When it comes to price, Sage is hard to beat. Their most basic is $10 per month and the next one is $25. Compared to Quickbooks, which ranges from $5 to $30 per month, Sage is right in the same playing field.

Accounting Start

Designed for small-business owners and startups, the Accounting Start plan is priced at a very reasonable $10 per month. It’s the more basic of the two options that Sage offers, but don’t confuse this with low functionality, though. This plan takes away some of the mind-numbing processes such as invoicing, basic financial reporting, and cash flow forecasting. With the Accounting Start option, you can easily send invoices, accept payments in multiple currencies, and create unlimited accounts for your employees and bookkeepers.

Accounting

With more advanced financial reporting options, the Accounting plan is ideal for small to mid-sized businesses and is priced at $25 per month. In addition to the invoicing and payment processing components, the Accounting plan has an easy-to-use general ledger, supplier and customer management system, and a recurring billing tool. Furthermore, you aren’t limited to just one business entity.

Based out of the UK, Sage Group is a multinational company that develops enterprise application software. The company offers various types of accounting, payroll, and payment processing software. Not only do they have desktop-based accounting software, but they also have cloud-based software that’s designed with small and mid-sized business owners in mind.

Not only do both of the plans have useful reporting and invoicing tools, but there’s also add-ons to completely customize your platform. Here’s a look at both of the plans and what they have to offer:

Accounting Start

Best described as a tool to track incoming and outgoing money, the Accounting Start plan offers some vital features for freelancers, startups, and small business owners. Sage heavily promotes this plan’s invoicing tool and its ability to facilitate your invoicing process. Not only does it make invoicing easier, but you can also customize them and keep tabs on when clients pay them. Furthermore, you can send invoices via email and then export them to Excel as a CSV file. Other notable features include:

• Automatic bank reconciliation and feeds
• Ability to pay VAT online
• A record of your vendor’s contact information
• Option to integrate payments with your online business
• Cash flow reports

Accounting

Just a step above the Accounting Start package, the Accounting plan is a better option for small to mid-sized businesses. This options comes with all the features of Accounting Start and then some. The plan includes more financial recording tools such as a general ledger and more advanced cash flow forecasts. In addition, you have the option to choose between cash-based or accrual accounting. When it comes time to invoice, you can automatically convert quotes to invoices and receive quicker payments from your clients. The Accounting plan also includes:

• Connections to banking platforms for real-time reconciliations
• The ability to see the increase/decrease in probability during invoicing
• A full-fledged trial balance
• The option to drill down on reports to view details
• Exchange rate monitoring
• The ability to make and send invoices in other currencies

After subscribing or registering, you can simultaneously log in to your dashboard and start setting up your platform. The dashboard has the main menu located at the top, letting you easily navigate to the different tools offered. When it comes to getting started, the most time-consuming part is registering and setting up your business. With that said, there are plenty of support options at your finger-tips and guides to get you started, such as Sage’s Customer Community. Whether you’re new to sage or just want to develop your skills, you can enroll in a class at Sage University to learn to the ins and outs of how their products work. If you’re new to accounting, there are plenty of resources to help you succeed.

To fully customize your accounting module, you can head over to the Sage Business Cloud Marketplace where you’ll find CRMs, project management, and time tracking software. While there’s inarguably a stellar selection of add-ons and integrations, most of them charge a monthly fee. Here’s a quick glance at what you’ll find in the marketplace:

Maccoa

Cost-benefit analysis, time tracking, and project management.

Cashpundit

Cash flow management software developed by CPAs.

Business Importer

Import data from Excel into Sage.

Donation Manager RedCloud Suite

Manage your business donations.

In addition to the marketplace, you can integrate your account with PayPal to accept payments online. If you don’t use PayPal, you can use Sage Payment Solutions for a $0.15 per transaction plus 1.9% fee. Lastly, you can connect your Google Drive to Sage to store invoices.