Sage Business Cloud Review, Pricing & Features
What is Sage Business Cloud?
Sage Business Cloud is an accounting software designed for businesses with up to 250 employees. This no-frills solution is ideal for those who need an introductory accounting tool at a reasonable price.
Table of Contents
- What is Sage Business Cloud?
- Sage Business Cloud Review Summary
- Sage Business Cloud Pricing & Cost
- Sage Business Cloud Features
- Sage Business Cloud Customer Support
- Sage Business Cloud vs. Competitors
- Is Sage Business Cloud Right For You?
Sage Business Cloud Review Summary
Sage Business Cloud is a cloud-based accounting software that was launched in 2018. Sage Business Cloud is one of the products offered by Sage, a software company with many different products built for companies of all sizes and industries. With more than two million customers worldwide, Sage is a massive player in the accounting software space.
In terms of accounting for small businesses, Sage Business Cloud has most features you’ll need to handle your company’s finances and track transactions. You’ll be able to create and send professional invoices, track expenses, run many different accounting reports, and more. Sage is lacking a couple built-in features like project management and time tracking that other accounting software tools include for free. There’s an extensive app marketplace, but most tools in the marketplace will cost extra each month.
Sage Business Cloud pricing is either $10 per month for basic features or $25 per month for all features and unlimited seats. Because the $25 per month plan includes unlimited seats, we found that this offers a better value unless you need an entry-level software. As mentioned above, customers can also integrate with many third-party applications.
We interviewed Nick Chernets, the CEO of Data for SEO, who is very pleased with Sage. He finds that Sage is much easier to use than QuickBooks, and mentioned that most actions can be completed in just a few clicks. Other customers we interviewed, however, found that Sage doesn’t facilitate credit card payments easily, which caused them to switch to a different accounting software.
Overall, Sage Business Cloud is a mid-tier accounting software that’s easy to use, especially for those who are not professional accountants. At just $25 per month for the most expensive plan, it’s more cost-effective than Zoho Books, QuickBooks Online, and Xero.
However, there are a few important drawbacks to note about Sage:
- Sage is not as feature-rich as industry leaders like QuickBooks Online and Xero
- Wave offers a similar suite of features for free
- Sage does not offer accounting or bookkeeping services like Wave and Bench
If you’re a small business with relatively standard accounting needs, Sage is worth trying free for 30 days. Otherwise, Wave offers a similar experience for free, and advanced tools like Xero and QuickBooks offer far more functionality for a slightly higher price.
Sage Business Cloud Pricing & Cost
Sage Business Cloud pricing starts at $10 per month for entry-level accounting features like invoicing, bank reconciliation, and expense tracking. There are just two plans to choose from and most businesses will likely opt for the $25 per month plan due to its more extensive capabilities.
| Plan | Pricing | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Sage Accounting Start | $10 per month |
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| Sage Accounting | $25 per month |
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Sage Business Cloud Key Features
Throughout this review, we’ll discuss Sage Business Cloud’s features, usability, market value, and customer service. We’ll include images of the software so you can see what it’s like to work with the tool.
To learn more about how we research and rate software tools, read about SoftwarePundit’s review methodology.
Dashboard
When you log into your Sage account, the first thing you’ll see is the Dashboard, which provides a high-level overview of your financial transactions over the course of the past month. This includes a graph of your balance, cash flow in, and cash flow out.
Customers aren’t able to drill down into specific sections or transactions from this dashboard, which is definitely one of the downsides of this section. You are also not able to rearrange this dashboard to have your preferred sections at the top, another detail that some competitors offer.
Sales
The Sales section houses your company’s invoices, quotes and estimates, and credit notes. Creating quotes, estimates, and invoices is very simple. With each invoice, you’ll be able to email the invoice or share it with a link, print a packing slip, make the invoices recurring, or void the charges.
Invoices
Sage includes four pre-built invoice templates, two of which are product-based and two of which are service-based. All of your invoices will be kept in a list view within the Invoices tab. You can search by keyword, change the date range, or view based on the invoice status.
To create a new invoice, you can do so by clicking “New Invoice” or by selecting the small pink plus button in the top right corner of the screen. When creating the invoice, you’ll select your customer, set a due date, select the product or service that you provided, and add anything else like a delivery address, comments, the tax rates, and more.
This is a very basic invoice, but invoices can be customized to include your company logo. While there aren’t as many customization options and templates as competitors like Zoho Books offer, there’s still enough variety that all businesses will be able to create invoices to fit their style.
Payments
Sage customers can accept credit card payments through Stripe, PayPal, or Paya, which accepts payments from Discover, Visa, American Express, and Mastercard. Paya also facilitates payments via virtual check. There are fewer options than you’ll have with other accounting tools, many of which facilitate payments via direct bank transfer and through more gateways.
Expenses
Tracking expenses with Sage is quick and easy. You’ll add your business bank account, as well as any credit cards and loans. Connecting your bank account will import all the transactions, and from there, transactions should automatically reconcile.
Accrual method transactions can be corrected if need be. It’s likely a good idea to leave this to your accountant, who you’ll give access to your Sage account, as these are significant changes that need to be made to your ledger accounts.
Receipt Capture
Sage doesn’t have a built-in receipt capture tool, which most other accounting tools offer. Instead, Sage customers can purchase a subscription to AutoEntry, a third-party tool that takes photos of your business receipts and pulls the data directly from those photos. AutoEntry pricing ranges from $12 to $98.
Accounting & Reports
Sage Business Cloud includes all the crucial reports you’ll need to keep your business on track. Additionally, they have a feature called Sage Intelligence, which is a more advanced reporting tool that allows customers to build and view more advanced reports. The built-in reports combined with Sage Intelligence come together to make a fairly exhaustive reporting tool.
Included Reports
The table below displays all of the accounting reports that are included in the basic Sage Business Cloud dashboard. The following list is a summary of the other financial reports.
| Report | Description |
|---|---|
| Profit & Loss - Standard | Shows your income, expenses, and profits for the current financial year. |
| Profit & Loss - Comparative | Compares your profit and loss between financial years. |
| Accounts Receivable - Aging | Displays all payments owed to your business. |
| Accounts Payable - Aging | Displays all payments that you owe. |
| Cash Flow Forecast & Statement | Projects funds that may be coming into and out of the business, as well as cash that actually came into and out of the business. |
| Balance Sheet | Shows your assets and liabilities. |
| Unreconciled Bank Transactions | Shows the statements that haven’t yet been reconciled. |
The following is a list of the most crucial included reports.
- Receipts and Payment Day Book
- Stock Movements
- 1099 Report
- Sales Tax Report
- Chart of Accounts
- Audit Trail
- Profit Analysis
- Sales Revenue
- Sales & Purchase Day Books
Additional Features
Some more features offered by Sage Business Cloud are provided in the table below.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| App Marketplace | The Marketplace lists third-party software applications with which Sage has pre-built integrations. There are applications across categories like invoicing, inventory, banking, and more. |
| Client and Vendor CRM | Keep a contact list of all your clients and vendors within the dashboard. You can list phone numbers and emails, business names and references, and each contact will display the balance due or owed. |
| Foreign Currency Transactions | Enable foreign currency transactions, calculate live exchange rates, and more. This is crucial for corporations that conduct business across different countries. |
| Products & Services Record | List your products and services to quickly add to your invoices. When adding new items, you’ll choose whether the product is stock, non-stock, or service, and then provide prices, sales accounts, tax rates, and more. |
Sage Business Cloud Customer Support
Because Sage is such a large company, there are many customer support avenues available. Within the Sage dashboard, you can use live chat to speak with customer support agents in real time. When we tested this live chat function, we were connected to an agent in less than 5 minutes.
| Customer Support Channels | Email, Phone, Live Chat |
| Other Support Resources | Blog, Knowledge Base, Training Videos |
| Application Status Page | Yes |
Sage Business Cloud Alternatives & Competitors
Sage Business Cloud is similar to QuickBooks and Xero, which are also powerful cloud-based accounting tools. It’s a bit cheaper than the other two alternatives but also offers less functionality.
The top Sage Business Cloud competitors are:
Is Sage Business Cloud Right For You?
Sage Business cloud is a mid-tier accounting software that’s very manageable to navigate. At just $10 per month or $25 per month for unlimited users, it’s a reliable price-conscious option.
There are a few important things to note about Sage:
- Sage is not as feature-rich as industry leaders like QuickBooks Online and Xero
- Wave offers a similar suite of features for free
- Sage does not offer accounting or bookkeeping services like Wave and Bench
Customers we interviewed agreed that the tool is much more user-friendly for the average user who is not a professional bookkeeper or accountant. If you plan to use your accounting software firsthand, rather than turning everything over to your accountant to manage, user-friendliness is certainly something to keep in mind.
Sage Business Cloud is best for small businesses who want hassle-free invoicing and who intend to accept payment from clients through PayPal or Stripe. We highly suggest choosing the more expensive plan, because it offers significantly more functionality and unlimited users for just $15 more per month.
If you are interested in trying Sage Business Cloud, sign up for a 30-day free trial.