Cloud vs desktop pharmacy software.
Cost, internet, offline selling, backups, updates, branches and security, compared, with a clear recommendation for each situation.
By the poso team · Updated
Cloud pharmacy software is better for most pharmacies today: it needs no server, is backed up and updated by the provider, works from any device and makes multi-branch reporting easy. Desktop software still suits a pharmacy with no reliable internet at all. A cloud system whose till keeps selling offline, such as poso, covers the main weakness of the cloud.
Pharmacy software comes in two forms. Desktop software is installed on a computer (or a server in the shop) and keeps your data there. Cloud software runs in a web browser and keeps your data in a data centre, reached over the internet. Here is how they compare on what matters to a pharmacy.
Comparison
| Desktop | Cloud | |
|---|---|---|
| Up-front cost | Licence fee, often large | Little or none |
| Ongoing cost | Yearly support and paid upgrades | Monthly or yearly subscription |
| Hardware | A capable PC or server in the shop | Any device with a browser |
| Internet needed | No (except for updates and remote support) | Yes, unless the till works offline |
| Backups | Your responsibility | Done by the provider |
| If the computer dies or is stolen | Data may be lost | Log in from another device |
| Updates | Installed by you or a technician | Automatic |
| Several branches | Hard: separate copies or complex networking | Built in: one login, all branches |
| Owner access from home | Remote desktop tools | Any browser, phone included |
| Security | Depends on your computer and habits | Depends on the provider; usually better maintained |
The internet question
The biggest worry about cloud software is "what happens when the internet goes down?". It is a fair question in places with frequent outages. The answer depends on the product:
- Some cloud systems stop completely without internet. Avoid these if your connection is unreliable.
- Better ones keep the till selling offline and sync later. poso works this way: see offline selling.
- Back-office work (purchasing, reports, accounting) needs a connection in any cloud system, but can usually wait until it returns.
A cheap mobile data bundle as a backup connection removes most of the remaining risk.
Who owns the data?
With desktop software, the data sits on your machine, which feels safer but often isn't: a failed hard drive, ransomware or theft can wipe it out if backups weren't kept. With cloud software, check that the provider keeps your data in a separate database, backs it up and lets you export everything at any time. Read how poso handles security and your data.
Cost over three years
Compare the full three-year cost: desktop licence, server or PC, yearly support, upgrades and the cost of backups, versus the cloud subscription and any setup. For a single pharmacy, cloud is usually cheaper in the first years and roughly comparable later; for multi-branch businesses cloud is usually cheaper throughout because there is no networking to build.
Which should you choose?
| Your situation | Better fit |
|---|---|
| Reasonable internet, one or more shops | Cloud with offline till |
| Frequent outages but some connectivity daily | Cloud with offline till, plus a mobile backup connection |
| No internet at all for days at a time | Desktop |
| Several branches or an owner who travels | Cloud |
| No one to manage backups and updates | Cloud |
Cloud vs desktop questions
Is cloud pharmacy software safe?
Reputable cloud providers keep data in secured data centres with encrypted connections and regular backups, usually better than a single shop computer. Check that your data is kept separately and can be exported.
What happens to my data if I stop using cloud software?
It depends on the provider. Choose one that lets you export everything to Excel or CSV at any time. poso does.
Can cloud pharmacy software work offline?
Some can. The poso till keeps selling offline and syncs when the connection returns; back-office screens need a connection.
Is desktop pharmacy software cheaper?
Not usually over three years, once licences, upgrades, support, hardware and backups are included, and especially not for multi-branch businesses.
Last updated by the poso team.