead and Founder and CEO

Last updated June 2026.

What is Microsoft Dynamics GP (Great Plains)?

Lightbridge ERP defines Microsoft Dynamics GP, originally Great Plains, as a mature on-premises mid-market accounting and ERP system that Microsoft acquired in 2001 and has now placed on a published end-of-life timeline. Support ends December 31, 2029, so for most organizations Great Plains is now a migration story, not a long-term platform.

Plan a GP migration How to choose an ERP

Great Plains is Microsoft Dynamics GP, a mature on-premises mid-market ERP.

Great Plains began as Great Plains Accounting, built by Great Plains Software, a company founded in 1981. Microsoft acquired it in 2001 and, after a period under the Microsoft Business Solutions name, settled it as Microsoft Dynamics GP. The product served North American mid-market organizations for decades and earned a reputation as a capable, dependable financial and operational system.

Dynamics GP runs financials, distribution, purchasing, and payroll, with manufacturing and project add-ons, and it carries a deep catalog of third-party ISV products. It is an on-premises system, installed and maintained on a customer's own server, which is the model most organizations bought into long before cloud ERP became the default. For the broader category, the what is ERP guide sets the context.

Great Plains is not a Lightbridge practice, and no firm delivers new in-house GP work, because the platform is closing. Lightbridge ERP is an independent, vendor-neutral ERP advisory firm, and its role here is to help Great Plains customers choose the right successor and lead the migration through delivery.

From Great Plains Software to Microsoft Dynamics GP.

The Great Plains name carries forty years of mid-market accounting history. Understanding where the product came from explains why so many finance teams still depend on it and why the name persists even under the Dynamics brand.

Great Plains Software, 1981

Great Plains Accounting was built by Great Plains Software, founded in Fargo in 1981. It became one of the most widely deployed mid-market accounting systems in North America over the following two decades.

Microsoft acquisition, 2001

Microsoft acquired Great Plains Software in 2001 and folded the product into its business-applications line. Over time it was rebranded Microsoft Business Solutions and then Microsoft Dynamics GP.

A capable on-premises ERP

Dynamics GP runs financials, distribution, purchasing, and payroll, with manufacturing and project add-ons. It is an on-premises system, installed and run on a customer server, with a long catalog of third-party ISV products built around it.

Microsoft Dynamics GP is on a published end-of-life timeline.

The single most important fact about Great Plains today is that Microsoft has placed it on a closing schedule. The current Dynamics GP 18.x runs under the Modern Lifecycle Policy, and the end dates are fixed.

Support ends

December 31, 2029

No further product enhancements, regulatory and tax updates, or technical support for Dynamics GP.

Security patches end

April 30, 2031

Security updates and patches, if any are still issued, stop. After this date Great Plains receives no fixes of any kind.

Closed to new customers

April 1, 2026

New-customer subscription licensing for Dynamics GP ended April 1, 2026. Microsoft has confirmed the product is in wind-down and steers customers to Dynamics 365 Business Central.

Organizations still on the older fixed-lifecycle releases face tighter deadlines: Dynamics GP 2016 ends extended support on July 14, 2026, and Dynamics GP 2018 on January 11, 2028. Those customers should plan first. The full picture, including the risks of staying, is in the Dynamics GP end-of-life guide.

Business Central is the named successor, not the automatic answer.

Microsoft positions Dynamics 365 Business Central as the successor to Dynamics GP, and for many Great Plains customers it is a strong, natural fit. It is not automatically the right answer for every organization. A move off GP is the rare moment to reassess the platform on the merits rather than follow the default upgrade path.

Lightbridge ERP runs a structured needs assessment first, then scores Business Central against the full platform landscape, including NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Acumatica, and others, on weighted requirements. Because Lightbridge ERP accepts no vendor kickbacks and carries no reseller quota, the recommendation reflects fit, not a commission. See the sibling what is Dynamics 365 guide and the Microsoft Dynamics 365 practice for the successor in detail.

Lightbridge ERP leads the migration off Great Plains, target-neutral.

Lightbridge ERP is an independent, vendor-neutral ERP advisory firm, not a Microsoft reseller. It keeps the parts that demand independence and accountability in-house: the needs assessment, the vendor-neutral selection of the successor platform, the data-migration strategy, project management, and technical leadership of the move. The delivery model follows the chosen target, not Great Plains itself.

Hands-on build of the target platform, such as Business Central, is delivered by vetted partners under Lightbridge ERP project management and technical leadership, so one accountable owner runs the program. In-house hands-on delivery is reserved for NetSuite and EPM/FP&A. Because Lightbridge ERP accepts no vendor kickbacks, no reseller quotas, and no partner-tier incentives, the recommendation follows fit, not commission. Start with ERP consulting and a structured ERP selection.

What is Great Plains: frequently asked questions

What is Microsoft Dynamics GP (Great Plains)?: Microsoft Dynamics GP is a mid-market accounting and ERP system that began as Great Plains Accounting, built by Great Plains Software, founded in 1981. Microsoft acquired Great Plains in 2001 and rebranded it Microsoft Dynamics GP. It is an on-premises system that runs financials, distribution, purchasing, and payroll, with manufacturing and project add-ons, and it was deployed widely across North American mid-market organizations for decades. Today it is a capable but closing platform: Microsoft has placed it on a published end-of-life timeline. Lightbridge ERP is an independent, vendor-neutral ERP advisory firm that helps Great Plains customers plan the path forward.
Is Great Plains still supported?: Only for a limited and published window. Microsoft will end Dynamics GP support on December 31, 2029 for product enhancements, regulatory and tax updates, and technical support. Security updates and patches, if needed, will be provided only until April 30, 2031. Microsoft has also closed Dynamics GP to new customers, with new-customer subscription licensing ending April 1, 2026. Older fixed-lifecycle releases end sooner: Dynamics GP 2016 ends extended support on July 14, 2026, and Dynamics GP 2018 on January 11, 2028. Current Dynamics GP 18.x runs under the Modern Lifecycle Policy and follows the 2029 and 2031 dates.
Why did Great Plains become Microsoft Dynamics GP?: Microsoft acquired Great Plains Software in 2001 to enter the mid-market business-applications space. The product moved through Microsoft Business Solutions branding and was then settled under the Microsoft Dynamics family as Dynamics GP. The "GP" preserves the Great Plains heritage, which is why many finance teams still refer to the system simply as Great Plains. The underlying product remained a mature on-premises accounting and ERP suite throughout. Lightbridge ERP treats that heritage neutrally: the question that matters now is the forward path, not the brand history.
What replaces Dynamics GP?: Microsoft positions Dynamics 365 Business Central as the successor to Dynamics GP, and for many Great Plains customers it is a strong, natural fit. It is not automatically the right answer for every organization. A move off GP is the rare moment to reassess the platform on the merits. Lightbridge ERP runs a structured needs assessment, then scores Business Central against the full landscape, including NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Acumatica, and others, on weighted requirements. The destination is chosen on fit, not on a vendor default, because Lightbridge ERP accepts no vendor kickbacks and carries no reseller quota.
What happens if we stay on Great Plains after 2029?: The software keeps running, but the risk profile changes. After December 31, 2029 there are no tax or regulatory updates, so payroll and compliance calculations drift out of date. After April 30, 2031 there are no security patches, which raises audit, cyber-insurance, and data-protection exposure. Third-party add-ons and integrations gradually lose vendor support, and the pool of practitioners who know Dynamics GP deeply shrinks each year. Staying is a decision to accept growing compliance and security risk, and it should be made deliberately, not by default.
How long does a migration off Great Plains take?: A typical mid-market move off Dynamics GP runs three to nine months from platform selection to go-live, depending on the number of entities, the depth of customization and add-ons, and the volume of historical data to convert. The biggest schedule risks are undocumented GP customizations, integrations built over years, and chart-of-accounts cleanup. Selection itself takes time to do well. Lightbridge ERP front-loads those risks in the assessment so the timeline reflects the real estate rather than an optimistic guess.
How does Lightbridge ERP help Great Plains customers?: Lightbridge ERP is an independent, vendor-neutral ERP advisory firm, not a Microsoft reseller. It runs the needs assessment in-house, selects the successor platform neutrally (Business Central scored against NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Acumatica, and others on fit), and owns the data-migration strategy, project management, and technical leadership of the move. Because it accepts no vendor kickbacks, no reseller quotas, and no partner-tier incentives, the recommendation follows fit rather than commission. Hands-on build of the chosen target, such as Business Central, is delivered by vetted partners under Lightbridge ERP project management and technical leadership.

From understanding Great Plains to leaving it well.

Microsoft Dynamics GP support ends December 31, 2029. Lightbridge ERP will assess your requirements, recommend the right successor on the merits, and lead the migration through delivery.

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