Odoo Module Licences Explained: LGPL, OPL and Marketplace Licences

When you buy an Odoo module you are buying two things: the code, and the permission to use it. The second part is the licence, and it is the part people read least. This guide explains the licences you meet most often on Odoo modules, in plain language, so that you can ask the right questions before you install a module for your own company or for a client.

This is general information, not legal advice. If a decision depends on the exact wording of a licence, read the licence text itself or ask a lawyer.

Why licences matter for modules

Odoo itself is published in two forms. Odoo Community is free software under the LGPL, and Odoo Enterprise is proprietary software under Odoo's own licence. Third-party modules sit on top of one of them, and each module has its own licence chosen by its author. That licence decides whether you may change the code, whether you may share it, and whether you may use it for more than one company.

The licences you will meet

LGPL-3 and other open-source licences

Many Odoo modules are published under the LGPL-3, AGPL-3 or another open-source licence. In general, an open-source licence lets you use, study and change the code. What differs is the obligation that comes with sharing it:

• The LGPL is relatively permissive: you can use a module in your own system and combine it with other code, and the licence mostly cares about changes you make to the module itself when you distribute it.
• The AGPL goes further: if you let people use a modified version over a network, you may have to offer them the source of your modifications.

Open source does not mean free of charge. An author can sell an open-source module, and you pay for the work, the support and the updates.

OPL-1 and other proprietary licences

OPL-1 is Odoo's proprietary licence for modules. Proprietary licences usually let you use a module under conditions: for example, one licence per database or per company, no redistribution, and no sharing of the source with people who have not bought it. Read the terms for what they say about modifications and about use by clients.

Marketplace licence tiers

Marketplaces often add a simpler layer on top: tiers that describe where you may use an item. On DevMarket, for example, a Regular licence covers one end product or one production deployment, and an Extended licence covers use in a software-as-a-service or multi-tenant product that you charge others to use. The full wording is in the Licence terms. If an item states that part of its code is under an open-source licence, that licence applies to that code, and the tiers never take away rights an open-source licence gives you.

Questions to ask before you use a module

Common mistakes

• Assuming one purchase covers every client. A licence for one end product is not a licence for all your customers.
• Copying a module into a template you sell. Reselling or sharing a module is almost never allowed without permission.
• Ignoring the licence of dependencies. Your module may be fine while something it relies on is not.
• Forgetting the update terms. A licence to use is separate from the right to download new releases.

What to do on the day you buy

Save the product page, the licence text and your invoice together. Note the licence tier, the support period and the update policy. If you build for clients, record which client each licence is used for. It costs ten minutes and removes arguments later.

Summary

Licences are not an obstacle; they are a description of the deal. Read the one on the module, match it to how you will use it, and ask in writing when it is unclear. When you are choosing between modules, put the licence next to the version list and the support terms in your checklist: our guide on how to choose an Odoo module shows how. You can browse Odoo modules and read each item's licence tier before you buy.