Odoo Community – Great Potential, Challenging Migrations
If you are considering migrating your Odoo server, you have likely realized by now that it is not a straightforward process. Unlike the Enterprise edition, there is no "one-click" tool. Odoo Community does not provide a native script or migration tool for its modules, which often leaves users stuck on older versions. Problems begin when the Odoo version becomes so old that it runs on an unsupported version of Python, loses its own support, and security vulnerabilities start to emerge.
So, are Odoo Community users destined to use a single version forever? No!
There are two primary ways out of this situation:
Migration and Transition to Enterprise
If you are considering switching to the Enterprise edition along with your update, the path is quite clear. You simply upgrade Odoo to the Enterprise version and then update the release using the official Odoo Upgrade tool. With this choice, you benefit from Odoo's official resources. While you must verify the data integrity in the new version yourself, if you detect an error, Odoo is obligated to fix it (via a helpdesk ticket).
Staying on Odoo Community
If you do not wish to switch to the paid version, there are tools available for Odoo Community -> Odoo Community migrations. These were created and are maintained by the OCA (Odoo Community Association). In the official documentation, the OCA notes that these tools are recommended for Odoo migration by the founder himself, Fabien.
Link to GitHub tools: https://github.com/OCA/OpenUpgrade/tree/18.0
Link to documentation: https://oca.github.io/OpenUpgrade/010_introduction.html
These tools allow for Odoo updates from version 5.0 all the way to 18.0. They consist of a set of scripts that must be run for each version you wish to update. Scripts must be executed version-by-version; it is not possible to jump directly from, for example, version 12.0 to 16.0.
Before updating your database, perform a test migration on a copy! Always create a backup before starting (the process is fully described in the OpenUpgrade documentation).
Want professional assistance?
Adapt IT provides professional migration services. If you want to upgrade your Odoo version, let us handle it! Check out our Odoo Migration Service or schedule a call: