The basic difference
Odoo Community is the free, open-source edition. Odoo Enterprise is a paid edition, licensed per user, that adds further apps and features and comes with Odoo's support and upgrade services. Both share the same core, so the question is whether the extra capability and support are worth the licence for your business.
What Enterprise typically adds
Enterprise includes additional apps and features that are not in Community, and in recent versions full accounting is among them, with Community limited to invoicing. It also includes access to Odoo's support and its upgrade services. Odoo changes what is in each edition between versions, so check the current feature comparison on Odoo's website rather than relying on a list from an article.
What Community can do well
For businesses that need core operations such as CRM, sales, inventory, purchasing or projects, Community can cover a lot at no licence cost. The trade-off is that you or your partner take on more of the work: hosting, maintenance, upgrades, and sourcing add-ons for anything not included.
Hosting and who looks after it
Separately from the edition, you choose where it runs: Odoo's own hosting, a managed platform, or your own infrastructure. A self-hosted Community system suits a business with technical capability or a partner to maintain it, while a paid edition with hosting and support suits teams who would rather not manage it. Plan for security, backups and upgrades whichever you choose.
How to choose
List the apps and features you need now and in the next two years, and check which edition provides each. Compare the licence cost against the cost of maintaining the system yourself, including time. A common path is to start with the edition that meets today's needs and keep the option to move to Enterprise later, so confirm the upgrade path with your partner before you begin.
Common questions
Is Odoo Community free?
The software is free and open source. You still pay for implementation, hosting and maintenance, so the licence saving is only part of the cost.
Can I upgrade from Community to Enterprise later?
Generally, yes. Confirm the process and any data or customisation implications with your partner before you start, and check Odoo's current guidance.
Which edition has full accounting?
In recent versions, full accounting is part of Enterprise and Community covers invoicing. Check Odoo's current feature comparison for the version you plan to use.
Who maintains a Community system?
You or your partner. That includes hosting, backups, security, upgrades and any add-ons, so factor that into the comparison.
Related: How much does an Odoo implementation cost?
Have a similar problem in your business?
Bring us the current process and we will help you work out whether it is worth solving.
Talk through the problem