Non-cloud based accounting software recommendation

[Andrew B.]

Looking for a recommendation for non-cloud based accounting software that can also be shared with multiple users online (all over the world). I work for a yacht management company and currently one of our yachts uses a cloud-based system which due to their internet is incredibly slow to work on. What they need is a system which stores the data locally, however, updates online every so often (which can be accessed by us). So far all of the software I have found is either completely cloud-based or completely offline. Any help would be appreciated

 

[@aiteoconsulting]

I've never used it myself, but Sage Drive could be what you need:

http://ask.sage.co.uk/scripts/ask.cfg/php.exe/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=32749

 

[duggimon]

I would think the solution is to use an offline system and back it up to OneDrive or Dropbox and ensure good communication so that no two users are changing things at the same time.

Unfortunately the only way to ensure nobody undoes someone else's changes is to use a cloud based system, which I believe Sage Drive is, albeit a less bandwidth intensive one.

 

[The Byre]

GnuCash will do all that and (important for boat building) does multiple currencies and multiple locations. It is a very open-ended SW so it is up to your bookkeeper to configure it to do what you want it to do. It is freeware and there is an on-line community that develops bespoke set-ups and comes to the aid of newbies.

If you (or your bookkeeper) know your way around accounts software, GnuCash is simple and straightforward. It won’t make your soul sing but it will balance your books, do payroll and spit out a P&L and sets of charts and forecasts. It also runs on UNIX/Linux, Mac OSX and Windows. The only real niggle is that the GUI is a bit old-fashioned, but then it is free!

https://www.gnucash.org/features.phtml#main-feat

If you are looking for something really grown-up, that can expand with your business and you do not want to get bogged down with dreadful nonsense like Sage and QuickBooks, SAP do a series of packages - though they cost money! Their 'Business-One' starter package costs about £1,000 - £3,000 per license for starters, though subscriptions for the full version cost about £60 pcm.

If you want it all (ERP, project management, forecasts) and are prepared to roll your sleeves up, take a look at http://www.adempiere.net/web/guest/welcome and https://ledgersmb.org/ When it comes to free accounting SW, you really are spoilt for choice! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_accounting_software

You may like to revisit your on-line problems, as I would expect some of your locations to be able to get much faster broadband sooner or later.

 

[johndon68]

Unfortunately the only way to ensure nobody undoes someone else's changes is to use a cloud based system, which I believe Sage Drive is, albeit a less bandwidth intensive one.

SageDrive is somewhat of a hybrid system, each PC (or network) has it's own local copy of the data and all those local copies are synched via a 'master' copy in the cloud.

So, enter a transaction on a machine, the local DB is updated, the data goes to the cloud copy and then the other local copies on other sites are then updated.

John

 

[duggimon]

Good to know, thanks.

 

[ffox]

Looking for a recommendation for non-cloud based accounting software that can also be shared with multiple users online (all over the world). I work for a yacht management company and currently one of our yachts uses a cloud-based system which due to their internet is incredibly slow to work on. What they need is a system which stores the data locally, however, updates online every so often (which can be accessed by us).

The requirement is contradictory.
Multi User indicated that you require different users in different location to be able to update the accounts data at the same time. To achieve this the accounts data must be in a single location and the application must employ some form of file, table or field locking to avoid conflicts during update.

To store multiple versions of the software in different locations and update 'every so often' cannot work in this way as you would have no control over which version was the most up to date.

If user A, in location 1 updates a ledger on a local basis on the first of the month, but cannot connect to the Internet until the 3rd of the month. And User B, in location 2 updates the same ledger on a local basis, on the 2nd of the month, but is connected full time to the internet. User B's update will hit the central data store on the 2nd and will be overwritten by user A's update on the 3rd.

This can be overcome, but the transaction tracking becomes a great deal more complex, and the software a great deal more expensive.

 

[johndon68]

Whilst I don’t know all the technical details Sage manage it with SageDrive...

John

 

[ffox]

Whilst I don’t know all the technical details Sage manage it with SageDrive...

Hi John, According to Sage - https://support.sagepayments.com/li...le/4560/SAGE-DRIVE-Frequently-Asked-Questions
Sage Drive is not multi user. When Data is shared on Sage Drive it is in single user mode. If you have multi user Sage on a local network Sage Drive must be disconnected for multiple users on the LAN to access the data.

This may suit the OP's purpose, but it isn't a true multi user, multi site application.

 

[johndon68]

Hi John, According to Sage - https://support.sagepayments.com/li...le/4560/SAGE-DRIVE-Frequently-Asked-Questions
Sage Drive is not multi user. When Data is shared on Sage Drive it is in single user mode. If you have multi user Sage on a local network Sage Drive must be disconnected for multiple users on the LAN to access the data.

This may suit the OP's purpose, but it isn't a true multi user, multi site application.

This has been niggling at me since you posted the link I've checked and the details in that article aren't strictly true...

They refer to a standard 'out of the box licence', whilst it does cost extra you can add additional 'remote user' licences which will allow remote users to access the data at the same time as users are accessing it on a LAN.

John

 

[Ilyas Mohammed]

I have used Sage drive it cost per user £10.00 you will need as stated above have a single location where the sage data is kept each machines has a client on it and connects to either the local network or the Sage Drive. I have experienced a few issues with it if any remote user has a slow internet connection it causes out of sync issues and has to be restore.

One thing to look at it put the client on remote machines and create a VPN to the server that hosts the Sage or any accounts system they will able to use the accounts program with no issue.