You can run Odoo in the cloud in three ways: Odoo Online (Odoo hosts and maintains it, but custom modules are not supported), Odoo.sh (also operated by Odoo, supports your own developments and is paid separately) or your own server, for example on AWS, where you have full control and also full responsibility for maintaining it. If you use Odoo as it comes, Odoo Online is usually the simplest. If you need custom development or API integrations, the decision is between Odoo.sh and your own server.
What options are there for running Odoo in the cloud?
Three, and in all three the software is the same. Odoo itself says so on its pricing page: Odoo Online and Odoo Enterprise, whether on-premise or on Odoo.sh, are the same program; what changes is the hosting and the infrastructure (email, backups, database redundancy).
| Option | Who operates the server | Custom modules | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Odoo Online | Odoo | No | Companies that use Odoo out of the box |
| Odoo.sh | Odoo (your team or your partner uploads the code) | Yes | Companies with their own developments that do not want to manage servers |
| Your own server (for example, AWS) | You or your IT provider | Yes | Companies that need full control, data in Mexico or complex integrations |
What does Odoo Online include and what are its limits?
Odoo Online is Odoo's cloud: you just sign in from your browser. According to Odoo, the subscription includes hosting, daily backups on two continents, email integration, 24/7 monitoring and a control panel for your database. Included storage goes up to 100 GB.
Its service level agreement sets a monthly availability target of 99.9%, which equals a maximum of 45 minutes of unplanned downtime per month, not counting scheduled maintenance. Odoo clarifies that these targets are not legally binding guarantees.
Three limits you should know about before choosing it:
- It does not support custom modules. Odoo's documentation states that Odoo Online does not support non-standard apps. If your operation needs its own development, it does not fit here.
- Your data lives outside Mexico. For the Americas region, Odoo runs production in the United States and Canada, and stores backups in Europe and Canada. You cannot choose or restrict where backups are replicated.
- Updates at its pace. Odoo Online runs the latest versions, including intermediate versions released every two or three months. Your team has to get used to frequent changes.
What it costs you to choose wrong: finding out halfway through the implementation that the process that sets you apart needs a development Odoo Online does not accept, and having to move.
When does Odoo.sh make sense?
When you need custom modules but do not want to manage servers. Odoo.sh is Odoo's platform for hosting your own developments: it works with a code repository on GitHub, tests every change and keeps development, staging and production branches separate.
The most useful feature for a company is the staging environment: a copy with real data where a change is tested before it goes to production. As for backups, Odoo.sh keeps seven daily, four weekly and three monthly backups of the production database, and includes attachments.
Two things worth knowing: Odoo.sh is billed separately from licenses (by work processes or "workers", storage and additional staging environments) and is only available with the Custom Odoo plan. Staging environment databases are deleted automatically after one month.
And if I run Odoo on my own server on AWS?
You have full control: you choose the server size, the region, how you back up and who gets in. In January 2025, AWS opened its Mexico (Central) region, with three availability zones and an announced investment of more than 5 billion dollars over 15 years. AWS states that the content you store in that region does not leave Mexico unless you decide to move it.
That matters if a contract or your own policy requires you to keep data in the country. One practical detail: Mexico (Central) is a region you have to enable in your AWS account before using it.
The price of control is responsibility. AWS explains this with its shared responsibility model: AWS protects the infrastructure (data centers, network, hardware) and you take care of what you put on top: the operating system and its patches, the firewall configuration, access permissions and your data. If nobody updates the server, nobody will do it for you.
Also, on your own server you decide the Odoo version. Odoo gives standard support to each version for its first three years, and security updates only arrive during that period. For example, standard support for Odoo 17 ended in September 2026. You can buy extended support at additional cost, but without security patches. What the new version brings is explained in Odoo 20: what is new and whether you should migrate, and how to plan the go-live in Odoo implementation.
NIQERA works alongside AWS and is an official Odoo partner, which is why we also tell you when it is not a good fit: if you have nobody (in-house or external) to monitor and update the server, your own server is more risk than savings.
How much does each option cost?
There are two separate costs: Odoo licenses (per user) and hosting. With Odoo Online, hosting is included; with Odoo.sh and your own server, you pay for it separately.
| Item | Published price | Where it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Standard plan | Mex$180 per user per month + VAT at the promotional price (regular Mex$228) | Odoo Online only |
| Custom plan | Mex$330 per user per month + VAT at the promotional price (regular Mex$410) | Odoo Online, Odoo.sh or your own server |
| Odoo.sh hosting | Separate, based on workers, storage and staging environments (calculator at odoo.sh) | Odoo.sh |
| Server on AWS | Pay as you go based on the server, storage and data transfer (AWS calculator) | Your own server |
License prices were checked on Odoo's Mexico page on November 1, 2026; the discount applies for 12 months to licenses purchased up front, and prices may change. With monthly payment, prices are higher. The cost of implementation is a separate topic, which we cover in how much it costs to implement Odoo in Mexico.
One fact that often decides the choice: the Standard plan does not include the "external API", meaning an outside system (for example, an online store or a legacy system) reading or changing data in Odoo. That, along with Studio and custom development, is in the Custom plan.
Which one is right for a mid-sized company in Mexico?
It depends on four questions. Answer them in this order:
- Do you need custom modules? If not, start with Odoo Online. It is the option with the fewest pieces to look after.
- Does another system need to connect to Odoo through an API? If so, you need the Custom plan; Odoo Online is still possible if there is no custom code.
- Does your data have to stay in Mexico? If a contract requires it, Odoo Online will not work for you (it runs production in the United States and Canada). Your own server in AWS's Mexico region will.
- Who is going to maintain the server? If you have nobody, Odoo.sh takes that burden off you; your own server only makes sense with someone to monitor it, update it and test the backups, whether your team or a managed infrastructure.
If your current installation already has problems (slowness, an unsupported version), check its condition with an Odoo rescue before moving it.
Can you switch hosting later?
Yes. From Odoo Online you can download a copy of your database at any time from the control panel and take it to Odoo.sh or your own server. The reverse is also possible, with conditions: to move to Odoo Online you have to uninstall any non-standard apps, and the version must still be supported.
One technical detail that surprises people: if your Odoo Online database is on an intermediate version (for example, 19.3), Odoo.sh and your own servers do not accept it; it first has to be upgraded to the next major version. That is why Odoo recommends moving from Odoo Online to your own server right after a stable version is released.
What mistakes are made when choosing hosting?
- Choosing by server price and forgetting maintenance. The cheap server turns out expensive if nobody patches it or tests its backups. We cover backups in depth in the 3-2-1 rule explained for a small and mid-sized business.
- Thinking that "in the cloud" means "backed up." On your own server, backups are your responsibility under the AWS model.
- Staying on an unsupported version. On your own server it is easy to put off the upgrade; without standard support there are no security patches.
Glossary
- Odoo Online
- Odoo's cloud, where Odoo hosts and maintains your database without custom modules.
- Odoo.sh
- Odoo's platform for hosting Odoo with your own developments, with staging environments and backups.
- On-premise or your own server
- Odoo Enterprise installed on a server you control, in your office or in a cloud such as AWS.
- External API
- A connection in which another system reads or changes Odoo data on its own.
Frequently asked questions
Is Odoo Online secure?
Odoo states that it encrypts data at rest and in transit, replicates each database on redundant storage and keeps backups in several data centers. Even so, account security (passwords, two-factor authentication) depends on your team.
Can I run Odoo on AWS with my data in Mexico?
Yes. AWS has had a region in Mexico since January 2025 and states that content stored there does not leave the country unless you move it. Odoo Online, by contrast, runs production in the United States and Canada for the Americas region.
Can Odoo Community be put on Odoo Online?
No. According to Odoo itself, Odoo Online, Odoo.sh and the on-premise Enterprise installation are the same software: Odoo Enterprise. Community, the free version, is installed on your own server. We explain the differences in Odoo Community vs Enterprise.
What happens if I want to leave Odoo Online?
You download a copy of your database from the control panel and restore it on Odoo.sh or on your server, making sure the version is compatible.
Sources: Odoo, “Precios”, accessed November 2026 · Odoo, “Odoo Cloud Hosting Service Level Agreement”, accessed November 2026 · Odoo, “Privacy Policy” (hosting regions), accessed November 2026 · Odoo.sh, “Pricing”, accessed November 2026 · Odoo documentation, “Odoo.sh: Branches” · Odoo documentation, “Hosting” · Odoo documentation, “Standard and extended support” · AWS, “Now open — AWS Mexico (Central) Region”, January 14, 2025 · AWS, “Shared Responsibility Model” · AWS, “AWS Backup feature availability” (regions requiring opt-in)
