We bring your Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 database directly to the current Business Central version – without intermediate versions, typically in 4 weeks, at a fixed price for the data migration starting at 4.500 €. Your legacy system keeps running until the cutover date thanks to Live-Sync. Your database is already SQL-based and Unicode-capable, which noticeably shortens the path.
Support ended in January 2023
Upgrade from NAV 2013 directly to the current Business Central version
Out of Support
Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 no longer receives updates.
Mainstream and extended support for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 have expired. There are no more security updates, no hotfixes and no direct, official Microsoft upgrade path.
End of support January 2023
No more updates under the Fixed Lifecycle Policy
Risk check
Risk checklist for continuing to run NAV 2013.
Six points that become a risk in legacy operation – and how the upgrade resolves each of them.
Operating system
Outdated Windows Server
Old Windows Server versions no longer receive security updates. Security gaps and the risk of outages grow every month, and patching remains a permanent task for your IT.
After the upgrade
Microsoft takes care of operations
In Business Central Cloud there are no servers of your own: Microsoft runs, patches and secures the platform. Your IT team gains time for work that moves the company forward.
Server hardware
Aging hardware
The older the servers and hard disks, the higher the risk of defects. A hardware failure hits your ERP directly – and with it order entry, warehouse and accounting.
After the upgrade
No more hardware of your own
After the move to the cloud, the replacement purchasing cycle no longer applies; OnPremise customers migrate to current, supported infrastructure.
SQL database
SQL Server without fixes
Microsoft SQL Server also has to be kept up to date. Missing security fixes and performance problems put day-to-day operations at risk.
After the upgrade
Current platform included
Business Central brings the database platform with it. Updates come with the releases, without your own SQL version management.
Backup strategy
Backup without a real-world test
Daily backups, a recovery concept and the knowledge of how to restore your data are entirely your responsibility in legacy operation – and are often only put to the test in an emergency.
After the upgrade
Geo-redundant backup as standard
Business Central Cloud backs up continuously and geo-redundantly. Restoring is part of the service instead of an emergency project.
Security
No more security updates
Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 no longer receives patches. Every newly discovered vulnerability stays open – a growing entry point for attackers.
After the upgrade
Back in the security lifecycle
On the current version, your ERP is back in the Microsoft lifecycle: regular updates, modern authentication, auditable permissions.
Legal compliance
GoBD and e-invoicing on your own
If you keep running the old system, you would have to retrofit GoBD-compliant processes and the e-invoicing requirements (XRechnung, ZUGFeRD) yourself – Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 no longer provides anything for this.
After the upgrade
Compliance as standard
Business Central supports e-invoicing and traceable processes as standard, updated continuously instead of built once.
Two routes, one destination
The standard upgrade path – and the direct one.
Microsoft offers no direct route from Dynamics NAV 2013 to Business Central v28. The standard path runs through four interim versions, each one a migration of its own, with its own testing and its own sign-off. DataMigrate Pro skips that chain.
Standard path · four interim versions
How the upgrade runs without DataMigrate Pro
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01
Dynamics NAV 2013
Your starting version. The standard path lifts it one step at a time.
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02
NAV 2013 R2
A mandatory stop. The jump brings a new data model and a first round of code changes.
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03
NAV 2015, 2016, 2017 or 2018
A mandatory stop. Which of the four versions you need depends on the target release.
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04
Business Central v14
The last version with C/AL. This is where the code is moved to AL.
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05
Business Central v25
An interim stop on the way to the current version.
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06
Business Central v28
The target – reached after 4 migrations along the way.
With DataMigrate Pro · one stop
How it runs with us
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07
Dynamics NAV 2013
Your old system keeps running untouched and is only read from.
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08
Business Central v28
Data and customisations move to the target version in one step. Until go-live, live and delta sync keep both systems aligned.
Why this works. The standard path needs every interim version because Microsoft’s upgrade tooling only carries the data model from one release to the next. DataMigrate Pro reads the source database directly at table level and writes into the target model – which is what makes the interim steps unnecessary. See the comparison with the Microsoft Cloud Migration Tool →
What is special about Dynamics NAV 2013?
The dimensions were remodeled with the 2013 release
Dimension Set Entries instead of dimension values on every posting line. This conversion step is the most demanding one on the way from NAV to Business Central; in your case it is already behind you. From NAV 2013 onwards, the data model is compatible with Business Central.
Forms, dataports and the native database have been gone since 2013
With 2013 they were removed together with the classic report layouts. Your reports are in RDLC format, your database runs on SQL Server and is Unicode-capable. Exactly the three points that make migrations from older versions take longer do not apply in your case.
C/AL in the standard code and .NET interop remain
Customizations still sit directly in the standard code, and 2013 added .NET interoperability. In Business Central Cloud, .NET interop no longer runs. In the Upgrade-Check we examine where your solution relies on it and what the standard can do on its own today.
Why switch to the latest Dynamics 365 Business Central version?
Dynamics NAV 2013 is out of support
Missing updates, growing security and downtime risks. Business Central follows the Modern Policy with predictable releases and a current security baseline.
CoPilot & AI Features
With Dynamics 365 Business Central, Copilot/AI, Power Automate, Teams & Dynamics integrations are available without additional development. Processes become measurably faster and manual handovers between systems disappear.
E-invoicing/XRechnung · GoBD/GDPR · ViDA compliance
E-invoicing/XRechnung, GoBD/GDPR and modern permission concepts can be mapped cleanly in Dynamics 365 Business Central. That reduces audit risks and makes the system auditable.
Never a major upgrade again
With Extensions instead of base modifications and two automatic releases per year, Business Central stays up to date on its own. The move from NAV 2013 is therefore your last large upgrade project.
Process
This is how your upgrade works.
From the analysis to the cutover date – your legacy system stays live right up to the end.
01
Upgrade-Check
We analyze your Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 database – you receive a fixed-price range and a schedule.
02
Test migration
Full trial run with your real data – you see your Business Central with your figures.
03
Mapping & Extensions
Custom objects, ISV add-ons and customizations are mapped or replaced.
04
Live-Sync
Your legacy system keeps running as normal; DataMigrate Pro keeps the data in sync until the cutover date.
05
User acceptance
Key users test the processes in the new system and approve them.
06
Cutover & Go-live
The switchover happens on the cutover date – without data loss, typically after about 4 weeks of project time.
Move from NAV 2013 directly to Business Central. From 4.500,00 EUR
We migrate your data directly from Dynamics NAV to Business Central – without intermediate steps and without downtime. The fixed price for the data migration starts at 4.500 €.
Ready to start in Business Central in 4 weeks (typical)
Customers, vendors, items and further master data included
Complete transfer (entries, documents, history, Add-ons) can be booked in addition – details in the FAQ.
FAQ
FAQ – frequently asked questions
What is easier when upgrading from NAV 2013 than from older versions?
Three areas of work fall away. The dimension conversion has already been done – it was the largest data rebuild between NAV 2009 and today. Your reports are in RDLC format and do not have to be reinvented. And your database is SQL-based and Unicode-capable, so there are no character set problems with umlauts and special characters. What remains is the work on your C/AL customizations, which run in Business Central as Extensions alongside the standard, and the question of what the standard now covers on its own.
What does an upgrade / move from Dynamics NAV to Dynamics 365 Business Central cost?
Our entry-level packages start at 4.500,00 € for the master data transfer (e.g. customers, vendors, items, central setup data). A complete 1:1 data transfer including transaction data, ledger entries, general ledger history, posted and unposted documents, custom tables and add-ons is possible – standardized through DataMigrate Pro and therefore considerably cheaper than classic projects. The final cost estimate and the selection of the package that fits you follow a short assessment.
How long does an upgrade / switch from Dynamics NAV to Dynamics 365 Business Central take?
Around four weeks until Business Central is in productive use; with a large data volume or many customizations it can also take longer. During the migration phase we synchronize continuously, so that you can keep using your existing system up to the planned Go-live and Business Central is always close to the current state.
Do you also support Dynamics 365 Business Central OnPremise, or only cloud?
Both. In contrast to Microsoft’s own direction, we advise and deliver neutrally for cloud and OnPremise. What matters are IT strategy, compliance, interfaces and TCO – not the dogma “everything has to go to the cloud”.
Does a complete data migration take place?
Yes, 1:1 transfers are possible with DataMigrate Pro. Together we define cutover dates and the data scope (master and transaction data) and verify the result with reconciliation overviews (balance and document differences).
Can we also migrate the data ourselves with DataMigrate Pro?
Yes. DataMigrate Pro is built to be easy to use. Many of our customers carry out parts of the work themselves (e.g. master data mapping, test runs). We take care of setup, tricky steps, quality assurance and the Cutover (switching over to the new system). We have provided several guides for this.
Do you have references? This all sounds too good to be true.
Understandable question – our prices are considerably lower than what many prospects have seen in earlier quotes. The best evidence comes from projects: we have published a case study on the migration from Dynamics NAV 2009 to Business Central and can put you in touch with verifiable reference customers on request. An independent assessment is also available from Cedrik Ferner, author of a book on Business Central, on My Business Central.
Do our in-house developments have to be transferred 1:1?
No – and it would rarely make sense, because over the years technical debt has often built up that should be cleared out. We look at the business logic, but re-implement it technically as AL Extensions (events/subscriptions). The result: release-ready, maintainable, with no changes to the core. That keeps you ready for future versions and updates.
What happens to our Add-ons (ISV solutions)?
We check whether there is an AppSource version of your current ISV solution. If not, we replace functions with the standard or with lightweight Extensions. Our aim: fewer dependencies and simpler updates.
How do you minimize downtime at Go-live?
In principle there is no downtime with our solution, because we migrate the data from Dynamics NAV to Dynamics 365 Business Central continuously (double run with a parallel phase). This reduces the switchover to a few minutes. The step remains reversible, because you can continue working in the old system at any time.
Cloud or OnPremise – which makes more sense for us?
On request we assess this question for you, taking compliance, integrations, security requirements and costs into account. Cloud means less infrastructure effort and faster innovation; OnPremise remains a valid option if, for example, data sovereignty or special integrations carry more weight.
Can we migrate step by step (technology first, processes later)?
Yes. First the technical upgrade (AL conformity, data), then process optimization (e.g. Copilot/automation, reporting). That way you are productive in Business Central quickly.
What changes for the users?
In short: role-based interfaces, more modern navigation, integrated Office/Teams/Power BI workflows. Everything else stays the same: your data and processes are transferred 1:1 from the previous system and improved / adjusted on request.
Other upgrade paths
Are you coming from a different version?
DataMigrate Pro covers every NAV and Navision version as a source. Choose your starting point.
Dynamics NAV 2009
Business Central (Cloud or OnPremise)
Dynamics NAV 2009 R2
Business Central (Cloud or OnPremise)
Dynamics NAV 2013
● You are here
Dynamics NAV 2013 R2
Business Central (Cloud or OnPremise)
Dynamics NAV 2015
Business Central (Cloud or OnPremise)
Dynamics NAV 2016
Business Central (Cloud or OnPremise)
Dynamics NAV 2017
Business Central (Cloud or OnPremise)
Dynamics NAV 2018
Business Central (Cloud or OnPremise)
Business Central v14
Business Central (Cloud or OnPremise)
Business Central v15
Business Central (Cloud or OnPremise)
Business Central v16
Business Central (Cloud or OnPremise)
Business Central v17
Business Central (Cloud or OnPremise)
Business Central v18
Business Central (Cloud or OnPremise)
Business Central v19
Business Central (Cloud or OnPremise)
Business Central v20
Business Central (Cloud or OnPremise)
Business Central v21
Business Central (Cloud or OnPremise)
Business Central v22
Business Central (Cloud or OnPremise)
Business Central v23
Business Central (Cloud or OnPremise)
Business Central v24
Business Central (Cloud or OnPremise)
Business Central v25
Business Central (Cloud or OnPremise)
Business Central v26
Business Central (Cloud or OnPremise)
Business Central v27
Business Central (Cloud or OnPremise)