altastar.com

No. Alta Star Software is cloud-based, so there is nothing to install. You use both products — Alta Star Forms Online and AltaStar | Close — by logging in through a web browser. The company states the tools work on desktops, laptops, and iPad Mini, iPad, or similar tablets with a modern browser.

What "no installation" means in practice

Instead of downloading and installing a program on each computer, you open a browser, sign in, and work. That has a few practical consequences:

• Any supported device works. Windows, Mac, iPad, and similar tablets are all listed as compatible. You are not tied to one machine.
• You need a modern browser. The requirement is a current browser, not a specific operating system.
• Updates happen on the provider's side. Since the software runs in the browser, you are not managing local installers or version updates yourself.

Which products this applies to

Both Alta Star products are browser-based:

What you actually need to get started

1. A supported device — desktop, laptop, iPad Mini, iPad, or a similar tablet.
2. A modern web browser installed on that device.
3. A login to the product you're using. The site describes access as "just log in and go," so an account is the entry point rather than a download.

Once those are in place, the workflow is the same on every device: open the browser, log in, and start working on contracts or settlement statements.

Common points of confusion

• "Cloud-based" doesn't mean limited features. Forms Online includes electronic signatures (Premium Edition) and patented MarkupMaster® technology; AltaStar | Close includes automatic prorations, calculations, and continuation pages for complex deals — all without a local install.
• Tablet use is explicitly supported. The FAQ names iPad Mini, iPad, and similar tablets, so you are not restricted to a desktop.
• No installation does not mean no account. You still need to log in; the absence of installation only removes the download step.

If your device has a modern browser and you can log in, you can run Alta Star Software without installing anything.

Alta Star Forms Online is a browser-based tool for preparing Florida real estate contracts — specifically FAR/BAR (also written FR/BAR) contracts and Florida Realtors® forms — for residential, commercial, and vacant land transactions. It matters most if you're a Florida real estate professional who needs officially licensed forms with automation and e-signatures, and who would rather log in than install software. If you work outside Florida contract preparation, or you need settlement statements instead, this isn't the product you want.

What it actually produces

The product generates completed Florida contract forms, not just blank templates. According to Alta Star Software, the forms are officially licensed by Florida Realtors® and The Florida Bar, so the documents you prepare meet the professional standard those bodies set for Florida transactions.

It covers:

• FAR/BAR contracts (also called FR/BAR contracts)
• Florida Realtors® forms
• Transactions for residential, commercial, and vacant land deals

The automation features that save the most time

The value of Forms Online is less about the forms themselves and more about what the software does to them.

MarkupMaster® technology

Alta Star describes MarkupMaster® as patented technology. In practice, this is the mechanism behind the "smart defaults and automation" the company advertises — it handles repetitive data entry and recalculates related fields when something changes. The company's own example: change a date, and everything recalculates.

Auto-transfer entries to riders

When a deal needs a rider, entries you've already made transfer automatically rather than being retyped. This is where most manual error creeps into contract prep, so it's worth checking how your specific rider types behave before relying on it for a complex deal.

Electronic signatures (Premium Edition)

E-signatures are included, but note the condition: they're part of the Premium Edition. If signing workflow is central to how you work, confirm which edition you're on before assuming it's available.

What you need to run it

• A modern browser — no installation required
• A desktop, laptop, or tablet (Alta Star specifically names iPad Mini, iPad, or similar tablets)
• A login

Because it runs in the browser, there's no Windows-or-Mac decision to make and nothing to update locally.

When Forms Online is the right choice — and when it isn't

The clean split: Forms Online = Florida contracts. AltaStar | Close = settlement statements nationwide. If your task is a closing statement rather than a contract, you're looking at the wrong product.

A practical check before you commit

Run one real transaction through it end to end — a deal with at least one rider and one date change — and confirm three things: that the rider auto-transfer captured your entries correctly, that the recalculation after the date change produced what you expected, and that your edition includes e-signatures. Those three points are where the product's advertised value either shows up or doesn't for your workflow.

AltaStar | Close is a browser-based tool from Alta Star Software for producing real estate settlement statements (closing statements) for residential and commercial closings nationwide. It formats each transaction as a balanced statement that separates the transaction itself from the charges applied to it, and it handles prorations, calculations, and continuation pages automatically. It is the right fit if you prepare closing statements across one or more jurisdictions and want a consistent, readable format without installing desktop software. It is not a contract-preparation tool — that is what Alta Star Forms Online does for Florida contracts.

What the statement format actually does

The core design choice is separating the transaction from the charges. Instead of a single dense column of debits and credits, the statement presents the deal and the fees as distinct layers, so a reader can see at a glance that the transaction balances. Alta Star describes this as a "balanced transaction that anyone can understand at a glance."

That matters in practice because settlement statements are read by people who did not build them: buyers, sellers, agents, and lenders. A format that shows the transaction and its charges separately reduces the back-and-forth that comes from a reader not being able to trace where a number came from.

Automatic prorations and calculations

Prorations are the part of statement preparation most prone to arithmetic error, because they depend on dates, rates, and day counts that change as a deal moves. AltaStar | Close calculates prorations and the related totals automatically rather than leaving them to manual entry.

The practical consequence is that when a closing date shifts, the prorated amounts and the resulting balances update together instead of being recalculated by hand in several places. This is the same "change one input, everything downstream recalculates" behavior Alta Star applies across its products.

Continuation pages for complex deals

A simple residential closing usually fits on one statement. Commercial deals, multi-party transactions, and files with many line items often do not. AltaStar | Close generates continuation pages so a long statement stays readable rather than being compressed or split awkwardly across documents.

If your files routinely run past a single page of charges, this is the feature that determines whether the tool fits your workflow.

Saving rates for multiple jurisdictions

Closing costs, transfer taxes, and recording fees differ by state, county, and sometimes municipality. AltaStar | Close lets you save rates for multiple jurisdictions, so a recurring set of fees does not have to be re-entered for every file in the same place.

This is most useful if you close in more than one jurisdiction, or if you handle a high volume of files in the same one and want the standard rates ready to apply.

How to produce a statement

1. Log in through a browser. Alta Star's products are cloud-based and require no installation. They run on Windows, Mac, and iPad or similar tablets with a modern browser.
2. Enter the transaction details — the deal-level information that defines the transaction, kept separate from the charges.
3. Add the charges for the file. Where a saved jurisdiction rate applies, use it rather than re-keying the fee.
4. Let the tool calculate. Prorations and totals are computed automatically; changing a date or amount updates the dependent figures.
5. Add continuation pages if the statement runs beyond a single page.
6. Review the balanced statement and export or deliver it in your normal closing workflow.

The expected result at the end is a statement where the transaction and the charges are shown separately and the whole thing balances — readable by someone seeing it for the first time.

Common sticking points

• It is not a contract tool. If you need FAR/BAR or Florida Realtors® forms, that is Alta Star Forms Online, which is separately licensed by Florida Realtors® and The Florida Bar and includes electronic signatures in the Premium Edition. AltaStar | Close is for settlement and closing statements.
• Jurisdiction rates still need to be set up. Saving rates for multiple jurisdictions only helps after the rates are entered; the tool does not supply them for you.
• Browser and device, not desktop install. Plan for a modern browser on a desktop, laptop, or tablet rather than an installed application.

Where it fits

Alta Star Software has served real estate professionals since 1999, and AltaStar | Close is the nationwide product in its lineup, alongside the Florida-focused Forms Online. Choose AltaStar | Close if your work is settlement and closing statements, especially across multiple jurisdictions or with complex, multi-page deals. Choose Alta Star Forms Online instead if your need is preparing Florida real estate contracts.

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

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.

Alta Star Software is a real estate software company that has served real estate professionals since 1999. It builds cloud-based tools for two distinct parts of a transaction: preparing Florida real estate contracts and creating settlement statements for closings nationwide. Both products run in a browser with no installation, so they work on desktops, laptops, and tablets such as an iPad or iPad Mini with a modern browser.

What Alta Star Software offers

The company's catalog is deliberately narrow—two products aimed at different stages of a deal.

Alta Star Forms Online

This is the Florida contract side of the business. The forms are officially licensed by Florida Realtors® and The Florida Bar, so the output meets professional standards rather than relying on unofficial templates.

Key capabilities described on the site:

• Patented MarkupMaster® technology for working with form content
• Electronic signatures included in the Premium Edition
• Auto-transfer of entries to riders, reducing re-typing
• No installation required—it runs in the browser

The practical value is in the automation: change a date and related fields recalculate, and smart defaults cut down on repetitive data entry.

AltaStar | Close

This product handles the settlement statement side. Its stated purpose is formatting clarity—showing a balanced transaction that anyone can understand at a glance.

Features include:

• Separates the transaction from the charges
• Automatic prorations and calculations
• Continuation pages for complex deals
• Ability to save rates for multiple jurisdictions
• A modern, intuitive interface

Because it supports multiple jurisdictions, it is positioned for nationwide closings rather than Florida only.

How to tell which product you need

The distinction is straightforward:

• If you are preparing a Florida real estate contract—residential, commercial, or vacant land—you want Alta Star Forms Online.
• If you are producing a settlement or closing statement, anywhere in the country, you want AltaStar | Close.

Some professionals will use both, since a single transaction can involve a Florida contract and a closing statement.

What to verify before choosing

The site does not publish pricing, so cost and edition details (such as what the Premium Edition includes beyond e-signatures) need to be confirmed directly with the company. If your work depends on a specific form set, jurisdiction, or e-signature workflow, check that your exact use case is covered before committing. For Florida practitioners, the official licensing by Florida Realtors® and The Florida Bar is the detail most worth confirming against your compliance requirements.