Odoo vs Salesforce

March 19, 2025 | Author: Michael Stromann
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Odoo
Odoo is an open-source all-in-one management software containig a vast collection of business apps. Each app simplifies a process and empowers more people. Beautiful. Easy-to-use. From ERP to CRM, eCommerce and CMS. You can install Odoo localy or use it in the cloud.
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Salesforce
Most-popular CRM. Easy collaboration. Proven cloud platform. Salesforce.com offers everything you need to transform your business into a Social Enterprise, so you can connect to customers and employees like never before. With no software or hardware to install, you're up and running—and seeing a positive impact on your business—quickly.

Odoo and Salesforce are a bit like two very clever dolphins attempting to explain to a perplexed human how to run a successful aquarium. They each have their own unique whistles, clicks and completely baffling metaphors, yet they’re both aiming for the same result: a smoothly managed fish tank that practically runs itself. Both are perfectly comfortable operating in a cloud somewhere far above us, both can whistle cheerfully to a crowd of just a few or an entire pod and both come equipped with a remarkable array of tools designed to handle everything from fish food logistics to tracking which dolphin swam into the wrong tank at exactly 3:15 pm. In other words, if you’ve got a business to run, either one could be your charming, slightly enigmatic aquatic friend.

Odoo, though, hails from the charmingly surreal land of Belgium, where chocolate and waffles make perfect sense as a breakfast item and first appeared in the somewhat less-than-vintage year of 2005. It doesn’t just stop at handling the dolphins’ schedules—it also keeps an eye on what’s in the snack bar, whether you’re paying the ticket booth operator on time and why the gift shop seems to be selling out of plush manatees. You can poke around its code like a curious tourist inspecting a particularly interesting sculpture, making it especially appealing to those who enjoy tinkering. Plus, its price tag is often more akin to a cup of Belgian hot chocolate than a five-course dinner at the restaurant at the end of the universe.

Salesforce, on the other hand, is an older, American sort of fish. It first leapt out of the water back in 1999 and immediately began showing off some rather flashy tricks. While it doesn’t particularly want to manage your snack bar inventory, it’s rather obsessed with making sure your sales sharks are finding the right prey and closing deals before the competition even knows what’s happening. Salesforce is the dolphin that has gone off to study machine learning and AI in some distant research lab, coming back occasionally to remind you that it knows exactly which customer is about to cancel their subscription. Its security features are the aquatic equivalent of a submarine’s watertight door—reassuring and just a little intimidating. It may be pricier, but if you’re in a heavily regulated aquarium industry, you might just find it’s the best dolphin for the job.

See also: Top 10 Online ERP software
Author: Michael Stromann
Michael is an expert in IT Service Management, IT Security and software development. With his extensive experience as a software developer and active involvement in multiple ERP implementation projects, Michael brings a wealth of practical knowledge to his writings. Having previously worked at SAP, he has honed his expertise and gained a deep understanding of software development and implementation processes. Currently, as a freelance developer, Michael continues to contribute to the IT community by sharing his insights through guest articles published on several IT portals. You can contact Michael by email [email protected]