Host Ciel on a Windows server you can reach from anywhere
Move Ciel off the one PC in the office: an always-on Windows machine in France that you open from home just like at work.
Starting at €8/mo
Introduction
Hosting Ciel remotely means no longer depending on a single computer. The software and its company file move to a Windows machine that stays powered on day and night in a French datacenter, and you connect to it from any PC. At By-Hoster the entry plan Windows - Core at €8/month incl. VAT is enough for one or two users: 4 vCores, 8 GB of RAM, 50 GB of SSD and 500 Mbps, delivered in 10 minutes with the Administrator account.
The connection runs over RDP, the Remote Desktop tool that already ships with Windows. In plain terms: you open a small program that is already on your PC, type the server address and your password, and the server's Windows desktop fills your screen. You double-click the Ciel icon just as before. Nothing is installed on your side, nothing is copied around: the software runs over there, your screen only displays it.
One thing to say straight away: we supply the machine, not the software. By-Hoster is neither a Ciel partner nor a Ciel reseller (the Sage range). We sell no licence, we do not install the program and we provide no assistance on it. The same goes for the Microsoft licence. You get a bare Windows system in our single DC-FR_NA(01) datacenter in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, operated directly by the association's technical team.
What the server includes, and what it does not
The €8/mo Core plan is often enough
Windows - Core: 4 vCores, 8 GB of RAM, 50 GB of SSD, 500 Mbps. Our published rule of thumb is 8 GB as soon as business software is added — exactly what this plan offers. For three workstations or a large company file, Windows - Plus (16 GB, 200 GB) costs €13/month.
2 administrative RDP sessions
Windows Server allows 2 concurrent administrative RDP sessions: enough for two people to work at once, or to let your provider step in while you are connected. Beyond that, Microsoft requires RDS CAL licences that you buy yourself. We neither supply nor resell them.
A snapshot before every update
Before installing a new version of your software, trigger a snapshot from the client area. If the result is not what you expected, roll back to the previous state. A full server reinstall is also available on your own, without opening a ticket.
Everything included, on all four plans
NVMe storage, a dedicated IPv4 address, Anti-DDoS protection, a fallback VNC console, full administrator access and RDP tuned up to 60 FPS. No commitment, a 48-hour money-back guarantee, human 24/7 support by ticket, Discord and phone. Annual billing takes 10% off.
What it changes day to day
No longer tied to the office PC
As long as Ciel lives on one tower, everything stops when it breaks down or when nobody is there to switch it on. On the server the software stays reachable even if your usual computer is off, in repair or replaced.
Working from home
In the evening or at the weekend you open the same Windows desktop from the computer at home. No USB stick, no copied folder, no duplicate version: it is the very same company file as at the office, at the same moment.
Issuing a quote from the site
A site laptop and a decent connection are enough to open the session and produce a quote or an invoice on the spot. The RDP display is tuned up to 60 FPS, which is plenty for data entry in a business application.
Sharing the file with two or three people
Everyone opens their own session instead of passing a file around. The 2 administrative RDP sessions cover two people at once; opening access to more colleagues requires Microsoft RDS CAL licences, at your expense.
Giving your accountant access
Instead of emailing exports, you create a dedicated Windows user account. What you open, to whom, and what your engagement letter allows are your decisions — we take no position on the accounting side of it.
Scaling up without buying anything
If the business grows you move from Core (8 GB) to Plus (16 GB, €13/month) or Max (32 GB, €26/month). No hardware to sell on, no capital to write off, and annual billing takes 10% off.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, nothing technically stands in the way: you get a complete Windows machine with the Administrator account, on which you install your programs just like on an ordinary PC. The honest clarification: By-Hoster is not a Ciel partner, reseller or support desk (the Sage range). We stand behind the machine, its operating system and its network. Installing the software, configuring it and keeping it running are down to you or your usual provider.
Four configurations, monthly prices incl. VAT: Core at €8 (4 vCores, 8 GB, 50 GB SSD), Plus at €13 (8 vCores, 16 GB, 200 GB), Max at €26 (16 vCores, 32 GB, 500 GB) and Titan at €49.99 (24 vCores, 64 GB, 800 GB). Annual billing takes 10% off. That price covers the machine and 24/7 support; it does not include the Microsoft licence, your Ciel licence, RDS CALs or SQL Server.
For one or two users, yes. Our published reference is 4 GB of RAM for light use and 8 GB as soon as business software is added: the Core plan offers precisely 8 GB, with 4 vCores and 50 GB of SSD. Move to Windows - Plus at €13/month (16 GB, 200 GB) if you open several sessions at once, if you add SQL Server, or if your company file and its attachments go past fifty gigabytes.
Two licences are on you. First the Microsoft licence: we install the operating system, we neither supply nor resell a Windows licence. Then your Ciel licence, which stays yours: we do not sell any, and we do not rule on whether your contract allows an installation on a remote server — that is a question for your reseller. If you add SQL Server, it too requires its own licence.
Two, with what is included: Windows Server allows 2 concurrent administrative RDP sessions. That is the most common setup in a very small business — the owner and the person doing data entry, or the owner and a provider during a call-out. To open application RDP access to more colleagues, Microsoft requires RDS CAL licences that you buy yourself. Budget the matching RAM too: every open session takes its share.
No, and that is the part that reassures people most. Remote Desktop is already installed on Windows: you launch it, paste the server IP address, then type your username and password. The server desktop opens in a window or full screen, with its icons. Once the shortcut is saved, connecting takes two clicks. The display is tuned up to 60 FPS, so it feels smooth.
The simplest route: open an RDP session, then copy and paste your files from your PC to the server — Remote Desktop can share your local drives, and the clipboard works both ways. You then install the software on the server and reopen your file there. We do not carry out that migration for you and we give no advice on data formats: your Ciel provider remains the right contact.
It sits in our single DC-FR_NA(01) datacenter in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France, operated directly by our team, virtualised with KVM on Proxmox. Your data stays under French jurisdiction, within the GDPR framework, with no transfer outside the European Union. On backups, to be blunt: only snapshots are included. There is no automatic off-site backup of your files. Keep a copy of your own, outside the server.
Three systems are offered at checkout, at no extra cost: Windows Server 2025 (mainstream support until 13 November 2029, security until 14 November 2034), Windows Server 2022 (security until 14 October 2031) if your vendor only certifies that one, and Windows 11, which is a client operating system: it is not designed to host a multi-user service. Windows Server 2019 can no longer be installed. The choice can be changed later by reinstalling from the client area.
The offer has no commitment and comes with a 48-hour money-back guarantee. Human 24/7 support is reachable by ticket, Discord and phone, and it covers the machine: operating system, network, RDP access, snapshots, reinstallation. However, no assistance is provided on the software itself — not its installation, not its configuration, not your bookkeeping. By-Hoster is a French non-profit association founded in 2023 (RNA W162005815, SIRET 92395660100010).