Glossary of Odoo ecosystem terms

The Odoo ecosystem uses terms that are often employed ambiguously or with different meanings depending on the context.

This glossary offers operational and neutral definitions, designed as a reference to correctly interpret the content of this website and the ecosystem in general.

Terms glossary

Odoo Core
Odoo Core is the technical core of Odoo, open source, containing the basic functionalities common to all editions. It serves as the foundation on which both Odoo Enterprise and community solutions and custom developments are built.
Odoo Community
In the usual usage of the ecosystem, Odoo Community refers to the combination of Odoo Core, community modules (mainly developed by the OCA) and custom developments.

This definition differs from the one officially used by Odoo, which uses the term Community to refer only to Odoo Core.

Odoo Enterprise
Odoo Enterprise is the commercial edition of Odoo that adds official closed-source modules to Core, under a per-user licensing model. It includes official services such as support, updates and migrations for Enterprise modules.
Odoo Community Association (OCA)
The Odoo Community Association is an international non-profit organization that coordinates the development of Odoo community modules, establishing quality standards, governance and open collaboration.
OCA Modules
OCA modules are functional extensions of Odoo developed and maintained by the community under the OCA umbrella. They are open source and are used in both Odoo Community projects and projects based on Odoo Enterprise, although they are not covered by official Odoo support.
Odoo Partner
An Odoo Partner is a company certified by Odoo to implement and sell solutions based on its software. Partner status is based primarily on commercial metrics and certifications, and does not by itself guarantee quality or suitability for a specific project.
Odoo SaaS
Odoo SaaS is the deployment model in which the infrastructure, updates and technical operation of the system are managed directly by Odoo. It prioritizes speed of deployment and simplicity, in exchange for less technical control and flexibility.
Vertical solution on Odoo
A vertical solution on Odoo is a specialized product built on Odoo Core that integrates processes, data models and functionalities adapted to a specific industry or business type, reducing the need for custom developments in each project.

Note on the use of terms

Many discussions about Odoo Community and Odoo Enterprise start from different definitions for the same terms.

Clarifying the meaning of each concept is an essential preliminary step to compare models, evaluate solutions or make informed decisions.

This glossary aims to serve as a common basis for understanding.

For a broader view of the ecosystem: