Many business owners hear that Odoo is "open source" with no licence fee, then discover during implementation that core apps such as full accounting or payroll are not in the open-source edition. This article sets out the real differences between Odoo Community and Odoo Enterprise for a Saudi company: licence, apps, hosting, Saudi localization, and when each fits.
Licence
According to Odoo's licenses page:
- Odoo Community is licensed under LGPL version 3: open source, free to download, run and modify.
- Odoo Enterprise is licensed under the Odoo Enterprise Edition License v1.0 and may only be used with a valid Odoo Enterprise subscription for the correct number of users.
The official editions comparison describes Community as the core on which Enterprise is built: Enterprise adds apps and features on top of the same base.
Apps in each edition
| Item | Community | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|
| Invoicing and payments | Yes | Yes |
| Full accounting (general ledger, bank statements, reports) | No | Yes |
| Payroll | No | Yes |
| Sales, CRM, Point of Sale | Yes | Yes |
| Inventory, Manufacturing, Purchase | Yes | Yes |
| Barcode, Quality, PLM | No | Yes |
| Employees, Recruitment, Time Off, Fleet | Yes | Yes |
| Subscriptions, Rental, Helpdesk, Field Service | No | Yes |
| Documents, Sign, Knowledge, Approvals | No | Yes |
| Studio | No | Yes |
| Mobile app (Android and iOS) | No | Yes |
| Hosting by Odoo, version upgrades, functional support | No | Yes |
The key point for Saudi companies: Community includes Invoicing, not full Accounting, and no Payroll. A company that needs integrated financial reports, bank reconciliation and period closing in the system will need Enterprise, or custom work and third-party add-ons on Community with the maintenance that implies.
Saudi localization by edition
The Saudi localization documentation lists the modules below. We checked each module's manifest in the public Odoo repository on GitHub (branch 19.0):
| Module | Technical name | In the Community repository (LGPL-3)? |
|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia - Accounting | l10n_sa | Yes |
| Saudi Arabia - E-invoicing | l10n_sa_edi | Yes |
| Saudi Arabia - Point of Sale | l10n_sa_pos | Yes |
| Saudi Arabia - E-invoicing (Simplified) | l10n_sa_edi_pos | Yes |
| Saudi Arabia - Withholding Tax | l10n_sa_withholding_tax | Yes (in 19.0) |
| Saudi Arabia - Accounting Reports | l10n_sa_reports | No, Enterprise |
| Saudi payroll | part of Payroll | No, Enterprise |
So the Fatoora integration module is in the open-source code, while Saudi accounting reports and payroll are Enterprise. Having the module does not make a business ready: what is configured depends on the version, the business's e-invoicing phase, setup and testing. See ZATCA Phase 2.
Hosting and plans
The Odoo pricing page lists three Enterprise plans:
- One App Free: one app with unlimited users on Odoo Online at no cost. Installing Studio or adding companies moves the database to Custom.
- Standard: all apps on Odoo Online.
- Custom: all apps plus multi-company, Studio and External API, hosted on Odoo Online, Odoo.sh or your own servers. Odoo.sh hosting costs are not included.
Community is self-hosted or hosted with a provider you choose, and you are responsible for servers, backups, security updates and upgrades.
Upgrades and support
According to the upgrade documentation, upgrading to the latest version is included with Odoo Enterprise for standard apps, but not for in-house or third-party modules without a maintenance contract. Community has no official upgrade service; the upgrade falls to you or your implementation partner.
When each fits
Community may fit when:
- needs are limited (sales, inventory, invoicing) and you do not need full accounting or payroll in Odoo;
- you have an in-house team or partner for hosting, maintenance and upgrades;
- you accept the cost of custom work or add-ons replacing Enterprise apps.
Enterprise usually fits when:
- you need full accounting, Saudi financial reports and payroll;
- you want the mobile app, Studio, Barcode, Quality or Helpdesk;
- you prefer Odoo's official upgrade service and support.
Compare total cost, not just licence fees: hosting, replacement development, maintenance and upgrades. For other systems, see Odoo vs ERPNext and Odoo vs SAP Business One.
FAQ
Can we start on Community and move to Enterprise later?
The editions page says you can switch, but the upgrade documentation excludes switching editions from the upgrade service, so the move is a project that needs planning and testing.
Is the Odoo licence included in implementation fees?
No. The Enterprise licence is paid to Odoo; implementation is separate. Our packages are on the pricing page.
Does Community support ZATCA e-invoicing?
The l10n_sa_edi module is in the open repository, but Community's Invoicing is not full accounting, and your invoicing scenarios must be tested before relying on it.
Next step
The edition choice affects cost for years. Maham Pro, an official Odoo partner at Ready Partner level, can compare both options against your actual processes as part of our Odoo service. See packages or book a free 30-minute introductory session.
Sources: Odoo Editions, Odoo Licenses, Odoo Pricing, Saudi Arabia localization, odoo/odoo on GitHub. Reviewed November 2026.