Last updated on February 6th, 2023

Does QuickBooks hosting on the cloud help your business accounting for better?

QuickBooks hosting gives your business the power and flexibility that QuickBooks on the local system struggles to provide – anytime, anywhere access.

In January 2019, we covered the price comparison of some of the leading QuickBooks Hosting providers. We have also covered what businesses should consider while choosing a cloud service provider to host their QuickBooks application and data.

QuickBooks Hosting Review 2018 – Benefits, Pricing and Customer ReviewsThere are dozens of QuickBooks hosting service providers in the market with similar offerings and are appealing for your dollar, but how are their results? How should you go about choosing the right cloud provider for your business?

In this in-depth review, we are going to explore the need for QuickBooks hosting and what you should consider in a cloud hosting provider while hosting your QuickBooks data and application.

Let’s dive in!

Beyond Local System

Gone are the days when you install QuickBooks on your local systems such as desktop or laptop and work alone on the software. Switching to the cloud allows you to work simultaneously with other users in real-time. This multi-user mode gives you the independence to work from any internet-connected device at any time and from anywhere.

In this rapidly changing market, where real-time collaboration, 24×7 availability, and mobile access to the data are a constant need, having desktop-based QuickBooks is no longer an option.

Another main driving factor for choosing cloud over the desktop is hassles in installing, upgrading software, and file transfer with a local system. For example, if you upgrade your computer that has QuickBooks installed, then you also have to think about the files, data, and dozens of other desktop applications.

But hosting QuickBooks on the cloud ensures that it is the responsibility of the service provider to transfer files and upgrade software in the background.

What’s more, the cloud has made collaboration and sharing so smooth that the process of sending QuickBooks files or data back and forth on email is eliminated. All of this is achieved without any error or file corruption.

This is the ‘cloud’ age. You don’t need QuickBooks installed in the local system anymore.

QuickBooks Hosting – What and Why?

QuickBooks hosting is the hot thing in the cloud accounting space today.

QuickBooks hosting (also known as QuickBooks Cloud or Hosted QuickBooks) refers to the installation of the QuickBooks Desktop version on the network server hosted over the internet to enable access via a web browser from any location. Simply put, data and files in a Hosted QuickBooks can be accessed by an authenticated user from anywhere, anytime, without installing it on a local machine. – Source

Unlike QuickBooks Online, which is an entirely different version of QuickBooks accounting software from Intuit, QuickBooks Hosting is the availability of QuickBooks Desktop (Pro, Premier, Accountant, or Enterprise version) on the cloud server of an authorized hosting facility.

Simply put, QuickBooks Online is aimed to offer remote access to the application and focuses on businesses that need the functionality of the cloud but won’t mind compromising on the accounting features. On the other hand, QuickBooks Hosting combines the power of the cloud with the features of the desktop software to get the best of both worlds.

Benefits of using QuickBooks hosting for business can manifest in:

1. Anytime, Anywhere Access

QuickBooks hosting is a convenient option if you need the ability to work on QuickBooks data from any location. So, regardless of the time zone, you can efficiently work on the same QuickBooks file with your client or employee. You can also access it from any location, even while you are on holiday at a beach.

2. Speed

QuickBooks opens and operates much faster in the hosting environment than QuickBooks on the local system. You can also increase the number of users to work on your QB application without losing any performance. Just make sure you have good quality and a fast internet connection.

3. Backup

What if your local system crashes? Or you corrupt your QuickBooks file?

QuickBooks hosting service has multiple redundancies in place for data storage, along with regular and automated backup to ensure everything is working correctly.

4. Customer Support

There might be some issues while using QuickBooks, such as printer setup, email configuration, permission controls, etc. that can further complicate the accounting work. QuickBooks hosting provider takes care of all setup and maintenance work along with training and troubleshooting errors and issues that might come with the application on the cloud.

5. Integration

To streamline your accounting work, add additional industry-specific functionality, and increase efficiency, your business may require some 3rd-party add-ons such as billing apps, inventory software, etc., that easily integrate with QuickBooks.

The hosting environment allows easy integration with such applications so that you have all features and functionality and automatic syncing and data sharing with applications.

6. Security

There is a risk with a local  QuickBooks setup; that is, your data can be compromised if you don’t use secure methods such as anti-virus, anti-malware, password protection, firewalls, etc.

On the other hand, QuickBooks on the cloud is a secure solution because it not only employs all these security methods such as anti-virus, firewall, password protection but also has encryption security, access-control policies, and multiple-redundancies in place.

User Satisfaction

When you decide to buy QuickBooks hosting services, it’s essential to see what the hosting provider has to offer and find out whether the real people who are using the services are satisfied with the host or not. With this analysis, you can make an informed decision about choosing QuickBooks on cloud services.

According to YouGov, 78 percent of consumers in the United States read online reviews before making a purchase decision.

To evaluate a cloud provider’s services, check out the reviews and testimonials of existing clients that have been using their QuickBooks hosting services. This will help you understand whether the provider is effectively able to provide better customer experience and cloud services to their clients.

You can use various sites, such as Serchen, Google Business Listing, Facebook, and testimonial page on the company website to know the rating and reviews for their services.

Uptime is Critical

One of the critical things that one should consider while choosing cloud services is server uptime. It’s so important because it defines how quickly you can access your QuickBooks data and applications. The higher the uptime, the better the performance and availability.

If your QuickBooks servers are down, this can be catastrophic for your accounting firm, and you will be unable to find, share, or work on your QuickBooks data and application.

So, choosing a hosting provider with high uptime is critical because it will guarantee that your server will never go down for more than a fraction of a second. In other words, it means that if one server goes down, another one takes over so that you never experience the service outage.

It’s highly recommended that you choose a hosting service with at least 99.999% guaranteed uptime, which is also a cost-effective choice. The table below compares the value of different ‘Nines’ –

Availability Measure Downtime Per Year Downtime Per Week
90% (one nine) 36.5 days 16.8 hours
99% (two nines) 3.65 days 1.68 hours
99.9% (three nines) 8.76 hours 10.1 minutes
99.99% (four nines) 52.6 minutes 1.01 minutes
99.995% (four and a half nines) 26.28 minutes 30.24 seconds
99.999% (five nines) 5.25 minutes 6.05 seconds
99.9999% (six nines) 31.5 seconds 604.8 ms

Credit: Wikipedia

Pricing

While pricing is not a single or most important factor, it’s one of the significant role players in deciding a hosting service provider.

There might be several costs associated, such as customer support cost, migration cost, add-ons charges, Intuit surcharge, etc., that you should always consider while signing the Service Level Agreements. Also, note that there is always a pricing difference between shared QuickBooks Hosting and dedicated QuickBooks hosting.

Dedicated QuickBooks servers are ideal for businesses that want maximum customization, control, and overall flexibility, but they are somewhat costly than the shared QuickBooks servers.

Below is a brief QuickBooks Hosting pricing comparison of a few service providers that will help you choose the best one for your needs.

  • Ace Cloud Hosting: Monthly Pricing: $34/user/month (view all pricing plans)
  • Cloud Nine Real Time: Monthly Pricing: Not provided on the website ($50 setup fee per user)
  • Right Networks: Monthly Pricing: $57/user/month
  • Summit Hosting: Monthly Pricing: $53/user/month (Not Provided on the Website)
  • Swizznet:Monthly Pricing: $54.99/user/month

Disclaimer: These prices are taken from the websites of respective providers as on 20th July 2020.

If you are ready for QuickBooks hosting services, you’ll need to choose an appropriate hosting provider.

Ace Cloud Hosting is a well-known name when it comes to accounting application hosting and tax software hosting for CPAs, accounting firms, and business owners.

The company has partnered with the best data centers and IT infrastructure providers in the USA to provide best-in-class, superfast, and secure hosting services to its customers. Its customer service and feature-rich affordable packages are far ahead of those offered by other competitors in the market.

Now, let’s see what benefits you get with QuickBooks Hosting from Ace Cloud Hosting, which makes it a reliable hosting provider worthy of your consideration.

Overview of Ace Cloud Hosting

Ace Cloud Hosting has a wide customer base serving thousands of CPAs, Bookkeepers, Accounting, Tax Professionals, small businesses, and large enterprises. The company is based in Florida, USA.

Since 2012, Ace Cloud Hosting has concentrated on providing application hosting services and has built up an impressive brand reputation. Today, it is a leading provider of application and tax software hosting in the accounting industry.

The best-in-class IT infrastructures, superfast services, and excellent customer support is what that made Ace Cloud Hosting #1 QuickBooks Hosting provider in the market.

Customers are the foremost priority for Ace Cloud Hosting. That’s why they are consistently ranking high on the customer satisfaction level. Accountex 2016 User favorite award, 2018 FinancesOnline award for Great Customer Experience, K2 Quality Award 2019 & 2020 for Customer Satisfaction, and 300+ five star rating on Serchen prove that Ace Cloud Hosting is customer-obsessed – they understand them and serve their needs.

Customers love Ace Cloud Hosting because they are authentic, responsive, courteous, competent, and agile.

You can ask them for a list of happy customers near you to know more.

Benefits with Ace Cloud Hosting

1. Superfast

Ace Cloud Hosting guarantees 99.999% server uptime. With advanced backup technology, redundancies at every level – SSD, servers, or data centers whereby if one server or data center fails, Ace Cloud Hosting will immediately and automatically replace it with a functional server without incurring any downtime.

2. Secure

Your data is secured using several methods used parallelly. You are protected by anti-virus software, firewalls, Intrusion Prevention and Detection System, anti-phishing, and anti-malware system. Your data is also safeguarded with multi-factor authentication so that even if your password is stolen, the malicious user is unable to hack the information.

3. 24×7 Customer Support

Customer support is one of the critical differentiators for Ace Cloud Hosting. Customers love Ace Cloud Hosting because it’s responsive, courteous, competent, and agile. Ace Cloud Hosting customer success team comprises of experts with more than ten years of experience in QuickBooks hosting and other cloud services.

Its Customer Support includes round the clock customer care on chat, email, or phone by experts. 300+ five star rating reviews on independent customer review platform- Serchen speaks for its customer success.

4. Intuit Authorized

Ace Cloud Hosting is Intuit authorized commercial hosting provider, which means that the company has been legally authorized by Intuit to host QuickBooks desktop software for users and specializes in secure, superfast, and scalable cloud hosting solutions. As a trusted hosting provider, ACE can host the following QuickBooks products-

  • QuickBooks Desktop Pro
  • QuickBooks Desktop Premier
  • QuickBooks Accountant Desktop
  • QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise Solutions
  • QuickBooks Desktop Point of Sale (the US only)

5. Backups

Ace Cloud Hosting takes automatic and regular backups of your QuickBooks data and applications and maintains them for 45 days. This information is stored at geographically isolated data centers that can be retrieved easily in case of any data loss.

6. Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery

What makes Ace Cloud Hosting a preferred choice for QuickBooks Hosting services is their built-in business continuity and disaster recovery services.

It means Ace Cloud Hosting has the technology and processes in place that consider various events, such as cyber-attacks, human error, or natural disasters that can interrupt your business operations.

They make sure that your business is always up and running even in case of any such unplanned events.

7. Integration

Ace Cloud Hosting enables QuickBooks integration with apps and web services you use for your accounting and business work.

From inventory, document storage, billing, CRM, or time tracking applications, Ace Cloud Hosting helps you easily sync and share data with these software and extend the functionality of your accounting software.

8. Best for All Business Sizes

Ace Cloud Hosting is a feature-rich and affordable hosting solution for all business sizes. It helps you do more with less – no matter the size or industry. You can quickly scale up or scale down your requirements anytime.

No one wants to pay for something while they’re not using it. Ace Cloud Hosting understands this and offers plans that ensure that you only pay for what you use.

9. Increased Productivity and Sales

With Ace Cloud Hosting, you don’t have to worry about setup, maintenance, or software upgrades. For an accounting firm, it ensures business growth as it reduces most of the manual accounting tasks so that you can focus on your core competencies and increase customer satisfaction rate.

10. High-Performance Computing

Ace Cloud Hosting offers SSD-based servers that offer high-performance computing. You can handle multiple tasks and processes without facing any performance or lagging issues. It further improves your productivity and efficiency so that you can complete your tasks within the given time.

Final Words: Aim for the Best

Last but not least, if you’re ready to find a great QuickBooks hosting service, this in-depth review is a solid framework to determine which provider you can trust with your QuickBooks data and applications.

Looking for a reliable QuickBooks Hosting provider? Speak to our Solutions Experts at 855-223-4887 to get a free 10-day trial today.

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