Odoo vs Zoho: A Comprehensive Comparison You Can’t Afford to Miss

Today, we will compare different applications that Odoo and Zoho provide for whole business automation. In this article, we are focusing on the battle of automation giants: Odoo vs Zoho. Let’s bring those two together to understand how they can benefit your business, and which processes can be automated with those magic systems.

What is Odoo?

To keep it simple, Odoo is a budget-friendly ERP software built for managing businesses of any size. To manage different workflows, it offers various modules, such as sales, CRM, e-commerce, and inventory management. As it covers many more areas, you basically build your system from scratch, customizing it to cover your unique processes.

What is Zoho?

Mainly this software concentrates on customer relationship management, although it provides plenty of other products.

Focus and Core Functionalities

The environments in which the two platforms operate are what sets Odoo vs Zoho CRMs apart. Tools like Odoo or Zoho allow you to automate multiple departments, from sales and marketing to HR and operations, with a variety of apps, including their CRMs, crafted to help you achieve this goal. Analyze thoroughly your business processes to be automated before choosing the set of applications offered by each supplier and making a final decision.

With this in mind, let’s check the target audience of each tool to feel the difference on data-driven proof.

Industry Use & Target Audience

Odoo is an app-based tool that can be used by or adapted to any business size, whether small, medium, or large. Meanwhile, Zoho CRM limited features are mainly focused on SMBs. Indeed, Odoo is fully customizable to automate your workflows between multiple departments, while Zoho is mainly focused on small and medium-sized businesses, making the processes much simpler and more linear, but works perfectly as entry-level software.

Business Size as Target Audience

Industry Use

Considering reviews and recognitions-based user experience research from Capterra, we can state that Odoo is a top tool to apply for:

• Production Scheduling;
• Manufacturing Management & Execution;
• Point of Sale;
• E-Commerce;
• Retail POS Systems;
• Inventory Management;
• Lead Management.

However, in terms of Manufacturing Management, Zoho One lacks: 

• Sell Set Kits;
• Alternative Work Center;
• Product Unbuilt;
• Master Production Schedule;
• Repair Management.

Finally, in Rental Management, we don’t expect Zoho to offer:

• Gantt Scheduling;
• Price Management.

As we can see, these industry-specific features tell us more about the practical use of these tools: Zoho is used more as a CRM software to automate linear sales & marketing processes, while Odoo is a versatile tool that adapts to complex workflows of retail, e-commerce, manufacturing, and other industries that require advanced inventory management and custom solutions.

Odoo Vs Zoho’s Pricing

Odoo is free if you only use one app, for example, CRM, for multiple users. The product has two primary editions: Community and Enterprise. If the Community Edition meets your needs, you may use it for free, and any modest or minor customization can be carried out through Odoo’s Community Edition. Still, you must pay for the Enterprise Edition if you want advanced features and access to all the apps available. Those include Sales, Marketing, Sign, Website, Accounting, CRM, Inventory, HR, Project, and POS, which work great as a corporate ERP for a large enterprise.

Here’s a detailed review of the pricing plans:

• One App: free & unlimited users;
• Standard is $31.10/month/user and includes all apps in a single subscription (very startup-friendly pricing);
• Custom is $36.80/month/user and, like Standard, includes all apps and possibilities to manage multiple companies and connect with API, which makes it a growth-focused solution.

Source: https://www.odoo.com/pricing 

Zoho, on the other hand, although it provides a free edition as well, makes it available for only 3 users and with limited functionality of the app. Although you may be able to work with leads, accounts, contacts, deals, schedule some reminders and tasks, and even automate some workflows (those are limited in the free edition), to have all the functionalities and advanced automation with sales forecasting and customization options, you should choose one of these plans:

• Standard: $20/user/month
• Professional: $35/user/month
• Enterprise: $50/user/month
• Ultimate: $65/user/month

When billed annually, Zoho prices slightly go down. 

Source: https://www.zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.htm

To sum up, when we compare Zoho CRM vs Odoo CRM, the Odoo CRM app has all the features offered and used by the team free of charge, which is a unique offering among tailored ERP solutions, while Zoho only has a few features available in the free plan for a maximum of three users. 

Scalability and Customization

If your company has unique needs and processes that are currently not automated in Odoo, those can be easily created as custom workflows within the system for advanced business process automation. As for Zoho CRM, it’s not fully scalable; it can be said to be scalable to an extent but not fully, since if you want certain sophisticated capabilities, you will have to rely on other Zoho products. For example, Zoho CRM is a single product. For other features, you’ll have to buy different products or hire someone for technical customization, while Odoo’s paid plans provide you with all the apps for the price of one license.

Integration

Odoo can also be integrated within its modules because, as we all know, it is ERP software with a variety of apps within a unified platform, and each module is integrated. Also, you can incorporate your data from different apps and systems with API integration to deliver advanced workflow automation. Cross-functional integration allows the simultaneous use of multiple systems and manages data creating advanced automation. All in all, Odoo is a highly integrated system with a high level of customization options and can be tailored much more with ERP consultants.

As for Zoho CRM, it can also be integrated with external systems, as well as other Zoho applications. To connect different apps, you may use multiple pre-developed plug-and-play solutions called connectors or custom marketplace apps available.

User-Friendliness

If you look at the user-friendliness side of the Zoho vs Odoo comparison, you’ll find that both systems provide a nice and intuitive user experience. Indeed, both Zoho & Odoo have simple user interfaces that can be easily managed and learned by both employees and customers.

Community and Support

Finally, we have community and support. Odoo provides community and commercial support as it has a robust community. Similarly, Zoho CRM also provides commercial support for Zoho CRM and other Zoho products.

Deployment

The battle between Odoo CRM vs Zoho CRM requires the two platforms to adapt to users’ needs and create flexible deployment options, as each industry and company is unique.
So, when we talk about deployment options, both Zoho and Odoo are deployed in the cloud and can be distributed via a SaaS model or as web-based software. Also, they offer mobile applications for Android and iOS. The only difference is that Odoo can be also deployed as an on-premises solution on both Windows and Linux operational systems.

Advantages & Disadvantages of Odoo

Advantages

• Cost-efficiency: One app is free to use for multiple users, and a single license covers all the paid apps available to users.
• Scalability: Odoo easily grows with your business size & operations variety, as it offers a wide range of apps and features to tailor to your demand.
• Customizability: As Odoo is an open-source platform, it offers the possibility to extend functionalities, sync multiple systems, and be used within your existing licensing.
• Industry focus: Odoo offers specific apps, resp. modules able to cover end-to-end automations for e-commerce, inventory, manufacturing, PLM, finance, HR, service, and productivity.
• Integrability: With an extensive suite of applications offered within licensing and high customization opportunities, Odoo seamlessly integrates with any app, preserving your data from different systems with API.
• Ease of use: The intuitive and simple design of the system is key for the smooth onboarding of employees. With it, any module will be easy to perceive and work with.
• Modular approach: The modular design of Odoo allows you to select and implement functionalities and applications that are crucial for your business, with high customization opportunities to deliver a smooth experience.

Disadvantages

• Complexity: As Odoo is an open-source platform that incorporates multiple modules and capabilities, you might need some help from certified Odoo consultants to choose the apps that answer your needs and customize those modules for your convenience with data integration.
• Software update challenges: Odoo regularly releases new versions of the product, which provide you with extended functionalities. However, highly customized applications need to be updated with the help of Odoo developers or consultants.

Advantages & Disadvantages of Zoho

Advantages

• Customer support: Zoho is a well-known product that offers extensive community support options to its customers with a high level of responsiveness and assistance.
• Extensive apps suite: Zoho offers a wide variety of applications that are designed for specific tasks and departments, which provide a smooth user experience.
• Integration capabilities: There are plenty of pre-built connectors designed to integrate most of the popular tools into Zoho applications, allowing users to make customized applications more easily.

Disadvantages

• Limited functionality: Zoho applications have pre-built workflows that are designed to answer the needs of an industry. Still, when customers need some additional customization, they must buy additional applications or connectors, or involve developers.
• Data transfer: Although there are plenty of pre-built integration connectors when customers want to switch to Zoho and seamlessly migrate extensive datasets and structures, they need to involve API developers to ensure data mapping responds to the needs of Zoho’s system.
• Scalability: Even though the Zoho suite is really nice for SMBs and mid-sized companies when you need to scale up your functionalities or the number of seats, pricing climbs up pretty fast, so you should take that into consideration.

To Sum Up

Who wins in the battle between Odoo vs Zoho CRM? Find the best option for your business by comparing needs. Odoo is adaptable. Indeed, since Odoo is open source and includes many apps or modules, it may be modified easily. Plus, Odoo’s production module allows manufacturers to manage processes and expected results.

Easy to use and compatible with numerous apps, Zoho stands out in the world of SMBs. Ultimately, the needs and operations of your organization will determine whether you choose Odoo or Zoho.

Odoo is a perfect choice for companies that need to keep up-to-date with their operational processing. Indeed, Odoo developers can make any adjustments due to its open-source framework. Besides, Odoo allows manufacturers to create their processes for accurate production control.

Odoo also manages enterprises thoroughly from start to finish — CRM, inventory, production, and accounting modules form an ecosystem. Plus, Odoo simplifies store sales, inventory, and finances. It is utilized in many business strategies and works for multiple industries.

All in all, Zoho users seeking change might consider Odoo. Its adaptability simplifies major adjustments. Odoo allows e-commerce companies to adjust order processing.

Meanwhile, Zoho excels in pre-built integrations and usability. Small to medium-sized businesses seeking an easy, all-in-one choice should consider it. Zoho’s suite allows business owners to track consumers, send emails, and collaborate on papers. However, the pricing options Zoho offers are much less affordable in comparison to Odoo’s, which includes all possible apps within one license.

In the end, your business management software should reflect its size, processes, industry, and growth potential. As previously mentioned, the business management platform Odoo is adaptable offering enterprise features, industry-specific solutions, and complicated analytics. To seamlessly implement any automation software, don’t hesitate to use our complimentary consultation opportunity. Stay tuned!