Odoo Hosting Options: Online vs Odoo.sh vs Self-Hosted

Where you host Odoo affects what you can customise, who handles upgrades, and who gets the call when something's slow. Here are the options, with the trade-offs we see in practice.

Odoo Online (SaaS)

Odoo runs everything. You log in.

Good:

• No servers, no backups to manage
• Automatic minor updates
• Quick to start

Limits:

• No custom Python modules. Studio customisations only
• Limited control over performance and integrations
• Major version upgrades happen on Odoo's schedule (with some flexibility)

Best for: businesses that fit standard Odoo and want zero infrastructure.

Odoo.sh (platform as a service)

Odoo's hosting platform for Enterprise customers who need custom code.

Good:

• Git-based deployment with production, staging and development branches
• Automatic backups and staging copies of production
• Custom modules, community modules and third-party apps
• Integrates with Odoo's upgrade service

Limits:

• Enterprise only
• Less control than your own server (no root access, platform constraints)
• Pricing scales with workers and storage

Best for: Enterprise users with custom modules who don't want to run servers.

Self-hosted on cloud servers

Your own VPS or cloud instances, managed by you or a partner.

Good:

• Full control over configuration, performance tuning and integrations
• Works for both Community and Enterprise
• Choose your region for data residency
• Often the cheapest at scale

Limits:

• You own security, backups, monitoring, uptime and upgrades
• Needs real Linux and PostgreSQL skills

Best for: Community users, businesses with technical teams, high-integration or high-volume setups. See our installation guide.

On-premise

Servers in your own building.

Good:

• Local network speed, works during internet outages for on-site users
• Meets strict data residency requirements

Limits:

• Hardware, power, cooling, physical security and offsite backup are all yours
• Remote access needs careful security

Best for: sites with unreliable internet or specific regulatory requirements. Rare for new projects otherwise.

Comparison table

Things to check whichever you choose

• Backups include the database and the filestore, and you've tested a restore
• Staging environment exists for testing changes and upgrades
• Monitoring alerts someone before users notice problems
• Access is controlled: no public database manager, strong admin passwords, two-factor authentication
• Region matches your data residency needs

Not sure which fits? Talk to us. We'll also help with ERP performance optimisation if your current setup is slow.