Softwr

ERP · head to head

Odoo vs Unanet

Odoo logo

Odoo

ERP

Open-source ERP and CRM suite for all business needs

From
Free
Rated
-
Unanet logo

Unanet

ERP

Project ERP and CRM built for government contractors and architecture and engineering firms

From
On request
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Odoo has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Odoo the free plan is limited to one app, so any second module moves the whole account to a paid per user plan; Unanet no pricing is published for any Unanet product; every line is quoted per user per month with separate implementation fees, so a small contractor cannot budget the first year without a full sales cycle.
  • They diverge on capability: Odoo covers Sales management, Unanet covers DCAA-oriented timekeeping.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Odoo and Unanet actually diverge.

Attributes where Odoo and Unanet differ
AttributeOdooUnanet
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsCloud, On-premise, Web, MobileWeb, Cloud, iOS, Android
Founded2002Unknown

Identical on both: 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 Odoo

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

Only in Unanet

  • DCAA-oriented timekeeping
  • Indirect rate management
  • Contract type support
  • Project accounting
  • Resource planning
  • Unanet CRM
  • Compliant invoicing
  • Unanet ERP AE

What people use each for

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

Odoo

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

Unanet

  • A federal contractor moving from QuickBooks and spreadsheets because it has won its first cost-reimbursable contract and needs an accounting system that survives a DCAA adequacy reviewnot Odoo
  • A services firm that must calculate and true up provisional indirect rates each year and cannot do it credibly in Excel any longernot Odoo
  • An architecture and engineering practice tracking utilisation and project profitability across dozens of concurrent jobsnot Odoo
  • A government contractor consolidating a separate CRM, timekeeping tool and accounting package into one system so pipeline and backlog reconcilenot Odoo

Where each one falls short

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

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

Unanet

  • No pricing is published for any Unanet product; every line is quoted per user per month with separate implementation fees, so a small contractor cannot budget the first year without a full sales cycle.
  • Implementation is a project rather than a signup, involving chart of accounts design, indirect pool structure and data migration, and third parties report implementation fees reaching five figures for mid-sized deployments, an amount easily missed when comparing per-user rates.
  • The interface is dated compared with modern SaaS finance products, which raises training time for staff who only touch it to enter a timesheet and increases the support burden on the finance team.
  • ERP and CRM are separate products with separate contracts, so a firm that wants pipeline, backlog and actuals in one place pays twice and still deals with an integration boundary between them.
  • Its value is concentrated in United States federal and state contracting compliance, so a firm that does no public-sector work is paying for indirect rate machinery and DCAA audit behaviour it will never use, and a non-US firm gets almost nothing from the product’s main differentiator.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Unanet

On request
  • Unanet ERP GovCon$undefined/year
    • Project accounting with indirect rate pools
    • DCAA-oriented daily timekeeping and audit trail
    • Cost-plus, T&M and fixed price contract billing
  • Unanet ERP AE$undefined/year
    • Project accounting configured for architecture and engineering firms
    • Resource planning and utilisation reporting
    • Priced per user per month, quoted
  • Unanet CRM$undefined/year
    • Pursuit and opportunity tracking
    • Proposal content library and reuse
    • Sold separately from ERP; quoted

Which should you pick?

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.

Choose Unanet if

  • You need dcaa-oriented timekeeping.
  • You work on Web, Cloud, iOS, Android.
  • You also want indirect rate management.

Questions people ask

Is Odoo or Unanet better?
Neither clearly leads. Odoo starts at Free and Unanet at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Odoo or Unanet?
Odoo has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Odoo and On request for Unanet.
Does Odoo or Unanet run on more platforms?
Odoo runs on Cloud, On-premise, Web, Mobile. Unanet runs on Web, Cloud, iOS, Android.
Can I use Odoo for free?
Yes. Odoo has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Unanet starts at On request.
What is Odoo best used for?
Odoo is most often used for running erp, crm, inventory and accounting from one integrated suite, starting with a single business app and adding modules over time. Of those, running erp, crm, inventory and accounting from one integrated suite and starting with a single business app and adding modules over time are not what Unanet is typically brought in for.
What can Odoo do that Unanet cannot?
Odoo covers Sales management, Inventory, Accounting, CRM. Unanet covers DCAA-oriented timekeeping, Indirect rate management, Contract type support, Project accounting.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Unanet: What does Unanet cost?

Nothing is published. Pricing is per user per month and quoted, with implementation fees charged separately on top of the subscription.

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
Unanet: Does Unanet make you DCAA compliant?

No software does. Unanet provides the timekeeping controls, audit trail and indirect rate accounting that an adequacy review looks for; the policies and their enforcement are still yours.

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
Unanet: Is Unanet CRM included with the ERP?

No. Unanet CRM, built on the acquired Cosential platform, is a separate product with its own contract.

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
Unanet: How does it compare with Deltek?

Unanet typically targets smaller contractors than Deltek Costpoint and is quicker to implement, but has less depth for very large multi-segment organisations.

Share

Related pages

Other head to heads