Versions · 6 min · 26 August 2026
Odoo 16 is out of support: the real cost of jumping several versions
Odoo supports the three latest versions. The Odoo 16 end of support is a fact: it no longer receives security fixes. Staying on it is not an absolute emergency, but every year of waiting makes the migration heavier.
If your database still runs on Odoo 16, this article explains what you are losing, what your hosting changes (Odoo.sh or dedicated server), what breaks when you migrate and why the decision to migrate Odoo 16 is better made now than under the pressure of a deadline.
What you lose by staying on Odoo 16
The publisher only supports the three latest major versions. Odoo 16 was released in 2022 and has not been supported since 2025. In practice, a database that stays on it loses three things.
- Security fixes. A vulnerability discovered today will not be fixed on this version.
- Compatibility of new modules. Module publishers release for maintained versions and abandon the others.
- Access to functional improvements. Enhancements in recent versions are not available to you.
Short answer: Odoo 16 no longer receives security fixes. It is not an emergency today, but it is a debt that grows every year.
Odoo.sh or dedicated server: what the Odoo 16 end of support changes depending on your hosting
The answer to "do I have to migrate now?" depends first on where your database runs.
- On Odoo.sh, the platform requires a version supported by the publisher. The Odoo upgrade is part of the hosting contract: it is scheduled to a date, with the platform's test environments to rehearse the cutover.
- On a dedicated server (Odoo on-premise), your Odoo 16 database keeps running. You keep control of the calendar, the publisher no longer releases security fixes for this version: choosing the right moment is up to you. The earlier the Odoo migration is prepared, the better it goes, with managed services securing the existing system in the meantime.
In both cases, migrating Odoo 16 is decided on facts: an inventory of the database, its modules and its custom developments. Our Odoo migration method starts with that inventory, to cost a real scope rather than an assumption.
What breaks between Odoo 16 and recent versions
A multi-version jump is not the sum of several small migrations. It accumulates the breaking changes of each intermediate version and we find them again from one project to the next.
- Views and fields removed or renamed, to be reworked one by one in your customisations.
- Third-party modules that their authors have not ported to recent versions.
- Custom developments to port, one by one, with their tests.
- Connectors that are no longer published for your version.
The longest part is not the technical switchover. It is taking inventory of what exists, deciding what to keep and reworking the developments. That is why an audit of the database comes before any serious estimate: our free situation audit, on site, establishes that diagnosis with your teams.
An ERP migration takes 2 to 9 months depending on scope. It is also the right time for a process review: an Odoo upgrade that reproduces outdated workflows identically costs more than it brings. The specifics of your version are on the Odoo 16 page.
Why waiting costs more than before
Each new version adds a jump to clear. A database on Odoo 16 aiming for a recent version goes through more breaking changes than a database on Odoo 18. The longer you wait, the wider the gap to bridge.
Regulatory obligations also play a part. E-invoicing, for example, requires a maintained version to keep up with changes. A database left on an unsupported version will have to migrate anyway, but on a schedule imposed from outside. We discuss this in our article on e-invoicing.
Finally, a prepared Odoo migration takes place with no downtime. A forced migration is done in a rush, with less room for testing. Our consultants support both sides: scoping and change management on the business side, the technical rework on the Odoo integrator side.
How to prepare to leave Odoo 16
1
Database audit
Inventory of modules, custom developments and data volumes.
2
Scope triage
Decide what is kept, replaced by standard features or dropped.
3
Trial migration
Restore a copy of the database and rework the developments retained.
4
Acceptance testing and cutover
Testing by your teams on their real cases, then go-live.
Frequently asked questions
It depends on your hosting. On Odoo.sh, the platform requires a supported version, so migrating cannot be avoided. On a dedicated server (on-premise), you can stay on Odoo 16: the publisher then no longer releases security fixes and the risk depends on how exposed your database is and how sensitive your data is. We advise you to plan the migration rather than have it forced on you.
From 2 to 9 months depending on the scope, the volume of custom developments to port and the availability of your teams for acceptance testing. The database inventory, done at audit stage, gives a realistic timeline.
The cost depends on the number of modules, the custom developments to rework and the quality of the data. No serious figure can be given without an inventory: that is the purpose of our free situation audit, followed by a thirty-minute conversation to scope the project.
Not necessarily. The path is decided at audit, based on your modules and developments. In all cases, reworking your custom developments is the main workload.
The publisher supports the three latest major versions. Odoo 20 has been released and Odoo 19 and Odoo 18 remain supported.
Let's get your database out of the dead end
Thirty minutes with an Odoo consultant to assess your Odoo 16 database, the volume of custom developments to port and the right time to migrate.