A detailed comparison between Dynamics 365 Business Central & Odoo

When it comes to business management software, it can often be quite difficult to decide which one to go for. There are several ERP options available with two of the main ones being Business Central & Odoo.  

In our latest blog article, we will provide you with a detailed comparison between the two. 

Before we get started, let’s provide a definition of each: 

Dynamics 365 Business Central (formerly Dynamics NAV) is specifically designed for small and medium sized businesses looking for an all-in-one ERP finance solution that’s easy to use, adapt to and can be deployed in the Cloud or on premise. 

Odoo ERP system is enterprise resource planning software used company-wide for the management of business processes 

How do the two systems compare to one another? 

1. User interface: Business Central has the advantage in this regard as it has a user-friendly interface and is very straight forward to navigate. This makes it the ideal choice for businesses that are relatively new to ERP systems and want something easy to use. Whereas on the other hand, Odoo is much more complex meaning it is difficult to learn how to use it. 

2. Integrations: It is very much the case that both Business Central & Odoo can integrate with different products. However, Business Central has the upper hand as it can easily integrate with other commonly used Microsoft products such as Microsoft 365 or Power Apps which are more likely to be used by businesses. 

3. Reporting: It goes without saying but both do have reporting capabilities. However, Business Central is so much better as it can be easily integrated with Microsoft Power BI to allow you to create custom reports easily for all types of stakeholders. 

4. Pricing: When comparing the two systems, Business Central leads the way as the price you pay is based on the number of users and modules you need so essentially you only pay for what you use. Whereas Odoo although free to use any customisations or integrations that you need to make, can end up working out much more expensive in the long run.

Please find a summary of the comparison of Business Central and Odoo below 

	Business Central	Odoo
User Interface	Very user friendly & easy to navigate	Very complex & difficult to learn to use
Integrations	Easily integrates with popular Microsoft products such as Microsoft 365 & Power Apps	Can integrate with other products but requires more support & extra work
Reporting	A great set of reporting capabilities which can easily be integrated with Power BI to produce trueful powerful reports	Basic reporting capabilities with many options available but nowhere near as comprehensive as Business Central
Pricing	A subscription-based model based on number of users & modules used	Free to use but no specific costs associated with ongoing customisations or integrations
Security	Industry leading security with safe storage space in Azure	May require additional industry security measures to be met
Support	Microsoft provides comprehensive support directly & through its partners such as Advantage	Largely community-driven support and limited partner support
Implementation Costs	£7,500	£8,200

 

When your business is looking at the different business management solutions that are available in the market, you need to take into account exactly what your business requires from such a system. However, for small and medium sized businesses that are searching for something that is easy to use that gives you great reporting functionality, protects your data and gives you added support then Business Central is by far the best option for your business. 

Next Steps? 

If you are a business that is looking for the perfect ERP solution and have read the above article and are keen to go ahead with one of our Quick Start Business Central solutions then be sure to give our ERP experts a call today who can discuss your specific requirements in more detail. 

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