Drake and Lacerte are two of the most widely used professional tax platforms in the US. But both are traditionally desktop, server-based applications. That means your remote team’s access, your seasonal staffing flexibility, and your tax-season performance all hinge on the quality of your underlying infrastructure, not just the software itself.
This guide covers the differences between Drake vs. Lacerte, what changes (and what doesn’t) when you move either platform to the cloud, and what to look for in a hosting provider.
How Do Drake Tax Software and Lacerte Tax Software Compare?
Drake vs. Lacerte comes down to firm size and return complexity. Drake tax software runs on a flat-rate, unlimited-return model, which is popular with solo practitioners and high-volume small/mid-size firms. Its lightweight data-entry interface keeps resource demands low, and it offers its own Drake Hosted/Drake Tax Online options.
Lacerte tax software, built by Intuit, targets larger firms handling complex, multi-state, and multi-entity returns. It’s more feature-rich, integrates deeply with QuickBooks, and carries a heavier resource footprint along with per-return/per-user licensing.
Why Are CPA Firms Moving Tax Software to the Cloud?
A few practical pressures are driving the shift:
- Remote and hybrid staff need secure, consistent access to the same return data from any location.
- Seasonal or multi-location preparers can be remotely onboarded immediately, with no hardware shipping.
- Tax season performance matters most during the weeks you can least afford downtime.
- It’s easier to meet compliance requirements under IRS §7216 and the FTC Safeguards Rule with data-center-grade encryption, access controls, and monitoring.
How Does Drake Tax Software Perform in a Hosted Environment?
Drake tax software’s lightweight interface translates to a smaller resource footprint per user, keeping hosted performance snappy even with multiple concurrent users.
Although Drake offers a native hosted/online option, many firms choose an independent hosting provider for superior control and seamless integration. This allows them to consolidate Drake, QuickBooks, document management, and email into a single, unified workspace. This prevents version conflicts and eliminates the need to toggle between environments.
How Does Lacerte Tax Software Perform in a Hosted Environment?
Lacerte tax software is resource-intensive, especially when processing large return files during the March–April sprint. A properly sized dedicated hosting environment addresses this directly by scaling for peak filing workloads rather than average daily use.
Larger firms with role-based access needs benefit from centralized user management in a hosted environment. Because Lacerte integrates so tightly with QuickBooks, most firms want both applications in the same hosted environment, eliminating manual exports and data sync headaches that come from running connected tools on separate systems.
What Actually Changes When You Host Drake vs. Lacerte?
Less than you’d expect. The software doesn’t change when you move to cloud hosting. Your forms, workflows, and licensing relationships with Drake or Intuit stay exactly the same, and so does pricing. For both platforms, hosting decisions are about access, performance, and infrastructure management, rather than changing license economics.
What shifts: where the server lives (a data center instead of your office closet), how staff accesses it (via a hosted virtual desktop from any device), who maintains the infrastructure, and your backup and disaster recovery posture. When you move to cloud hosting, these differences can make major improvements in performance and security.
How CyberlinkASP Hosts Drake and Lacerte for CPA Firms
If you’re looking for a dedicated hosting provider, CyberlinkASP hosts both Drake tax software and Lacerte tax software as virtual desktops, accessible from any device, in US-based SSAE 18-compliant data centers. The setup includes:
- 99.99% uptime SLA—backed by a money-back guarantee, built for the weeks when deadlines allow no margin for error
- 24/7 US-based support—a real person answers during tax season emergencies, not a ticketing queue
- Full practice stack in one place—tax software, QuickBooks, document management, and email all hosted together
- Managed backups and disaster recovery—aligned with the compliance obligations CPA firms have to meet
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to switch from Drake to Lacerte (or vice versa) to host in the cloud?
No. Hosting is a great option, independent of which platform you run. You keep your current software, version, and workflows; only the server location changes.
Does hosting change my licensing costs with Drake or Intuit?
No. Your existing license stays in place. Hosting covers infrastructure, remote access, and management, not the software license itself.
Can you host QuickBooks and document management alongside my tax software?
Yes. Consolidating your full practice stack in one hosted environment is a core benefit, especially for Lacerte firms that depend on tight QuickBooks integration.
Is a hosted environment secure and compliant enough for taxpayer data?
Hosting in SSAE 18-compliant data centers with AES-256 encryption, multi-factor authentication, role-based access controls, and activity logging supports IRS §7216 and FTC Safeguards Rule obligations.
Will performance hold up during peak filing season?
A properly sized hosted environment with a 99.99% uptime SLA is built for exactly those peak-load weeks. At CyberlinkASP, infrastructure is sized for March–April volumes, not average daily usage.
What happens to my data if my office server fails?
In a hosted model, your client data lives in the data center with managed backups and disaster recovery. This protects you from the possibility of an on-site equipment failure taking your data down with it.
Take Your Firm Off the Server Treadmill
Drake vs. Lacerte is a software decision. Hosting is an infrastructure decision. The two are independent, and moving either platform to the cloud doesn’t disrupt your team’s workflows or vendor relationships. It removes the on-premises maintenance burden and gives your staff reliable, anywhere access.
Ready to leave server maintenance behind? Whether you use Drake, Lacerte, or both, CyberlinkASP provides the enterprise-grade security, 99.99% uptime, and 24/7 support your firm needs to scale smoothly during peak season. Reach out to CyberlinkASP to see what a hosted environment would look like for your firm.
Why More Dental Practices Are Moving to the Cloud Instead of Buying Another ServerSooner or later, most dental practices hit the same wall: the server is aging out, the IT guy is quoting five figures for a replacement, and the whole thing feels like a gamble. At that point, the question isn’t really “do we need a new server?” It’s “do we need a server at all?”
For practices running Eaglesoft, there’s a compelling alternative: Eaglesoft cloud hosting through CyberlinkASP’s private cloud. This post breaks down what that shift actually looks like, what you stop paying for, and why more practices are making the move.
Traditional Server Ownership vs. CyberlinkASP Private Cloud: What’s the Real Difference?
Owning a server means being responsible for everything that comes with it. Hardware. Windows licensing. Backup systems and the hardware to run it. Cybersecurity tools. And the rotating cast of IT vendors you call when something breaks.
CyberlinkASP’s dental cloud hosting works differently. The infrastructure is fully managed, automated backups are included, and you have one trusted partner handling the whole environment, built with HIPAA compliance in mind from the ground up. This one technology swap represents a fundamentally different way of thinking about how your tech runs.
What Are the Hidden Costs of Keeping a Server On-Site?
Practices often get caught off guard when they realize how much comes with the responsibility. The upfront price of a new server is just the beginning. You also end up paying for:
- Business-grade hardware and the replacement cycle that follows every 4–6 years
- Windows Server licensing and supporting software
- Backup systems—hardware, software, monitoring, and periodic restore testing
- Cybersecurity tools and the ongoing maintenance and oversight they require
- IT administration, troubleshooting, and coordinating between multiple vendors
- Unplanned downtime, emergency repairs, and the productivity loss that comes with both
If your onsite server goes down, even short outages can be expensive. Industry research estimates that downtime costs for small businesses range from $137 to $427 per minute—or about $8,220 to $25,620 per hour. For a dental practice running back-to-back appointments, that math adds up fast.
Why Are Dental Practices Choosing CyberlinkASP for Eaglesoft Cloud Hosting?
When it comes to reliable and efficient Eaglesoft cloud hosting, dental practices are turning to CyberlinkASP for top-tier solutions.
- Always-On Access to Eaglesoft: Practices need consistent access without managing an in-house server. With Eaglesoft cloud hosting through CyberlinkASP, access is consistent, whether staff is at the front desk or working remotely.
- Automated Backups and Business Continuity: Backups run automatically and are monitored by CyberlinkASP’s team. If something goes wrong, recovery is handled, not delegated to whoever you can reach on a Saturday morning.
- HIPAA-Focused Cloud Infrastructure: CyberlinkASP’s dental cloud environment is built around HIPAA compliance requirements. Patient data handling, access controls, and audit trails are part of the platform, not an afterthought.
- Enterprise-Class Reliability and Security: CyberlinkASP guarantees 99.99% uptime, backed by enterprise-grade infrastructure and 24/7 U.S.-based support. That’s a level of reliability that’s difficult—and expensive—to replicate with in-house hardware.
- A Scalable Platform: For practices with more than one location, CyberlinkASP’s dental cloud platform makes it possible to centralize Eaglesoft access across all sites. One environment, one support relationship, one less operational headache.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is cloud hosting for Eaglesoft HIPAA compliant?
A: Yes. CyberlinkASP’s cloud environment is built with HIPAA compliance in mind, including access controls, encrypted data handling, and audit logging. Practices should still maintain their own policies and Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with CyberlinkASP.
Q: How much does it cost to host Eaglesoft in the cloud vs. buying a new server?
A: A new business-grade server typically costs $5,000–$15,000 upfront, plus ongoing licensing, backup, and IT costs. Eaglesoft cloud hosting through CyberlinkASP converts those unpredictable capital expenses into a predictable monthly subscription—typically resulting in a lower total cost over time.
Q: Can multiple dental office locations share one Eaglesoft cloud environment?
A: Yes. CyberlinkASP’s dental cloud platform is designed to support multi-location practices, giving all sites access to a centralized Eaglesoft environment without requiring separate servers at each location.
Q: What happens to my existing Eaglesoft data when I move to the cloud?
A: CyberlinkASP manages the migration process, including moving your existing Eaglesoft data to the cloud environment. Your historical patient records, treatment data, and configurations come with you.
Q: Do I still need an IT person on staff after switching to cloud hosting?
A: Most practices find they need significantly less in-house IT support. CyberlinkASP handles infrastructure management, updates, backups, and support—so your team can focus on patients, not servers.
See What Eaglesoft Cloud Hosting Can Do for Your Practice
If your server is aging out, or you’re just tired of the complexity and cost of managing one, CyberlinkASP is worth a conversation. Practices across the country have made the switch to Eaglesoft cloud hosting and found it simpler, more reliable, and more cost-effective than staying on-premise. Talk to the CyberlinkASP team today and see if the switch is worth it for your practice.
CyberlinkASP vs. Rightworks: Choosing a Cloud Hosting Partner Beyond QuickBooksBusinesses evaluating cloud solutions for accounting firms often land on the same two names: CyberlinkASP and Rightworks. Both platforms host QuickBooks and related accounting software. Once you look past that shared starting point, though, how do they differ in cost, flexibility, and service depth?
This guide breaks down exactly how the two platforms compare, so you can make a confident decision.
More Than QuickBooks Hosting
Basic hosting for QuickBooks and other business applications is the starting point when it comes to cloud solutions for accounting firms, not the full picture.
Rightworks concentrates primarily on accounting software, built largely around Intuit products in a standardized hosting environment. CyberlinkASP takes a different path: its private cloud platform can host virtually any Windows application, from dental practice management tools to legal case management software. For firms running more than one business application—which is most of them—that distinction adds up fast.
In fact, Flexera found that 87% of organizations use a multi-cloud strategy, reflecting a broader reality: most businesses are no longer operating around a single application or a one-size-fits-all environment.
CyberlinkASP vs. Rightworks at a Glance
| CyberlinkASP | Rightworks | |
| Pricing | Lower overall monthly investment | Generally more expensive |
| Application Support | Virtually any Windows application | Primarily Intuit/accounting software |
| Cloud Environment | Private cloud options, customized per client | Standardized hosting environment |
| Industries Served | Accounting, Dental, Legal & more | Accounting-focused |
| Managed IT Services Offered | IT, cybersecurity, backup & compliance | Hosting-focused services only |
Why Businesses Choose CyberlinkASP
Businesses turn to CyberlinkASP to lower overall IT costs while accessing tailored cloud solutions for accounting firms, dental practices, and other industries. With the ability to host QuickBooks Desktop and virtually any Windows business application at no additional cost, CyberlinkASP provides a versatile and cost-effective approach to modern IT needs.
Our secure, customized cloud environment unifies your entire business while ensuring enterprise-class security and business continuity. Offering managed IT, cybersecurity, backup, and compliance services, CyberlinkASP delivers a scalable platform designed to grow with your organization, empowering success in a competitive market.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the difference between CyberlinkASP and Rightworks?
A: CyberlinkASP offers a broader, lower-cost private cloud platform supporting virtually any Windows application across multiple industries, while Rightworks focuses primarily on standardized hosting for Intuit accounting products.
Q: Can CyberlinkASP host applications other than QuickBooks?
A: Yes. CyberlinkASP supports virtually any Windows-based business application, including software used in dental, legal, financial services, and accounting environments.
Q: Is CyberlinkASP cheaper than other QuickBooks hosting providers?
A: CyberlinkASP generally offers a lower overall monthly investment than options like Rightworks, particularly for organizations running multiple applications, since additional Windows applications are included at no extra cost.
Q: Does CyberlinkASP support industries outside of accounting?
A: Absolutely. CyberlinkASP provides cloud solutions for accounting firms, dental practices, law firms, healthcare organizations, financial services companies, and more.
Q: What support is included with a CyberlinkASP QuickBooks hosting plan?
A: CyberlinkASP includes 24/7 U.S.-based support, managed IT services, cybersecurity monitoring, backup, and compliance assistance—far beyond a standard hosting plan.
See What CyberlinkASP Can Do for Your Business
If you’ve been weighing cloud solutions for accounting firms and want a platform that goes further than basic QuickBooks hosting, CyberlinkASP is worth exploring. Lower costs, broader application support, full managed IT services, and a cloud environment built around your business—all from one provider.