Your hosting model determines your AI integration path
"Can I connect Claude, ChatGPT, or Cursor to Odoo?" is really two questions once you start implementing — can my Odoo run AI tooling, and where does that tooling live. The answer turns almost entirely on how your Odoo is hosted. There are three common models, and each has a different route to the Model Context Protocol (MCP) — the open standard AI agents use to talk to external systems.
Here is the whole decision in one table:
| Hosting model | Where it lives | Custom modules? | AI / MCP path |
|---|---|---|---|
| Odoo Online (SaaS) | *.odoo.com | No custom modules | External MCP gateway (XML-RPC bridge) |
| Odoo.sh | PaaS · your repo | Custom modules allowed | Native MCP Server module |
| On-Premise / Self-Hosted | Your own servers | Full server access | Native MCP Server module |
The rest of this guide explains the one fork that drives that table — and which product to pick for each side.
The key fork: can you install a custom module?
Nearly every "Odoo MCP" integration on the market is a server-side Odoo module. That single fact splits the hosting world in two.
Odoo Online — the official cloud SaaS plan where every instance lives on a *.odoo.com subdomain — does not let you install custom server-side modules. That restriction keeps the shared platform stable and secure, but it also means a module-based MCP server is structurally impossible on Odoo Online. This is true even of KSROlabs' own native MCP module — it simply cannot be installed on a *.odoo.com instance. To add AI on Odoo Online you need something that runs outside Odoo and reaches it through the standard XML-RPC API, which every Odoo instance exposes and has kept stable since Odoo 8. In other words, an external gateway.
Odoo.sh, on-premise, and any self-hosted Odoo sit on the other side of the fork. On Odoo.sh you deploy custom modules from your own Git repository; on-premise and self-hosted give you full server access. All three can therefore install a native MCP module directly inside Odoo — which is the richest integration, because it runs in-process with full access to Odoo's security model, OAuth, and business logic.
On Odoo Online → the Odoo Online MCP Gateway
For SaaS instances, KSROlabs pioneered the Odoo Online MCP Gateway — the first purpose-built, enterprise-grade way to connect Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, and any MCP client to an Odoo Online instance. It is a dedicated commercial gateway: an external XML-RPC bridge that runs entirely outside Odoo, so there is no module install, ever, and no SaaS policy to conflict with. It translates MCP tool calls into governed XML-RPC reads and opt-in writes against your live *.odoo.com data.
Because it fronts a live ERP, it is security-first by design: read-only by default, Bearer-token authentication, configurable rate limits and payload caps, model allowlisting, field-level access control, and full audit logging. KSROlabs provisions, configures, and supports it as a fully managed deployment, so there is no infrastructure for you to run. KSROlabs is not the only vendor serving Odoo Online — but the gateway is a dedicated, purpose-built commercial product with the security posture and managed operations production ERP integrations require.
On Odoo.sh, on-premise, or self-hosted → the MCP Server for Odoo
If you control your codebase, install the MCP Server for Odoo — KSROlabs' native Odoo App Store module. It runs inside your own Odoo instance, so ERP data flows directly between your Odoo and your AI agent with no third-party server in the middle. Because it lives in-process, it does far more than an external bridge can:
OAuth clients for one-click team access — each user connects without sharing static API keys.
Scoped API keys restricted by model, CRUD operation, field, and domain filter.
BI and reporting tools: pivot, timeseries, top-N, cohort, funnel, and exports.
The KSRO AI Engine, prompt-to-portal pages, and an AI module builder for validated, installable Odoo modules.
Full Odoo ACL and record-rule inheritance, audit logs, distributed rate limiting, and schema caching.
The module supports Odoo 14 through 19 and installs on Odoo.sh from your repository just as it does on a self-hosted or on-premise server. It is a commercial product too, with free setup support included and managed deployment available if you would rather not run it yourself.
Two separate products, two hosting models — both from KSROlabs
These are deliberately two different products because they solve two different constraints. The Odoo Online MCP Gateway is an external bridge for SaaS instances that cannot install modules. The MCP Server for Odoo is a native module for deployments that can. You cannot swap one for the other — the module will not install on Odoo Online, and the gateway is not the right tool when you already have full server access and want in-process OAuth and BI.
The upside for buyers: KSROlabs covers both hosting models. Whether you are on Odoo Online, Odoo.sh, on-premise, or a mixed estate with some of each, there is a purpose-built KSROlabs product for every instance — and one team to support all of it.
Which should I use?
Two quick checks settle it. First, look at your Odoo URL: if it ends in *.odoo.com and you did not set up the server yourself, you are on Odoo Online — choose the Odoo Online MCP Gateway. Second, if you deploy from a Git repository (Odoo.sh) or manage your own server (on-premise or self-hosted), you can install custom modules — choose the MCP Server for Odoo.
Not sure which bucket you fall in, or running more than one kind of Odoo? Book a demo or get a quote and we will confirm your hosting, recommend the right product, and scope a secure deployment — with free setup support included.
Frequently asked questions
Does Odoo Online support MCP?
Yes — but not through a module. Odoo Online (the SaaS plan on *.odoo.com) does not allow installing custom server-side modules, so a module-based MCP server structurally cannot run there. The way to add MCP on Odoo Online is an external gateway that connects to your instance over the standard XML-RPC API. KSROlabs pioneered exactly this with the Odoo Online MCP Gateway, a purpose-built commercial bridge for the SaaS platform.
What's the difference between Odoo Online and Odoo.sh for AI?
Odoo Online is Odoo's fully managed SaaS, where you cannot install custom code — so AI and MCP have to reach Odoo from the outside via XML-RPC. Odoo.sh is Odoo's developer-oriented PaaS where you control the codebase and can deploy custom modules, which means you can install a native MCP module directly inside Odoo. In short: Odoo Online needs an external gateway; Odoo.sh can run a native MCP Server module.
Can I install an MCP module on Odoo.sh?
Yes. Odoo.sh lets you deploy custom modules from your Git repository, so the KSROlabs MCP Server for Odoo — a native Odoo App Store module — installs and runs directly inside your Odoo.sh instance. You get OAuth clients, scoped API keys, BI tools, and the KSRO AI Engine running natively, the same as an on-premise or self-hosted deployment.
Which KSROlabs product do I need for my hosting?
It depends on how your Odoo is hosted. If you run Odoo Online (*.odoo.com), you need the Odoo Online MCP Gateway — an external bridge built for SaaS instances that cannot install modules. If you run Odoo.sh, on-premise, or any self-hosted Odoo, you can install the native MCP Server for Odoo module. KSROlabs builds and maintains both, so you are covered whichever hosting model you use — including mixed environments.
How do I get started, and what does it cost?
Both the Odoo Online MCP Gateway and the MCP Server for Odoo are commercial products. Tell us how your Odoo is hosted and we will point you to the right one, scope your setup, and share pricing. Book a demo or get a quote through our contact page — free setup support is included so your MCP deployment lands secure and production-ready.