SAP Business One vs Odoo: which ERP fits your company?
By Zain Abbas, Kodenova · Updated
Which is better for your company: SAP Business One or Odoo?
It depends on your profile. Choose Odoo if you want published per-user prices, payroll, POS and e-commerce in one suite, and no-code changes with Studio. Choose SAP Business One if you want an SAP product on SQL Server or SAP HANA, partner-led implementation, and custom add-ons that run inside the client.
| Your profile | Leans to SAP Business One | Leans to Odoo |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Small and midsize companies; SAP states there is no minimum size | From small companies to large ones; Odoo’s pricing FAQ covers companies above 250 employees |
| Industry | SAP names wholesale distribution, light manufacturing, retail and professional services | Broad app catalogue, including HR and payroll, POS and e-commerce |
| On-premise need | Cloud or on-premise, SQL Server or SAP HANA | On-premise or Odoo.sh only on the Custom plan, or the open-source Community edition |
| Customization | SDK add-ons, user-defined fields and tables, Service Layer | Studio (no code); custom modules on the Custom plan |
| Budget | Quote only, through SAP or a partner | Published per-user prices; regional pricing varies |
How do SAP Business One and Odoo compare side by side?
| SAP Business One | Odoo | |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment | Cloud or on-premise; Microsoft SQL Server or SAP HANA database | Odoo Online (all plans); Odoo.sh or on-premise on the Custom plan; Community edition is open source |
| Target size | Small and midsize businesses; SAP says over 85,000 customers | Small to large; Odoo points companies above 50 employees to partners and above 250 to Odoo directly |
| Pricing model | No published list price; request a quote | One App Free US$0; Standard US$8.95 and Custom US$16.40 per user per month billed yearly (US$11.20 and US$20.90 monthly), seen on 9 November 2026 |
| Customization and APIs | Service Layer (OData/REST), DI API (COM SDK), add-ons in the desktop client | Studio for fields, views, automation and reports; external API only on Custom plans; XML-RPC and JSON-RPC endpoints are deprecated |
| Multi-company | Multi-company and multi-currency | Multi-company and multi-currency; enabling multi-company on Standard moves the database to Custom |
| Localization and e-invoicing | SAP-delivered e-documents for Mexico (CFDI 4.0), India (JSON files), Poland (KSeF), Portugal (SAF-T), Hungary, Argentina, Netherlands, Israel and Denmark; other countries through partner add-ons | Odoo-documented modules for Saudi ZATCA Phase 2, Mexico CFDI 4.0, Colombia DIAN, Ecuador SRI, Guatemala FEL, India and Peppol; Arabic right-to-left supported; the UAE page showed no PINT AE integration when we checked |
| Partner ecosystem | Implemented through SAP partners (SAP links a partner finder); add-ons on SAP Store | Odoo partner directory; Success Packs from Odoo for small companies |
| Typical implementation time | SAP publishes no typical figure; it depends on scope | No typical figure; Odoo offers a project estimator |
Data checked between 31 October and 9 November 2026 from the vendors’ own pages. A blank in our dataset stays blank here: we did not estimate it.
When should you choose SAP Business One?
- You must keep the database on your own servers or with a hosting partner of your choice, on SQL Server or SAP HANA.
- Your country is on SAP’s localization list, or a local partner covers e-invoicing for you.
- You need a process the standard product does not have, built as an add-on inside the SAP Business One client.
- You want a partner to own the implementation and first-line support.
- You already run SAP elsewhere in the group.
When should you choose Odoo?
- You want to see the price before you talk to anyone, and pay per user per month.
- You need HR and payroll, POS, website and e-commerce in the same suite.
- Business users will make most changes themselves with Studio.
- Your country is covered by an Odoo-documented localization, such as Saudi ZATCA or Ecuador SRI.
- You prefer open source and may self-host the Community edition.
What does migrating between SAP Business One and Odoo involve?
A move in either direction is a new implementation. Plan for:
- Master data first: customers, vendors, items, price lists and the chart of accounts. Odoo imports CSV and Excel files; SAP Business One uses the Data Transfer Workbench with predefined templates.
- Open items and balances: open documents, opening balances and stock by warehouse, not full history. Keep the old system read-only for audits.
- Customizations: list every Studio change, custom module, add-on and report. Configuration such as user-defined fields and queries often replaces small custom modules.
- Integrations: rebuild them against the new API. In SAP Business One that is the Service Layer or DI API.
- Parallel run: close at least one period in both systems and reconcile before you switch.
Not sure which ERP fits?
Our free ERP selector compares SAP Business One, Odoo and other products on your processes, size, hosting and your country’s e-invoicing rules, with a source for every claim. We also compare SAP Business One vs NetSuite, vs Business Central and vs SAP S/4HANA Cloud.
Already on SAP Business One?
Kodenova is independent and works alongside your SAP partner. If you choose SAP Business One, we build the custom add-ons and integrations that close the gap with your processes, with a fixed price per phase. We do not resell licences, so this comparison does not depend on which product you pick.
Sources
- SAP: SAP Business One product page and FAQ
- SAP Help: SAP Business One localizations
- SAP Help: What's New in SAP Business One 10.0
- SAP Help: SAP Business One Service Layer API reference
- SAP Help: Data Transfer Workbench (data import)
- Odoo: pricing plans and FAQ
- Odoo: Community and Enterprise editions
- Odoo 19 documentation: Studio
- Odoo 19 documentation: external API
- Odoo 19 documentation: multi-company
- Odoo 19 documentation: Saudi Arabia localization
- Odoo 19 documentation: United Arab Emirates localization
- Odoo 19 documentation: export and import data
- Odoo: find a partner
Related services
Frequently asked questions
Is Odoo cheaper than SAP Business One?
Odoo publishes its prices and SAP Business One is sold by quote, so only Odoo's side is public. On 9 November 2026 Odoo listed Standard at US$8.95 and Custom at US$16.40 per user per month on yearly billing. Licences are only part of the cost: add implementation, add-ons, hosting and support for both.
Can Odoo run on-premise like SAP Business One?
Yes, with limits. Odoo's Standard plan runs only on Odoo Online. The Custom plan can run on Odoo Online, Odoo.sh or your own servers, and the Community edition is open source. SAP Business One offers cloud or on-premise deployment on Microsoft SQL Server or SAP HANA.
Which one is easier to customize?
They work differently. Odoo Studio adds fields, views, automation rules and reports without code, and custom modules need the Custom plan. SAP Business One uses user-defined fields and tables, queries, and SDK add-ons built on the DI API or Service Layer, usually built by a partner or developer.
Do both support Saudi ZATCA and other e-invoicing?
Odoo documents e-invoicing modules for Saudi ZATCA Phase 2, Mexico CFDI, Colombia DIAN, Ecuador SRI, Guatemala FEL and India. SAP documents SAP Business One e-documents for countries such as Mexico, India, Poland and Portugal, and partners cover the countries SAP does not list. Always check your own country.
How hard is it to move from Odoo to SAP Business One, or back?
It is a new implementation either way. Export master data and open items to CSV or Excel, map them to the target templates, rebuild integrations and custom modules or add-ons, and run one period close in parallel. Odoo imports CSV and Excel files; SAP Business One uses the Data Transfer Workbench.
Ready to get started?
Tell us what you need. You get a clear technical answer, a fixed scope and a price, usually within 24 hours.