Harpoon vs. Sage Accounting

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Harpoon
Score 9.0 out of 10
N/A
Harpoon is a web-hosted accounting and finance app that helps freelancers and consultants set and meet their financial goals. In addition, Harpoon provides useful tools to help users collect revenue and manage finances. Features include time tracking, invoicing, expense tracking, project scheduling and more.  The vendor’s value proposition is that their solution that helps users boost their freelancing career.
$19
per month
Sage Accounting
Score 7.7 out of 10
N/A
Sage 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.
$10
per month
Pricing
HarpoonSage Accounting
Editions & Modules
Single User - Unlimited Everything
$19
per month
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
HarpoonSage Accounting
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details—Versions and pricing listed are for US products. Versions available and pricing may vary by country.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
HarpoonSage Accounting
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
HarpoonSage Accounting
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Harpoon
-
Ratings
Sage Accounting
9.1
14 Ratings
20% above category average
Pay calculation00 Ratings9.212 Ratings
Benefit plan administration00 Ratings9.18 Ratings
Direct deposit files00 Ratings9.19 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management00 Ratings9.18 Ratings
Reimbursement management00 Ratings9.19 Ratings
Customization
Comparison of Customization features of Product A and Product B
Harpoon
-
Ratings
Sage Accounting
8.3
17 Ratings
16% above category average
API for custom integration00 Ratings9.814 Ratings
Plug-ins00 Ratings6.813 Ratings
Security
Comparison of Security features of Product A and Product B
Harpoon
-
Ratings
Sage Accounting
8.9
34 Ratings
11% above category average
Single sign-on capability00 Ratings8.624 Ratings
Role-based user permissions00 Ratings9.331 Ratings
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
Harpoon
-
Ratings
Sage Accounting
6.5
36 Ratings
15% below category average
Dashboards00 Ratings1.933 Ratings
Standard reports00 Ratings8.836 Ratings
Custom reports00 Ratings8.827 Ratings
General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of Product A and Product B
Harpoon
-
Ratings
Sage Accounting
7.8
39 Ratings
5% above category average
Accounts payable00 Ratings9.435 Ratings
Accounts receivable00 Ratings9.437 Ratings
Cash management00 Ratings9.331 Ratings
Bank reconciliation00 Ratings9.236 Ratings
Expense management00 Ratings9.829 Ratings
Time tracking00 Ratings6.89 Ratings
Fixed asset management00 Ratings2.523 Ratings
Multi-currency support00 Ratings7.214 Ratings
Multi-division support00 Ratings4.013 Ratings
Regulations compliance00 Ratings8.422 Ratings
Electronic tax filing00 Ratings8.819 Ratings
Self-service portal00 Ratings8.622 Ratings
Global Financial Support00 Ratings8.27 Ratings
Primary and Secondary Ledgers00 Ratings8.110 Ratings
Intercompany Accounting00 Ratings6.98 Ratings
Localizations00 Ratings7.87 Ratings
Journals and Reconciliations00 Ratings8.425 Ratings
Enterprise Accounting00 Ratings8.39 Ratings
Configurable Accounting00 Ratings8.013 Ratings
Centralized Rules Framework00 Ratings7.66 Ratings
Standardized Processes00 Ratings8.113 Ratings
Inventory Management
Comparison of Inventory Management features of Product A and Product B
Harpoon
-
Ratings
Sage Accounting
8.1
14 Ratings
14% above category average
Inventory tracking00 Ratings6.214 Ratings
Automatic reordering00 Ratings9.15 Ratings
Location management00 Ratings8.26 Ratings
Manufacturing module00 Ratings9.04 Ratings
Order Management
Comparison of Order Management features of Product A and Product B
Harpoon
-
Ratings
Sage Accounting
6.7
22 Ratings
10% below category average
Pricing00 Ratings8.713 Ratings
Order entry00 Ratings7.710 Ratings
Credit card processing00 Ratings7.814 Ratings
Cost of goods sold00 Ratings6.817 Ratings
Order Orchestration00 Ratings4.14 Ratings
End-to-end order visibility00 Ratings7.05 Ratings
Order exception Resolution00 Ratings5.04 Ratings
Best Alternatives
HarpoonSage Accounting
Small Businesses
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Score 8.3 out of 10
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Score 9.1 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.5 out of 10
Accounting Seed
Accounting Seed
Score 8.3 out of 10
Enterprises
TimeCamp
TimeCamp
Score 8.7 out of 10
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Score 8.1 out of 10
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User Ratings
HarpoonSage Accounting
Likelihood to Recommend
9.0
(2 ratings)
9.6
(45 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
-
(0 ratings)
9.4
(4 ratings)
Usability
-
(0 ratings)
9.3
(16 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
8.4
(2 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(2 ratings)
Support Rating
10.0
(1 ratings)
9.4
(16 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(2 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
9.4
(3 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
9.2
(2 ratings)
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
7.2
(2 ratings)
Professional Services
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
9.6
(2 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
9.6
(2 ratings)
User Testimonials
HarpoonSage Accounting
Likelihood to Recommend
Harpoon
I think Harpoon works best for freelancers, consultants, self employed people and smaller companies with less client to bill. For larger enterprises with hundreds or thousands of clients, there are larger, more intricate platforms in the market that are better suited for those needs.
Read full review
Sage
VAT returns are so simple to do. Just a click of a button and it produces a report for the period in concern. Submitting the return is then just a single click. The only thing I wish it would do is remind me when my VAT submissions are coming up so that I can avoid penalties.
Read full review
Pros
Harpoon
  • Makes Sending Invoices & Collecting Payment Easy, for Freelancers
  • Tracking Financial Goals (Monthly & Annual) & Projecting Future Results
  • Provides Insights On AR, Earned Income, Top Clients, and other helpful but highly relevant data points.
Read full review
Sage
  • Traceability - where you are spending. I started with a spreadsheet which had a column for 'electronics & computing' this captured everything from monthly software subscriptions to hardware and from light bulbs to dash cams. Sage has helped me streamline the spending.
  • MTD - I am MTD compliant, although I do not need to be as my accountant is and they complete my HMRC submissions. It does mean that I have a contingency plan if I have to change this service.
  • Debtor's - It is easy to be a busy fool and not realise that accounts are overdue. For a small business, the restriction in cash flow due to late paying clients is a killer. The dashboard feature helps with this.
Read full review
Cons
Harpoon
  • Sometimes expense reporting bring up duplicate transactions, which may be more of a fault of the API that connects my account, which is Plaid
  • Would be nice if in the future, they can offer ACH as one of the payment options for invoices
  • There are some redundancies that pop up when setting time frames for client work and the projects attached to them. If they aren't aligned, it can cause inaccurate reporting. If it just sent it once and it took care of both functions, it would be easier
Read full review
Sage
  • I find it difficult to record journals in cloud accounting. Maybe I just don’t have the knowledge.
  • It’s important to export all unrecorded sync bank transactions to Excel to send to clients to explain the payment receipts before being posted. This function is not available on the cloud and makes life harder, having to call out the transactions to clients over the phone.
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
Harpoon
No answers on this topic
Sage
I could not live without Sage Accounting, it has become an integral part of my everyday. The more I have used Sage Accounting the more I have fallen in love with it. I am excited to be part of this ever-evolving accounting system that has grown from strength to strength, making life easier is something Sage does so well.
Read full review
Usability
Harpoon
No answers on this topic
Sage
Sage Accounting is built for the business owner/user and not the accountant, it therefore guides the user and thus detailed accounting knowledge and experience is not a necessarily a prerequisite . It offers a monthly price and therefore no significant up front spend and it tailorable to your business with useful dashboards that again you can tailor to instantly see what's important to you.
Read full review
Reliability and Availability
Harpoon
No answers on this topic
Sage
Sage Accounting availability is generally very good. They post messages which appear on users screen time to time, highlighting where functionality in a particular area is undergoing maintenance. More often than not, maintenance is completed in a timescale quicker than initially estimated by Sage. Where significant maintenance is required, Sage usually perform it overnight.
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Performance
Harpoon
No answers on this topic
Sage
Sage Accounting work quickly and performs well, I have never had an issue with it running slow. It integrates with other software swiftly, so no waiting for the screen to load. Error messages are only something I have had when I have done something wrong.
Read full review
Support Rating
Harpoon
The few times I've needed help or had questions about the platform, the founder got back to me. And fairly fast. The extra effort resonated well with me
Read full review
Sage
The support is world class - never ever during 30 plus years in business I have received such helpful, knowledgeable and genuine support as I have from Sage. At Sage people matter and i can chat to someone safe in the knowledge that they will actually listen and assist. This also backed up by huge online portfolio of help and resources
Read full review
In-Person Training
Harpoon
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
Harpoon
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
Harpoon
No answers on this topic
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
Harpoon
I've used Less Accounting and & Quickbooks Online. After Less Accounting was acquired, its development was mostly stopped. While the tool was a simple way to manage invoices and expenses, its directional philosophy changed with the new owners. Quickbooks Online was a solid tool, but the company support was unhelpful and hard to work with at times. Harpoon provides a great tool, with a company that cares about its users.
Read full review
Sage
Sage Accounting is a simpler, more streamlined version of the more complex Sage 50cloud Accounting. For a small, simpler company Sage Accounting is a much more cost-effective option. There are a few features that Sage 50cloud Accounting has that Sage Accounting does not have (such as making e-payments and a few reports are unavailable) but it is still a very good product.
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Contract Terms and Pricing Model
Harpoon
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
Harpoon
No answers on this topic
Sage
I do not consider Sage Accounting to be Sage's best product for scaling up business as its functionality for doing so is limited. Sage 50 Accounts or Sage Intaact are far more suited for this. I would evaluate very carefully the possible need in the future for scalability in the first instance before selecting software.
Read full review
Professional Services
Harpoon
No answers on this topic
Sage
Sage has always been extremely professional, and they continue to be professional in their dealings with me.
Read full review
Return on Investment
Harpoon
  • Clear and precise visibility of my financial status.
  • Projections of how I'm doing today, this month, and this year.
  • Clarity on what needs to happen with client development to reach my goals.
  • It shrinks the amount of time I spend on getting clients to pay my invoices.
Read full review
Sage
  • Sage One has allowed us to provided better customer service to all our clients. It has allowed us to provide a reasonable price accounting product to our customer who typically just have handwritten invoices, or Excel spreadsheets.
  • Sage One has reduced the manual data entry that my team does on a monthly basis, which in turn allows us to have more time for our customers.
Read full review
ScreenShots

Harpoon Screenshots

Screenshot of Harpoon's Dashboard showcases over a dozen crucial metrics to help you understand the health of your business. Enjoy the big picture view of your freelancing finances.Screenshot of Every business has expenses and Harpoon is the perfect place to track them. Assign expenses to your projects and easily add those expenses to invoices for reimbursement.Screenshot of You'll appreciate how simple it is to create invoices, and your clients will appreciate the one-click ease of making payments online. Harpoon's invoices are clean and beautiful, a perfect complement to the professional services and products you provide.Screenshot of All of a project's invoices, expenses, and recorded hours are grouped and organized in one convenient place ready for you to take action, or simply there for historical reference. Handy!Screenshot of Harpoon gives you powerful tools to track and organize your time. Simple one-click timers combined with flexible reporting puts you in total control of your business's tracked time.

Sage Accounting Screenshots

Screenshot of The financial dashboard, with business insightsScreenshot of View of paid and unpaid invoicesScreenshot of Invoice designer, to add a logo, company info, and terms