What is Odoo Studio

Odoo Studio is a visual customization tool offered in Enterprise edition only. It avoids coding and allows to drag and drop elements directly within the interface.

Think of it as Excel-style customization for Odoo screens.

What Studio does well

• Adding a custom fields to forms
• Re-arrange any screens via drag & drop
• Rename labels and menus
• Add simple rules
• Example: make a field read-only after approval

Pros: Quick, DIY (no developer needed), changes happen in real-time.

Cons: It can get messy if too many changes done in any forms or pages. It doesn’t handle “complex brain logic” well (e.g., “If X happens in Sales, calculate Y in Manufacturing and send an SMS to Z”).

What is a Custom App?

Odoo custom app uses full backend development. It uses Python, XML, JavaScript, and OWL. It works in both Community edition and Enterprise edition.

Think of it as engineering the business logic itself.

What custom apps do well

• Build complex business workflows and logics
• Adding strict business rules
• Integrate with any 3rd party applications like banks, payroll, or government portals
• Handle large data volumes
• Create statutory and management reports
• Stay safe during Odoo upgrades

Best for: Complex business logic, integrating with external software (like a specialized shipping provider), or heavy automation that involves multiple departments.

Pros: Infinite flexibility, better performance for large data, and easier to “version control” (keep a history of changes).

Cons: Requires a developer, costs more upfront, and takes longer to build and test.

Comparison at a Glance

1. Overview 

Feature	Odoo Studio	Backend Development
Purpose	No-code / low-code tool for quick customization	Full-code customization using Python, XML, JS, OWL
Accessibility	Available only in Odoo Enterprise	Works in Community & Enterprise
Users	Best for functional users and consultants	Requires Developer Mode and coding skills
Use Case	Modify Odoo without programming	Advanced, scalable, long-term solutions

2. App & Model Creation

Feature	Odoo Studio	Backend Development
Model Creation	Create custom apps and models easily	Create models using Python classes
Database	Auto-create database table	Full control over database schema
Menus & Views	Auto-create menu and views	Inherit or override existing models and views
Relations	Link fields to other models	Create relations (Many2one, One2many, Many2many)
Flexibility	No technical setup required	Rename technical fields anytime, full control

3. Screen & View Customization

Feature	Odoo Studio	Backend Development
Views	Customize Form, List, Kanban, Search	Form, Tree, Kanban, Search, Pivot, Graph
UI Editing	Drag & drop fields and sections	XML templates, QWeb, full UI control
Layout	Add tabs and groups, rearrange layout	Inherit and extend views, dynamic visibility
Labels	Rename field labels	Advanced labels, dynamic and computed content

4. Field Management

Feature	Odoo Studio	Backend Development
Custom Fields	Add fields (x_studio prefix)	Full Python logic fields, computed, or stored
Field Types	Text, number, date, selection, image	Any type, custom data validation
Rules	Required, readonly, hidden, default values	Full validation, constraints, Python logic
Relations	Link to other models	Many2one, One2many, Many2many with full control

5. Conditional Logic

Feature	Odoo Studio	Backend Development
Logic	Show/hide fields, simple if-condition	Complex Python logic, cross-model rules
Field Behavior	Read-only after stage change	Fully dynamic conditions, event-driven
Workflow	Simple linear automation	Multi-step, conditional workflows

6. Workflow & Automation

Feature	Odoo Studio	Backend Development
Workflow	Add/rename stages, auto-move records	Custom state machines, parallel and conditional workflows
Automation	Trigger on create, update, field change, time-based actions	Advanced server actions, cron jobs, multi-model triggers
Actions	Update fields, assign users, send emails, notifications, reminders	Complex logic, multi-step automation, integration with external systems

7. Search, Reporting & Dashboards

Feature	Odoo Studio	Backend Development
Search	Add search fields, create and save filters	Full domain-based search, custom queries
Reporting	Charts, pivot views, dashboards	Advanced QWeb reports, custom PDF/Excel, large data handling
Computed Fields	Basic computed fields	Full Python logic, cross-model computations

8. Menu & Navigation

Feature	Odoo Studio	Backend Development
Menus	Rename, hide, reorder	Full menu customization via code
Navigation	Simplify for users	Fully dynamic menus, conditional access

9. Access & Security

Feature	Odoo Studio	Backend Development
Access Control	Show/hide fields, readonly by role	Full access rights, record rules, field-level security
User Roles	Basic role visibility	Multi-company, multi-role rules, full backend security

10. Integration & API

Feature	Odoo Studio	Backend Development
Integrations	Simple webhooks, limited connectors	REST/SOAP APIs, external system sync, OAuth authentication
Automation	Basic notifications	Event-driven triggers, async jobs, background processing

11. Performance & Scalability

Feature	Odoo Studio	Backend Development
Optimization	Cannot optimize queries	Query profiling, indexing, caching
Scalability	Limited for large datasets	Handle large datasets, optimized for performance

12. UI & Web Customization

Feature	Odoo Studio	Backend Development
Widgets	Standard drag & drop fields	Custom JS widgets, OWL components
Client Behavior	Limited UI control	Override web client behavior, custom mobile UI

13. Deployment & Maintenance

Feature	Odoo Studio	Backend Development
Deployment	Changes applied live on database	Deployment via modules, migrations, version control
Maintenance	Harder to maintain at scale	Upgrade-safe development, reusable code, team collaboration
Testing & Debugging	Limited or no testing/logging	Unit tests, integration tests, automated regression, full logging

14. Best Use Cases

Feature	Odoo Studio	Backend Development
Use Case	Quick business changes, screen tweaks, small automation	Complex workflows, integrations, advanced reporting, high-performance systems
Users	Functional users, consultants	Developers, technical teams