CPA Cloud Hosting Providers Compared: InnerPC vs. Rightworks, Verito, Ace & More

CPA cloud hosting providers differ most in how much responsibility they assume beyond the hosted desktop. InnerPC combines Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop, managed IT, cybersecurity and CPA-application support, while Rightworks, Verito, Ace Cloud Hosting and other providers offer different combinations of hosting, security and support. The best choice depends on whether your firm wants application hosting alone or one accountable technology partner for the complete environment.

The wrong arrangement may appear to work perfectly—until an employee clicks a malicious link, a server slows down before a filing deadline or a staff member becomes locked out of an essential application.

That is when firms sometimes discover that their cloud provider only manages the hosted server. The cybersecurity company handles another piece, Microsoft supports something else and the local IT provider is responsible for the employee’s computer.

When every vendor manages only one part of the environment, who takes responsibility for the complete problem?

InnerPC, Rightworks, Verito, Ace Cloud Hosting, Cetrom and Cloudvara all provide technology services for accounting professionals. However, their platforms, service levels and areas of responsibility are not identical.

The most important question is not, “Which provider has the lowest advertised price?” It is, “Who will protect our firm and restore productivity when something goes wrong?”

Quick Comparison of CPA Cloud Providers

The Risk Hidden Inside a Hosting Quote

Two cloud-hosting proposals can look similar while covering very different responsibilities. A low advertised price may cover access to a hosted desktop but exclude local computers, Microsoft 365 security, email protection, identity monitoring, compliance assistance or incident response.

• An employee cannot access tax software before a deadline.
• A compromised Microsoft 365 account begins sending fraudulent emails.
• Ransomware reaches a local computer.
• A former employee’s access was not removed properly.
• A backup exists but cannot be restored quickly.
• A cyber-insurance application requires controls the firm cannot document.
• A regulator asks for the firm’s Written Information Security Plan.
• The hosting company and local IT provider each say the problem belongs to the other.

The danger is not necessarily that a particular provider offers poor service. The danger is assuming a service is included when it is not.

InnerPC: One Team Responsible for the Entire Environment

InnerPC is designed for accounting firms that do not want to coordinate separately with a cloud-hosting company, local IT provider and cybersecurity vendor.

Its cloud hosting platform for accounting firms uses Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop and supports CCH ProSystem fx and CCH Axcess cloud hosting, Lacerte, ProSeries, UltraTax CS, Drake Tax, QuickBooks Desktop, Thomson Reuters Accounting CS and Practice CS, and Microsoft 365 applications.

InnerPC can manage the hosted environment, local computers, Microsoft 365 tenant, backups, security controls, user access and ongoing employee support. InnerPC’s cybersecurity services for CPA firms can include endpoint detection and response, security monitoring, identity-threat detection, multifactor authentication, password management, email and OneDrive backup, security-awareness training and DNS protection.

This integrated approach helps prevent a security or performance problem from falling into the gap between multiple vendors.

Rightworks: Scale and a Broad Accounting Platform

Rightworks is one of the most recognizable providers in the accounting-cloud market. Its broad application catalog and standardized platform may appeal to firms that want a large national provider with extensive experience supporting accounting applications.

Buyers should identify the exact plan being proposed. Cloud hosting, endpoint management, Microsoft 365 administration and advanced security may not necessarily be included at every service level. A recognizable provider name does not eliminate the need to examine the boundaries of the agreement.

Verito: Competitive Starting Prices

Verito specializes in private-server cloud hosting and managed IT for tax and accounting firms. Its website emphasizes frequent backups, 24/7 support and fast response times.

Its public pricing advertises cloud hosting from approximately $69 per month, hosting and managed IT bundles from approximately $129 per user per month, and managed IT from approximately $79 per device. These starting prices can be attractive to cost-conscious buyers.

The important phrase is “starting at.” Storage, licensing, security, device management, compliance assistance, onboarding and migration can affect the complete cost.

Ace Cloud Hosting: Flexible Application Hosting

Ace Cloud Hosting is well known for QuickBooks and Intuit application hosting. It also promotes virtual desktops, tax-application hosting and managed security services.

Ace offers customized pricing, free trials and promotional introductory offers. Firms should confirm the ongoing price, storage limitations, backup retention, security services, licensing, migration costs, application updates, local-computer support and incident-response responsibilities.

A free trial can demonstrate how an application opens and performs. It may not demonstrate how the provider will respond during a security incident or deadline-day interruption.

Cetrom and Cloudvara

Cetrom provides customized cloud hosting and managed services for accounting and tax firms and may suit larger or more complex organizations. Cloudvara provides hosted application environments with infrastructure maintenance, security and backups. With either provider, firms should clarify which services extend beyond the hosted environment, including Microsoft 365 protection, local-device monitoring, compliance assistance and incident response.

Fifteen Questions Every CPA Firm Should Ask

1. Who supports employees’ local computers?
2. Who protects and monitors Microsoft 365?
3. Is endpoint detection and response included?
4. Is multifactor authentication enforced?
5. Are email and OneDrive independently backed up?
6. How frequently is hosted data backed up?
7. How quickly can a deleted or encrypted file be restored?
8. Who responds to a suspected security incident?
9. Is security-awareness training included?
10. Will the provider assist with the FTC Safeguards Rule and Written Information Security Plan?
11. Are migration, storage and application updates included?
12. Who takes ownership when the cause of a problem is unclear?
13. What is the guaranteed response time for a support ticket—and does “response” mean that a technician begins working on the problem or merely sends an automated acknowledgment?
14. How are urgent or unresolved problems escalated, and can the firm reach a senior technician or service manager when necessary?
15. Does the provider add support capacity during tax season, and is after-hours, weekend or deadline-day assistance included or billed separately?

Response time and resolution time are not the same thing. A provider may respond quickly while leaving the underlying problem unresolved for hours—or passing the ticket between departments.

A filing deadline is a terrible time to discover that “24/7 support” only means someone is available to record the problem.

Understand the Onboarding and Migration Process

A cloud provider may deliver an impressive demonstration, but the true test begins when the firm’s applications, data and employees must be moved into the new environment. Review InnerPC’s data migration process to see the planning, transfer, validation and post-cutover steps that should be addressed.

• What does your onboarding process include?
• Will you inventory our users, applications, printers, scanners, permissions and integrations?
• Do you customize each employee’s hosted desktop?
• Who installs and configures our accounting applications?
• How is our data transferred and validated?
• Is the data encrypted during transfer?
• Will permissions and folder structures remain intact?
• Can employees test their applications before final cutover?
• Is there a rollback plan?
• How much does migration cost?
• Which services could create additional charges?
• How long is enhanced post-migration support provided?

Individual Desktop Customization Matters

Employees frequently use different applications, printers, scanners, browser settings and shortcuts. A generic desktop may technically work while still creating confusion and lost productivity. A migration should not end when the data reaches the cloud. It should end when employees can perform their normal work confidently.

Do Not Compare Price Until You Compare Protection

A hosting price of $69 or $74 per user may appear substantially less expensive than a comprehensive managed environment. However, the quotes are not comparable unless they contain the same infrastructure, security, support and compliance services.

The lowest-priced option can become considerably more expensive after adding local-computer support, Microsoft 365 administration, email security, endpoint protection, security monitoring, identity protection, backups, password management, employee training, compliance assistance, migration and onboarding.

Find the Gaps Before They Become Emergencies

InnerPC helps CPA firms evaluate their cloud environment, cybersecurity controls, Microsoft 365 configuration and IT-support structure.

See whether your firm qualifies for a complimentary cybersecurity assessment and cloud proof of concept.

Find the gaps now—before tax season or a cybersecurity incident finds them for you.