Two different areas of focus
In the Netherlands, AFAS is the reference for HR and payroll: leave, absence, payroll tax returns and tax compliance are deep in its DNA. Odoo's centre of gravity is in operations: sales, inventory, manufacturing, projects, eCommerce and accounting in one platform. For organisations where HR is the heart of the business, AFAS is a logical choice. For trading, manufacturing and project-based companies that want one system for the entire operation, Odoo is usually the better match — if necessary with an external payroll solution alongside it.
AFAS and Odoo side by side
| Feature | Odoo | AFAS |
|---|---|---|
| HRM & Dutch payroll | ⚠️ Available, Dutch localisation growing | ✅ Marktleider in Nederland |
| Accounting & finance | ✅ Complete, incl. Peppol and bank integration | ✅ Strong |
| CRM & sales | ✅ Fully fledged pipeline & marketing | ⚠️ Limited |
| Inventory, logistics & manufacturing | ✅ WMS, barcodes, full MRP | ❌ Not available / very limited |
| E-commerce & website | ✅ Integrated webshop | ❌ Not available |
| Projects & work orders | ✅ Projects, planning, field service | ⚠️ Good for hours, limited for operations |
| Customisation & open API | ✅ Open source, fully customisable | ⚠️ Closed platform, limited API |
| Pricing model | From €24.90 per user per month | Package price, entry level from a handful of users |
| Updates | ⚠️ Annual version upgrade needs attention | ✅ Automatic (SaaS) |
Our honest advice
Choose AFAS if...
Dutch payroll and HR processes are your absolute priority — think healthcare, education or larger service providers with complex collective agreements. In that area AFAS is currently simply stronger than Odoo, and we say so honestly.
Choose Odoo if...
Your operation revolves around sales, inventory, manufacturing, projects or eCommerce. AFAS offers little there, while Odoo delivers all of it integrated in one platform. We solve payroll with a specialised integration — giving you the best of both worlds without duplicate administration.
Or combine them
In practice we regularly see a hybrid set-up: Odoo for the full operation and finance, AFAS (or a payroll provider) purely for payroll processing, with an integration between them. We build and maintain such integrations every day.
Which combination suits your organisation?
Start with a no-obligation Business Scan — honest advice, even if AFAS is the better choice.
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