Acumatica vs Odoo: Pricing, Capabilities, and Best Business Fit

You’re almost there: you’ve narrowed it down. You think your small to midsized business probably needs either Acumatica or Odoo for its ERP platform. But all the tech jargon is making it impossible to know which ERP solution truly fits you best!

As an ERP industry professional, I have helped business owners with their ERP systems for almost ten years now. I'll break down this comparison in plain language, so you can make an informed decision without the headache of sifting through specs.

Both Acumatica and Odoo are popular ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) solutions for growing businesses. Each works best for a very specific type of business, depending on your size, goals, and industry focus.

We’ll take a quick tour of everything from pricing to scalability and user experience. After this comparison, you’ll know whether Acumatica vs Odoo is the right fit for your company.

• Background: ERP Software Publishers
• Core Capabilities: Acumatica vs Odoo
• Pricing Models for Acumatica vs Odoo
• Ideal Business Fit: Acumatica vs Odoo
• How Scalable is Odoo vs Acumatica?
• Customization and Integration: Odoo vs Acumatica
• Comparing Reporting and Analytics: Odoo vs Acumatica
• Implementation for Acumatica vs Odoo
• How to Choose Between Odoo and Acumatica
• Which ERP Software Is Right For You?

Background: ERP Software Publishers

Acumatica

Founded in 2008, Acumatica has grown to serve over 10,000 customers worldwide. It's one of three leading cloud-native ERP solutions alongside NetSuite and Sage Intacct. Acumatica is designed primarily for small to midsized businesses with revenues ranging from $10-100 million, especially in retail commerce, manufacturing, distribution, and construction.

Odoo

Odoo (formerly OpenERP until 2014) was started in 2005 by Fabien Pinckaers in Belgium. It now serves an estimated 30,000 paying customers. Odoo targets smaller businesses with revenues under $10 million and fewer than 50 employees. While 70% of its client base is in Europe and the Middle East, Odoo has been expanding its presence in North America.

Core Capabilities: Acumatica vs Odoo

Both platforms offer comprehensive business management features. but there are significant differences. Odoo offers a wider range of applications (50+), while Acumatica provides more powerful functionality in its core business areas.

Acumatica Core Strengths:

• Financial management with multi-entity capabilities
• Distribution management with advanced inventory features
• Manufacturing management for complex production processes
• Built-in CRM module available
• Project accounting with detailed cost tracking
• Flexible reporting and analytics tools

Odoo Core Strengths:

• Website building and management
• Basic accounting and finance
• CRM and Sales management
• eCommerce and Point of Sale solutions
• Inventory management
• HR and recruitment tools

Pricing Models for Acumatica vs Odoo

The pricing approaches of these two systems couldn't be more different.

Initially, Odoo’s pricing will seem lower. But you may pay more later for customization and support.

Acumatica’s model will seem higher-priced at first, but the costs will remain consistent and reliable over time. Because Acumatica’s low-code/no-code framework allows for customizations by non-technical staff, you won’t have to hire developers or consultants for later customizations. With Odoo, you’re going to need more technical help down the road if you need to make changes, because you will need coding ability..

Understand that Odoo may cost less depending on the options you select, but you will also receive less power and flexibility than you will with Acumatica. That’s why you need to choose between these two systems based more on what you need to do than on price.

Here are a few more differences in the way the two ERP platforms are priced:

Acumatica Pricing

Acumatica uses a consumption-based pricing model rather than charging per user. This means:

• You pay based on the computing resources you use
• Unlimited users are included in your subscription
• You can add users without increasing license costs
• Contracts are usually long-term (1-3 years)

This model works well for growing companies that need to add users without constantly increasing their costs. Learn more about pricing tiers here.

Odoo Pricing

Odoo uses a per-user, per-module monthly subscription model:

• Monthly cost per user license
• Each module you add will incur another monthly charge
• Additional fee for Odoo Studio customization tool
• Third-party integrations also require a monthly fee

Odoo offers a free open-source Community version but with very limited functionality, while the Enterprise version requires a subscription.

Both Acumatica and Odoo systems also need implementation, which will bring additional costs that vary depending on your implementation method and your ERP partner.

If you are considering Acumatica and Odoo, one of those choices will be much better for you, but which one depends on your needs. The business use cases are so different that you will either need one or the other.  Odoo will give you an economical choice for basic needs for smaller businesses. Acumatica will provide the flexibility and scalability you will need to handle growth.

Ideal Business Fit: Acumatica vs Odoo

The two platforms often serve very distinct business profiles.

How Scalable is Odoo vs Acumatica?

How well do these systems grow with your business? Your business growth goals may be key to your decision.

Odoo Scalability

Odoo offers several scalability benefits:

• Modular design allows businesses to start small and add functionality as needed
• Clean data model makes it easy for smaller businesses transitioning from QuickBooks-like solutions
• Ability to host operations for multiple countries in a single database
• Widely adopted among Industry 4.0 companies and machinery businesses
• Strong ecosystem of global technical talent to support growth

However, some limitations exist:

• Performance can slow as transaction volumes increase
• Resource-intensive websites may face limitations as usage grows
• Email limits (100 mails per day) can be a constraint for some businesses

Acumatica Scalability

Acumatica provides scalability advantages such as:

• Consumption-based pricing means adding users doesn't increase license costs
• Multi-branch capabilities support business expansion
• Cloud-native platform designed to handle growing transaction volumes
• Born in the cloud with consistent design principles across the application

But Acumatica also has some scalability considerations:

• Limited capabilities when handling multiple countries with different currencies and sub-ledgers
• May not be suitable for companies with revenues exceeding $100 million
• Mobile capabilities can be limited for complex reporting scenarios

Customization and Integration: Odoo vs Acumatica

Both systems offer customization options with different approaches and strengths.

Odoo Customization

Odoo's customization strengths include:

• Open-source nature provides flexibility for technical teams
• Studio tool offers user-friendly customization for basic needs
• Extensive ecosystem of third-party apps (39,700+) to extend functionality
• Popular with tech-savvy startups that want to adapt the platform to their needs
• Strong global developer community for technical support

Some challenges with Odoo customization:

• More complex customizations typically require developer expertise
• Customizations may need review during version upgrades, and sometimes customers do not upgrade because of the risks involved
• Community version doesn't include the Studio customization tool

Acumatica Customization

Acumatica's customization advantages include:

• Low-code/no-code technology for many common customizations
• Business users can make basic changes without advanced technical skills
• Customizations survive upgrades more reliably, which means customers can upgrade without anxiety
• Service-oriented architecture supports external app integration
• Open API strategy follows industry standards

Customization limitations with Acumatica:

• Some advanced customizations still require technical expertise
• The platform may require additional add-ons for specialized micro-vertical features
• Multiple add-ons for manufacturing can create integration challenges

Comparing Reporting and Analytics: Odoo vs Acumatica

Odoo emphasizes user-friendly dashboards that prioritize simplicity and essential metrics. Acumatica offers more robust analytical capabilities with a comprehensive report library and advanced analytics tools for more complex needs.

Odoo Reporting

Odoo's reporting strengths include:

• Clean, visually appealing dashboards for quick business overviews
• Useful built-in reports for essential business metrics
• Integration with popular external reporting tools
• Easy filtering on common fields within standard reports
• Real-time data updates on dashboards

Areas where Odoo reporting could improve:

• Limited number of standard reports compared to some competitors
• More complex custom reports require technical skills or the Studio tool
• Limited field customization options in standard reports

Acumatica Reporting

Acumatica's reporting advantages:

• Large library of standard reports covering various business functions
• Generic inquiries for building custom reports without coding
• Visual dashboards for KPI monitoring with drill-down capabilities
• Strong integration with external analysis tools like Power BI
• Flexible export options for further data manipulation

Reporting considerations with Acumatica:

• Learning curve for creating advanced custom reports
• Some users find the initial report setup process time-consuming
• May require partner assistance to optimize complex reporting needs

Implementation for Acumatica vs Odoo

*Stellar One offers implementation at no upfront cost.

Check out our success story for Modloft, featuring a choice between Acumatica and Odoo. 

How to Choose Between Odoo and Acumatica

Which ERP Software Is Right For You?

Now you know all the factors that will make either Odoo or Acumatica work better for your business.

Acumatica is the better fit for small to midsized businesses that are growth-oriented with complex operations. Acumatica is known for its strength in eCommerce, manufacturing, distribution, and construction. Its consumption-based pricing model works well for businesses that may need to add users frequently.

Odoo suits smaller businesses with straightforward operations that are looking for an affordable and flexible starting point. Its modular approach lets companies start small, making it good for startups and businesses with revenues under $10 million.

Remember that the right ERP system can transform your operations, while the wrong choice can lead to expensive problems down the road.

Stellar One is an experienced ERP partner delivering top-quality support before, during, and after implementation.

If you think that Acumatica is the right choice for your business, Stellar One is proud to be an Acumatica Gold Certified Partner. That means we have met the highest standards for training and expertise in this ERP platform.

Launch your Risk-Free Trial today to discover how an ERP platform can empower your business.