Web-based vs Installed software – Pros and Cons

When it comes to finding the right church management solution, one of your first decisions will be whether you need a web-based or installed solution. Web-based has a few obvious advantages in that it’s accessible everywhere and there’s no software to install. In fact, for those very reasons we decided to build Atom Church Management and ServePoint as web-based services.

Compare the advantages and disadvantages of web-based vs. installed:

Web-Based Solution	Installed Solution
Advantages Accessible everywhere on any device No installation required Vendor responsible for backups	Advantages Never lose access to your data No internet required Faster data entry, reporting, etc… Can be customized to meet your specific needs You own and control your own data Less expensive over time
Disadvantages Can lose access to your critical data (internet outage, vendor downtime, etc..) Slower data entry Someone else holds and controls your data More expensive over time	Disadvantages Not easily accessible everywhere Must be installed on each computer You must make your own backups

Web-Based Solution

Installed Solution

Advantages

Accessible everywhere on any device
No installation required
Vendor responsible for backups

Advantages

Never lose access to your data
No internet required
Faster data entry, reporting, etc…
Can be customized to meet your specific needs
You own and control your own data
Less expensive over time

Disadvantages

Can lose access to your critical data (internet outage, vendor downtime, etc..)
Slower data entry
Someone else holds and controls your data
More expensive over time

Disadvantages

Not easily accessible everywhere
Must be installed on each computer
You must make your own backups

While the web-based disadvantages of losing access to your critical data might sound a little scary, in most cases this is very rare. Service providers usually have 99% or more uptime.

Yes, the biggest disadvantage to an installed solution is probably that it’s not accessible everywhere, but for smaller churches, this may not be a big concern.

Since each solution has it’s advantages and disadvantages, Excellerate offers both solutions – Web or Installed – so you can choose the one that fits your church the best!

If you have any questions about these, just give us a call or email – Here’s our contact info.