Online (cloud) software runs in a web browser and is paid monthly; desktop software is installed on one computer and usually bought once. For a small business in Pakistan the choice comes down to five things: internet, electricity, cost, access from more than one place, and who looks after the data.
What is online software?
Online software lives on a server. You open a web address, sign in, and work. Nothing is installed on your computer, and the same account opens from the shop, the godown or home.
What is desktop software?
Desktop software is installed on a computer in your shop. The program and the data both sit on that machine. It works without internet, but only on that computer unless a local network is set up.
How do they compare?
| Question | Online software | Desktop software |
|---|---|---|
| Needs internet | Yes | No |
| Use from home or a second shop | Yes | Only with extra setup |
| Payment | Monthly | Usually once, plus support visits |
| Updates | Done for you | Installed on each computer |
| If the computer breaks or is stolen | Data is unaffected | Data is lost unless backed up elsewhere |
| Several users at once | Yes, each with a login | Needs a network |
| Who protects the data | The provider and your password | You |
What about load-shedding and weak internet?
Both kinds stop when the computer has no power, so a laptop or a UPS helps either way. Online software also needs a connection, but not a fast one: entering an invoice sends very little data, and a mobile hotspot is enough when the main line is down.
Which costs less?
Online software costs less to start and spreads the cost monthly; there is no server, no installation and no charge for updates. Desktop software can cost less over many years if nothing ever goes wrong, but each visit, reinstallation and upgrade is paid separately. Compare the total for three years, not the first payment.
Is your data safe online?
It is as safe as the provider's practices and your password. Ask four questions:
- Is each business's data kept separate from every other business's?
- Are passwords stored as one-way hashes?
- Does the site use HTTPS, the padlock in the browser?
- Can I export my own data whenever I want?
On a desktop the same data sits on a machine in the shop, where its safety depends on that one hard disk and on whoever can reach the computer.
When is desktop software the better choice?
Desktop software is better where there is no dependable internet at all, or where a counter needs barcode scanners, cash drawers and receipt printers that must keep working offline.
Which should a wholesaler choose?
Most wholesalers are better served online: the owner wants to see balances from home, more than one person enters bills, and nobody in the shop wants to look after backups. Whichever you choose, judge the software itself with the 12 checks.
M-Tech Logistics is online software. It runs in a browser on a computer, laptop or tablet; each business has its own login and sees only its own data; passwords are hashed; lists and reports export to Excel. It is paid monthly from Rs 2,500, and if a package ends the data is kept, not deleted. See the wholesale distribution software, read about users and audit trail, or start a free trial.