QuickBooks Online vs. Sage 50

Written by

Hannah Harms

Last updated on

September 3rd, 2024

Sage 50cloud Accounting

QuickBooks Online

Sage 50c is accounting software that includes functions such as accounts payable and receivable, general ledger reporting, and inventory management. Additionally, the solution offers features like sales tax reporting, automated W2s, and precise tax calculations for employee withholdings.

Best For:

Sage 50c Accounting is best for small companies (1-50 employees) and mid-size companies (50-500 employees).

QuickBooks Online is the most popular financial software on the market. This cloud-based accounting solution enables tracking of sales and expenses, generating estimates, customer management, and seamless collaboration with external accountants.

Best For:

QuickBooks Online is a good fit for a range of businesses, from small companies (10-50 employees) to larger organizations (500-5,000 employees). Popular sectors include accounting, information technology, and professional services industries.

7.0

Our Rating

based on our expert editorial analysis

4.6

USER RATING

based on 23 user reviews

Our Verdict:

While it doesn’t have the most modern UI, Sage 50c offers decent job costing. We like that users can customize reports specific to their industries in construction, distribution, and manufacturing. Its accountant-first approach also makes it intuitive for financial professionals.

However, we don’t like the platform’s poor inventory management or the lack of remote access to data without a third-party add-on.

Pros:

Great invoice customization
Strong job costing
Granular financial reporting

Cons:

Poor inventory management
Dated user interface
No remote access to data without add-on

7.8

Our Rating

based on our expert editorial analysis

4.3

USER RATING

based on 79 user reviews

Our Verdict:

Many users are upset by Intuit’s forced move to subscription pricing. That said, we liked its custom invoicing and reporting capabilities. QuickBooks is the most widely used financial software, allowing unlimited invoicing even at basic subscription levels while offering bank reconciliation and scalability.

We dislike QuickBooks Online’s limit of 25 concurrent users, its absence of advanced inventory features, and the requirement for some accounting knowledge to use it effectively.

Pros:

Customizable invoicing
Extensive pre-built and custom reports
Automatic exchange rates
Over 750 eCommerce, PoS, payroll integrations
Affordable for NPOs

Cons:

Comparatively expensive
Few industry-specific features
Limited users per plan
Requires accounting expertise

Price Range
$ $ $ $ $
$ $ $ $ $
Starting Price $607/user/year
Client OS Windows

Price Range
$ $ $ $ $
$ $ $ $ $
Starting Price $35/month
Client OS Web

QuickBooks Online and Sage 50 are two of the oldest accounting platforms available on the market. We’ve reviewed and tested them to help you find the best one for your business.

QuickBooks Online Overview

QuickBooks Online is a highly popular, cloud-based accounting software developed by Intuit. It’s particularly appealing to small to mid-sized companies with 1-200 employees in the accounting, IT, and professional services industries.

The software offers numerous powerful features, including automated banking and accounting processes, which can help simplify expense tracking, invoicing, and payment reminders. The system also has tools for managing client accounts, creating financial reports, and ensuring compliance with tax obligations.

QuickBooks Online can integrate with over 650 applications, including eCommerce platforms, inventory management and CRM systems, payroll services, time tracking applications, and more. Some of its most popular integrations are Shopify, Method:CRM, SOS Inventory, Stripe, Salesforce, HubSpot, and Airtable.

QuickBooks Online Accountant — Find an accountant with QuickBooks Online.

Sage 50 Overview

Sage 50, developed by Sage Group, offers accounting and payroll products for small to medium-sized businesses with 1-500 employees. Popular industries that use Sage 50 include construction, information technology, accounting, computer software, higher education, and retail.

Sage 50 offers all key accounting features, including invoicing and billing, financial reporting, and expense tracking. It also includes strong inventory management capabilities and payroll processing functionalities for every plan, whereas QuickBooks only offers inventory management at higher tiers. The software also supports multiple companies at the Premium level, while QuickBooks Online only has one company per subscription.

The one downside of Sage is that it appears outdated. That said, it comes at an affordable price and offers many strengths in its key functionalities.

Sage 50 Banking Tasks — Enter and pay bills, write checks, and void them using Sage 50.

Pricing Comparison

QuickBooks Online offers four plans, with pricing starting at $35/month for the Simple Start plan. The Simple Start and Plus plans offer a free 30-day trial. For those who don’t use the free trial, QuickBooks Online will offer a 50% discount off the first three months.

Payroll is available as an add-on to all versions of QuickBooks Online starting at $82/month, plus $6/employee/month. A Premium and Elite version of Payroll is also available for an additional monthly and employee/month cost.

Sage 50 starts at $60.08/month for the Pro Accounting version. Three versions are available with a free 30-day trial.

QuickBooks Online vs Sage 50: Which is Better?

We’ve found that QuickBooks Online is a better fit for most businesses. Its intuitive interface and feature set make it more amicable to a broad range of businesses, including those without a financial background. Its cloud-based nature provides an edge in terms of accessibility and collaboration.

In contrast, Sage 50cloud does well in its niche. We recommend it for contractors and businesses in the service industry.

FAQs

What is the difference between QuickBooks and Sage?

Sage offers a strong feature set that is suitable for small to medium-sized businesses with more complex needs. QuickBooks, on the other hand, offers a user-friendly and affordable option for small businesses with basic accounting requirements.

Can I convert Sage 50 to QuickBooks?

Yes, you can convert Sage 50 to QuickBooks Desktop from the same region. You can also convert Sage 50 to QuickBooks Online using a Dataswitcher conversion wizard.

Sage 50cloud Accounting

★★★★★

(23)

Price Range

$ $ $ $ $

Starting Price

$607/user/year

Client OS

Windows

Deployment

On-Premises