Odoo is the ideal open-source enterprise software for teams and businesses that value flexibility, data privacy, and affordability.
Due to its vast array of productivity apps, one can simply build a unique CRM and ERP platform by choosing the right tools to meet their needs, whether it be project management, e-commerce, inventory management, email marketing or accounting.
While installing and configuring Odoo on Linux doesn’t sound like a difficult task, searching for the desired apps for your job might be challenging. Besides the official Odoo apps, there are thousands of third-party productivity tools that can be integrated into the platform.
If you struggle to select what can be useful for you among multiple Odoo apps, this guide will get you covered. Here you will find an overview of the 7 best applications that can enhance your Odoo experience. The main criterion is price. This guide focuses on open-source tools that you can get and install for free.
1. ONLYOFFICE
ONLYOFFICE is a productivity app that brings document editing and real-time collaboration features to the Odoo platform.
When integrated, it allows you to create, open, and co-edit documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and PDFs within any section where files can be attached or uploaded.
For example, you can work on invoices in the Sales section or open documents shared via chats as attachments in the Discuss section.
This app requires that you install ONLYOFFICE Docs, an open-source office suite for Linux that can be integrated with numerous platforms and business software tools, not only Odoo.
With the ONLYOFFICE integration, you get access to a full-featured office suite within your enterprise solution, which means that you can open and edit office files within the Odoo interface without having to launch third-party office apps.
Importantly, this app enables online document collaboration, allowing several Oddo users to work on the same file simultaneously from different locations.
Purpose: document editing and real-time collaboration.
2. ONLYOFFICE Template
If you like the ONLYOFFICE app mentioned above and it suits your workflows well, the other app developed by the ONLYOFFICE team might also be interesting for you.
ONLYOFFICE Templates is what makes it easier to work with fillable templates. This app creates a new Odoo module where you can create, edit, and manage your templates of various types, e.g., invoices, bills of landing, reports, contracts, agreements, etc.
The key peculiarity of this ONLYOFFICE app is that it creates PDF templates based on the data and fields available in your Odoo platform. What this means is that you don’t need to fill out each field manually since the app inserts the corresponding information automatically.
You just create or upload a template, link its fields with the Odoo data based on their IDs and parameters, go to the required Odoo section, and get your templates ready with a few clicks.
Once created and configured, ONLYOFFICE templates can be used in almost all Odoo modules, allowing you to get PDF forms with correct data within seconds.
Purpose: automated PDF form creation and printing.
3. Invoice Format Editor
Since invoicing is the cornerstone of any business, Invoice Format Editor is a must-have app for all Odoo users, which is a custom module designed to create and customize invoice templates.
Using its user-friendly interface, you can quickly create a unique template layout with branding elements. The app provides various layout configuration settings, letting you create invoices of any complexity.
For advanced users, there is an option to apply custom styles using QWeb, the main templating engine used by the Odoo platform.
Purpose: invoice template creation.
4. Budget Management
Budget Management is a good choice for those Odoo users who want to keep control of all their budgeting activities in one place.
When installed, this app makes it possible to create structured budgets by establishing various budgetary positions. Additionally, your budgets can be linked with analytic accounts, so you can always keep track of your expenditures and allocations.
When it comes to planning, this app won’t let you down. It allows you to flexibly plan your budgets by defining specific amounts for each analytic account you have.
Another useful feature is the ability to generate detailed budgetary reports. Such reports contribute to better decision-making by providing insights into your financial state.
Purpose: efficient budget management and planning.
5. Web Digital Signature
Web Digital Signature is not a game-changer for businesses and teams using Odoo. However, this simple application can make a difference in some situations.
This module brings digital signature functionality to your Odoo documents, allowing you to digitally sign invoices, sales orders, bills of landing, purchase orders, reports, receipts and much more.
This app works for touch screen devices, so you can easily add digital signatures to documents if you have one.
Purpose: digital signatures.
6. Document Management
Yet another Odoo app for documents, Document Management focuses on providing the best user experience while creating, sharing, and deleting files in the Odoo platform.
This module comes with a set of features for efficient and fast document management. Using it, you can upload and store documents, preview them, use the copy and move functionality, set up auto-deletion for any file in your storage, share files via email and download whatever you need as a zip archive.
All in all, the Document Management app streamlines document storage and collaboration, enhancing your productivity as an Odoo user.
Purpose: effortless document management.
7. Open HRMS Core
Any company is all about the people who work there. That’s why having a full-featured human resource (HR) management app is essential. With Open HRMS Core, you get a bunch of tools for effective human resource management within your organization.
This app provides a centralized dashboard so you can easily control all processes, such as vacation management, salary requests, leave requests, shift management, announcements, and more.
One of the advantages of this app is that it brings automation to some key processes. For example, it’s possible to automatically generate leave requests directly from incoming emails by employees, which reduces manual entry.
What else is worth mentioning is support for a multi-company environment, which means that Open HRMS Core lets you manage all HR activities and operations across several companies or branches of one company within one platform.
Purpose: efficient HR management
Final Thoughts
Taking into consideration the huge amount of business apps developed for Odoo by third parties, it’s impossible to cover all the best ones in one article.
Our selection brings to light only those that can be useful for most companies and teams. If you know any other app or Odoo module that deserves a spot on our list, please let us know in the comments section below.
Your feedback is always appreciated.
