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ERP · head to head

ADempiere vs Odoo

ADempiere logo

ADempiere

ERP

Community-run open source ERP forked from Compiere, with no vendor behind it

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Odoo logo

Odoo

ERP

Open-source ERP and CRM suite for all business needs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: ADempiere there is no company behind it, so there is no support contract to buy, no SLA, no escalation path and no roadmap commitment; if your implementation partner leaves the market you own the problem entirely.; Odoo the free plan is limited to one app, so any second module moves the whole account to a paid per user plan
  • They diverge on capability: ADempiere covers Application dictionary, Odoo covers Sales management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ADempiere and Odoo actually diverge.

Attributes where ADempiere and Odoo differ
AttributeADempiereOdoo
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feesubscription
PlatformsWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, Self-hostedCloud, On-premise, Web, Mobile
FoundedUnknown2002

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (ERP).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in ADempiere

  • Application dictionary
  • Financial accounting
  • Order to cash and procure to pay
  • Inventory and warehouse
  • Manufacturing
  • Point of sale
  • Workflow engine
  • Java and PostgreSQL stack

Only in Odoo

  • Sales management
  • Inventory
  • Accounting
  • CRM
  • Project management
  • E-commerce
  • Email marketing
  • Payment gateways

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

ADempiere

  • A manufacturer in Latin America with an existing ADempiere consulting partner that needs localised tax and accounting behaviour a global vendor will not buildnot Odoo
  • A company that wants to modify ERP screens and document workflows without a vendor change request, using the application dictionary rather than codenot Odoo
  • An organisation with a hard requirement to keep financial data on its own servers under its own control with no cloud dependencynot Odoo
  • A systems integrator building a vertical ERP product on a permissive base it can fork and ship without paying a licence feenot Odoo

Odoo

  • Running ERP, CRM, inventory and accounting from one integrated suitenot ADempiere
  • Starting with a single business app and adding modules over timenot ADempiere

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

ADempiere

  • There is no company behind it, so there is no support contract to buy, no SLA, no escalation path and no roadmap commitment; if your implementation partner leaves the market you own the problem entirely.
  • The official website adempiere.net does not resolve, which strands most of the historic documentation and tutorials that search engines still point at and makes onboarding a new developer considerably harder.
  • The last conventional stable release, 3.9.4, is from January 2023, so despite ongoing GitHub activity a buyer evaluating on release cadence sees a project moving slowly.
  • iDempiere, a later fork of the same codebase, absorbed much of the developer community, so ADempiere competes for contributors with its own descendant and is the smaller of the two ecosystems.
  • The interface and the Java Swing heritage feel dated, and staff coming from a modern cloud ERP will need training and will complain; expect resistance from finance and warehouse users during rollout.

Odoo

  • The free plan is limited to one app, so any second module moves the whole account to a paid per user plan
  • Standard runs $13.50 to $16.90 per user per month and Custom $20.40 to $25.50, both quoted with a yearly discount applied
  • Implementation services and custom development are not included in any plan
  • Odoo.sh hosting is required for custom modules and is charged separately from the subscription
  • SMS credits and AI scanning are billed on top of the per user price

Pricing, plan by plan

ADempiere

Free
  • Community editionFree
    • GPL v2 licensed, no licence fee
    • Full ERP, CRM, supply chain and POS modules
    • Self-hosted on your own infrastructure

Odoo

Free
  • One App FreeFree
    • Unlimited users
    • One app included
    • Hosted on Odoo Online
  • Standard$13.5/month
    • All apps included
    • Odoo Online hosting
    • Unlimited support, hosting and maintenance
  • Custom$20.4/month
    • All apps, multi-company support
    • Odoo Studio access
    • External API access

Which should you pick?

Choose ADempiere if

  • You need application dictionary.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, Self-hosted.
  • You also want financial accounting.
ADempiere review

Choose Odoo if

  • You need sales management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, On-premise, Web, Mobile.
  • You also want inventory.
Odoo review

Questions people ask

Is ADempiere or Odoo better?
Neither clearly leads. ADempiere starts at Free and Odoo at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ADempiere or Odoo?
ADempiere starts at Free and Odoo at Free.
Does ADempiere or Odoo run on more platforms?
ADempiere runs on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, Self-hosted. Odoo runs on Cloud, On-premise, Web, Mobile.
Can I use ADempiere for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is ADempiere best used for?
ADempiere is most often used for a manufacturer in latin america with an existing adempiere consulting partner that needs localised tax and accounting behaviour a global vendor will not build, a company that wants to modify erp screens and document workflows without a vendor change request, using the application dictionary rather than code, an organisation with a hard requirement to keep financial data on its own servers under its own control with no cloud dependency, a systems integrator building a vertical erp product on a permissive base it can fork and ship without paying a licence fee. Of those, a manufacturer in latin america with an existing adempiere consulting partner that needs localised tax and accounting behaviour a global vendor will not build and a company that wants to modify erp screens and document workflows without a vendor change request, using the application dictionary rather than code are not what Odoo is typically brought in for.
What can ADempiere do that Odoo cannot?
ADempiere covers Application dictionary, Financial accounting, Order to cash and procure to pay, Inventory and warehouse. Odoo covers Sales management, Inventory, Accounting, CRM.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ADempiere: Should I choose ADempiere or iDempiere?

Look at iDempiere first. It is a later fork of the same codebase with a more active community and a modular OSGi architecture. Choose ADempiere if a specific partner or localisation you need only exists there.

Odoo: How much does Odoo cost per user?

Odoo pricing ranges from $0/month for one free app with unlimited users, to $13.50-$16.90/month per user for Standard, and $20.40-$25.50/month per user for Custom, depending on billing frequency (yearly vs monthly).

Source
ADempiere: Is ADempiere free?

The software is GPL licensed with no licence fee. The cost is implementation, customisation and permanent in-house maintenance, which for a real deployment is substantial.

Odoo: Is there a free Odoo plan?

Yes, Odoo offers a free plan that includes unlimited users for one app with hosting and support included on Odoo Online.

Source
ADempiere: Is the project still alive?

Development continues on GitHub with commits into 2026, but the official website is down and the last stable release is from January 2023. Treat it as maintained rather than actively advancing.

Odoo: How does Odoo define a paying user?

A paying user is typically an employee who has access to the Odoo backend to create, view, or edit documents. Customers and suppliers accessing portals are free users and do not count toward the seat limit.

Source
ADempiere: What is the application dictionary?

It is the metadata layer inherited from Compiere that stores the definition of every window, field and validation rule as data, so you can change the application without touching source code.

Odoo: What is included in Odoo's Standard plan?

The Standard plan at $13.50-$16.90/user/month includes all Odoo apps, hosting, unlimited support and maintenance, daily backups, 24/7 monitoring and security, and free eLearning platform access.

Source
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