Complete Guide to Tally on Cloud – How It Works, Setup, Cost, Security (2025)

What Is Tally on Cloud?

Tally on Cloud means your Tally ERP 9 or Tally Prime software runs on a Windows Server hosted in a professionally managed data centre in India, instead of on a computer or server in your office. You and your team access it from any device using Microsoft Remote Desktop — a secure, encrypted protocol built into every Windows device and available free on Mac, iOS, and Android.

From the user's perspective, nothing changes. You open Remote Desktop, enter your credentials, and see Tally exactly as you always have — same interface, same keyboard shortcuts, same company files, same TDL customisations. The computing happens on the cloud server; your screen displays the result and sends your inputs back. The connection is encrypted. The data never leaves the server.

This is not a simplified mobile version of Tally. It is the complete Tally Prime or Tally ERP 9 installation — all modules, all features, all customisations — running on dedicated Windows Server hardware in a data centre with 99.9% uptime, generator backup power, and 24/7 monitoring.

Why Are Businesses Moving Tally to Cloud?

Three problems drive the majority of migrations.

Multi-user access. Standard Tally single-user installation allows only one user to open a company file at a time. A CA firm where five accountants work on different client files, or a trading company where purchase and accounts teams both need Tally access, hits this wall immediately. Cloud hosting on Windows Server with a multi-user license removes this constraint completely.

Remote access. Accounting teams increasingly work from home, visit client sites, or review accounts while travelling. VPN-based remote access to a local server requires technical setup and fails regularly when office internet has issues. Cloud access works from any internet connection, from any device, without VPN.

Eliminating server maintenance. A server in the office requires monitoring, patching, backup management, and someone to fix it when it fails. For businesses without dedicated IT staff, this responsibility lands on whoever is most technically capable — usually not the accountants doing the actual accounting work. Cloud hosting moves all of this to the hosting provider.

How Does the Technical Setup Work?

The cloud server running your Tally is a Windows Server 2022 virtual machine provisioned on enterprise hardware in a TIER-3 certified Indian data centre. M A Global Network configures these servers with dedicated CPU cores and dedicated RAM — not shared resources that fluctuate based on other customers' activity.

Each user gets an individual Windows account. When they connect via Remote Desktop, they get an isolated session — their own desktop environment, their own running applications — while all sessions share the same Tally installation and company data files stored centrally on the server.

Data at rest is on encrypted NVMe drives. Data in transit is encrypted using RDP's built-in TLS encryption. The server sits behind a managed network firewall with explicit allow rules — typically permitting connections only from your office IP and each employee's verified home IP, blocking everything else.

What Server Specifications Does Each User Count Need?

Size on concurrent users (people using Tally simultaneously at peak), not total headcount. Formula: Total RAM = (concurrent users × 2 GB) + 4 GB OS overhead, rounded to next standard size.

1–3 concurrent users: 4 CPU cores, 8 GB RAM, 100 GB NVMe SSD.

4–6 concurrent users: 8 CPU cores, 16 GB RAM, 150 GB NVMe SSD.

7–10 concurrent users: 12 CPU cores, 24 GB RAM, 200 GB NVMe SSD.

11–15 concurrent users: 16 CPU cores, 32 GB RAM, 300 GB NVMe SSD.

See current pricing for each configuration.

These specifications provide 60–70% utilisation under normal load, leaving headroom for peak periods such as GST filing weeks and year-end closing without performance degradation.

What Tally License Is Required for Cloud?

Multi-user access via Remote Desktop on a cloud server requires a Tally Prime Multi-User license (Silver for up to 3 users, Gold for unlimited) or a Tally ERP 9 Multi-User license. The license must be a site license registered to the server, not a single-user workstation license.

If you currently have a single-user Tally license, it must be upgraded before cloud migration. If you already have a multi-user license, it transfers to the cloud server — confirm the process with Tally India or your authorised Tally reseller for your specific edition.

CA firms note: Tally Prime Auditor Edition and Tally ERP 9 Auditor Edition include CA-specific features (multi-company management, audit tools) and work identically on cloud servers.

How Secure Is Tally Data on a Cloud Server?

A properly configured cloud server is significantly more secure than a typical office setup across every security dimension.

Physical security: Data centre with biometric access, 24/7 CCTV, security personnel. No unauthorised person can physically touch the server hardware. Compare this to a local server in an office accessible during business hours to anyone who walks in.

Network security: Dedicated network firewall with IP-restricted RDP access. Only connections from authorised IP addresses reach the server. Automated attacks that scan the internet for open RDP ports are blocked at the network perimeter before they ever reach the server.

Backup: Daily automated backups to a separate storage location outside the primary server. 30-day retention. Monitored for completion. Restorable within hours. Compare this to the most common local backup arrangement: a USB drive in the same room as the server, backed up when someone remembers.

Patch management: Security updates applied on a regular schedule by the hosting team. Local servers frequently run 6–18 months behind on security patches because no one has time to apply them carefully.

Two-factor authentication using Microsoft Authenticator is available for environments requiring additional protection — mandatory for environments with regulatory compliance requirements.

How Does Migration from a Local Server Work?

Migration follows four stages, typically completing in 24–48 hours:

Stage 1 — Assessment: We review your current Tally version, license type, number of company files, TDL customisations, and data volume. This takes 30–60 minutes and determines the correct cloud configuration.

Stage 2 — Server setup: We provision the cloud server with Windows Server 2022, install your Tally version, configure RDS for multi-user access, create individual user accounts, copy your TDL files, and set up the firewall with your authorised IP addresses.

Stage 3 — Data migration and testing: We restore your Tally company data to the cloud server. Every user tests their connection and confirms their data and permissions are correct. We run test reports and verify all customisations work.

Stage 4 — Cutover: A final backup captures any transactions entered after the migration copy. We update the cloud server with this final data. Your team switches from local to cloud — typically on a Monday morning after a weekend cutover. Your local server remains unchanged as a fallback until you confirm the cloud setup is working correctly.

What Happens If My Internet Goes Down?

If your office internet fails, users at that location cannot connect. The cloud server continues running and all users with working internet — remote workers, branch offices, staff at home — continue uninterrupted.

For offices concerned about internet reliability: a 4G/5G backup router is an inexpensive failover solution — far cheaper than maintaining a local server setup. It solves the internet dependency permanently without compromising any of the cloud benefits.

Can I Access Tally from a Phone or Tablet?

Yes. Microsoft Remote Desktop is free on iOS and Android. On a tablet with a Bluetooth keyboard, the experience is nearly identical to a desktop. On a phone, the screen is small but functional for reviewing data, approving vouchers, and checking reports — most users prefer a larger screen for extended data entry.

How Do I Get Started?

Call or message our team with three pieces of information: your concurrent user count, your Tally version (ERP 9 or Prime), and whether your license is single-user or multi-user. We will give you an exact quote the same day and can schedule migration for any weekend that works for your business.

Talk to our team today → or view current plan pricing.