Pros. Double-entry accounting. Numerous features.
Comparing Sage 50 vs QuickBooks. Shifting landscape aside, Sage 50 and QuickBooks are solid options for SMB accounting because they can vastly improve how small businesses manage finances, greatly reducing time spent configuring Excel spreadsheets and manually entering data.
Ample accounting reports Cons. Steep learning curve.
Outdated UI. Limited integrations Overview Over the year’s, Sage 50cloud’s name has changed from Peachtree to Sage 50 to Sage 50c to the Sage50cloud we know today. The one thing that hasn’t changed is this accounting software’s advanced feature set and strong reputation. Sage is one of the big names in the accounting world and has been around since the 1980’s. In 1988, the company acquired Peachtree which allowed it to move into the US market. Since then, the company has launched dozens of other Sage products and continuously updates Sage 50cloud.
Sage 50cloud is true accounting software that offers advanced features and a high degree of customizability. With strong inventory, reporting, and unique tools like a cash flow manager, it’s easy to see why the software has been so popular. However, Sage 50cloud is not without its faults.
The software has an incredibly steep learning curve (worse than QuickBooks Pro, which is saying something) and is far more expensive than its competitors. With poor customer support, an outdated UI, and lack of automations and integrations, this software could stand improvement. If you are an accountant (or have a strong background in accounting) and are looking for a software with complex accounting and a high degree of customizability, Sage 50cloud could still be the perfect software for you. Read on to learn what Sage 50cloud has to offer. Table of Contents. Pricing Sage 50cloud offers three pricing plans that you purchase as a license or as a yearly subscription.
The company is pushing users to purchase a subscription of Sage 50cloud online, rather than purchasing a license — so much so that they don’t have any license pricing listed on their site. You can contact support directly for pricing, or you can purchase Sage 50cloud from most office supplies stores, like Office Depot. Make sure to check how many users your license allows and the level of customer support before purchasing. Prices vary anywhere from $300 – $2,300.
The yearly subscription of Sage 50cloud can be purchased directly from Sage’s website. The company is often running promotions, so be sure to take advantage of any discounts.
Your Sage 50cloud subscription cannot be canceled at any time; you must agree to a minimum one-year commitment. There is no free trial for the US edition. Software Pricing Ease of Use Business Size Supported Next Steps Monthly; starting from $15 Easy Small to Medium Yearly; starting from $447 Moderate to Complex Medium to Large Monthly; starting from $9 Very Easy Small Monthly; starting from $0 Very Easy Small Cloud-Based Or Locally-Installed Sage 50cloud is a locally-installed software, although internet is required for certain functions. While the software isn’t cloud-based, there is a cloud component where you can store your information on Sage Drive and remotely access your Sage 50cloud account from another computer (so long as Sage 50cloud is downloaded on that computer as well). Hardware & Software Requirements Sage 50cloud is only compatible with Windows 7, 8, and 10; Mac and Linux are not supported. Certain features require Internet Explorer 9.0, 10.0, or 11.0, and some integrations require Microsoft Word, Excel, and/or Outlook. Other Sage 50cloud US system requirements include:.
2.0 GHz processor (2.4 recommended for multiple users). 2 GB RAM (4 GB recommended for multiple users). 1280 x 800 resolution (1440 x 900 recommended) Specific Size Of Business Sage 50cloud is ideal for medium to large-sized businesses with moderate to complex accounting needs and deep pockets as the software can be quite expensive. The software is geared toward accountants or business owners with strong accounting backgrounds. The software is not meant for small businesses or those with little to no experience with accounting software. You can have up to 40 users and user permissions are highly customizable.
Accounting Method Both accrual and cash-basis accounting. Ease Of Use Sage 50cloud is not for the faint of heart. The software is complex, has a steep learning curve, and takes quite a while to learn (especially if you aren’t familiar with accounting). This is partially due to the sheer number of features available. The software is well-organized, but the UI is outdated and many features could be streamlined for better usability. There is a basic walkthrough guide when you first open the software that gives you the lay of the land and a built-in help center. Features This is where Sage shines, Sage 50clouds offers an incredible number of features.
Here are some of the most notable features the software has to offer:. Dashboard: Sage 50cloud has an incredibly customizable dashboard where you can add over 45 different graphs and charts so you can see easily see what information is more important for your business. Invoicing: Sage 50cloud offers a single, very basic invoice template. You can customize by changing the colors, font, or layout, and by adding a company logo. You can track invoices, send recurring invoices, and duplicate invoices as well. You can add attachments and send one invoice to multiple customers which is a nice touch. Premium and Quantum support serialized invoicing.
You can only send invoices via email using Microsoft Outlook. Estimates: You can create both quotes and proposals in Sage 50cloud.
Sage makes it easy to convert quotes into invoices or sales orders. Contact Management: You can manage customers, vendors, and employees within Sage 50cloud. You can add tons of contact information including a billing address, shipping address, phone, email, custom fields, and much more. Sage 50cloud has a particularly nice Customers & Sales dashboard where you can view all of the most important info about your customers. You can view a contact’s history and attach tasks (like send letter, call, or meeting) as well.
In addition, you can record a customer’s payment information and assign a sales rep to each customer. Expense Tracking: Sage 50cloud offers very basic expense tracking. You can connect directly to your bank account using live bank fees, but the software doesn’t automatically categorize transactions and there are no custom bank rules. On the plus side, you can easily view your account register and reconcile your bank accounts. Note: Like almost all software using bank live feeds, Sage Business Cloud Accounting partners with Yodlee, which may violate some banks’ Terms and Conditions. Consult with your bank to see whether live bank feeds are a good choice for you.
Accounts Payable: You can manage, track, and even pay your bills directly within Sage 50cloud. Chart Of Accounts: Sage 50cloud offers a comprehensive chart of accounts that is completely customizable. Inventory: Sage 50cloud’s inventory feature is particularly well-developed. You can set up inventory defaults and unit measures, build inventory assemblies, and easily make inventory adjustments. You can also set quantity discounts on the Quantum plan. Project Management: You can create and manage projects in Sage 50cloud.
You can add a project description, start date, end date, supervisor, status, and more. You can also create job phases to easily track how your project is progressing.
The Premium and Quantum plans add full job costing, so you can see how much you’re earning on each job. Time Tracking: You can easily track time with a built-in timer or you can enter your hours manually into the software. You can also create weekly timesheets and mark time as billable or nonbillable. Reports: Sage 50clous offers 90-165 reports depending on your plan.
Reports are highly customizable and provide all of the detail you could ever want or need for your business. Budgeting: You can create a budget from scratch or by using existing data within Sage. Cash flow Manager: One of the coolest features Sage offers is the cash flow manager. It allows you to analyze your cash flow, anticipate “what if” situations, and predict cash flow.
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This tool is invaluable for businesses trying to manage their cash flow. Year-End Wizard: Another impressive and unique feature that Sage 50cloud offers is the year-end wizard. This tool helps guide you through closing your books at the end of the year. Print Checks: You can write and print checks directly from Sage 50cloud. You can also order checks, forms, and other business supplies straight from Sage. Journal Entries: You can create and adjust journal entries. Tax Support: Sage 50cloud offers tax support for 1099s.
Importing/Exporting: Sage 50cloud offers comprehensive importing and exporting capabilities. You can import and export almost anything you want using the software. If you were predominantly managing your business in Excel, you can also import your custom-made Excel reports straight into Sage 50cloud. Customer Service & Support A glitchy in-software live chat, a nigh-useless help article search bar, and an over 60-minute phone wait time left me pretty disappointed with Sage 50cloud’s customer support.
While there are plenty of support options to choose from, customer service is one area where Sage 50cloud needs to step up their game. Phone: You can reach sales and technical support by phone. Sales questions are answered promptly, while tech support wait times are quite long. I waited on the phone for 60 minutes before giving up entirely.
At the beginning of a call, you can opt to leave your name to have a representative call you back. Support Ticket: You can fill out an online support ticket where you can submit questions to the Sage team. Live Chat: There is a live chat option on Sage 50cloud’s website.
In-Software Help: There is an in-software help section with a getting started guide, user guides, and a knowledge base. The search bar for the knowledge base never seemed to work correctly, though the guides are helpful. There’s also a “get support” link that takes you to a live chat screen. Knowledge Base: Sage offers a knowledge base with articles and videos on how to use Sage 50cloud. Sage City: Sage City is where you can see recent blogs, ask questions to fellow users, hear the latest Sage announcements, and more. Sage University: Here you can search for Sage training courses near you.
(Extra fees apply.). Year-End Resources: One of the most unique aspects of Sage 50cloud is that they provide tons of year-end support including a complete year-end resource center. Sage Advisor: You can search for a Sage advisor as well. Social Media: Sage is active on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.
The YouTube channel doesn’t offer many videos regarding Sage 50cloud but does offer tons of helpful business advice and tips. Negative Reviews & Complaints Sage 50cloud has a mix of both positive and negative reviews. There are 57 complaints about the software on BBB, but the company responded well to each and worked to right the wrongs. Still, there are a few recurring problems users have with the software:. Difficult To Learn: The most common complaint is that the software is difficult to learn. Outdated UI: Many users also comment that the UI is outdated and they wish for a more modern, updated software.
Bugs & Glitches: Several users reported bugs and crashes. The only glitch I personally experienced was with the live chat, though the software did often run slow. Too Expensive: A few say that the software is too expensive (though some pointed out that it is still cheaper than many ERPs). Positive Reviews & Testimonials While there are some negative reviews, there’s an equal number of positive reviews from users who love the software. The software receives 3.6/5 stars on G2Crowd and 4/5 stars on Capterra (based on over 200 ratings collectively). Here is what a few users are saying:.
Easy To Learn: Despite the complainers, more users say the software is easy to use. Accountants in particular like the software and users boast about the organization and customizability of Sage 50cloud. Strong Features: Many note the strong features Sage 50cloud offers. Some of the favorites include reporting, inventory, and user permissions. Users also appreciate that the software helps them view all their information in one place and keeps them organized. Good Customer Support: Despite my personal experience, many users are satisfied with Sage 50cloud’s support and say they’ve received good customer service. Integrations Sage 50cloud offers hardly any third-party integrations.
Instead, the software integrates with other Sage products, like. Security As locally-installed software, Sage50cloud’s security is primarily up to you. To learn more about protecting your data, read our post. However, if you are using the cloud component of Sage 50cloud, the company does provide some security safeguards, including 128-bit SSL encryption and redundancy. Sage 50cloud uses Amazon Web Services to host their data and all data is monitored 24/7. Final Verdict For accountants or businesses needing strong accounting and a serious degree of customizability, I can see the appeal of Sage 50cloud.
With Sage 50cloud you get all of the full-featured complexity of a locally-installed software without having to give up the mobility of a cloud software. This idea is golden; however, I don’t think the software is fully realized yet. While Sage offers a couple unique features, Sage 50cloud is missing some of the major basics like multi-currency support, multiple invoice templates, integrations, and transaction categorization.
In addition, Sage 50cloud has poor customer service and a steep learning curve. When the software is already so expensive to begin with, these drawbacks make it hard for me to see Sage 50cloud being a realistic solution for most businesses. That being said, the software could still be a good fit for accountants or businesses in need of advanced features like inventory serialization, departmental accounting, cash flow management, and customizable reporting. Just be sure to do your research before purchasing as there is no free trial or 30-day back guarantee with this software. If Sage 50cloud doesn’t sound like the right fit for your business, take a look at one of our other.
I bought this product in 2013. I have a basic home based business.
I had no real issues other than it is difficult to navigate if your not accountant trained. What compounds this is Sage don’t support their product. You pay almost 500.00 and in my case I was told that they could no longer offer support for my product because it was too old. They wanted me to upgrade to the newer edition for 499.00 and I would get one year of support. To my ears it was nothing short of extortion. I called my accountant and she fixed the error ( wrongly labeled account) so I could close out my year. Cost: 75.00 for a home visit by accountant.
It will be a cold day in Satan’s bedroom before I ever give these extortionists another dime. Terrible service from corporate extortionists. As a CPA in the space of small businesses and start-ups, I have used Sage (Peachtree) for over two decades and purchased for clients. They WERE one of the best software packages for small businesses. Now I would recommend EVERYONE to stay clear as they hold their most loyal patron’s “hostage” force feeding them their new business model. Having purchased the full-blown version of 2017, the company now blocks your activation key from EVEN USING THE PROGRAM YOU PURCHASED. You call customer support and they give you a song and dance pushing you around leading you into an abyss of nothingness; no help; no support UNLESS you pay their price.Whoever is at the helm of this company should be shown the door.
Loyalty means nothing to this company. Stay clear of Sage as I am sure down the line they will hold you hostage once again to higher monthly fees and business models that suit their bottom line but not yours! Hi Dave, If you are looking for the easiest transfer of data possible, then Sage 50c would be the way to go, but that is the only plus I see for sticking with Sage 50c. The software is incredibly expensive and unintuitive. If you switched to Sage 50c you would be gaining these features: customizable work flows, customizable dashboard, multiple company support, online backup, integrate eMarketing, multiple contacts per customer, warranty tracking, commission tracking, stock and sub item tracking, work ticket tracking, more project management capabilities, more expense and revenue tracking capabilities. But you would be losing: POS module, inventory kits, tracking multiple warehouses.
I hope this helps but if you have further questions please. This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
(Agent, JKS Solutions, Inc.) Nov 15, 2012 If you are a contractor then you have job costing needs. Your main concern will be in the ease of building estimates, transition to billing, time tracking and costing for sub contractors. If Quickbooks and its apps and third party tools is doing a great job for you, then its fine to stay with quickbooks. You may consider Method CRM Field Services module that is an option for job costing, multiple field employee logins, time tracking.
It does not integrate to payroll but you can upload a file to your payroll system. Method will send job information to QB billing. Personally I never liked Peachtree but if Sage acquired it perhaps it has a certain value. I believe that Sage sells Timberline under a new name. Timberline is contractor specific. The number of employees you have tells me a couple things: You need to review the potential value of Method because method can be customized to bypass the license seats for Quickbooks users by creating transaction processing feeds from many users to one QB user seat, plus you get the benefit of the CRM. Bill.com may be of high value for you as well.
Go to bill.com and register for a product demo webinar. CPA firms, large franchises like McDonalds and small business are taking advantage of Bill.com to save thousands annually in AP and AR processing. Today you want to be talking to professionals who are familiar with a variety of options so that you get a full featured experience for your industry vertical without the large cost of consulting and implementation. Many of these new cloud vendors will help you to implement for a low fee. One of the issues you will run into however is right now, there is no out of the box cloud set of tools that will support contractor job costing, but Method has a viable solution, so take a look at that and get more mileage out of your Quickbooks. (President/CFO, Joseph Elon, LLC) Aug 2, 2013 I have been a member of the Sage Accountants Network for a few years now. Sage streamlined Peachtree to align vertically with their larger product offerings in an effort to accommodate growth of organizations.
As well, they changed their branding to reflect the vertical alignment within their respective families (Peachtree to Sage 50, MAS90 to Sage 100, etc). Personally, I'm not a fan of the so-called webinars-particularly because of the amalgamation of the two words 'web' and 'seminar', which have been combined to form nothing more than a gibberish word-but I digress. I use Sage 50 Quantum 2014, which is the highest level of the Sage 50 family before moving upward to Sage 100. At one time, Intuit posted product comparisons between Quickbooks and Peachtree. You'll be hard-pressed today to find a hard-core side-by-side comparison posted by Intuit pitting their products directly against Sage 50.
In fact, if you contact an Intuit Salesperson and ask them to provide you with marketing collateral on how they compare to Sage 50 Quantum.they will be unable to do so. They do not compare. I have a client who owns a construction company (metal pre-fabricated grain storage buildings) that is in its 18th year of growth. Where Sage benefits him is in the following areas: 1) Accurate Job Costing-Sage 50 Quantum has built-in time sheet tracking, job tracking down to the phase and level of completion-all integrated within the same system. 2) Change Order tracking-not much more to elaborate on here.
3) Departmentalized and Consolidated Financial Statement Reporting-you can departmentalize a single company and view individual financial statements (as if you have multiple operating units) / or track separate physical companies and view consolidated financial statements to get an accurate view of your overall portfolio. 4) Pervasive Database-Quickbooks does not historically 'play well in the sandbox with others'. Intuit chose to write a database heavily-laden with source code that causes Quickbooks to experience frequent data integrity issues (many are serious).
I've spent many hours rebuilding Quickbooks databases. Sage 50 has a very friendly database and does integrate well with other programs using open databases (i.e. Estimatics programs, etc.) 5) Accuracy-Quickbooks has always had an issue with this as a company grows. Sage 50 is the only off-the-shelf accounting program that is fully GAAP compliant (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles).
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(President/CEO, empoweredNW ) Jun 2, 2014 I think Valerie's suggestion is a good one. QuickBooks definitely has a ton of options and integrations designed specifically for contractors. So it might be best to explore those before migrating to an entirely new platform. I'm not sure if it was available when this question was originally posted, but Intuit now has a field service module (Field Service Management) that might be a good solution for you. That being said, the new line of Sage 50 products appear to be fairly decent.
As with QuickBooks, they are designed to easily allow you to grow and migrate to a more powerful version as your business demands increase (as Timothy noted). They have also made the software a bit more developer friendly, so I think we will continue to see useful extensions and integrations being created. And the new user interface definitely makes reading reports and reviewing data simple and easy.