Business Central vs Odoo
Business Central
Small and midsize businesses in distribution, retail, professional services, manufacturing, construction, energy and non-profits
Odoo
Small and mid-sized businesses, from one user to large enterprises
2002; Belgium (Grand-Rosière and Louvain-la-Neuve)
Business Central and Odoo both sell ERP software to small and mid-sized businesses, covering accounting alongside sales and operations.
Business Central, Microsoft's ERP, is used by 55,000 companies and works with Outlook, Excel and Teams; Odoo, founded in Belgium in 2002, is a suite of open source business apps with a free Community edition and more than 28 million users.
Business Central vs Odoo: side by side
“Not published” means the vendor does not state it.
| Business Central | Odoo | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | ERP connecting finance, sales, service and operations, working with Outlook, Excel and Teams | Suite of open source business apps, including accounting, invoicing, CRM, e-commerce, inventory, HR, point of sale and projects, in a free Community edition and a paid Enterprise edition |
| Best for | Small and midsize businesses in distribution, retail, professional services, manufacturing, construction, energy and non-profits | Small and mid-sized businesses, from one user to large enterprises |
| Founded and HQ | Not published | 2002; Belgium (Grand-Rosière and Louvain-la-Neuve) |
| Ownership and funding | Owned by Microsoft | Private; €500m secondary transaction (Nov 2024) led by CapitalG and Sequoia Capital at a €5bn valuation; Summit Partners is the largest institutional shareholder; CEO Fabien Pinckaers |
| Customers or users | 55,000 companies | Over 28 million users worldwide, counting on-premise installations; billing revenue of about €900m expected in 2026 |
| Pricing | Essentials US$80, Premium US$110, Team Members US$8 per user a month, paid yearly (UK: £61.50, £84.60, £6.20 ex VAT) | One app free with unlimited users; Standard €24.90 and Custom €44.90 per user a month billed yearly (€31.10 and €56.90 monthly), all apps included; first-year discount for initial users |
| Deployment and markets | Cloud; available in 157 countries and 50+ languages | Cloud (Odoo Online, Odoo.sh) or on-premise; customers in more than 100 countries; about 8,000 staff |
Main differences
Odoo has a free plan for one app and charges €24.90 or €44.90 per user a month billed yearly, with all apps included; Business Central costs US$80 or US$110 per user a month, paid yearly.
Odoo is open source, with a free Community edition and a paid Enterprise edition; Business Central is Microsoft software sold by subscription.
Odoo runs in its own cloud or on-premise; Business Central is a cloud ERP.
Odoo spans accounting, CRM, e-commerce, inventory, HR, point of sale and projects; Business Central connects finance, sales, service and operations.
Business Central is owned by Microsoft; Odoo is a private company led by its founder, Fabien Pinckaers, valued at €5bn in a 2024 share sale.
Which to choose
Choose Business Central if
- You run on Microsoft 365 and want an ERP that works with Outlook, Excel and Teams
Choose Odoo if
- You want open source software, on-premise hosting, or e-commerce, point of sale and HR apps in the same subscription
Compare further
Common questions
What is the difference between Business Central and Odoo?+
Business Central is an ERP connecting finance, sales, service and operations, working with Outlook, Excel and Teams. Odoo is a suite of open source business apps, including accounting, invoicing, CRM, e-commerce, inventory, HR, point of sale and projects, in a free Community edition and a paid Enterprise edition.
How much do Business Central and Odoo cost?+
Business Central costs US$80 per user a month for Essentials, US$110 for Premium and US$8 for Team Members, paid yearly. Odoo is free for one app with unlimited users; Standard costs €24.90 and Custom €44.90 per user a month billed yearly (€31.10 and €56.90 billed monthly), with all apps included.
How many businesses use Business Central and Odoo?+
Business Central is used by 55,000 companies and is available in 157 countries. Odoo has more than 28 million users worldwide, counting on-premise installations, with customers in more than 100 countries.
Part of Accountio’s accounting technology coverage.
