What is Odoo?
The Complete 2026 Guide
Editions, pricing, apps, Saudi ZATCA compliance, and when you actually need a certified partner — written by a team that works on Odoo every single day.
Odoo is the world's most widely used open-source ERP for small and medium businesses: one platform managing sales, accounting, inventory, manufacturing, HR and point of sale — integrated apps that replace five disconnected systems that never talk to each other.
Odoo in numbers
Started in 2005 (as TinyERP, then OpenERP), Odoo now serves 12+ million users worldwide with 40,000+ apps in its store. The latest release is Odoo 19. Because it is open source, your data is never locked in — everything can be exported, customized, or extended with code, which is exactly what our team does daily.
What is Odoo used for?
Companies use Odoo to run their day-to-day operations in one place instead of separate programs. The most common uses we see:
- Accounting and invoicing, including VAT and ZATCA e-invoicing
- Sales, quotations and CRM pipelines
- Inventory, warehouses, purchasing and barcode operations
- Point of sale for shops, restaurants and cafés
- Manufacturing: bills of materials, production orders and costing
- HR, payroll, timesheets and expenses
- Websites, online stores and marketing
You can start with one app and add others later — they share the same database, so nothing is entered twice.
Odoo editions and prices (2026)
| Edition | What you get | Price in Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| Community | Free, open-source core apps; you host it yourself; no Enterprise-only apps (full Accounting, Payroll, Quality, PLM, Studio) | Free |
| Standard | All Odoo apps, hosted on Odoo Online, no custom modules | $16.90/user/month (annual) · $21.10 monthly |
| Custom | Everything in Standard + Studio, multi-company, external API, Odoo.sh or your own server, custom modules | $32/user/month (annual) · $40 monthly |
Official Odoo prices for Saudi Arabia, October 2026; first-year promotions may apply. Implementation is a separate one-time cost — see our Odoo implementation cost guide.
Who makes Odoo?
Odoo is developed by Odoo S.A., a Belgian software company founded by Fabien Pinckaers. The product started in 2005 as TinyERP, was renamed OpenERP, and became Odoo in 2014. A new major version is released every year — Odoo 19 is the current one — and it is sold and implemented worldwide through a network of official partners like Softloomer.
Is Odoo right for your business?
- A very small business that only needs accounting and invoicing may be fine with a simple accounting app — see Odoo vs Qoyod.
- A growing company with stock, branches, sales teams or production is exactly where Odoo shines.
- Already weighing another suite? Read Odoo vs Zoho One and Odoo vs SAP Business One.
Main Odoo apps
CRM
Track opportunities from first touch to closing, with automatic lead assignment
Sales & Invoicing
Quotations, sales orders, and ZATCA-compliant tax invoices (Phase 1 & 2)
Accounting
Automated entries, financial statements, VAT, smart bank reconciliation
Inventory
Multi-warehouse, barcode, lot & expiry tracking, cycle counting
Manufacturing (MRP)
Work orders, BOMs, capacity planning, quality control
Point of Sale
Fast offline-capable POS, multi-branch, real-time inventory sync
eCommerce
Online store natively connected to inventory and accounting
HR
Employee records, attendance, time off, payroll
Purchasing
RFQs, vendor comparison, receipts tied to inventory and bills
Projects
Tasks, milestones, planned vs actual costs, progress billing
Maintenance & Field Service
Preventive and corrective maintenance, field teams
Marketing
Email campaigns, automation, and ad-source lead tracking
What does Odoo really cost?
Total cost = license subscription (if Enterprise) + one-time implementation. Community is free forever; In Saudi Arabia, Enterprise Standard is $16.90/user/month and Custom $32 (official prices, annual billing, October 2026).
Examples from real projects
We respect our clients' privacy, so we publish no names:
ZATCA Phase 2 integration running in real production today
A Saudi company upgraded from Odoo 16 to 19 with its data migrated
Leads from ads flow into CRM with automatic assignment — Riyadh real-estate firm
Tiered sales-rep commissions computed from collected amounts — Saudi manufacturer and distributor
Frequently asked questions
What is Odoo used for? +
To run a company’s core operations in one system: accounting and invoicing, sales and CRM, inventory and purchasing, point of sale, manufacturing, HR and payroll, websites and online stores. Companies usually start with a few apps and add more as they grow.
Who owns Odoo? +
Odoo is developed by Odoo S.A., a Belgian software company founded by Fabien Pinckaers. It started in 2005 as TinyERP, became OpenERP, and was renamed Odoo in 2014. A new major version is released every year.
Is Odoo free? +
Partially, yes. Odoo Community is fully free and open source with the core modules. Odoo also offers a free One-App plan on its cloud for unlimited users. Odoo Enterprise is a paid per-user subscription that adds apps like Payroll, advanced Manufacturing, official support and hosting.
How much does Odoo cost per user? +
In Saudi Arabia, Odoo Enterprise costs $16.90 per user per month on the Standard plan and $32 on the Custom plan with annual billing (official prices, October 2026; monthly billing is $21.10 and $40, and first-year promotions may apply). Implementation and customization are a separate one-time cost depending on project scope.
Does Odoo support Arabic? +
Yes, fully — proper RTL interface, Arabic and bilingual invoices and reports, and localized financial statements. With a local partner, Saudi tax invoice templates (simplified/standard) are configured exactly as required.
Is Odoo ZATCA-compliant in Saudi Arabia? +
Yes. Odoo supports Saudi e-invoicing Phase 1 (QR) and Phase 2 (integration with the Fatoora platform). We have delivered full Phase 2 clearance integrations running today in real production environments.
Community vs Enterprise — what is the difference? +
Same core. Community is free and open source, ideal for technical teams and early stages, but excludes apps like Payroll, e-Signature, Quality, PLM, Studio and the full Accounting app, plus official hosting and support. Enterprise includes all apps, guaranteed upgrades, official support, and Odoo Online / Odoo.sh hosting.
How long does an Odoo implementation take? +
A well-scoped project (sales, purchasing, inventory, accounting) moves much faster than one with manufacturing, multiple branches and external integrations, and the timeline includes data migration and training. The deciding factor is your data readiness, not the software; we set the timeline in the proposal after a discovery session.
Can Odoo integrate with other platforms? +
Yes — one of its biggest strengths. Through its API we have built real integrations: Snapchat and TikTok lead ads flowing into CRM with automatic assignment, e-commerce and payment platforms, WhatsApp notifications, and the NPHIES health-insurance platform.
How do I choose a certified Odoo partner? +
Ask three things: real delivered projects in your industry (ask for numbers, not logos), documented local-compliance experience (ZATCA e-invoicing, tax reporting, Arabic localization), and a team that develops with code rather than configuration only — the difference shows at your first non-standard requirement.
Ready to see Odoo on your own data?
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