Self-hosted or cloud software: who holds your data?
An online store and bookings hold your business's most valuable asset: customers, purchase history and often sensitive data too. The question "where is it and how do I get it out?" usually only comes up when the provider raises prices, changes its terms or shuts down the service.
Short answer: a cloud service is simpler, because the provider handles the server, updates and backups. Your own installation gives you a separate database and control, but someone has to look after it. Decide based on how sensitive your data is, how much customisation you need and how much the option to leave matters.
What each model is
Cloud service (SaaS). You log in to the provider's environment and pay a monthly fee. Several businesses work on the same platform, usually logically separated.
Your own installation. The application runs separately at your address with your database. NUNDINAE is built this way: each business has its own installation, its own database and its own design. It runs on ordinary PHP and MySQL web hosting; no separate server is needed.
| Question | Cloud service | Your own installation |
|---|---|---|
| Getting started | Quick | Needs installation and configuration |
| Updates and server | Provider handles them | Agreed in advance who handles them |
| Data location | Provider's infrastructure | Hosting of your choice |
| Customisation | Within the provider's rules | More flexible |
| Leaving | Depends on export | The database is yours to use |
| Price | Monthly fee, often per staff member or sales | Quote + hosting |
The honest downsides of your own installation
Your own installation isn't automatically more secure. It's exactly as secure as it is well looked after:
- Backups must exist and restoring them must have been tested.
- Updates have to get applied. Agree who is responsible for that.
- Hosting must be reliable and allow the necessary settings.
- When something goes wrong, there's no big support team, just one person or a small partner. At ArborIT, that's me.
If you don't want to think about this, a good cloud service is a perfectly sensible choice.
What to ask every provider about security
Whichever model you choose, go through these questions before signing. NUNDINAE's answers are below.
Who can get in? Two-factor authentication is mandatory for owners and anyone who changes users, roles or settings. It can be made mandatory for everyone. Passwords are checked against leak lists and login locks after failed attempts.
What does a staff member see? Roles and permissions are separate for viewing, editing and publishing. By default a staff member sees only their own clients, and POS and stock permissions are separate. Permissions can only be granted within your own permissions.
Who did what? The audit log shows who changed what and when, including client card openings. It's kept for 24 months. A stock change always has a reason and who made it.
How is sensitive data stored? Health data on the client card and payment and API keys are encrypted. Even an administrator can't see keys after saving.
What happens when a staff member leaves? When an account is disabled, their sessions end immediately. Sales history stays.
How do you handle data protection requests? A customer's data can be exported as a file, processing restricted or anonymised. The requests page shows the deadlines. Retention periods are in the settings. I wrote more in client records and sensitive data.
Your own installation uses other services too
Complete separation doesn't exist here either. Payments pass through Montonio, SMS through Messente and AI features through Google's Gemini API. If you switch AI and SMS off, those services aren't used. You mention them as your data processors in your privacy notice. This isn't legal advice.
Leaving is the real test
Before signing a contract, ask: how do I get my data, in what form and how much does it cost?
- Ask for a sample export, not just a promise.
- Check whether it includes customers, history, products and images.
- Ask what happens to old addresses.
In NUNDINAE, tables can be downloaded as CSV and a customer's data as a file. Moving to another system works the way it does everywhere: the data has to be mapped. I went through this in migrating data from an old system.
Frequently asked questions
Is your own installation cheaper?
Not always. For a small business, a cloud service's monthly fee may be lower. See the worked monthly cost example.
Do I need my own server for this?
No. An ordinary hosting plan is enough. If you still want your own server, I can manage it.
Does the data stay in Europe?
That depends on your choice of hosting and the services used. You can choose the hosting yourself, and you and I go through the data processors together.
Which model suits your business?
Describe what data you hold and who manages it. Order NUNDINAE or ask for a demo. If a cloud service is better for you, I'll tell you honestly.
