Introduction
Back in the day, before advanced POS systems stole the spotlight, the retail and restaurant industry relied on manual processes, which often led to issues like long waiting times, operational hiccups, and limited insights into customer preferences. But with the arrival of advanced POS systems, we’ve entered a new era. These systems not only make transactions smoother but also provide businesses with valuable data for smart decision-making, ultimately raising the bar for customer satisfaction.
In this page, we embark on an in-depth comparison between Odoo and NCR POS, another prominent player in the POS app market. Our objective is to highlight the unique features and capabilities of each of these solutions.
To offer a comprehensive comparison of several POS solutions, we’ve done the exercise for some of the most renowned ones: Odoo, Oracle Micros, Shopify POS, NCR POS, SAP Customer Checkout, Square, Clover, and Lightspeed. We’ve compiled a table that outlines key features essential to any POS platform, along with integrated business management tools that enhance point of sale functionality. Happy reading!
Odoo
Created to disrupt the enterprise world and finally provide a software that covers complex needs with simplicity, Odoo has become one of the most popular business solutions. With more than 82 business apps fully integrated and thousands of community modules, the open-source software caters to every sector and company size, making it a major player in the market. The Belgian software counts more than 20,000 downloads per day, making it the most installed app suite and a direct competitor to companies like Netsuite, Shopify, PrestaShop and Microsoft.
12 million +
users
44,000 +
integrated apps
1 to 6 weeks
to be implemented
3,600 +
employees
NCR POS
Established in 1884 as the National Cash Register Company, NCR initially focused on manufacturing cash registers, revolutionizing the way businesses handled transactions. Today, NCR offers a range of POS solutions tailored to the needs of both modern retail and restaurant businesses. In the restaurant sector, they provide two options: Aloha Cloud, a cloud-based POS ideal for independent restaurants and emerging chains, and Aloha Essentials, a feature-rich Windows-based POS for more complex restaurant concepts. Both solutions come with a convenient monthly subscription that covers software, hardware, services, and payments. For retail, NCR offers NCR Emerald, an all-in-one solution that manages everything from point of sale to payments and back-office operations.
"Put retail complexity behind you with one powerful platform."
Not available
users
20 +
integrated apps
6 to 12 months
to be implemented
38,000 +
employees
Features Comparison
Payments & Checkout
Odoo
NCR POS
Payment Handling
Cash Handling
Credit/Debit Card
Mobile Payment
Digital Wallet
Gift Card
Contactless/NFC Payments
Scan to Pay (QR on Display)
Tap to pay
Deposit/Layaway
Buy Now, Pay Later
Multi-Currency Support
Currency Conversion
Currency Rounding
Invoicing & Order Handling
Invoicing Capabilities
Late Invoicing
Invoice Customer Generation
Parallel Order
Sell on the Move
Counter-Scale Integration
Subscriptions Support
Cross-session Selling
Receipt & Customer
Digital and Physical Receipt
Customizable Receipts
Split Tender
Tips Management
Discount Management
Cross-Selling and Upselling
Accounting
Accounting Integration
Customer Account Balance
Support for Compound Taxes
Support for Eco-taxes
Support for Recupel
Support for BEBAT
Tax Reporting Capability
Detailed Tax Statement
Integrated Tax Calculations
Tax Exemption
Tax Reconciliation
Real Time Consolidation
Fiscal Positions
Products
Odoo
NCR POS
Product Information & Organization
Product Category
Product Search and Filter
Product Attribute/Variant
Unit of Measurement
Large Product Range
Product Image and Gallery
Import/Export of Product Data
Bulk Product Editing/Updating
Barcode Generation
Barcode Scanning
Dynamic Barcodes
Seasonal Inventory
Kits Management
Multi-location pricing
Product Configurator
Pricing and Promotions
Price List
Discount/ Promotional Pricing
Bundle Pricing
Inventory Management
Inventory Tracking and Status
Automated Inventory
Multi-warehouse Inventory
Lots / Serial Numbers
SKU (Stock Keeping Unit)
Inventory Transfer and Allocation
Add-on
Low Inventory Alert System
Stock Replenishment Alerts
Procurement Management
Procurement Visibility
Employee Management
Odoo
NCR POS
Attendance & Time Management
Employee Time Clock
Scheduling & Roster
Switch Employee Session
Access & Permissions
Role-Based Access Control
Employee Access Control
Performance & Target Setting
Sales Targets Management
Employee Performance Metrics
Additional Features
Session History
Task Assignment Pricing Options
Chatter
Employee Training
Sales Commission
Payroll Integration
HR Integration
Add-on
Store Management
Odoo
NCR POS
Order & Cashier Operations
Order History Tracking
Online Order
E-commerce Integration
Delivery Management
Ship Later (delivery)
Cashier Account
Customer Experience
Custom Storefront Appearance
Multilingual Storefront
Return Management
Exchange Management
Community module
Additional Features
B2B Quote
Click-and-Collect
Warehouse Preparation Display
Self-checkout Systems
Inventory Visibility Across Stores
Real-Time Stock Updates
Store Traffic Analytics
Digital Signage Integration
Multistore Management
Mobile POS
Restaurant Management
Odoo
NCR POS
Table Management
Floor plans
Table Transfer
Online Table Booking
Add-on
Wait List Management
Add-on
Table Status Tracking
Split Bill Capability
Order Management
Delayed Order Processing
Takeout & Delivery
Online Ordering System
Order Status Updates
Bar Tabs
Order Queues
Kitchen Order Tickets
Preparation Status Display
Menu Management
Digital Menu Management
Customizable Menu
QR Code Menu
Menu Deals
Seasonal Menu Rotation
Kitchen Management
Kitchen Printing System
Kitchen Display
Ingredient Tracking
Customer Self-service
Self-Order Kiosks
Self Order at Table
Self Payment at Table
Additional Features
Food Allergen Alerts
Integration w/ Food Delivery Platforms
Customer & Loyalty
Odoo
NCR POS
Customer Management
Customer Details Management
Customer Interaction History
Business Customer Handling
Customer Contact Tools
Customer Tagging
Customer Receivable/Credit Limit
Pop-Up Notes (Customer Details)
Marketing Preference
Customer Engagement and Communication
Custom Promotional Messaging
Customer Insight & Analytics
Customer Segmentation
Personalized Campaigns
Birthday Reminders/Discount
Community module
Omnichannel Experience
Feedback Collection
Customer Satisfaction Tracking
Loyalty & Rewards Programs
Loyalty Card Management
VIP or Membership Programs
Loyalty and Discount Program
Coupon Management
Loyalty/Discount Usage Limit
Discount Validity Period
Reporting & Analytics
Odoo
NCR POS
Sales & Revenue Reporting
Real-Time Sales Data
Sales Reports
Cash Flow Reports
Revenue Trend Analysis
Time-Based Sales Reports
Gross Margin Reports
Inventory & Product Analytics
Inventory Reports
Product Performance Reports
Inventory Turnover Reports
Category-Wise Sales Reports
Transactional Reporting
Session Reports
Discount Reports
Refund & Returns Reports
Operational Analytics
Cash Control Reports
Employee Performance Reports
Peak Hours Identification
Dashboard & Customization
Dashboard Overview
Custom Reports
KPI Tracking
Predictive Analytics
Data Export/Import Capability
Customer Insights
Customer Behavior Reports
Customer Segmentation Reports
Loyalty Program Reports
Hardware Integration
Odoo
NCR POS
Device Compatibility
Desktop Support
Tablet Support
Mobile Device Support
Touch Screen Compatibility
Peripheral Integration
Barcode Scanner Support
Receipt Printer Integration
Cash Drawer Integration
Customer Display
Card Reader/EMV Reader
Mobile Card Reader Support
Weighing Scale Integration
Kitchen Printer
Employee Login Card/RFID Tag
Hardware Management
Multiple Device Support
Compliance & Security
Odoo
NCR POS
Application and Data Security
SOC 1
ISAE3402 SOC 1 Type I, SOC 2 Type I, ISAE3402 SOC 1 Type II & SOC 2 Type II
N/A
PCI DSS
Additional Features
Multi-Factor Authentication
User Access Control
Data Backup and Recovery
Integration Ecosystem
Odoo
NCR POS
General
eCommerce Integration
Repairs Integration
Marketing Integration
Payment Processors
Adyen
Vantiv (US & Canada)
Ingenico (BENELUX)
Stripe
Six
Worldline
RazorPay
Paytm UPI
3C Payment
Elavon
Customer Loyalty Programs
Gift-it
Loke
TapMango
One4Later
Ritual
Paytronix Loyalty
Pej Loyalty
Ordering and Delivery Part. 1
QikServe
Aigens
Beverage Ordering Service
Bluedot
Call2Kitchen
Deliverect
xDine
Grubhub Marketplace (USA)
itsaCheckmate
Olo
Bite
Bopple
UberEats
DoorDash
Skip The Dishes
Grubhub
Deliveroo
doshii
Hey You
The Ordering.App
Loke
Ordering and Delivery Part. 2
MOBI
Mr Yum
Order Up!
Postmates
Ritual
me&u
Chowly
Restaurant Management
Fresh
QSR Automations Inc.
Now Book It
Menuu
OpenTable
Peachworks
Restaurant 365
SEVENROOMS
TableCheck
Tacit
Tapin2
Yellow Dog Inventory
Usability, Pricing & Conditions
Odoo
NCR POS
Usability
Ease of Setup
8.9/10
6.5/10
Ease of Use
8.6/10
8.2/10
Meets Requirements
8.6/10
8.3/10
Works offline
User Satisfaction
Ratings on g2Crowd
4.3/5
3.8/5
Ratings on GetApp
4.1/5
3.7/5
Ratings on Capterra
4.1/5
3.7/5
Pricing & Conditions
Pricing
Free
Free, Pro ($175 for 1 user) or Custom
Free Plan
Free Trial
Quality of Support
7.2/10
7.0/10
Open-Source
Hosting Mode
On-premise/Cloud
On-premise/Cloud
User Interface
The user interface (UI) often takes a backseat. Many solutions tend to channel their focus into core functions and back-end development, often leaving the design of an effective UI by the wayside. Unfortunately, this oversight can lead to less-than-ideal user experiences, which, in turn, impact the efficiency of operations and overall customer satisfaction.
Efficiency and customer satisfaction are crucial in the POS area. To excel, POS software must seamlessly align with the unique needs and aspirations of businesses, enabling them to serve their customers effortlessly. The UI plays a pivotal role here. It acts as a bridge, translating user preferences, habits, and skills into a software experience that functions harmoniously.
A meticulously designed UI plays a central role in diverse facets of POS operations. It ensures swift and precise transactions, reduces the learning curve for staff, enriches customer engagement, facilitates efficient data collection, accommodates changing needs with ease, and mitigates the risks of costly errors. All of these contribute to enhanced operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.
To delve deeper into this matter, let’s discover the back-end world of eight different POS products. We’ll observe their interface designs, all with the aim of evaluating their usability and efficiency.
Different solutions, Different needs
When choosing the right software for your business, it is important to assess several criteria based on your specific needs.
Business Scope measures a software’s capacity to meet your business needs comprehensively through its features and its flexibility in customizability and integration with other tools.
User-friendliness measures how straightforward and user-friendly a software solution is for your team to navigate, requiring minimal training or complex procedures. Additionally, it evaluates how hassle-free the software is to set up, considering factors like time, effort, and resource requirements for initial configuration within your organization.
Odoo is a robust solution addressing a wide range of business needs, extending beyond point-of-sale functions. The platform is designed to streamline operations and replace the need for disjointed, non-integrated software applications. Odoo shines as a highly customizable, all-in-one solution with a multitude of applications. Its open-source nature empowers a thriving community, resulting in a vast repository of community- contributed applications. In comparison to its competitors, who lack some important features, Odoo offers both high-quality restaurant and retail store management features.
Meanwhile, NCR POS provides a specific solution with advanced point-of-sale features but it might suffer from its customization limitations and limited business scope. Yet, it offers its own payment systems.
When it comes to user-friendliness, Odoo offers intuitive interfaces, making the solution suitable for users of varying technical backgrounds. Its straightforward setup ensures a hassle-free experience for every business. Also, its multiple integrations make it easy to implement new features, and employees can easily perform their daily operations without any problems.
Regarding NCR POS, it is reviewed as more user-friendly and, therefore, easier to use and learn. However, its above mentioned limitations in customization and limited business scope can make it hard to scale. Furthermore, adding new features to the standard solution could lead to a significant loss of user-friendliness and slower operations.
That’s why it’s important to consider the specific needs and scale of your business when assessing which solution is the best fit, as the ease of use and setup can vary significantly among these options.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the choice depends on your organization’s specific requirements, scale, and the balance between customization, ease of use, and setup.
If you are seeking a specific point of sale solution, then Odoo and NCR POS might be a good fit. Thanks to their advanced features, these systems are particularly well-suited for complex environments and provide efficient solutions for every need.
If you have more extensive requirements, you may find Odoo the most appealing solution. It offers advanced features and can accommodate any process. Its capabilities in terms of customization and extensive suite of integrated business applications make it good solutions for businesses having needs beyond point of sale. Finally, Odoo also offers ease of use and setup, making it suitable for small and medium businesses.
