The Ultimate Breakdown for Startups, MSMEs & Growing Businesses

Odoo CRM is the customer relationship management system inside the Odoo ERP suite an open-source, modular business platform used by companies across the world. But unlike many traditional CRMs that focus only on leads and communication tracking, Odoo CRM becomes even more powerful because it connects directly with Odoo’s other apps like Sales, Accounting, Inventory, Email Marketing, and more. This means your entire workflow from lead generation to delivery to invoicing can happen inside one unified system.

For startups and MSMEs that often juggle WhatsApp, Gmail, spreadsheets, and multiple disconnected apps, Odoo CRM removes the chaos and gives you a single place to manage your entire sales pipeline.

In this full guide, you’ll learn what Odoo CRM does, how it works, its top features, benefits, pricing, comparisons, industry use cases, and a step-by-step setup process all explained in simple, human language.

What Exactly Is Odoo CRM? (In Simple Words)

Odoo CRM helps businesses:

• Capture leads from your website, email, WhatsApp, and social media
• Track every opportunity in a clean visual pipeline
• Communicate with customers through emails, calls, and chats
• Log all interactions automatically
• Forecast sales and measure performance
• Send quotations and convert them to orders
• Automate the sales process with reminders, assignments, and workflows

The heart of Odoo CRM is its Kanban-style pipeline. Each opportunity appears as a movable card, and sales teams can drag and drop it through stages such as “New,” “Qualified,” “Proposal Sent,” and “Won.”

Everything is connected: emails appear under the opportunity, meetings sync with your calendar, and all communication is tracked.

This centralization removes the need to manage leads in spreadsheets, WhatsApp chats, emails, or multiple tools your entire sales workflow lives inside one dashboard.

How Odoo CRM Works: A Practical Walkthrough

Let’s break down how Odoo CRM functions from start to finish.

1. Lead Capture: Where Odoo Shines First

Odoo automatically collects leads from multiple channels:

• Website forms
• Live chat widgets
• Email inboxes
• Social media marketing campaigns
• WhatsApp Business integration
• Manual entries from your sales team

The moment a lead enters the system, Odoo attaches all activity to it. This includes conversations, files, emails, and notes — nothing gets lost.

2. Visual Pipeline Management

Odoo CRM’s most-loved feature is its drag-and-drop Kanban pipeline.

Each stage shows:

• Total number of deals
• Expected revenue
• Activity status (overdue, ongoing, upcoming)

You can customize pipeline stages for each team. For example:

IT Services Pipeline

• New Lead
• Needs Analysis
• Technical Proposal
• Negotiation
• Won

E-Commerce Pipeline

• Lead
• Checkout Abandoned
• Ready to Buy
• Closed

This visual clarity helps teams focus on what matters: moving deals forward.

3. Activity Tracking and Smart Suggestions

Every opportunity includes a detailed timeline:

• Calls
• Emails
• Internal comments
• WhatsApp messages
• Meetings
• Attachments
• Follow-up reminders

Odoo also suggests Next Best Actions automatically such as scheduling a call or sending a proposal based on your sales flow.

This ensures no follow-up is forgotten.

4. Quotation Management Without Leaving CRM

One of Odoo’s biggest advantages is how seamlessly CRM connects with the Sales module.

From the opportunity page, you can:

• Create a quotation in seconds
• Add products or services
• Apply taxes and discounts
• Send it via email
• Track open rate
• Let clients sign online
• Convert the quote into a sales order

Once the quote is confirmed:

• Inventory gets updated
• Delivery orders are generated
• Invoices can be created automatically

Everything happens inside the same ecosystem no data re-entry.

5. Automation & AI: Make CRM Work for You

Odoo CRM can automate tasks such as:

• Lead assignment (based on salesperson or region)
• Follow-up emails
• Next activity reminders
• Stage changes
• Lead scoring
• Welcome messages
• Routing leads from website/chat

Newer versions also include AI-driven lead scoring that prioritizes leads based on historical data.

This helps your team focus on high-value opportunities.

6. Reporting, Dashboards & Forecasting

Odoo CRM includes real-time analytics for:

• Expected revenue
• Deal cycle length
• Top-performing sales reps
• Lost reasons
• Industry-wise leads
• Forecast accuracy

This allows managers to make smart, data-driven decisions rather than relying on guesswork.

Top Features of Odoo CRM for Small & Medium Businesses

Here’s why Odoo CRM is a favorite among MSMEs:

✔ Drag-and-drop visual pipeline

Easy to manage deals and track progress.

✔ Mobile-friendly interface

Update deals from anywhere on Android or iOS.

✔ Integrated communication

All emails, chats, and messages auto-link to opportunities.

✔ Fast quotation & invoicing

Turn proposals into orders with one click.

✔ AI-powered lead scoring

Focus on hot leads.

✔ Marketing integration

Built-in tools for email marketing, automation & website forms.

✔ Cost-effective

Unlimited CRM users in “One App Free” plan.

Benefits of Using Odoo CRM for Your Business

Let’s look at how it transforms sales operations:

1. Centralized Customer Data

All customer information communication, quotes, meetings sits in one place. Reps can see the complete customer journey instantly.

2. Improved Team Efficiency

No need to switch between 5 different apps. Everything from sales to accounting is connected.

3. Smarter Forecasting

With dashboards and detailed reports, you can easily estimate monthly or quarterly revenue.

4. No Lost Leads

Thanks to automated reminders, next actions, and structured pipelines.

5. Lower Operational Costs

Forget expensive tools. Odoo CRM is free in Community and free in One-App plan.

6. Connected Ecosystem

CRM integrates with:

• Sales
• Marketing
• Helpdesk
• Accounting
• Inventory
• Website
• Manufacturing

This eliminates duplicate data entry and human errors.

Odoo CRM vs Salesforce vs HubSpot (2025 Comparison)

Odoo CRM

• Affordable
• Unlimited modular apps
• Open source
• Fully customizable
• All apps included in single price

Salesforce

• Most powerful CRM in the market
• Very expensive
• Complex for small teams
• Requires add-ons

HubSpot

• Great UI
• Free CRM
• Paid hubs are costly
• Limited customization

Conclusion:
Odoo offers the best balance between price, features, and flexibility — making it perfect for startups, MSMEs, and growth-stage businesses.

How to Integrate Odoo CRM with Email, WhatsApp & Marketing Tools

Odoo supports deep integration across communication channels.

Email Integration

• Automatically logs all emails
• Centralizes conversations

Live Chat Integration

• Converts website visitors into leads

WhatsApp Integration (Enterprise Version)

• Send & receive WhatsApp messages
• Attach files, images, and quotes
• View history inside CRM

Marketing Tools Integration

Odoo CRM connects with:

• Email Marketing app
• Marketing Automation
• Social Media Marketing
• Website SEO tools
• A/B testing
• Lead forms

Every lead flows automatically into the CRM.

Step-by-Step: Setting Up Odoo CRM for Your Business

Step 1: Define Your Sales Process

Determine:

• Stages
• Lead sources
• Activities
• Roles & permissions

Step 2: Install CRM

From the Apps menu → Install CRM.

Step 3: Configure Pipelines

Create custom stages based on your process.

Step 4: Customize Fields

Use Odoo Studio to add:

• Industry
• Budget
• Lead quality
• Region
• Custom KPIs

Step 5: Setup Automation

Automate:

• Assignment
• Follow-ups
• Email sequences
• Lead scoring

Step 6: Train Your Team

Show them:

• Drag-and-drop stages
• Creating quotes
• Activity scheduling

Step 7: Go Live

Monitor performance and refine weekly.

How Odoo CRM Helps Startups & MSMEs Grow Faster

1. Affordable for tight budgets

No big upfront licenses.

2. Scalable as you grow

Start with CRM → add more apps later.

3. Customizable to any business

From retail to IT to manufacturing.

4. Reduces manual work & errors

Automations handle repetitive tasks.

5. Creates a unified business ecosystem

Sales → Inventory → Accounting = one flow.

How StartupFlora Helps You Build the Perfect Odoo CRM Setup?

StartupFlora specializes in helping young startups and MSMEs adopt technology the right way. Through its Aatmanirbhar Business Zone initiative, StartupFlora offers:

• Consulting to map your sales process
• Custom CRM design
• Automation setup
• Field customization
• Pipeline optimization
• Sales training
• Marketing workflow integration

This ensures your CRM isn’t just installed it’s optimized and truly aligned to how your business works.

Odoo CRM Pricing & Free Trial (2025)

Community Edition

✔ Free forever
✔ Open-source
✔ Basic CRM features

One App Free

✔ Unlimited users
✔ CRM is free if it’s your only app

Enterprise Edition

✔ €24.90 (~$24)/user/month
✔ Free 15-day trial
✔ Includes all Odoo apps
✔ Includes WhatsApp & AI features

This transparent pricing makes Odoo much more affordable than Salesforce or HubSpot.

Industries Using Odoo CRM in 2025

Top sectors include:

• IT & Software Services
• Manufacturing
• Retail & E-commerce
• Financial Services
• Business Consulting

Its flexibility allows it to adapt to any business model.

FAQs

1. What is Odoo CRM?

Odoo CRM is a customer management tool that helps businesses manage leads, track deals, send quotations, and automate sales workflows inside the Odoo ERP suite.

2. Is Odoo CRM free?

Yes. The Community version is free, and the One-App plan lets unlimited users use CRM for free.

3. Does Odoo CRM integrate with WhatsApp?

Yes. The Enterprise version connects with WhatsApp Business to send/receive messages directly from CRM.

4. Can Odoo CRM be customized?

Completely. Using Odoo Studio, you can add fields, modify screens, and create custom workflows.

5. Is Odoo better than Salesforce?

For enterprises, Salesforce is superior. For startups & MSMEs, Odoo offers better value, easier setup, and lower cost.

6. Does Odoo CRM work on mobile?

Yes. Odoo has a full mobile app for Android and iOS.

Final Thoughts

Odoo CRM isn’t just another customer management tool it’s part of a powerful all-in-one system that brings your sales, marketing, inventory, finance, and customer support under one roof. For startups and MSMEs, it offers the perfect blend of affordability, flexibility, and scalability.