Odoo is a business suite. One subscription opens a long list of apps: sales, CRM, accounting, inventory, website, eCommerce, HR, point of sale and more, with Field Service among them. Alori is the all-in-one app for service businesses, starting with HVAC. You describe the business in plain words, and Alori assembles an app from modules for customers, quotes, scheduling, jobs and invoices. The better pick depends on how much of the company you want in one system, and how much setup you are ready to take on.
For the wider choice, read field service software vs building your own. Also weighing Zoho? See Odoo vs Zoho vs Alori.
The short version
- Pick Odoo if you want one suite for accounting, inventory, HR, sales and operations, and you have the time (or a partner) to configure it.
- Pick Alori if you run a service company like plumbing, electrical, HVAC, roofing or general contracting (or build apps for them), and you want customers, quotes, scheduling, jobs and invoices in an app that uses your words, without an implementation project.
Different starting points
Odoo starts from the whole company. You install the apps you need, then configure each one: stages, products, taxes, users, rights. Deeper changes go through Odoo Studio, custom modules or the API, which Odoo places on its Custom plan. That range is the strength. It also means someone has to decide how every piece fits, and Odoo's own pricing page lists implementation services as a separate cost.
Alori starts from the service business. Customers, quotes, scheduling, jobs and invoices already exist as modules. You describe how you work, or paste your website, and the app uses your words. A plumber sees customers and jobs. A renovation contractor sees clients, estimates and projects. You change a screen by asking in a sentence.
| Odoo | Alori | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A suite of business apps under one subscription | An app built from service-business modules |
| Scope | Accounting, inventory, HR, sales, website, POS and more | Customers, quotes, scheduling, jobs, invoices |
| How you customize | Settings, then Odoo Studio, custom code or the API on the Custom plan | Ask in a sentence |
| Setup | Configuration, often with a Success Pack or a partner | Describe the business, answer a couple of questions |
| Users | Priced per paying user on paid plans | Unlimited users on every Alori plan |
What Odoo includes that Alori does not
Be straight about the gap. Odoo covers far more of a company than Alori does:
- Full accounting, which Alori does not do. Alori creates invoices, but it is not a general ledger.
- Inventory, purchasing, HR, payroll-adjacent apps, point of sale, website and eCommerce are all part of the Odoo catalog.
- Payment providers, delivery carriers, VoIP and bank synchronization are listed on Odoo's pricing page as part of the standard plan when Odoo initiates the call.
- Multi-company and an external API are listed on the Custom plan.
Alori can email a quote or an invoice when that module is in the app and the customer has an email on file. Card payments, online booking, and a client portal are not in the default modules. Texts, automatic messages and reminders are. If you need accounting, keep your accounting software beside Alori.
What it costs
As of October 2026, Odoo's pricing page lists:
- One App Free: $0, one app with unlimited users, on Odoo Online.
- Standard: all apps, priced per user per month. The page we read showed US$24.90 or US$31.10 per user per month depending on the billing option, as an introductory price, with regular prices of US$31.10 and US$38.90.
- Custom: all apps plus Odoo Studio, multi-company, the external API and Odoo.sh or on-premise hosting. The page showed US$49 or US$61 per user per month, with regular prices of US$61 and US$76.20.
Odoo notes that the discount is valid for 12 months for the users first ordered. Its page also lists what is not included: Odoo.sh hosting for custom code, implementation and expert services, in-app purchase credits (SMS among them), and maintenance of custom code. Odoo does not publish a flat implementation price on that page. It points small companies to Success Packs and a project estimator. Prices vary by country and currency, so read the page for your region before you budget.
Alori is free to start, with no credit card and 10 credits, on the pricing page. Every plan includes unlimited users. Solo starts at $99 a month for 375 credits. Business starts at $249 a month for 1,000 credits. A typical change costs about one credit. Emailing a quote or invoice costs 0.01 credits per recipient. Prices are in US dollars, and the page is the source of truth.
The models differ. Odoo charges per paying user for a whole suite. Alori charges for changes to one service-business app, with no per-user price.
How you set Alori up
- Describe the business in a sentence, or paste its website. Alori picks up the business name, colors and what it does.
- Answer a couple of simple multiple-choice questions where your description is unclear. Alori asks instead of guessing.
- Get an app with the modules you need, working at the office and on a phone.
- Change anything by asking in a sentence.
Changes are tried on a copy first. Your team keeps using the live app until you publish, and you can go back to an earlier version. Apps go live at name.alori.dev, or on your own domain (a custom domain is listed on Solo). Hosting, database, sign-in and SSL are handled, with no config screens. Apps are available in English and French.
More on the process in how Alori builds your app.
For agencies building for clients
Odoo partners sell implementation: they configure the suite for a client and maintain it. That is a real business, and it fits clients who need accounting, inventory and HR in one place.
Alori is a separate all-in-one app for each service-business client. One account can hold many projects. Each project has its own data and its own team, so you invite that client's staff to their app only. See how to sell custom software to local businesses.
When Odoo is the better pick
- You want accounting, inventory and operations in one system. Alori does not replace an accounting or inventory suite.
- You sell products as well as services, with stock, purchasing or a store.
- You have the time, or a partner, to configure it. The suite rewards a proper setup.
- You need multi-company, an API for other systems, or self-hosting. Those are on Odoo's Custom plan.
When Alori is the better pick
- You run a trades or service company and want one app for customers, quotes, scheduling, jobs and invoices, not a full ERP.
- You would rather describe the shop than configure modules, and change a screen by asking.
- Headcount drives the bill. Crews, office staff and helpers all count on a per-user plan. Alori includes unlimited users.
- You want the app in English or French, in your words.
- You are an agency and each client needs their own project.
Questions to ask before you choose
| Question | If the answer is yes |
|---|---|
| Do we need full accounting or inventory in the same system? | Odoo covers that. Alori does not. |
| Is the main need quotes, jobs, scheduling and invoices? | Alori starts there. |
| Do we have budget and time for an implementation? | Odoo rewards it. Alori skips it. |
| Will many crew members need access? | Compare Odoo's per-user price with Alori's unlimited users. |
| Do we want screens in English or French, in our words? | Alori starts there. |
The simplest test: set up the Alori app from a sentence about your company, and open an Odoo trial with the apps you would really use. A week with both tells you more than this table.
Product details change. Check each vendor's site for current features and pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Is Alori an Odoo alternative?
For the core of a service business, it can be. Odoo is a full suite with accounting, inventory, HR and much more. Alori is the all-in-one app for customers, quotes, scheduling, jobs and invoices, set up from a description of your shop. If you need the rest of the suite, Odoo covers ground Alori does not.
Does Odoo have field service?
Field Service appears in Odoo's app catalog, and its pricing page lists Field Services among the capabilities of light users. You configure it like the other Odoo apps. Alori starts from scheduling and job modules made for service companies.
How much does Odoo cost?
As of October 2026, Odoo's pricing page shows One App Free at $0, Standard at US$24.90 or US$31.10 per user per month as an introductory price, and Custom at US$49 or US$61 per user per month, with the discount valid for 12 months. Implementation services are not included and are not priced on that page.
Can Alori do my accounting?
No. Alori creates and emails quotes and invoices, but it is not accounting software. Keep your accountant's tool for the books.
Try Alori on your business
Describe your service business in a sentence or paste your website, and see the all-in-one app. It is free to start, with no credit card and no account needed. Try it free.
