Fonda vs. Odoo webshop module for B2B e-commerce comparison
Odoo's built-in webshop module reads products, prices and stock directly from your ERP — no separate integration needed, one system to manage. For a straightforward catalog with little commercial complexity, that covers most of the need. As soon as customer-specific pricing, rich product information or a self-service portal come into play, you hit the limits of a module built to support business processes — not to sell online. Fonda connects to the same ERP, but builds the customer-facing layer the module leaves out.
Who is this comparison for?
You already work with Odoo (or a similar ERP) and are considering the built-in webshop module for your B2B sales. Or you're already using the module and finding that customers expect more than a product list with an order button. Either way, this comparison is for you.
This comparison is relevant for wholesalers, distributors and manufacturers in Belgium and the Netherlands, with 20 to 300 employees, who already work with Odoo and are wondering whether the built-in webshop module is enough, or whether a dedicated platform delivers more.
Fonda vs. Odoo webshop module — an honest overview
Both options connect to the same data source in your ERP. The difference lies in what your customer sees online, how fast new functionality lands, and who treats the customer experience as their core job.
| Criterion | Fonda | Odoo webshop module |
|---|---|---|
| Customer experience & UX | ✓ Built for online selling — search, filters, mobile | ✗ Basic — ERP interface as the starting point |
| Customer-specific pricing & tiers | ✓ Native, visible and orderable for the customer | ✗ Limited — logic is scattered across ERP configuration |
| PIM (rich product information) | ✓ Included — technical spec sheets, multilingual | ✗ Not present — only what the ERP registers by default |
| DAM (photos, certificates, drawings) | ✓ Included, free from Fonda Basic | ✗ Not present — requires a separate system |
| Self-service portal (invoices, quotes) | ✓ Native included | ✗ Requires extra development on top of the module |
| ERP connection | ✓ Standard connector, real-time sync | ✓ Direct — no separate integration needed |
| Development speed for new functionality | ✓ Product roadmap shared across all customers | ✗ Follows the ERP release cycle, often via an implementation partner |
| Implementation time | ✓ 4–8 weeks | Fast if the ERP is already running, provided scope stays limited |
| Price for SMEs | ✓ Fixed monthly price, no cost per user or SKU | Depends on ERP license and module; extras per change |
| The license cost of an ERP webshop module often looks lower because no separate integration is needed. Functionality that's missing — PIM, DAM, a self-service portal — still requires extra development, and that cost counts toward the total comparison. | ||
The fundamental difference: ERP module versus customer-facing layer
An ERP webshop module does exactly what it promises: show products and pass orders through to the ERP. It usually doesn't go further, because ERP systems support business processes — building an appealing online shopping experience isn't part of that job. Search, product presentation, technical spec sheets and mobile display stay basic, while business buyers are increasingly used to the ease of consumer platforms.
Fonda doesn't change anything about the ERP. It adds a layer on top built specifically for the customer experience — customer-specific pricing and catalogs, PIM and DAM for product information, a self-service portal for invoices and quotes — while the ERP keeps doing what it was built for: administration and business processes. Standard connectors with SAP, Business Central, AFAS and Exact sync prices, stock and customer data in real time, even when the ERP isn't Odoo.
What an ERP webshop module leaves on the table
Packaging units, tiered pricing, minimum order quantities and customer-specific assortments: that logic often lives scattered across ERP configuration fields never meant to be shown to an end customer. A webshop module inherits that limitation. Self-service beyond the core process — requesting quotes, viewing invoices, searching order history — requires extra development on top of the standard module. And new functionality follows the same development process as the rest of the ERP: releases, test cycles, often with an implementation partner billing per change.
When is the Odoo webshop module the better choice?
The built-in module is enough when you have a straightforward product catalog without much customer-specific pricing, when self-service beyond ordering (invoices, quotes) isn't a priority, when product information is fine with what the ERP registers by default, and when you have no ambition to grow the webshop as a separate sales channel on its own timeline.
When is Fonda the better choice?
Choose Fonda if you have customers with individually negotiated prices, tiered pricing or customer-specific assortments, if product information and imagery drive the purchase decision (technical spec sheets, certificates, multiple languages), if you want a self-service portal for invoices, quotes and order history, if you want to launch new webshop functionality without going through the ERP development track every time, or if your ERP isn't Odoo, or the built-in module falls short.
Start with the basics.
Build from there.
Fonda Basic is free and immediately gives you a central place for all your product data and digital assets. You can take the step to a complete B2B webshop with customer-specific prices when you are ready.
Specifically built for B2B SMEs with 20–300 employees · Support based in Ghent