Whether you’re working on a big or small construction project, every phase needs to be meticulously planned—your accounting processes are no exception. Sage and QuickBooks are two popular accounting software products that your finance department may have an eye on. In this article, we’ll detail the pricing, features, and ease of use differences between Sage vs. QuickBooks so that you can choose the accounting software best for your business.
Overview of Sage vs. QuickBooks
Sage is a cloud-based solution well-suited for medium- to large-scale companies across all things finance. This ERP software uses automation to streamline expense tracking, revenue recognition, and multi-department consolidations, and handles advanced reporting safely and securely. Sage is a tech-forward product, quick to integrate AI to make reliable features smarter and faster. Perfect for quickly growing companies that need greater financial management power.
QuickBooks by Intuit is another cloud-based accounting software ideal for small businesses, entrepreneurs, or solo accountants with straightforward accounting needs. There are simple must-have features like expense tracking, invoicing, and reporting, making it easy and accessible for non-accountants to learn. QuickBooks Enterprise is more advanced, offering custom reporting and advanced management, but doesn’t have the full range feature set that Sage does.
QuickBooks vs. Sage: The feature comparison
Both QuickBooks and Sage can help businesses that need a reliable accounting solution. Here are the need-to-know key differences between Sage vs. QuickBooks:
| Category | Sage Intacct | QuickBooks Online |
| Target Users / Business Size | Better suited to medium- to large-sized companies with advanced financial management needs. | Ideal for small-to-medium businesses, freelancers, or startups who need a fast solution and simple workflow. |
| Features & Functionality | Automated inventory, invoice features, and project/job costing. Allows users to access multi-location or multi-currency features. | Provides invoicing, bank feeds, expense/tax/mileage tracking, and core accounting. |
| Pricing & User Limits | User-based pricing with generally higher costs. | Transparent pricing with lower entry tiers to suit small businesses. All you need is an internet connection to get started. |
| Integrations & Ecosystem | Great industry-specific integrations; ERP/financial management integration works seamlessly. | Many third-party apps support QuickBooks. Well-suited for small business tool stacks. |
| Mobile App / Remote Access | Cloud offerings and desktop versions. The mobile app is less feature-rich. | Great mobile app support and deep features on mobile or QuickBooks desktop. |
| Support / Training | Suited for businesses of all sizes, but the learning curve is steeper and support is greater for large teams. | Easier for non-accountants. Many online QuickBooks resources and training tools are available. |
Pricing and plans: Sage vs. QuickBooks
Sage and QuickBooks both offer monthly billing, demos, and free 30-day trials. For information on Sage’s starting prices, businesses need to contact their sales team. QuickBooks has more transparent pricing, with its smallest team plan starting at $25 USD per month.
While it may start at a lower price point, QuickBooks plans will also limit the number of users who can access the software, and exceeding user limits is the most common reason to upgrade to the next pricing tier. Sage, on the other hand, includes unlimited users, and businesses are more likely to have to upgrade to unlock additional features.
Both software products charge an additional fee for payroll services. Companies can bundle their financial management and payroll plans with both providers, but if you’re looking for standalone payroll, you’ll have to go with Sage over QuickBooks.
Sage and QuickBooks comparison: Ease of use
Because it’s tailored for smaller teams and solopreneurs, QuickBooks is generally considered easier to learn. It has a user-friendly, intuitive interface, whereas Sage is immediately more complex and powerful, throwing users into the deep end with advanced features.
Both offer resources for learning and onboarding, and both tools have large communities with videos and forums for those who need help. If your team is more junior or is looking for software designed for small businesses, QuickBooks may be a better fit.
Pros and cons of each accounting software
Sage
Sage users enjoy advanced features, deep customization, and automation and AI. Here are the pros and cons of sticking with Sage.
Pros
- Automates and streamlines essential tasks
- Multi-currency and multi-location support
- Deep customization without needing an Enterprise license
Cons
- The mobile app isn’t as robust
- AutoEntry functionality costs extra
- No transparent pricing
Quickbooks
QuickBooks offers a simpler, cheaper platform and is a trusted tool for getting the job done. Here are the pros and cons of using QuickBooks for the long haul.
Pros
- Easier to use for non-accounting people
- Mobile functionality is more robust
- Pay 1099 contractors with ease
Cons
- Some plans require each user to pay their own license fee
- Customization is unavailable unless on a QuickBooks Enterprise tier
- Large enterprises might outgrow the feature set
Final verdict: Which accounting software is right for you?
Both accounting software products will help your accounting teams do a job well done with bookkeeping. If you’re a middle to large-sized company looking for advanced features, no user limits, and deep customization, go with Sage accounting.
But if you’re a smaller team or solo accountant looking for the tried-and-true basics, need reliable mobile support, and want something easier to learn, consider QuickBooks. Evaluate your accounting software needs with the team, and the right choice should be a breeze.
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