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SimpleERP vs Odoo: which fits a small business?
Odoo is a modular, open-source ERP with a very wide range of apps. SimpleERP is a smaller ERP made for Indian small businesses, ready to bill in minutes. Here is how to choose.
In short
SimpleERP is a simple ERP for Indian small businesses, set up with GST, accounts, roles and numbering in minutes. Odoo suits businesses wanting a wide, configurable app catalogue with help to set it up; SimpleERP suits teams that want to start without a project.
Illustration of the one-screen setup: business, GST and money, and team, with accounts, GST rates, units, roles and numbering seeded.
What Odoo is good at
Odoo is a modular, open-source ERP with many apps that cover a very wide range of business jobs. For a company that wants to shape its system around unusual processes, that breadth and flexibility is a real strength.
- A very wide app catalogue. Many business areas covered by separate apps.
- Open source and configurable. The code is open, so it can be shaped around unusual processes.
- A large community and partner network. Help, implementation and add-ons are widely available.
- Room to grow large. Built to scale with bigger and more complex companies.
Side by side
Where the fit breaks: the jobs, side by side
The same daily jobs, described as work rather than features. The Odoo column says how businesses on Odoo usually get each job done, which depends on the edition, add-ons and setup you choose.
| Job | In SimpleERP | Typical with Odoo |
|---|---|---|
| Get to the first GST invoice | Sign up, enter the business name and GSTIN, bill; GST rates, accounts and numbering are seeded | Usually a setup project: choosing apps, the Indian localisation and configuration |
| Know which screens to use | One product, simple by default; branches and the chart of accounts appear when you need them | Depends on which apps and options you install |
| Keep the books correct | The database refuses unbalanced journals, edits to posted documents and posting before the lock date | Depends on configuration and how access rights are set |
| Team access | A login for every member with seven system roles plus custom roles, priced per user | Depends on the edition, hosting and the plan you choose |
| Work from a phone | Every screen works at 360 px in the browser, with nothing to install | Depends on the apps you use and how they are set up |
| Custom workflows and many apps | A fixed set of 13 modules on one ledger; no custom app builder | A natural fit: breadth and customisation are its strengths |
| Updates and upkeep | The same product for every business, updated for you | Depends on hosting; self-hosted setups are usually maintained by a partner or in-house |
| Get your data out | CSV export of every report, products, stock and the ledger; invoices print as A4 or PDF | Depends on the apps and export tools you use |
Verdict
Choose Odoo if… choose SimpleERP if…
Both are sensible choices for different businesses. Here is the honest split.
Choose Odoo if
- You need business apps beyond the 13 modules SimpleERP covers, all inside your ERP
- Your processes are unusual and you have a partner or developer to configure and extend it
- You expect to grow into a large, multi-company operation
Choose SimpleERP if
- You are a 5 to 50 person business and want to bill on the first day, not after a project
- You want Indian GST, the April to March year and PF, PT and TDS built in from the start
- You want a system the database keeps correct, with nothing to host or maintain
Honest limits
What SimpleERP does not do yet
Worth knowing before you switch.
- GST return filing: registers and the HSN summary export to CSV for whoever files your returns
- E-invoice IRN and e-way bill generation through the government APIs
- Batch, lot, serial or expiry tracking, and multi-currency
- Bank feeds: bank entries are recorded and reconciled by hand
- A direct import of another system's data file
Getting started
Moving from Odoo to SimpleERP
Pick a cut-over date
Keep your Odoo records available for reference, and start SimpleERP from opening balances on a chosen date. The first day of a month, or of a quarter, keeps the comparison clean.
Bring in products and opening stock
Import products by CSV with a dry run that shows every error before anything is written, including opening stock per warehouse.
Enter opening balances
Add customers and suppliers on screen, then use the opening balances wizard for what they owe you, what you owe them, and your bank and cash.
Run both for a month
Bill in SimpleERP and keep the old books open. Compare receivables, stock and the trial balance at month end, then set the lock date.
FAQ
Questions, answered
Is SimpleERP a simpler Odoo alternative?
Yes, by design. SimpleERP covers 13 modules for small businesses on one ledger, with GST, accounts, roles and numbering seeded at sign-up, so the first invoice is minutes away. Odoo offers far more apps and customisation, which suits businesses with a partner and a setup project.
Can SimpleERP be customised like Odoo?
Only through settings. You can create custom roles from the system ones and set numbering, GST rates, branches, warehouses and payment terms, but there is no app builder or custom code. That is a deliberate trade: every business runs the same product, which keeps it simple and correct.
How long does it take to start with SimpleERP?
Signing up takes your name, a +91 phone number and a password, and the business setup is one screen. Setup is built to reach a working dashboard in under three minutes, and your first GST invoice can go out within ten. Moving full history takes longer, so plan a month of parallel running.
Does SimpleERP file GST returns?
No. SimpleERP prepares what filing needs: the sales and purchase registers for GSTR-1 and GSTR-2B checks and the HSN summary, all exportable to CSV. Filing itself stays with you or your accountant on the GST portal. E-invoice IRNs and e-way bills are not generated through the government APIs today.
Related
Keep reading
SimpleERP vs Tally
Desktop accounting your CA knows well, or one browser-based system for billing, stock, CRM, HR and payroll on one ledger.
Read moreSimpleERP vs Zoho Books
Cloud accounting inside a larger suite, or one ERP where inventory, manufacturing, HR and payroll share the same ledger.
Read moreMoving from Tally or Excel
Product import, opening balances, opening stock and a month of parallel running.
Read moreFeatures
All thirteen modules, grouped by job, and how they work as one system.
Read more
Try SimpleERP next to Odoo.
Seven days free, no card. Run both side by side and keep the one that fits.
Odoo is a trademark of its owner. Details change; check their site for current features and pricing.