Our editorial review staff has extensively tested and reviewed two popular ERP platforms: SYSPRO and Odoo to help you make an informed decision for your business.
In the ERP industry, SYSPRO has built a solid reputation. It’s primarily designed for discrete manufacturing and mixed-mode operations. SYSPRO is best for small businesses to large enterprises with anywhere from 50 to over 10,000 employees. It caters to various industries, including automotive, cannabis, chemicals, electronics, fabricated metal, food, and more.
From our experience, we found SYSPRO user-friendly and accessible across devices. It shines with extensive AI and IoT integrations and offers hybrid on-prem and cloud options. In addition, SYSPRO supports parallel accounting for global regulations. However, it requires 3rd party add-ons for functions like EDI and shipping notifications, lacks customization flexibility, and doesn’t include payroll or HR modules. It also has limited training resources available.
Odoo is an open-source ERP software that integrates CRM, manufacturing, eCommerce, and more. It’s an ideal solution for small companies and mid-sized businesses with one to 200 employees that have outgrown their simple accounting and inventory software.
It stood out to us for its modularity, simple integration, and ease of use. It’s an effective light ERP, and as companies scale up, they can add modules piecemeal as needed.
Odoo offers inventory management functionalities at a lower price point than many cloud-based ERPs. However, it does require technical expertise or a dedicated support team to deploy the software, integrate third-party apps, or customize the source code to fit your company’s workflows.
After thorough testing and review, we found that SYSPRO is generally better for most businesses. It’s a more comprehensive solution and caters to a broader range of businesses, from small to large enterprises. It also offers robust features with AI and IoT integrations, which are increasingly important in today’s digital landscape.
Odoo, on the other hand, is ideal for small to mid-sized businesses looking for a light ERP system. It offers modularity and simple integration. However, its necessity for technical expertise or a dedicated support team for deployment and customization can be a hurdle for some businesses.
For a broader view of what’s available, check out our roundup of the best ERP software overall.