Odoo: the open all-in-one ERP
Odoo bundles sales, accounting, inventory, manufacturing, website and HR in one open system. This is where the groundwork lives: what separates the editions, how Odoo holds up against 59 other systems, and what that means for your business. If you are past deciding and want to implement, the offer is on the service page.
59 system comparisons
Odoo vs. SAP, DATEV, Microsoft Dynamics, weclapp, sevDesk and more. Module by module and neutral.
Community vs. Enterprise
Open source or the paid edition? The difference module by module, across all 8 areas.
What it costs
Licence, hosting, implementation, data migration, training: what the five items are made of and what drives them.
Implementation & consulting
Done comparing and ready to implement? The offer is on the service page.
What Odoo actually is
Odoo is not a single program but a set of modules on one database. Sales, purchasing, inventory, manufacturing, accounting, projects, HR, website and shop all read from the same records. That is the whole point: a delivery note does not have to be retyped from the order, because it is the same order.
There are two editions. Community is open source under the LGPLv3, free to use and free to modify. Enterprise builds on that core and adds full accounting, the Studio editor, Documents, native mobile apps plus support and upgrades; it is billed per user per month. You can move between the editions in both directions without losing data, which makes the decision far less final than it looks.
The second thing worth knowing early: Odoo is not an accounting package with extras attached. It is an operational system. In Germany that usually means Odoo runs the business and a DATEV export goes to the tax advisor — not that DATEV gets replaced.
Odoo against 59 other systems
We compared Odoo module by module with 59 ERP, inventory and accounting systems. Sorted into three groups, because the questions behind them are different ones.
ERP systems
The classic head-to-head: Odoo against the established mid-market and enterprise suites. Where they are ahead, where the licence model decides, and where Odoo simply covers more per euro.
Inventory & e-commerce
For anyone shipping goods: how Odoo compares to the systems built around orders, stock and marketplaces — and where a dedicated inventory tool stays the better fit.
Accounting, invoicing & tax
The comparison people get wrong most often, because half of these are not ERPs at all. Where the line runs — and where combining beats replacing.
Odoo, open source & editions
What is the difference between Odoo Community and Enterprise?
The Community edition is open source (LGPLv3) and free, with core modules for sales, inventory, projects and website. Enterprise adds full accounting, Studio, Documents, native apps as well as support and upgrades. You can switch between editions at any time without losing data.
Is Odoo really open source?
Yes. The technical core (Odoo Community) is licensed under the LGPLv3 and is free to use and customise. Enterprise is the paid edition built on top of that core.
Is Odoo Enterprise worth it over Community?
For companies that need full accounting, guaranteed support, upgrades and native mobile apps, yes. If you only need the core modules and self-host, Community goes a long way. We help you weigh it up honestly.
Can Odoo replace DATEV?
Not one for one. Odoo covers bookkeeping, but ELSTER, the e-Bilanz and German payroll are DATEV territory. The usual setup runs Odoo as the operational ERP and hands accounting to the tax advisor via a DATEV export. Replacing DATEV is rarely the goal — and rarely a good one.
Where can Odoo be hosted?
Three ways: in the Odoo cloud, on your own servers, or with a partner. We run it on German infrastructure including updates, backups and monitoring. Community leaves you free to host anywhere; with Enterprise the hosting model affects what the licence includes.
What happens with a version upgrade?
Odoo releases a new major version once a year. Enterprise includes the upgrade; with Community you organise it yourself. The work is not in the standard — it is in the customisations. The fewer exceptions carved into the standard, the cheaper every upgrade gets. That is the real cost of a special request, and it comes due years later.
Is Odoo suitable for small companies?
Yes, and that is where it is often underrated. Because modules are activated individually, a five-person operation can run sales and invoicing on it without carrying the rest. The lower limit is not company size — it is whether somebody internally can carry the rollout.
59 competitors compared · as of July 2026
