Is it worth paying for Odoo Enterprise?

Odoo: Free or Licensed?

If you are looking for software to manage your company, you have likely come across Odoo and are facing the dilemma: "Is it worth paying for an Odoo license when a free version is available?" This article is for you. It’s a question many people ask—after all, why pay for something you can get for free? But what is the reality of Odoo? What does the free version offer compared to the licensed one? Is Odoo Enterprise just hosting for the free version?

You certainly know that in today’s world, nothing is truly free... and if it is, it often comes with costs that aren't obvious at first glance. There is no exception to this rule, including Odoo (and any other software or service). 

Choosing the free edition primarily involves server maintenance costs, database management, updates, security patches, and backups. It also involves the cost of lost time and money spent developing custom modules if the licensed Enterprise version already offers those functionalities.

There is no single "correct" answer to whether the free or paid version is better. It is worth understanding what the Enterprise version offers, as well as the long-term costs associated with using Odoo Community.

Below is how you should approach this decision.

Does Odoo Enterprise contain more modules than Community?

Odoo Enterprise vs. Community – The Differences

Yes. The differences between Odoo Community and Odoo Enterprise are vast. Odoo Enterprise SaaS is not just regular Odoo with a per-user fee for server access.

Enterprise provides access to many modules unavailable in the Community version, and most shared modules are significantly enhanced in Enterprise. Examples include:

• Accounting: Full accounting software functionality.
  
• Barcodes: A module that allows you to connect barcode scanners.
• Shop Floor: A dedicated interface for production employees.
• Quality: Management of quality control points and checks.
• Odoo Studio: A "drag-and-drop" tool for creating custom modules and functions.
• Spreadsheets: Allows you to create spreadsheets using live data from Odoo.
• Project Management: Enhanced in Enterprise with a Start/Stop time tracker.

These are just a few examples. Perhaps these aren't modules you need, and Odoo Community will suffice. Analyze this carefully before making a decision.

You can move from Community to Enterprise later, but it will be an additional cost in the future.

Server and Odoo Maintenance

The Server – Is it just the cost of hardware?

Many choose Odoo Community because it's free and they have a server in-house. You must ensure the server is fast and efficient enough to handle multiple users without lag. No one likes working on software that constantly freezes.

If you have a sufficient server, you still need someone to maintain it. Installation, configuration, and maintenance are variable costs. Availability is crucial – Odoo Enterprise SaaS offers 99.9% uptime. 

Consider the cost of Odoo Community crashing during a workday. Will your server specialist react immediately? How many employees will be idle while waiting for the system to be restored?

The Database – What is your data worth?

The server isn't the only cost. Data is stored in a PostgreSQL database. You must ensure database backups—ideally on a separate instance—so that in the event of a server failure, you can recover data with minimal loss.

Odoo Enterprise SaaS replicates backups across three servers in different locations. The SLA mentions a maximum data loss of 24 hours, but notes that for SaaS, data loss should be near zero.

In Odoo Community, you can configure this yourself, but you will need a specialist. Emergency responses and monitoring backup storage also incur costs.

Cybersecurity

Is your server correctly configured and secured? If your server is exposed to the internet (e.g., if you host your website on Odoo), you must manage security and updates. Data loss is expensive.

Cybersecurity isn't just about data theft. What if you suffer a DDoS attack? Can your infrastructure handle it? In Odoo, this is vital because the same server powers your internal employee applications. If it's overloaded by an attack, your internal operations will grind to a halt.

Maintenance and Updates

Software constantly evolves. New features are added to new versions, and old versions eventually lose support (no updates, no development, no security patches).

With Odoo Enterprise, you get a free tool for version upgrades. The process is remarkably simple—you just verify the data after the update.

Furthermore, if you encounter any bugs, Odoo resolves them after they are reported. It’s like having a free specialist on standby! In Community, you have to hire someone or report an issue on GitHub and wait.

Summary

I don’t want to sound dire—Odoo Community is not "a shot in the foot." It works, but once installed, it is often left unmanaged until the owner is forced to update.

It is worth considering whether it is better to spend approximately 50 PLN per user to ensure business continuity. IMPORTANT: Odoo offers single modules for free for an unlimited number of users. Maybe you only need one module for your specific case?

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