Setting up multi-user

Several people can work in one company file, each with their own sign-in and role. This guide covers adding users, what each tier includes, and sharing a company file with other computers on your network.

For the concepts behind it, see the Multi-User module.

How many users your license includes

Tier	Named users included	Share with other computers on your network
Standard	Up to 3	No — one computer
Professional	Up to 5	Yes
Accountant	Up to 10	Yes

Need more? Add users at $100 each, one-time. See Add-on users.

A "user" is a person signed in at the same time, not a device. Someone signed in on two computers counts once. When every seat is in use, the next person's sign-in is refused; nobody who is already signed in is disconnected.

Add users and roles

Open the company file and sign in as an Admin.
Choose Company → Users & Roles… (it opens Settings → Users & Roles).
Add a user: username, display name, password, and a role.

The built-in roles:

Role	What it can do
Admin	Full access to all features and settings
Bookkeeper	Enter transactions, run reports, manage contacts
Read Only	View transactions and reports only
Accountant	Adjusting entries, period close, Audit Trail review

To change who is working on a shared computer, choose File → Switch User…. Every change is recorded in the Audit Trail under the signed-in user.

This needs Professional or Accountant. On Standard, everyone uses the one computer that holds the company file and signs in with their own user.

On the host computer — the one that holds the company file — open the file as an Admin and choose Settings → Multi-user → Share on the network. The first time, Windows may ask whether to let Solid Accounting through its firewall; allow it on private networks only.
On each other computer, install Solid Accounting, then on the Welcome screen choose Connect to a company on another computer. Pick the company under Shared on your network, or type the host's name or address.
Pair the computer. Enter the pairing code shown on the host under Pair another computer. A code works once and lasts 10 minutes. Check that the identity shown matches the one on the host.
Sign in with the username and password an Admin created for you under Users & Roles.

The connection is encrypted, and only paired computers can connect. Settings → Multi-user on the host lists who is connected and the paired computers; remove one to stop it connecting.

The host keeps the only copy of the company file. Other computers read and write through it, so there is nothing to sync and no copy to drift.

Keep the host awake during working hours. If it sleeps or shuts down, the other computers lose their connection until it comes back.

Remote users

Automatic discovery only works on the same local network. For someone working from home or another office:

Use a VPN (Tailscale, WireGuard, your office VPN). Once connected, the remote computer behaves as if it were on the office network.
Type the address in Connect to a company on another computer if discovery doesn't find the host — a VPN hostname or a fixed IP address works.

Don't expose the host directly to the internet.

Backups and a shared company file

Set up Cloud Backup on the host computer — it holds the company file. The other computers don't have a copy to back up. See Backing up your books.

Troubleshooting

"All N licensed user seats are in use." Every licensed user is signed in. Ask someone to sign out, or add a user.
The host doesn't appear in the list. Check both computers are on the same network (not guest Wi-Fi), that the host's firewall allows Solid Accounting, and that the network allows multicast. Otherwise type the host's address.
"Server is running but no company file is open." Open the company file on the host, then try again.
Connection drops. The host went to sleep, lost its network, or closed the company file.