Yes, the data is yours. Under Odoo’s Enterprise Subscription Agreement, your business is the controller of the data in its database, and you can switch partners at any time. But ownership on paper is not control in practice: check that the subscription, hosting account, admin login, code repository and backups are in your company’s name, not the partner’s.
What exactly do I own, and what might the partner control?
A working Odoo system is more than a database. It is five or six separate assets, and each can sit in a different account. Problems start when a partner opened some of them in its own name to move faster during the project.
| Asset | Who should hold it | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| Odoo subscription (contract with Odoo SA) | Your company | Your odoo.com portal; subscription code under Settings > Activation |
| Database and its data | Your company (you are the data controller) | Database manager, signed in as administrator |
| Hosting account (Odoo Online, Odoo.sh or your own server) | Your company | Odoo.sh project settings, or your cloud/server provider account |
| Main administrator login | A named person at your company | Settings > Users in Odoo |
| Custom module code and GitHub repository | Your company, or as your contract says | GitHub organization that owns the repository |
| Backups | Your company, stored outside the partner | Download Backup in the database manager |
How do I check who controls my Odoo setup today?
- Log in to odoo.com and see whether the subscription is listed under your company account or the partner’s.
- Open the database manager and confirm you can sign in as the database administrator.
- If you use Odoo.sh, check who holds the Admin role. Only Admins can open project settings.
- Check which GitHub account or organization owns the code repository.
- Try downloading a backup. If you can, you hold the keys to your data.
If any step fails, the partner holds that piece. That is not always bad faith, but it is a risk you should close while the relationship is still friendly.
What if the subscription or hosting is in the partner’s name?
The Odoo agreement defines a partner as a company “chosen by the Customer”, and says you can move to another partner or to Odoo SA directly, subject to prior notice. In practice:
- Odoo Online: the database manager has a Transfer Ownership option that opens a support ticket with Odoo.
- Odoo.sh: the current partner adds you or your new partner to the project, then transfers the GitHub repository to an organization you own.
- Self-hosted: get server access, the database master password, PostgreSQL credentials, and control of the domain and SSL.
Check current Odoo procedures with Odoo support before you act, as menus and policies change between versions.
Who owns the custom modules the partner wrote?
This one depends on your contract, not on Odoo. Many partner contracts are silent on code ownership. Before final payment, ask for a written clause that assigns the custom code to you, or at least gives you a permanent licence to use and modify it. Also check each module’s licence (LGPL-3, OEEL-1 or OPL-1), because it controls how the code can be reused.
How do I take back control without breaking operations?
- Download a full backup, including the filestore, and store it outside the partner’s systems.
- Collect every login: database admin, Odoo.sh, GitHub, server, domain, and integration API keys.
- Move the subscription and repository into your company accounts.
- Only then give written notice to the partner and to Odoo.
- Have a new partner audit the custom modules before the next upgrade.
Want your Odoo setup back under your control?
Tenxora helps businesses in Pakistan and abroad take stock of who holds what, move accounts into their own name, and keep sales, stock and accounts running while it happens. No downtime, no lost history, and a clear list of what you own at the end.
FAQ
Can a partner refuse to hand over my Odoo database?
Your data belongs to you, and Odoo lets you change partners at any time with prior notice. If the subscription or hosting is in your name, you can download a backup yourself. If everything sits in the partner’s accounts, contact Odoo support and check your contract with the partner.
What happens to my data if I cancel my Odoo subscription?
When the agreement ends, the Enterprise licence is revoked and you must stop using the software and Odoo’s cloud. Odoo commits to delete or return your database at your choice, so download a full backup before the end date.
Does changing partners interrupt my live Odoo.sh database?
It should not, if done in order. Community answers on the Odoo forum describe giving the new partner access to the Odoo.sh project and then transferring the GitHub repository with no impact on users. Take a backup before any transfer.
Related service: Odoo Consulting
Sources: Odoo Enterprise Subscription Agreement, Odoo Online documentation, Odoo forum: transferring an Odoo.sh project, iVentureTeam: changing Odoo partners
