Odoo ERP · Application suite
Odoo ERP: an application suite built to adapt to your processes
Odoo brings CRM, sales, purchase, inventory, accounting, manufacturing, projects, HR and eCommerce together on a single platform. The applications share the same data.
This page answers the questions a manager asks before choosing an ERP: what Odoo is, what the Odoo ERP costs, what the editions change and why to work with an Odoo integrator.
What the Odoo ERP changes every day
One single database
The quotation, order, delivery, invoice and accounting entry share the same data, without re-entry.
A modular architecture
You deploy the applications you need, then extend the scope over time.
An intuitive tool
A clear interface for the teams, on computer and mobile, which makes adoption easier.
Multi-company and multi-currency
Several companies, currencies, languages and time zones in the same system, as the company grows.
A system that evolves
An evolving information system, without rebuilding everything every three years, with a planned version upgrade.
Readable pricing
A per-user per-month logic, without an essential option discovered after signing.
What is Odoo?
Short answer: Odoo is an integrated, modular and scalable business management software. Known as OpenERP before 2014, it covers all key functions on a single platform.
Of Belgian origin, the project began in 2005 with Fabien Pinckaers, under the name TinyERP, with a guiding idea: end complex and inaccessible ERPs by offering a modular, scalable and affordable alternative for companies of every size.
The principle of Odoo fits in one sentence: a solution that is simple to use, efficient and fully integrated, whose applications speak the same language, a single set of data. On top of this come a large functional and technical community, a network of partners and a catalogue of complementary applications.
For which companies?
Odoo is a versatile suite of applications suited to a wide variety of organisations:
- startups getting organised;
- growing SMEs;
- mid-sized companies looking to unify their information system;
- multi-site, multi-company and multi-currency organisations.
It suits particularly well companies that want an alternative to heavy and costly ERPs, an intuitive everyday tool and a modular solution that adjusts to the business. It is found in services, trading, retail and manufacturing.
Odoo Community or Enterprise: what changes
| Criterion | Community | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|
| Licence | No licence cost | Per-user per-month licence |
| Applications | The functional core | All applications, including those reserved to Enterprise |
| Publisher hosting | No | Yes, Odoo Online or Odoo.sh |
| Version upgrade | To be planned and supported depending on your context | Publisher service for the standard applications |
Odoo states what its version upgrade service does not cover: cleaning data or configurations that are already problematic, additional modules without a maintenance contract and training on new features. These points are prepared with an integrator.
How much does Odoo cost?
The Odoo licence is counted per user per month. The Odoo "Custom" plan is €35.90 per user per month for the first year, then €44.90 from the second year: all applications, multi-company and external APIs are included. The licence does not include implementation: scoping, configuration, data migration, training and maintenance of custom code.
The real cost of an ERP is not the licence: it is that of a poor implementation. Our How much does Odoo cost guide details each line of the budget.
Why start with an Odoo integrator
- Going live is not the end: it is the beginning. The integrator secures evolution, functional consistency, version upgrades and user adoption.
- Going alone can be costly: configuration that looks fine until the first audit, poorly structured data, workarounds, needless developments, untrained users and longer migrations.
- The publisher recommends it: for mid-sized companies and larger, Odoo states that analysis, deployment and training are generally done with a partner.
ANOR is a consulting firm before being an integrator: our Odoo integration starts with a complimentary situation audit, so that the ERP adapts to your processes and not the other way round.
From OpenERP to Odoo: history and versions
TinyERP in 2005, OpenERP from version 5.0 in 2009, then Odoo since 2014: the change of name marked the shift from an ERP to a suite of integrated management applications. Here are the milestones of each version; the detail of recent versions is on the Odoo versions page.
| Version | Release | What marks it |
|---|---|---|
| Odoo 8 | 16 September 2014 | First step of the move to an application suite, with the rise of the website, eCommerce and point of sale. |
| Odoo 9 | 1 October 2015 | Modernised interface and responsive experience on computer, tablet and mobile. |
| Odoo 10 | 6 October 2016 | Android mobile app, better onboarding and simpler multi-company handling. |
| Odoo 11 | 5 October 2017 | Focus on performance and everyday ergonomics. |
| Odoo 12 | 4 October 2018 | Stronger productivity and document use, applications better integrated with each other. |
| Odoo 13 | 3 October 2019 | Better steering, with the drag-and-drop Gantt view, and faster configuration. |
| Odoo 14 | 3 October 2020 | Consolidated business use: recurring revenue, documents, ergonomics. |
| Odoo 15 | 7 October 2021 | Higher productivity: ergonomics, imports and navigation. |
| Odoo 16 | 13 October 2022 | Everyday performance and speed gains. |
| Odoo 17 | 2 November 2023 | Interface redesign and content tools, including AI in the editor. |
| Odoo 18 | 3 October 2024 | User experience and mobility: progressive web apps, readable URLs, shortcuts. |
| Odoo 19 | September 2025 | Performance, mobile and eCommerce, with improvements for shop search ranking. |
| Odoo 20 | September 2026 | Latest version: see the versions page for the detail of what is new. |
How ANOR deploys Odoo
1
Scoping
Your real flows and priorities before touching the configuration: mapping, prioritised plan and migration strategy.
2
First useful version
We deliver first what brings immediate value, then widen the scope.
3
Go-live
Tested data migration, users trained on their real use cases, reinforced presence in the first days.
4
Continuous improvement
Support, evolving maintenance and planned version upgrades, so the tool stays useful over time.
An open, high-performance technical foundation built for AI
Odoo rests on two open, proven building blocks, then adds artificial intelligence to its applications.
PostgreSQL, an open and ultra high-performance database
Odoo relies on PostgreSQL, the reference open database: robust, fast on large volumes and with no licence to pay for the database.
A Python framework, the language of AI
Odoo adaptations are written in Python, the dominant language of artificial intelligence: skills are plentiful and AI plugs in naturally.
Particularly advanced AI in Odoo 20
Odoo 20 embeds AI in its applications: agents, AI-computed fields and connection to external tools through the MCP protocol. The Enterprise edition has more than 50 AI modules.
Frequently asked questions about the Odoo ERP
It is a business management suite whose applications, CRM, sales, purchase, inventory, accounting, manufacturing, projects and HR, share the same database.
Yes. Its modular logic lets you start with a few applications then extend the scope, which suits growing SMEs as well as mid-sized companies.
It depends on the scope. Community has no licence but hosting, operations and migrations remain your responsibility, and some applications are reserved to Enterprise.
The licence is public, at €35.90 per user per month for the first year with Odoo's Custom plan, then €44.90 from the second year. The integration cost depends on your scope: we quote it after a discussion.
It is strongly recommended as soon as the project involves several teams or several flows. The earlier the scoping is done, the fewer mistakes you pay for later.
For a new project, the latest supported version. For an existing database, the migration is planned according to the support of your version.
The Odoo apps involved
An Odoo ERP project? Let's talk
Thirty minutes with a consultant to clarify your scope, identify the real stakes and choose a realistic path.