TrustRadius: an HG Insights company

Save this comparison

Save this comparison

Add Product

Recommended Comparisons

    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    APS

    Score1.4 out of 10
    Mid-Size Companies (51-1,000 employees)
    APS is a national workforce management and cloud-based HR solution provider. The platform includes core HR, payroll, time and attendance (including manager and employee self-service), compliance tools, and onboarding.N/A

    Sage Accounting

    Score9.1 out of 10
    N/ASage Accounting is online accounting software made to simplify life for small business owners, entrepreneurs, and freelancers by providing the functions needed to take care of daily business to-dos. Users can create and send professional quotes and invoices, track income and expenses and know where the business' financials stand. Every Sage Business Cloud Accounting subscription includes unlimited access to support as well as automatic backups and product updates.

    $19

    per month

    Pricing
    APSSage Accounting
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    APSSage Accounting
    Free Trial
    NoYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    YesNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeOptionalNo setup fee
    Additional DetailsThe Payroll solution is offered as a standalone service, but additional solutions must be used in conjunction with the Payroll solution.Versions and pricing listed are for CA products. Versions available and pricing may vary by country. * 2 months free to start, or free for 1 month to try, then $19/$43/$62 +tax/mo (tier depending). Offer valid for new customers only on monthly subscriptions of Sage Business Cloud Accounting. After the promotional period, the monthly subscription rate will renew at the then current rate. May not be combined with any other offers or discounts. To ensure continuous service the subscription plan is an automatically renewing plan. Subsequent months will automatically be billed to the same credit card each month on the anniversary date of purchase. Plans can be terminated at any time prior to the renewal data and not charged for renewal.
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    APSSage Accounting
    Considered Both Products
    APS
    No answer on this topic
    Sage
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    No answers on this topic
    94%
    Would buy again
    46 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    No answers on this topic
    92%
    Delivers good value for the price
    44 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    No answers on this topic
    94%
    Happy with the feature set
    46 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    No answers on this topic
    93%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    39 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    No answers on this topic
    93%
    Implementation went as expected
    38 Answers
    Features
    APSSage Accounting
    Payroll Management
    Comparison of Payroll Management features of APS and Sage Accounting
    Feature
    APS
    9.1
    33 Ratings
    10% above category average
    Sage Accounting
    9.3
    19 Ratings
    18% above category average
    Pay calculation10.032 Ratings10.015 Ratings
    Support for external payroll vendors8.013 Ratings00 Ratings
    Off-cycle/On-Demand payment10.04 Ratings00 Ratings
    Benefit plan administration8.822 Ratings9.312 Ratings
    Direct deposit files10.032 Ratings8.812 Ratings
    Salary revision and increment management8.024 Ratings9.410 Ratings
    Reimbursement management8.913 Ratings9.112 Ratings
    Customization
    Comparison of Customization features of APS and Sage Accounting
    Feature
    APS
    -
    Ratings
    Sage Accounting
    8.6
    23 Ratings
    12% above category average
    API for custom integration00 Ratings9.120 Ratings
    Plug-ins00 Ratings8.017 Ratings
    Security
    Comparison of Security features of APS and Sage Accounting
    Feature
    APS
    -
    Ratings
    Sage Accounting
    9.7
    42 Ratings
    15% above category average
    Single sign-on capability00 Ratings9.931 Ratings
    Role-based user permissions00 Ratings9.539 Ratings
    Reporting & Analytics
    Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of APS and Sage Accounting
    Feature
    APS
    -
    Ratings
    Sage Accounting
    9.3
    44 Ratings
    16% above category average
    Dashboards00 Ratings8.340 Ratings
    Standard reports00 Ratings9.844 Ratings
    Custom reports00 Ratings9.735 Ratings
    General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
    Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of APS and Sage Accounting
    Feature
    APS
    -
    Ratings
    Sage Accounting
    9.1
    64 Ratings
    16% above category average
    Accounts payable00 Ratings9.857 Ratings
    Accounts receivable00 Ratings9.945 Ratings
    Cash management00 Ratings9.853 Ratings
    Bank reconciliation00 Ratings9.561 Ratings
    Expense management00 Ratings9.934 Ratings
    Time tracking00 Ratings6.611 Ratings
    Fixed asset management00 Ratings8.428 Ratings
    Multi-currency support00 Ratings10.018 Ratings
    Multi-division support00 Ratings9.918 Ratings
    Regulations compliance00 Ratings9.529 Ratings
    Electronic tax filing00 Ratings9.735 Ratings
    Self-service portal00 Ratings10.025 Ratings
    Global Financial Support00 Ratings9.38 Ratings
    Primary and Secondary Ledgers00 Ratings9.515 Ratings
    Intercompany Accounting00 Ratings8.111 Ratings
    Localizations00 Ratings8.49 Ratings
    Journals and Reconciliations00 Ratings9.033 Ratings
    Enterprise Accounting00 Ratings6.910 Ratings
    Configurable Accounting00 Ratings9.318 Ratings
    Centralized Rules Framework00 Ratings8.98 Ratings
    Standardized Processes00 Ratings9.520 Ratings
    Inventory Management
    Comparison of Inventory Management features of APS and Sage Accounting
    Feature
    APS
    -
    Ratings
    Sage Accounting
    6.9
    17 Ratings
    6% below category average
    Inventory tracking00 Ratings6.717 Ratings
    Automatic reordering00 Ratings8.36 Ratings
    Location management00 Ratings5.77 Ratings
    Manufacturing module00 Ratings7.05 Ratings
    Order Management
    Comparison of Order Management features of APS and Sage Accounting
    Feature
    APS
    -
    Ratings
    Sage Accounting
    8.2
    28 Ratings
    6% above category average
    Pricing00 Ratings9.917 Ratings
    Order entry00 Ratings7.615 Ratings
    Credit card processing00 Ratings8.118 Ratings
    Cost of goods sold00 Ratings7.620 Ratings
    Order Orchestration00 Ratings7.66 Ratings
    End-to-end order visibility00 Ratings7.57 Ratings
    Order exception Resolution00 Ratings8.95 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    APSSage Accounting
    Small Businesses
    OnPay
    Score9.9 out of 10
    Zoho Books
    Score8.9 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Netchex
    Score8.8 out of 10
    MYOB
    Score7.7 out of 10
    Enterprises
    ADP Streamline Payroll
    Score6.4 out of 10
    Microsoft Dynamics GP
    Score6.8 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    APSSage Accounting
    Likelihood to Recommend
    1.0
    (36 ratings)
    9.9
    (71 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    9.7
    (6 ratings)
    8.5
    (7 ratings)
    Usability
    9.5
    (4 ratings)
    9.9
    (38 ratings)
    Availability
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    8.7
    (4 ratings)
    Performance
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    9.2
    (4 ratings)
    Support Rating
    6.8
    (5 ratings)
    9.9
    (18 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    9.1
    (2 ratings)
    Online Training
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    9.1
    (4 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    8.7
    (4 ratings)
    9.5
    (3 ratings)
    Configurability
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    9.2
    (3 ratings)
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.3
    (2 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    9.3
    (2 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    8.8
    (4 ratings)
    Professional Services
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    9.3
    (3 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    9.3
    (3 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    APSSage Accounting
    Likelihood to Recommend
    APS
    APS Payroll is an easy to use payroll system, and integrates well with some things such as the APS Hire feature, which handles onboarding, and the eSelfServe timeclock feature. It exports well to Quickbooks, but is only ok with NetSuite. (It works but is a completely manual process and takes a lot of setup.) Our tax registration and filing has been fine and we're always apprised of any tax discrepancies such as small Unemployment overages/underages when filed compared to what was withheld.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Sage
    I'll say that Sage Accounting is great for small to mid-sized businesses that need simple, cloud-based bookkeeping and invoicing. It’s perfect when you want to track multiple clients or projects, get real-time updates, and make bank reconciliations easier. Generating financial reports or preparing tax/SR&ED info is straightforward too. But it’s not the best fit for really big companies with tons of transactions or complex multi-entity setups. Also, if you need advanced inventory or manufacturing features, it can feel a bit limited
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    APS
    • It's fast and intuitive. Our previous contractors were ADP and Paychex and neither were intuitive. Our payroll runs have less errors now than with previous vendors. Payroll prep time is down from 5 hours with ADP to 2 hours with APS for the HR Manager.
    • The limiters are great. I'm always afraid of that error that no one caught. Let's assume that you add a $200 limiter to overtime. Any time that a staff member is about to receive more than $200 in overtime for that pay period, a red flag goes up for the HR manager to double check.
    • We have 3 programs in public schools that block certain ports. APS has a 2nd feature using GPS so that staff can only check in for their shift while they are in the designated GPS range. Great for someone who has to report to a remote location. Just add the GPS coordinates and they can't check until they get to the project.
    Read full review
    Sage
    • Bank integration - being able to extract banking transaction into Sage Accounting.
    • Allocation rules - transactions are auto-allocated once allocation rules have been set up. This is a great time-saver.
    • Flexibility - the ability to view transactions, click on them to the allocation point and rectifying if required saves having to create journals, and therefore time. General ledgers therefore stay cleaner and more user-friendly.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    APS
    • Reporting - We have six different business units and the reporting is separate for all three. Most reporting I do requires information from all business units so am running six reports and then copying and pasting to get the report I need.
    • Multi-state taxes - We have a number of employees who live in New York and work in New Jersey. APS OnLine is designed to accommodate one state withholding so ability to have "worked in" state and "lived in" state taxes withheld went away. This was a shortfall.
    • The Carrier connection setup took much longer than expected. After a year, we are still having some issues with some items transferring over to the GL.
    • The CA overtime calculation does not calculate after 8 hours per day, only on the 40 per week so we override each week.
    • Reporting - when running Benefit reports, it recognizes employees who formerly carried the plan but may have dropped it. To get around this, we have to delete off the employee's record so the history is not readily available.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Sage
    • The packages for integrating with Sage50 desktop application files are not backwards compatible, so we must store many copies in order to support multiple versions of the Sage50 application that our customers use, in case they aren't immediately updating to the latest version at all times.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    APS
    I have been using the system for over a year now and feel more comfortable with the functionality of it. I have just recently implemented the benefit administration portion.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Sage
    We're very happy with the functionality and overall experience of using Sage Accounting for our accounting needs. Currently, we are not even considering whether we would need to look around for a different option. The only things that would make us consider changing would be a significant increase in price or changes to the software which reduce it's ease of function.
    Read full review
    Usability
    APS
    The APS Payroll software is very easy to use, and it is easy to train new employees on it. The APS Payroll support team is very helpful and response time is quick. It is easy to enter/change employee information, adjust salaries and benefits, etc. New features have also been added that makes it even better, such as being able to set up your own income/deduction items.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Sage
    There is so much on pastel that if you do not really take the time to learn, you might never completely utilize the software effectively. Software setup is not something you can really do on your own; however, there is always an active pastel team that makes sure you get all you need set up until you are good to go.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    APS
    I haven't had any outages
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Sage
    Sage has been always available when I want it. If there is any maintenance work to be done by the Sage team, you are told well in advance. Maintenance is generally carried out late at night or before the day begins for most of us. It continues to be the most reliable software I use.
    Read full review
    Performance
    APS
    Very quick
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Sage
    Performance is top notch, if it is not, it is probably your wi-fi connection. It has happened that pages load slowly because of an error on Sage side but almost never. Overall reports load fine, the site is fast, navigation is fine. I have a client that has so many invoices, it is slow or gets stuck when you try to load a report for a whole year but it is just too many invoices, it makes sense. Just take 2 report for 6 months and combine them, its not an issue for me. I am happy with Sage Accounting's performance.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    APS
    I had to learn APS on my own, and the support team held my hand. They are still there when I have an occasional question. Anytime I need support, I can call my rep or send an email and help is on the way, without failure. The support team is awesome
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Sage
    Sage Accounting are easy to contact and have knowledgeable and helpful staff. Whenever I've encountered a problem I've always been able to get assistance and guidance and it feels like the person at the end of the phone/screen knows the product well.
    Read full review
    In-Person Training
    APS
    Even if it wasn't in-person on location, we felt like we had our trainer in the room with us.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Sage
    Staff are always friendly, and patient, always work at a speed that suits you. You are never rushed, and In only a short time they seem to be able to help you make great strides. It has been a pleasure not a chore, learning how SAGE Accounting works and benefits me and the company.
    Read full review
    Online Training
    APS
    We had great webinars.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Sage
    I find the online training was very informative and they answered all my questions. I am also certified in Sage One and provided online training in the program which I have set up several people on and they love how it keeps them organized.
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    APS
    It would have been helpful to understand the phases of the implementation up front so I could have prepared differently for enrollments, billing, and transfer of information to payroll. At the end of the day, I'm happy with the selection and the system and anticipate I will like it better as we go along. We have done a number of other system implementations in the past few years, and this has been pretty painless, however, I've had a few surprises.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Sage
    The clients' business owner worked with Sage on implementation before I began working for them. After consultation with them it is clear the process was quickly performed and without complication. The key takeaway was that Sage is seen as a partner to the business. That said, it was always necessary to engage with an accountant such as myself to extract the best out of the software.
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    APS
    We had used ADP for years and had always struggled with their customer service. With over 20 locations (20+ W2s, quarterly filings, etc) we had a lot of questions. We would have to call and sit on hold for long periods of time to talk to someone who couldn't always answer our questions. Then we would get different answers from different people or have to re-explain our issue. It was a major time suck for my employees and they dreaded having to call all of the time. For us - the final straws for us to switch providers were: +Numerous year end filings with incorrect names and addresses (they couldn't keep our 20+ locations separate even though our paperwork was completed correctly) +Incorrect SUI rates for several locations that resulted in tens of thousands of dollars in overpayments which was a lot of money for small hotels. We had sent in numerous requests for them to fix this but it never happened +Lack of care - even though we were having all of these issues, nobody would work with us to get them all resolved and make sure to remedy the situation. We had to seek out a manager to get them resolved but even after this, we still had more issues. Overall - DON'T stick with ADP or even think about switching to them. They might be able to slash prices but their poor customer service and lack of care will cost you in the end. It's not worth it. APS does everything ADP had the capability of but we don't have the errors or headaches we did before. I am really looking forward to this year end!
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Sage
    Sage was just easier for me to use and more familiar for my staff, who had some experience with enterprise versions of Sage in the past. It became a no-brainer when I made the final decision about which package to go with.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    APS
    No answers on this topic
    Sage
    The pricing structure is fair and offers good value for money. The billing is done through their online system and you can access your bills at any time. Most contacts only require 30 days' notice, so no need to feel tied in, although I can't imagine why you would want to leave Sage.
    Read full review
    Scalability
    APS
    I've never had a problem with the system nor in finding the right information.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Sage
    You can use Sage in your company for various aspects/positions such as bookkeepers, invoicing clerks, accountant, purchasing etc. Everyone can have their own user login and permissions can be set that specific people can do specific jobs without being able to access other peoples progress or accounts of the company.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Professional Services
    APS
    No answers on this topic
    Sage
    Do not use
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    APS
    • We were able to transition quickly and continue to successfully hire and onboard new hires for several Clubs that opened within weeks of moving to APS.
    • We do struggle a bit with the ease of reporting simply because our locations are all under separate EIN and that can make it difficult to easily combine data queried under custom reports, so the volume of reporting that I might wish to be able to push through weekly in order to help address 'real time' trends is not always available.
    • The lack of effective dating for position and wage changes does mean that HR and available APS data is not 'real time' accurate and that HR does need to return to the system to update changes well after-the-fact, which is not ideal.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Sage
    • Being cloud-based, meaning I can work from anywhere, has had a massive ROI, as I am no longer tied to the office.
    • CoPilot has meant we can spend more hours creating work for our business than chasing for payments.
    • Statement Runs mean we do not have to spend half a day carrying out the tasks individually.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    APS Screenshots

    Screenshot of workforce planningScreenshot of expense management

    Sage Accounting Screenshots

    Screenshot of the All-in-One DashboardScreenshot of the Accounting DashboardScreenshot of an Invoicing Quote EstimateScreenshot of the Purchases TrackerScreenshot of Stock InventoryScreenshot of a VAT Returns List