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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    FreshBooks

    Score8.6 out of 10
    Small Businesses (1-50 employees)
    FreshBooks is an accounting service for small businesses. The solution enables users to send and manage invoices, track billable time and collect online payments. The vendor’s value proposition this that their solution provides a straightforward service that simplifies the billing process.

    $21

    per month

    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
    FreshBooksSage Accounting
    Editions & Modules
    Lite
    $21
    per month
    Plus
    $38
    per month
    Premium
    $65
    per month
    Select
    Custom Pricing
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    FreshBooksSage Accounting
    Free Trial
    YesYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    YesNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details10% discount for annual pricing.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
    FreshBooksSage Accounting
    Considered Both Products
    FreshBooks
    Chose FreshBooks
    FreshBooks does very well in comparison, especially since it is free software for Barclays bank users. Sage software is much worse than FreshBooks. However, Xero and QuickBooks, the market leaders, are still ahead with usability, additional features, reporting, and connection …
    Incentivized
    Sage
    Chose Sage Accounting
    We’ve also used and evaluated QuickBooks Online, Xero, and FreshBooks. Each has its strengths, QuickBooks is feature-rich for North American tax workflows, Xero has strong multi-currency and reporting options, and FreshBooks is very simple and user-friendly for invoicing, but …
    Incentivized
    Chose Sage Accounting
    Although I've used a number of other accounting systems, Sage is really comparable to Xero and QuickBooks Online, as it is competing in the same basic accounting software category. Sage One Accounting has been selected in certain client situations where they were already using …
    Incentivized
    Chose Sage Accounting
    After researching several quoting / invoicing applications, I chose Sage’s Simple Invoicing and Accounting for Small Businesses. After verifying the necessary quoting features required, I called Sage to ask some questions and was quite impressed with the quality of their …
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    69%
    Would buy again
    9 Answers
    94%
    Would buy again
    46 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    82%
    Delivers good value for the price
    9 Answers
    92%
    Delivers good value for the price
    44 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    54%
    Happy with the feature set
    7 Answers
    94%
    Happy with the feature set
    46 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    64%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    7 Answers
    93%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    39 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    62%
    Implementation went as expected
    8 Answers
    93%
    Implementation went as expected
    38 Answers
    Features
    FreshBooksSage Accounting
    Customization
    Comparison of Customization features of FreshBooks and Sage Accounting
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    9.1
    35 Ratings
    17% above category average
    Sage Accounting
    8.6
    23 Ratings
    12% above category average
    API for custom integration9.330 Ratings9.120 Ratings
    Plug-ins9.026 Ratings8.017 Ratings
    Security
    Comparison of Security features of FreshBooks and Sage Accounting
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    10.0
    41 Ratings
    18% above category average
    Sage Accounting
    9.7
    42 Ratings
    15% above category average
    Single sign-on capability10.01 Ratings9.931 Ratings
    Role-based user permissions10.041 Ratings9.539 Ratings
    Reporting & Analytics
    Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of FreshBooks and Sage Accounting
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    7.5
    57 Ratings
    5% below category average
    Sage Accounting
    9.3
    44 Ratings
    16% above category average
    Dashboards9.057 Ratings8.340 Ratings
    Standard reports8.855 Ratings9.844 Ratings
    Custom reports4.82 Ratings9.735 Ratings
    General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
    Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of FreshBooks and Sage Accounting
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    7.5
    56 Ratings
    4% below category average
    Sage Accounting
    9.1
    64 Ratings
    16% above category average
    Accounts payable8.041 Ratings9.857 Ratings
    Accounts receivable9.455 Ratings9.945 Ratings
    Cash management7.03 Ratings9.853 Ratings
    Bank reconciliation7.02 Ratings9.561 Ratings
    Expense management6.651 Ratings9.934 Ratings
    Time tracking7.642 Ratings6.611 Ratings
    Multi-currency support7.01 Ratings10.018 Ratings
    Regulations compliance6.021 Ratings9.529 Ratings
    Self-service portal9.13 Ratings10.025 Ratings
    Fixed asset management00 Ratings8.428 Ratings
    Multi-division support00 Ratings9.918 Ratings
    Electronic tax filing00 Ratings9.735 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
    Order Management
    Comparison of Order Management features of FreshBooks and Sage Accounting
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    9.5
    49 Ratings
    21% above category average
    Sage Accounting
    8.2
    28 Ratings
    6% above category average
    Pricing8.839 Ratings9.917 Ratings
    Order entry9.337 Ratings7.615 Ratings
    Credit card processing9.741 Ratings8.118 Ratings
    Cost of goods sold10.01 Ratings7.620 Ratings
    Order Orchestration00 Ratings7.66 Ratings
    End-to-end order visibility00 Ratings7.57 Ratings
    Order exception Resolution00 Ratings8.95 Ratings
    Payroll Management
    Comparison of Payroll Management features of FreshBooks and Sage Accounting
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    -
    Ratings
    Sage Accounting
    9.3
    19 Ratings
    18% above category average
    Pay calculation00 Ratings10.015 Ratings
    Benefit plan administration00 Ratings9.312 Ratings
    Direct deposit files00 Ratings8.812 Ratings
    Salary revision and increment management00 Ratings9.410 Ratings
    Reimbursement management00 Ratings9.112 Ratings
    Inventory Management
    Comparison of Inventory Management features of FreshBooks and Sage Accounting
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    -
    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
    Best Alternatives
    FreshBooksSage Accounting
    Small Businesses
    Sage Accounting
    Score9.1 out of 10
    Zoho Books
    Score8.9 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    MYOB
    Score7.7 out of 10
    MYOB
    Score7.7 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Microsoft Dynamics GP
    Score6.8 out of 10
    Microsoft Dynamics GP
    Score6.8 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    FreshBooksSage Accounting
    Likelihood to Recommend
    9.4
    (75 ratings)
    9.9
    (71 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    7.6
    (18 ratings)
    8.5
    (7 ratings)
    Usability
    9.6
    (20 ratings)
    9.9
    (38 ratings)
    Availability
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    8.7
    (4 ratings)
    Performance
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    9.2
    (4 ratings)
    Support Rating
    6.0
    (11 ratings)
    9.9
    (18 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.1
    (2 ratings)
    Online Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.1
    (4 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    9.5
    (3 ratings)
    Configurability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.2
    (3 ratings)
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.3
    (2 ratings)
    CPA Rating
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.3
    (2 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.8
    (4 ratings)
    Professional Services
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.3
    (3 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.3
    (3 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    FreshBooksSage Accounting
    Likelihood to Recommend
    FreshBooks
    I recommend FreshBooks to anyone running a service-based business that needs invoicing, time reporting, and accounting tools. FB is adept in all three of these scenarios and isn't overly complicated like similar accounting packages I have used. I love how I can write estimates and proposals, manage the business development process from the software, and quickly convert prospects to invoiced clients.
    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
    FreshBooks
    • Invoicing - FreshBooks basically ensures our accountants spend less time on invoices via its automated invoicing system, which sends invoices to our customers and clients alike and also send them regular reminders for them to pay up their bills.
    • Collecting business insights - FreshBooks enable our company analysts measure our business performances via data reports provided by FreshBooks' intuitive dashboard. Allowing us do a comparative analysis of key business metrics of a current month against past months and determine if the business is growing.
    • Expense tracker - We have recently embraced FreshBooks as an expense tracker for teams at our company branch. Thusfar, FreshBooks has performed very well, making our expense management a perfect operation; ensuring teams do not exceed their planned budget and also eliminating the need for tracking expenses on excel spreadsheets.
    Incentivized
    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
    FreshBooks
    • I can brand invoices with my business logo, but I might like to change colours of the invoices themselves to match the rest of my business documents. That isn't a major point at all, but it's something that I'd like to see.
    • Freshbooks doesn't remember the categories that similar expenses were previously assigned to. It would be nice if Freshbooks would suggest a category for an already saved vendor, to ensure the consistency of expense reporting.
    • The home page of a Freshbooks account has a great graph display of expenses and income, but it only shows the last 6 months. This is still very useful, but I'd like to be able to see this kind of graph for different periods of time.
    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
    FreshBooks
    At the current needs of our business, FreshBooks suits us perfectly - it allows online access by our accountant to the system for GST purposes, easy input of expenses and tracking of Profit and Loss statements. FreshBooks customer service is great as well - very understanding and accommodating.
    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
    FreshBooks
    FreshBooks is very easy to use even for novices. If you're looking for an online accounting software that is full of features, has great aesthetics and is user-friendly, then this is definitely the software for you. I've been using it for several years now and despite being tempted to switch by other vendors, I like the feel of FreshBooks and it's mobile features.
    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
    FreshBooks
    FreshBooks is easy to use and always works!
    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
    FreshBooks
    No answers on this topic
    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
    FreshBooks
    I think the support level for FreshBooks is on par with a 6 because the folks behind this application do a fairly good job at providing support for their customer base. I still don't think they are at an elite level when it comes to supporting but are getting there although too slow in my opinion.
    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
    FreshBooks
    No answers on this topic
    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
    FreshBooks
    No answers on this topic
    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
    FreshBooks
    I haven't changed my mind since my first evaluation. Freshbooks is still meeting my needs, easy to use, etc.
    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
    FreshBooks
    FreshBooks does very well in comparison, especially since it is free software for Barclays bank users. Sage software is much worse than FreshBooks. However, Xero and QuickBooks, the market leaders, are still ahead with usability, additional features, reporting, and connection with third-party software providers. We chose FreshBooks as it does everything we require from this type of software.
    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
    FreshBooks
    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
    FreshBooks
    No answers on this topic
    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
    FreshBooks
    No answers on this topic
    Sage
    Do not use
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    FreshBooks
    • In reality, we do not implement all of its use at the moment in order to determine an adequate ROI.
    • In our approach to the use of the system, it seems to us a considerable time saving by achieving the integration of the Mexican subsidiary with its parent located in the US.
    • Financial reports meet the necessary USGAAP requirements.
    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

    FreshBooks Screenshots

    Screenshot of the dashboardScreenshot of an invoice overviewScreenshot of an example of a customizable invoiceScreenshot of an invoice appearing across devicesScreenshot of expensesScreenshot of time tracking

    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