How can Acctivate be deployed?

When deploying Acctivate, your business setup and IT resources will determine the best hosting method. Factors to consider include:

• Whether your business has a physical server or not.

• If you use QuickBooks Desktop or QuickBooks Online.

• Your preference for self-managed vs. fully-managed hosting.

Alterity Database Hosting Service (Fully Hosted by Acctivate)

Best for: Small businesses without a physical server or internal IT resources, especially those using QuickBooks Online.  Learn more about hosting your data with Acctivate

Considerations:

• No SQL Server setup required; the database is hosted by Alterity.
• Users install the Acctivate Workstation application on their local PCs. No VPN or RDP setup needed.
• Simplified maintenance with Alterity handling backups, upgrades, and security.
• Performance may vary for users geographically distant from the hosted environment. Alterity will attempt to assign the closest server but you must evaluate latency for remote offices or international users.
• Recommended for up to ~20 users and databases up to ~10 GB.
• QuickBooks Desktop is not hosted; it must be installed on users' local machines if required.

Third-Party Hosting (Cloud Hosting Partner)

Best for: Businesses that want server hosting managed by a provider but need flexibility beyond Alterity’s Database Hosting Service limits. View our technology partners (Type of Integration: Hosting)

Considerations:

• A hosting provider manages your Windows Server, SQL Server, Acctivate, and optionally QuickBooks Desktop.
• Suitable for larger databases, more than 20 users, or specific security/compliance requirements.
• Users typically connect via Remote Desktop (RDP), providing a consistent, centralized experience with reduced latency and easier management for globally distributed teams.
• Costs depend on user count, server specs, and hosting partner pricing.
• Less IT maintenance required compared to self-managed setups.

Self-Managed Cloud Server (Azure, AWS, Google Cloud)

Best for: Businesses with in-house IT teams that want full control of their cloud-hosted environment.

Considerations:

• Full control over Windows Server, SQL Server, backups, security, and maintenance.
• Allows hosting both Acctivate and QuickBooks Desktop centrally.
• Requires IT expertise for setup and ongoing management.
• Users typically connect via RDP, providing a consistent, centralized experience with reduced latency and easier management for globally distributed teams.
• Ideal for businesses with larger databases or complex configurations that require custom cloud setups.

Self-Managed On-Premises Server

Best for: Businesses with physical infrastructure and internal IT staff that prefer to keep hosting fully in-house.

Considerations:

• Full control over hardware, SQL Server, security, and backups.
• No monthly hosting fees.
• Requires setting up VPN or RDP for remote users.
• Typically best for companies already maintaining other in-house servers.

✅ Deployment Overview

See our docs page for more on the standard local network setup. For system requirements go here.