Stores often ask us what the difference is between the Cloud version and the On Premise version of the software. The main difference is where your data is stored:
For On Premise, this will be on a computer you have locally, and data will not be accessible outside of the store.
For Cloud, your data will reside on a cloud server we provide. This carries an additional fee and requires that your stores have constant internet access, but comes with additional features that are only available if utilizing this option.
| On-Premise | Cloud | |
| Windows ThunderPOS Client | Yes | Yes |
| iPad ThunderPOS Client | No | Yes |
| ThunderPOS.Net | No | Yes |
| eCommerce Integrations | No | Yes |
| Enterprise Support | Yes | Yes |
| Vendor Databases | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic Backups | No | Yes |
| User-Controlled Database Restore | Yes | No |
| Data Importing from Spreadsheets | Yes | Yes |
| Full Reporting | Yes | Yes |
| Purchase Orders and Vendors Returns | Yes | Yes |
| Continued Use Without Internet | Yes, though integrated credit cards may be unavailable | May use local backup mode for checkouts only |
| Quickbooks Integration | IIF File Export Only | IIF File Export or Quickbooks Online Integration (paid) |
| Customer Surveys | No | Yes |
| Promotions | Yes | Yes |
| Label Printing | Yes | Yes |
| Time Clock | Yes, through Windows client only | Yes, through register client of choice or ThunderPOS.net |
| Emailed Receipts | Yes | Yes |
| Texting Support (Charged Per Text) | Yes | Yes |
As you can see, the vast majority of functionality within the Windows version of the software is identical; the main factor in your choice is likely to be whether you need specific features available solely through the cloud and whether you want to be responsible for the maintenance of your own database and backups. If you want to use thunderpos.net, or to use the iPad version, including using them to supplement a Windows machine, using a cloud server is required.