There are three practical ways to get Tally remote access, and they are often confused because all three are described as "Tally from anywhere". They differ in where Tally actually runs and what has to stay switched on.
Option 1: Tally.NET remote access
Built into TallyPrime. The office enables a remote user against a Tally.NET ID, and that user connects through Tally's servers to the company data on the office PC.
Needs: the office PC on, Tally open, the office internet up, and a Tally.NET subscription in good standing.
Good for: an owner who wants to check balances and reports from home, or an auditor who needs occasional access.
Limits: depends entirely on the office machine; some features are restricted for remote users; speed follows the office connection.
Option 2: VPN to the office
The office router or a small VPN server lets remote users join the office network, then they open Tally on the office PC by Remote Desktop or as a LAN client.
Needs: a router or firewall that supports VPN, someone to set it up and maintain it, the office PC on, the office internet and power up.
Good for: offices with an IT person and a reliable connection who want full Tally from home for one or two people.
Limits: if the office goes dark, so does Tally. Security depends on how well the VPN is configured and patched.
Option 3: a hosted Tally server
TallyPrime is installed with your own licence on a Windows server in a datacenter. Each person logs in by Remote Desktop from wherever they are, to the full program and the same company file.
Needs: a Tally Gold licence for multiple users, a Windows server sized to the team, RDS licences beyond two users, and someone to set it up, which is the service we provide.
Good for: teams, CA practices with remote staff, multi-branch businesses, and anyone for whom a dead office PC would be a crisis.
Limits: a monthly cost, and a little adjustment to working through Remote Desktop.
Tally remote access options side by side
| Tally.NET | VPN to office | Hosted server | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where Tally runs | Office PC | Office PC | Datacenter server |
| Office PC must stay on | Yes | Yes | No |
| Full Tally features remotely | Limited | Yes | Yes |
| Several users at once | Limited | Depends on setup | Yes, with Gold and RDS |
| Survives office power or internet loss | No | No | Yes |
| Backups | Office habit | Office habit | Daily add-on, 48-hour retention |
| Setup effort | Low | Medium to high | Done by the host |
Which one to choose
One owner, reports only: Tally.NET. A small office with an IT person and good power: a VPN can work. More than one remote user, a CA who needs the books at client sites, or a business that cannot afford a day without Tally: a hosted server. The Tally on Cloud worked example puts numbers on it for a three-person firm.
Questions we get asked
Do I need a new Tally licence for a hosted server? No. Your existing licence is installed on the server.
Can I use Tally.NET and a hosted server together? You can, but once Tally is hosted most firms stop needing Tally.NET.
Is a hosted server secure? It sits in a Tier IV facility in Noida or in Mumbai with per-user logins, DDoS scrubbing and an optional backup add-on, which is more than most office PCs have.
Will it work from a phone? Yes, through the Remote Desktop app.
How long does moving to a hosted server take? About a day, including restoring your data and checking it with you.
