Sage 50 vs. Sage 500 ERP

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Sage 50
Score 7.8 out of 10
Small Businesses (1-50 employees)
Sage 50cloud Accounting (formerly Sage 50 Accounting) is accounting software designed for small businesses. Sage 50cloud Accounting (formerly Sage 50, and formerly Peachtree) lets businesses invoice customers, pay bills, manage inventory, control costs, and pay employees. The solution includes high-level dashboards and in-depth reports.
$61.92
per month per user
Sage 500
Score 7.7 out of 10
N/A
Sage 500 ERP includes accounting and finance, distribution and supply chain, and manufacturing operations support modules. The latest Sage 500 release includes accounts payable enhancements, credit card processing, and general updates, as well as updates to the solution's modules.N/A
Pricing
Sage 50Sage 500 ERP
Editions & Modules
Sage 50 Pro Accounting
$61.92
per month
Sage 50 Premium Accounting
$103.92
per month per user
Sage 50 Quantum Accounting 3 User
$177.17
per month per user
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Sage 50Sage 500
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
YesNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsAnnual billing plans also available for all products.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Sage 50Sage 500 ERP
Considered Both Products
Sage 50
Chose Sage 50
An easier system for users to use, as well as the price point is one of the best for off the shelf pricing.
Sage 500

No answer on this topic

Features
Sage 50Sage 500 ERP
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Sage 50
8.6
19 Ratings
13% above category average
Sage 500 ERP
7.0
2 Ratings
5% below category average
Pay calculation9.018 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Benefit plan administration8.013 Ratings6.01 Ratings
Direct deposit files10.014 Ratings7.02 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management8.014 Ratings00 Ratings
Reimbursement management8.014 Ratings00 Ratings
Customization
Comparison of Customization features of Product A and Product B
Sage 50
7.8
14 Ratings
1% above category average
Sage 500 ERP
8.5
3 Ratings
13% above category average
API for custom integration8.411 Ratings9.03 Ratings
Plug-ins7.213 Ratings8.03 Ratings
Security
Comparison of Security features of Product A and Product B
Sage 50
8.1
29 Ratings
1% below category average
Sage 500 ERP
8.5
3 Ratings
2% above category average
Single sign-on capability7.524 Ratings7.03 Ratings
Role-based user permissions8.726 Ratings10.03 Ratings
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
Sage 50
8.7
32 Ratings
10% above category average
Sage 500 ERP
8.0
3 Ratings
9% above category average
Dashboards8.830 Ratings6.03 Ratings
Standard reports9.232 Ratings8.03 Ratings
Custom reports8.031 Ratings10.03 Ratings
General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of Product A and Product B
Sage 50
7.6
35 Ratings
0% below category average
Sage 500 ERP
8.0
3 Ratings
4% above category average
Accounts payable9.234 Ratings10.03 Ratings
Accounts receivable9.033 Ratings10.03 Ratings
Cash management8.233 Ratings00 Ratings
Bank reconciliation8.933 Ratings00 Ratings
Expense management8.531 Ratings00 Ratings
Time tracking7.015 Ratings00 Ratings
Fixed asset management7.022 Ratings00 Ratings
Multi-currency support4.112 Ratings00 Ratings
Multi-division support6.616 Ratings00 Ratings
Regulations compliance6.915 Ratings00 Ratings
Electronic tax filing8.718 Ratings00 Ratings
Self-service portal6.813 Ratings00 Ratings
Global Financial Support5.56 Ratings10.02 Ratings
Primary and Secondary Ledgers7.19 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Intercompany Accounting7.710 Ratings00 Ratings
Localizations8.08 Ratings00 Ratings
Journals and Reconciliations8.922 Ratings10.02 Ratings
Enterprise Accounting8.09 Ratings00 Ratings
Configurable Accounting8.311 Ratings10.02 Ratings
Centralized Rules Framework7.17 Ratings00 Ratings
Standardized Processes8.016 Ratings10.02 Ratings
Inventory Management
Comparison of Inventory Management features of Product A and Product B
Sage 50
8.5
21 Ratings
12% above category average
Sage 500 ERP
8.0
3 Ratings
1% above category average
Inventory tracking8.221 Ratings6.03 Ratings
Automatic reordering8.012 Ratings10.03 Ratings
Location management8.410 Ratings10.03 Ratings
Manufacturing module9.09 Ratings00 Ratings
Order Management
Comparison of Order Management features of Product A and Product B
Sage 50
7.7
25 Ratings
1% above category average
Sage 500 ERP
8.8
2 Ratings
12% above category average
Pricing8.520 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Order entry8.522 Ratings9.02 Ratings
Credit card processing7.014 Ratings9.02 Ratings
Cost of goods sold7.421 Ratings10.02 Ratings
Order Orchestration8.08 Ratings8.01 Ratings
End-to-end order visibility7.19 Ratings00 Ratings
Order exception Resolution7.68 Ratings00 Ratings
Subledger and Financial Process
Comparison of Subledger and Financial Process features of Product A and Product B
Sage 50
-
Ratings
Sage 500 ERP
5.9
2 Ratings
23% below category average
Billing Management00 Ratings10.02 Ratings
Cash and Asset Management00 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Travel & Expense Management00 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Budgetary Control & Encumbrance Accounting00 Ratings2.01 Ratings
Period Close00 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Project Financial Management
Comparison of Project Financial Management features of Product A and Product B
Sage 50
-
Ratings
Sage 500 ERP
6.9
1 Ratings
9% below category average
Budgeting and Forecasting00 Ratings1.01 Ratings
Project Costing00 Ratings3.01 Ratings
Cost Capture00 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Capital Project Management00 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Customer Contract Compliance00 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Project Revenue Recognition00 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Project Execution Management
Comparison of Project Execution Management features of Product A and Product B
Sage 50
-
Ratings
Sage 500 ERP
4.5
1 Ratings
43% below category average
Task Insight for Project Managers00 Ratings7.01 Ratings
Project Mobile Functionality00 Ratings5.01 Ratings
Grants Management
Comparison of Grants Management features of Product A and Product B
Sage 50
-
Ratings
Sage 500 ERP
7.5
1 Ratings
2% above category average
Award Lifecycle Management00 Ratings6.01 Ratings
Procurement
Comparison of Procurement features of Product A and Product B
Sage 50
-
Ratings
Sage 500 ERP
6.0
1 Ratings
15% below category average
Contract Authoring00 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Contract Repository00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Requisitions-to-Purchase Orders Integrated00 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Supplier Management00 Ratings4.01 Ratings
Risk Management
Comparison of Risk Management features of Product A and Product B
Sage 50
-
Ratings
Sage 500 ERP
4.3
1 Ratings
42% below category average
Risk Repository00 Ratings3.01 Ratings
Control Management00 Ratings7.01 Ratings
Control Efficiency Assessments00 Ratings4.01 Ratings
Remediation and Certification00 Ratings3.01 Ratings
Supply Chain
Comparison of Supply Chain features of Product A and Product B
Sage 50
-
Ratings
Sage 500 ERP
1.3
1 Ratings
139% below category average
Forecasting00 Ratings1.01 Ratings
Inventory Planning00 Ratings2.01 Ratings
Performance Monitoring00 Ratings1.01 Ratings
Product Lifecycle Management
Comparison of Product Lifecycle Management features of Product A and Product B
Sage 50
-
Ratings
Sage 500 ERP
5.3
1 Ratings
31% below category average
Proposal Management00 Ratings7.01 Ratings
Product Master Data Management00 Ratings4.01 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Sage 50Sage 500 ERP
Small Businesses
QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
Score 7.2 out of 10
Zoho One
Zoho One
Score 9.3 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Zoho Books
Zoho Books
Score 9.1 out of 10
Infor VISUAL
Infor VISUAL
Score 7.5 out of 10
Enterprises
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
Score 8.5 out of 10
24SevenOffice
24SevenOffice
Score 9.0 out of 10
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User Ratings
Sage 50Sage 500 ERP
Likelihood to Recommend
9.1
(44 ratings)
10.0
(5 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.1
(14 ratings)
6.3
(2 ratings)
Usability
8.7
(15 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
10.0
(7 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
6.0
(1 ratings)
Implementation Rating
9.1
(5 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
Product Scalability
9.1
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Sage 50Sage 500 ERP
Likelihood to Recommend
Sage
Sage 50 Accounts is well-suited for small to medium-sized enterprises, where there is a moderate number of expenses and invoices that need processing, typically by a company with a smaller finance team. Sage 50 is probably less suitable for a large organisation that needs to handle a higher volume of transactions and manage significant stock levels.
Read full review
Sage
Sage 500 ERP is great for companies with core accounting needs, distributors, and discrete manufacturers. Some areas, such as process manufacturing, would require a companion product from an ISV for the software to be truly functional. Some areas, such as construction or retail apparel, may simply not be well-served.
Read full review
Pros
Sage
  • We can build "templates" for recurrent charges/invoices. This saves some time and also ensures that we always use the right accounting rubric.
  • A lot of additional information can be filled out such as client information (name, address, ...) which makes the software a little more complete.
  • If you don't need an updated version every year (my case) then the software is not too expensive. The pro version that I'm using was just a little over $300.
  • I really like the banking statement consolidation which allows you to ensure you got the right information registered.
Read full review
Sage
  • Sage is the one-stop-shop for all of our needs. We're able to control contracts, subcontracts, and field reports from the program.
  • Another strength is the ability to database all the information and export it to excel. This makes data-based investigations a breeze.
  • The ability for Timberscan to be imported to Sage is a huge help with invoice management. Prior to this it all had to be done manually and slowed the process to an essential halt as there are thousands of invoices per month.
Read full review
Cons
Sage
  • Sage 50 could use some improvement in the Invoicing Module to allow for more flexibility in the design of the Invoice fields. The report customization tools could use some upgrading for easier use.
  • Fixed assets management module needs to be included with unlimited number of fixed assets.
Read full review
Sage
  • The biggest concern/complaint of Sage 500 users is speed. Some of the screen take a while to load.
  • The user interface needs some refreshing. Screens need to be updated to take advantage of shortcuts and to be more intuitive.
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
Sage
I use this rating simply because I have a thriving Sage 50 consulting practice and will continue to keep my expertise in the product. I have consulted on both Sage 50 and QuickBooks for over 25 years so I have to maintain expertise in the solution as well as accounting and verticals.
Read full review
Sage
It's too pricey for our size of company.
Read full review
Usability
Sage
I think Sage 50 is a trusted product and is reliable from a product delivery and support perspective. They have deep domain expertise in the non-profit space and should be a consideration for new non-profit startups or existing non-profits looking to migrate from other platforms. Overall, I believe that Sage 50 does many things well with few limitations.
Read full review
Sage
I have been using Intacct for almost 10 years in 2 different companies and I just simply love it. I tried SAP (GUI) and Netsuite and they dont come close to what Ive seen.
Read full review
Support Rating
Sage
They were very knowledgeable of the product, understood my timeline was limited for a software issue and allowed me to get back to my day to day work. The dial into your computer is great so you can monitor what they are doing and learn some tricks yourself
Read full review
Sage
No answers on this topic
Online Training
Sage
No answers on this topic
Sage
The online training courses are not up to date. We experienced technical issues with two of the classes.
Read full review
Implementation Rating
Sage
We implemented Sage 50 Premium Accounting in house, not using any third party or professional service. It was a relatively trouble free process, but can be tricky. Just read all instructions carefully, especially if you need to load the program on a network with more than one user
Read full review
Sage
Keep your database and application in different servers.
Install Microsoft Office on your application server so you can use some of the data analysis tools in Sage.
Read full review
Alternatives Considered
Sage
As we did the conversion almost 10 years ago it is hard to answer this question. At the time it was the ease of being able to produce both cash and accrual financial statements and reporting that led us to pick Sage
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Sage
500 seems much smoother at handling some of the basic accounting tasks, for example both issuing and later reconciling checks in Dynamics AX seems a little tedious.
Read full review
Scalability
Sage
I define scalable from two perspectives; 1) the scalability to handle more bookkeepers/accountants using the product, and 2) the scalability to handle increasing customer/vendor/employee and transactional data. Sage 50 does a good job on both fronts. From the single users operating a micro-business accounting for customer invoices and bill payments only, to the multi-staff, multi-location, multi-departmental complex transactional operation. Although Sage 50 is quite expensive for that smallest user, it is quite inexpensive for the larger business entity. So, for the new enterprise expecting rapid growth, Sage 50 is the application of choice.
Read full review
Sage
No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
Sage
  • Sage definitely needs to do a better job with customer service. I have had to use them only a handful of times and it was not a great experience but not the worse I've seen. They didn't make us a priority and I felt that they didn't have a sense of urgency. They did address my lack of satisfaction and I can see that they are at least aware of the issues and they are trying to correct them.
  • Sage is exactly what we need in my current organization and I wouldn't change it for another system. I have used quite a few in my lifetime and I would say that it fits our needs.
Read full review
Sage
  • Positive: The program allows for a lot of data entry and splitting of information. It has the capability of replacing multiple programs and therefore saving cost.
  • Negative: The modules are cumbersome and not user friendly at all. As a result not many user are comfortable using it. This means that the program is not being used to its capacity.
  • Negative: Although the program has the capacity to be great, the user interface destroys that potential. Sage needs to seriously work on their program to simplify it. It's as if it still uses Command-line entries from 1995. Needs to be updated ASAP.
Read full review
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