Key takeaways
- Community is free and open source (LGPLv3). Enterprise adds proprietary apps and services under a paid subscription from Odoo S.A.
- Odoo Online and Odoo.sh run Enterprise only. Community needs your own server or a third-party platform.
- Enterprise can also run on your own servers, as long as you have a valid subscription.
- You can start on Community and add Enterprise later on the same server and database.
What Odoo Community includes
Odoo Community is the open-source core of Odoo, licensed under LGPLv3. It includes the framework and many business apps, such as CRM, Sales, Purchase, Inventory, Manufacturing, Invoicing, Project, Website and eCommerce. There is no license fee, and thousands of community modules, many maintained by the Odoo Community Association (OCA), fill the gaps.
What Odoo Enterprise adds
Odoo Enterprise is Community plus a set of proprietary modules and services, sold as a per-user subscription by Odoo S.A. Typical reasons to choose it:
- Full accounting features beyond Community's invoicing
- Odoo Studio, for no-code customization
- Apps such as Helpdesk, Field Service, Planning, Sign and Documents
- Official functional support and Odoo's upgrade service between major versions
The exact feature list changes with every release, so check Odoo's own edition comparison for the version you plan to run.
What the edition means for hosting
| Hosting option | Community | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|
| Odoo Online | No | Yes |
| Odoo.sh | No | Yes |
| Your own server or cloud account | Yes | Yes, with a subscription |
| CloudPilot (on your cloud or server) | Yes | Yes, add your subscription code |
If you choose Community, Odoo's own hosting is off the table, so you will run it on a server you control. That is where a control panel helps: CloudPilot gives Community the same automated backups, staging environments and Git deploys that Odoo.sh offers Enterprise customers. Read more about Odoo Community hosting.
Prefer to set it up yourself? Follow our guide to self-hosting Odoo Community step by step.
Starting on Community and moving to Enterprise
Many companies start on Community and upgrade when they need an Enterprise app. Because Enterprise is Community plus extra modules, you can switch on the same Odoo version and keep your database. In CloudPilot, add your Enterprise subscription code to the instance and the Enterprise addons are installed for you on the same server.
Test the switch on a staging copy first: installing Enterprise modules changes the database, and you want to check custom modules and reports before production.
Which edition should you choose?
- Choose Community if the core apps cover your processes, you have a partner or developer for customization, and you want no license fees.
- Choose Enterprise if you need full accounting, Studio or Enterprise-only apps, or want official support and upgrades from Odoo S.A.
Either way, decide where it runs separately. Both editions run on AWS, Hetzner, DigitalOcean and other providers with CloudPilot, or on your own server.
Ready to start? See Odoo Community hosting or Odoo Enterprise hosting, and the Odoo.sh alternative if you run Enterprise on Odoo.sh today. Odoo lists every app by edition on its editions page.
Frequently asked questions
Is Odoo Community free for commercial use?
Yes. Odoo Community is licensed under LGPLv3 and has no license fee. You pay only for hosting and any services you buy.
Can I self-host Odoo Enterprise?
Yes. Enterprise can run on your own servers or cloud account as long as you have a valid subscription from Odoo S.A. CloudPilot installs the Enterprise addons when you add your subscription code.