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EnglishWhat Is the Difference Between Alta Star Forms Online and AltaStar | Close?
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Alta Star Forms Online and AltaStar | Close handle two different stages of a real estate transaction. Forms Online prepares Florida contracts — FAR/BAR (FR/BAR) and Florida Realtors® forms — while AltaStar | Close produces settlement and closing statements for deals nationwide. If you are drafting a Florida purchase or listing contract, you want Forms Online. If you are preparing the closing statement that balances the transaction, you want AltaStar | Close. Some Florida professionals use both, since a single deal can pass through each stage.
The two products at a glance
| Alta Star Forms Online | AltaStar | Close | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Prepare real estate contracts | Create settlement and closing statements |
| Scope | Florida contracts (FAR/BAR and Florida Realtors® forms) | Nationwide closings |
| Property types | Residential, commercial, and vacant land transactions | Residential and commercial real estate closings |
| Key features | Officially licensed forms, patented MarkupMaster® technology, electronic signatures (Premium Edition), auto-transfer entries to riders | Automatic prorations and calculations, continuation pages for complex deals, saved rates for multiple jurisdictions |
| Installation | None — runs in a browser | None — runs in a browser |
Which stage of the transaction each one covers
The split is by workflow stage, not by customer type.
Forms Online sits at the contract stage. You use it when a transaction is being put into writing: filling out FAR/BAR or Florida Realtors® forms, moving entries into riders automatically, and collecting electronic signatures. The forms are officially licensed by Florida Realtors® and The Florida Bar, so the output matches the professional standard those bodies set.
AltaStar | Close sits at the settlement stage. You use it when the deal is closing and the numbers need to be presented clearly: separating the transaction from the charges, running automatic prorations and calculations, adding continuation pages when a deal is complex, and saving rates for multiple jurisdictions. The stated goal is a balanced transaction that anyone can read at a glance.
A practical example: a Florida agent drafts a FAR/BAR contract in Forms Online, the parties sign electronically, and later the closing statement for that same deal is produced in AltaStar | Close. The two tools don't overlap — one ends roughly where the other begins.
Which professionals typically use each
- Florida real estate agents and brokers are the primary users of Forms Online, because the contract forms it supports are Florida-specific.
- Closing agents, title professionals, and settlement staff are the natural users of AltaStar | Close, since settlement statements are their deliverable — and because it works nationwide, it isn't limited to Florida transactions.
- Florida professionals who handle both contracts and closings may use both products.
How to decide
Ask one question: what am I producing right now?
- A contract on Florida property → Forms Online.
- A settlement or closing statement, in any state → AltaStar | Close.
- Both, across a full deal cycle → both products.
One boundary worth noting: Forms Online is Florida-only by design, since it depends on Florida-licensed forms. AltaStar | Close is not geographically limited. If your work is outside Florida, only AltaStar | Close applies to you.