QuickBooks and Sage are the two most popular accounting solutions available on the market. While both software offer a lot of features and advantages, new business entrepreneurs get confused when choosing one option to manage their company’s finances. As a business owner, managing your bookkeeping and accounting activities is one of the most important aspects. You can’t just rely on any software and think that the tasks will be performed accurately.
While QuickBooks and Sage are reliable accounting solutions, they have some distinct differences, which might influence your decision. It’s crucial to understand the features and benefits of each software and then determine one option that perfectly aligns with your business goals. In this guide, we will discuss a detailed comparison of both software. By the end of it, you will be able to make a well-informed decision about your business needs.
QuickBooks V/s Sage: Introduction
Both QuickBooks and Sage accounting software are developed and maintained by Intuit. Intuit is a well-established company famous for its expertise in providing high-class accounting solutions. From small enterprises to large-scale businesses, Intuit has been catering to the diversified accounting needs of businesses across the US, UK, and Canada for many years. Not only that, QuickBooks and Sage have gained enough popularity, which makes them the top choices for accounting software on the market.
QuickBooks accounting software is known for its user-friendly interface, which allows users to easily navigate through the software and perform their accounting activities smoothly. This software comes in two different versions, i.e., QuickBooks desktop and QuickBooks online. It also offers various exclusive and advanced features, such as invoice creation, inventory management, expense tracking, financial reporting, etc. QB is also highly flexible and customizable, which allows businesses to tailor the software to their requirements.
On the other side, Sage is a comprehensive accounting solution that is known for its flexibility and robust features. It is specifically designed for businesses that have complex accounting needs. It offers a wide range of advanced accounting features, such as advanced inventory management, multi-currency support, and job costing. Sage software is available in different products, i.e., Sage 50, Sage 100, and Sage 300, which cater to different business sizes and needs. It provides seamless integration with other software applications, which allows businesses to carry out their financial operations without any hassle.
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Comparison Between QuickBooks & Sage
As an entrepreneur, if your decision to choose relevant accounting software for your business has ended up being a tie between QuickBooks and Sage, then you might want to consider a few important factors. Despite the fact that they are both developed by the same company and are the most well-known software worldwide, they still have some differences. Ultimately, choosing the best software for your business depends on your business needs and model.
1. Scalability
Sage software enables users to upgrade with various offerings, which allows them to select a relevant solution that meets their business needs easily. It provides the users with the flexibility to adapt to the market and business requirements easily. In addition to that, Sage offers integrations with other commonly used applications and software, which allows users to streamline their workflow and boost their productivity.
Whereas QuickBooks provides two core solutions, i.e., QuickBooks Enterprise and QuickBooks Online Advanced, which are highly scalable and can be customized easily as per the business requirements. Additionally, time tracking and payroll modules can be added to the software, which helps manage employee hours and calculate accurate paychecks. Businesses of all sizes can easily adopt this software thanks to its extensive support resources and user-friendly interface.
2. Process Automation
With the help of Sage Intacct, businesses can integrate with third-party applications, such as AvidXchange and Beanworks, which help automate financial accounts payable and other repetitive actions. Meanwhile, the other products of Sage come with built-in integration features, such as auto-entry, which automates data entry and provides native and automated bank reconciliation.
Meanwhile, the automated workflow feature in QB Enterprise and Online Advanced empowers rapidly growing businesses to save time and money, which they usually spend by manually performing. It automates various tasks, such as sending and approving invoices, transactional customer communications, cash flow management, etc. In addition, it also offers advanced reporting capabilities, which help businesses create financial reports with just a few clicks.
3. Pricing
Sage Intacct software comes with an annual subscription, and there is no specific information regarding that on their website. If you are interested in knowing its price structure, then you have to fill out the request form available on its website. Whereas the Sage 50 cloud offers monthly and annual subscription plans in three different base tiers, i.e., pro accounting at $340/year for 1 user, premium accounting at $510/year for 1–5 users, and quantum accounting at $842/year for 1–40 users.
QuickBooks Online Advanced comes with a monthly subscription plan, which costs $180/month for up to 25 users. The QuickBooks enterprise software comes with three different subscription plans, i.e., Gold, Platinum, and Diamond. The Gold and Platinum plans come with annual subscriptions.
- Gold: $1,489.50/year for 1 user and $5,042.40/year for 40 users.
- Platinum: $1,889.50/year for 1 user and $5,272.40/year for 40 users.
- Diamond Monthly: $379/year for 1 user and $1,142/year for 10 users.
- Diamond Annual: $4,548/year for 1 user and $13,704/year for 10 users.
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4. Reports and Analytics
Both Sage and QuickBooks software provide a variety of reports and analytics features that help businesses keep track of their financial performance. Sage financial reporting and dashboards provide real-time financial details, can be customized to prioritize content, and allow users to easily find the important data. It also allows users to easily generate customized reports or choose from the 150 built-in templates without closing the Sage software.
In comparison to Sage, QuickBooks Enterprise Contractor Edition offers both standard and customizable reports, which help users monitor important financial metrics and check out specific transaction level details. In addition to that, QB Online Advanced also offers visual tracking via dashboards, customized charts, and insight into trends related to the performance center.
Conclusion
Both QuickBooks and Sage are two of the leading accounting software programs in the industry. They offer a wide range of features and functionalities that help meet business-specific needs. While QuickBooks is known for its user-friendly interface, Sage is recognized for its advanced features. In this guide, we have covered four important points that highlight the difference between QuickBooks and Sage accounting software. After reading those points, you must understand your business’s needs, requirements, and budget. Thereon, you must make a well-informed decision on which accounting software to choose.