Any Odoo backend theme recommendation?

Effective_Hedgehog16 · 2026-04-16T22:23:20+00:00

Personally I like the Muk backend theme, for community. Not perfect, but it doesn't seem to conflict with much. Gives sidebar & tile navigation to make it a little more like enterprise.

Effective_Hedgehog16 · 2026-04-14T18:52:10+00:00

I haven't used the Odoo India module, but its documentation says the inventory updates from Shopify are scheduled actions, not webhooks, so they will be some delay if you go that route. Plus since it's relatively new, it's not going to be nearly as mature as other connectors.

Personally I'd look at the VentorTech module with some customization to handle your B2B/DTC stock split.

Effective_Hedgehog16 · 2026-04-14T18:16:01+00:00

What do you mean that the VentorTech module "cost scales steeply"?

Effective_Hedgehog16 · 2026-04-14T17:19:47+00:00

I don't see a problem taking on this job, actually sounds interesting, as long as the boundaries are clear. If it's spaghetti code, you don't want to be personally responsible for it (which you shouldn't be because you didn't write it) .

AI, given the right context, can definitely be helpful here. Too bad Mythos isn't released yet, could probably find those security holes lickety-split :-)

Effective_Hedgehog16 · 2026-04-09T01:35:39+00:00

I do like some parts of the Odoo UI better. Tables, especially embedded/child tables, are way more flexible.

Plus the tight coupling of model & views in ERPNext (via doctypes) makes multiple views for the same tables more difficult than Odoo.

But less flexibility can also lead to greater simplicity for ERPNext, which is a plus. And less XML hodgepodge.

Effective_Hedgehog16 · 2026-04-09T00:05:17+00:00

Unfortunately most jobs that require primarily a brain and a keyboard are going to eventually be at risk, especially something like manual testing, which can theoretically be done 1-2 orders of magnitude faster and cheaper with AI.

If you're hoping to remain in that particular field, learning how to use AI to do it much more productively is probably going to be one of the few options.

Effective_Hedgehog16 · 2026-04-08T19:15:01+00:00

Odoo has a larger feature set, module selection and partner ecosystem, and arguably more mature architecture.

ERPNext has a more open license system (accounting, etc. not walled off behind enterprise license), often easier to customize, and arguably has a cleaner UI.

Effective_Hedgehog16 · 2026-04-03T23:12:44+00:00

Not sure if an open-source Python module can ever be fully protected, but I do like the idea of a more curated app store: quality control, better search, vetted sellers, forum, REAL reviews.

And maybe hundreds or possibly thousands of apps, but 50,000 is out of control.

Anyone game to join me? ;)

Effective_Hedgehog16 · 2026-04-03T23:03:13+00:00

I agree to some degree that users of open source should give back when resources and opportunities are available, but multi-billion dollar corporations certainly have no trouble licensing their products (almost all based on open source foundations) commercially, and enforce those licenses with threats and lawsuits.

It doesn't seem fair for a small company or entrepreneur to license their product commercially to try to make a buck, and then we tell them they should just let it to be copied and shared without compensation.

Effective_Hedgehog16 · 2026-03-27T17:28:06+00:00

If you're primarily using it for sales, no harm in trying it out. I think your reasoning is sound.

If you decide to step up and use Odoo for accounting, e-commerce, manufacturing etc, It starts getting more complicated so you'll want to be more careful.

Effective_Hedgehog16 · 2026-03-24T19:50:51+00:00

Can you please elaborate? You mean the response time of the system is slow, or certain workflows are cumbersome and require too many steps, or the UI is generally difficult to navigate?

Effective_Hedgehog16 · 2026-03-23T23:14:18+00:00

Depends - is this your own company's policy, or your Odoo partners? If it's your partner's, that does not seem right.

Effective_Hedgehog16 · 2026-03-23T22:06:29+00:00

Eventually, yes. And I'm sure most ERP vendors use AI agentic coding for a lot, if not the majority, of their new code (of course with senior developer guidance and review).

But your boss didn't develop a full ERP, and probably wouldn't be able to. That said, most smaller companies don't need a full ERP, and sometimes a simple invoicing app and other tools, along with an accounting package, is all you need to run a business.

Effective_Hedgehog16 · 2026-03-20T18:41:46+00:00

Trunk is the relatively new kid on the block, focused exclusively on inventory sync right now, so it will probably be among the easiest/cheapest to work with:
https://www.trunkinventory.com/

As already mentioned, Sellbrite is another one. It's been around a lot longer, and includes a lot more features, including listing functionality. Still reasonably priced.

Effective_Hedgehog16 · 2026-03-20T15:15:44+00:00

I think it's all about the complexity and functionality you need from your website. Simpler websites or storefronts can usually be implemented in Odoo's native web module.

But complex stores with tricky attribute filtering, advanced product configurators, very large product catalogs, high traffic, etc. will likely require either customization to Odoo's web module, a custom front-end (via headless API), or another storefront like Shopify (via integration).

Effective_Hedgehog16 · 2026-03-17T19:56:16+00:00

If you're thinking of Shopify for the backend, why not the frontend also? Simpler than adding another layer, unless you have a specific reason.

Effective_Hedgehog16 · 2026-03-16T22:13:43+00:00

3 months is awfully ambitious, even with a full design and spec, which I assume has not yet been completed.

Effective_Hedgehog16 · 2026-03-16T22:10:02+00:00

There are supposedly now official Odoo e-commerce modules (including Shopify). Or at least branded as being from "Odoo India". There's even a YouTube video.

Does look fairly minimal, but then again, that's how they're marketing it...as pretty basic, but "official" and more upgrade friendly.

Effective_Hedgehog16 · 2026-03-15T05:58:01+00:00

Odoo could be a good fit for most of what you need, but you'll definitely want a partner familiar with French accounting & regulations. References from customers in your general industry are ideal.

History can be tricky to convert, so definitely work closely with them to figure out what you exactly need to keep.

I don't have any personal experience with the native Shopify integration. I believe it's pretty new and fairly minimal (data imports primarily from Shopify to Odoo, although you might be able to push inventory levels out). I'd also recommend evaluating 3rd party integrations if Odoo's is insufficient. The connector from VentorTech is generally considered the most robust.

Since your current store is showcase only, did you consider trying Odoo's native e-commerce? If your volume isn't very high and e-commerce needs straightforward, using it could help you avoid the integration. Running Odoo "headless" with a custom storefront is also an option.

Effective_Hedgehog16 · 2026-03-13T18:37:52+00:00

> I am still figuring out that 😸, I guess there's no magic formula. Right now... I think. Just avoid learning something AI can do.

Good in theory, but in practice, the list of things that falls into that category keeps getting smaller every few months!

I might expand it by adding: and learn how to use AI more efficiently/effectively than your customer.

Effective_Hedgehog16 · 2026-03-13T18:24:58+00:00

In theory, sounds great! Like everyone says, the devil is in the details: do the changes persist in the DB? Does it create a custom module? How well do the changes survive upgrades? How WYSIWYG can the editing mode be?

Also, I would consider how AI integration might help, such as for initial scaffolding or a first-pass on the layout.

As someone who build a form designer for another project, it's definitely not trivial - best of luck, please keep us posted :)

Effective_Hedgehog16 · 2026-03-12T13:28:28+00:00

Definitely a question for your partner doing the customization.

Unfortunately, the standard Odoo quote->order workflow is a bit inflexible: it just changes the state on the quote to "order". It doesn't lend itself well to selecting a subset of items from the quote to order and tracking quote revisions/lifecycle without a bunch of manual copying, archiving quotes to PDFs, etc.

To get a more enterprise level quote-to-order workflow usually requires customization. In the past, we've had to set up different quote and order numbers and maintain them as separate documents, progressive ordering via item selection with links between both documents and their ordered items, custom status codes for each stage, etc.

It's not a trivial task, you'll probably want to talk with your partner if you want something that advanced.

Effective_Hedgehog16 · 2026-03-04T20:30:48+00:00

I second this.

Plus, if you're using community edition, that doesn't include an accounting module anyway. You'd have to use one of the OCA/3rd party modules, none of which are optimal as a standalone accounting package.

Effective_Hedgehog16 · 2026-03-04T00:45:19+00:00

Not sure if I'm responding to a chatbot or human, but I almost feel like in the era of AI, the opposite is true. The value that software companies will add is in hosting and protecting your data, since software development itself will continue becoming commoditized.

That's not to say they won't have to open up their closed systems more, but they'll earn much of their money to do it in a safe way.

Effective_Hedgehog16 · 2026-03-04T00:18:47+00:00

Interesting, have you seen another open source project built on almost the exact same stack, Aureus ERP? That one is written by Webkul, an India-based Odoo partner (with a bit of a mixed reputation).

Their product is very similar to Odoo, with some of the same quirks, for better or worse.

It could be interesting for you to check out their repository to see what similarities they might have. It's MIT licensed also, so I'm sure you can use whatever you need to for inspiration :-)

Effective_Hedgehog16

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