TrustRadius: an HG Insights company

Save this comparison

Save this comparison

Add Product

Recommended Comparisons

    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Sage 500

    Score6.2 out of 10
    N/ASage 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

    Wave Accounting

    Score7.3 out of 10
    N/AWave Accounting is a free, cloud-based accounting platform exclusively for small businesses. It supports double-entry bookkeeping and permits unlimited user access, invoicing, and expense management. Wave Accounting integrates with Wave's invoicing, receipt scanning, payment processing and payroll apps.

    $16

    per month

    Pricing
    Sage 500Wave Accounting
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    Starter
    $0
    Pro
    $16
    per month
    Pro - billed annually
    $170
    per year
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Sage 500Wave Accounting
    Free Trial
    NoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoYes
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Sage 500Wave Accounting
    Considered Both Products
    Sage
    No answer on this topic
    Wave
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    No answers on this topic
    53%
    Would buy again
    8 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    No answers on this topic
    67%
    Delivers good value for the price
    10 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    No answers on this topic
    67%
    Happy with the feature set
    10 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    No answers on this topic
    54%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    7 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    No answers on this topic
    73%
    Implementation went as expected
    11 Answers
    Features
    Sage 500Wave Accounting
    Payroll Management
    Comparison of Payroll Management features of Sage 500 ERP and Wave Accounting
    Feature
    Sage 500 ERP
    7.0
    2 Ratings
    7% below category average
    Wave Accounting
    6.2
    24 Ratings
    20% below category average
    Pay calculation9.01 Ratings7.123 Ratings
    Benefit plan administration6.01 Ratings7.54 Ratings
    Direct deposit files7.02 Ratings1.220 Ratings
    Salary revision and increment management00 Ratings7.712 Ratings
    Reimbursement management00 Ratings7.48 Ratings
    Customization
    Comparison of Customization features of Sage 500 ERP and Wave Accounting
    Feature
    Sage 500 ERP
    8.5
    3 Ratings
    12% above category average
    Wave Accounting
    8.5
    13 Ratings
    12% above category average
    API for custom integration9.03 Ratings9.99 Ratings
    Plug-ins8.03 Ratings7.011 Ratings
    Security
    Comparison of Security features of Sage 500 ERP and Wave Accounting
    Feature
    Sage 500 ERP
    8.5
    3 Ratings
    1% above category average
    Wave Accounting
    6.4
    45 Ratings
    24% below category average
    Single sign-on capability7.03 Ratings6.432 Ratings
    Role-based user permissions10.03 Ratings6.436 Ratings
    Reporting & Analytics
    Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Sage 500 ERP and Wave Accounting
    Feature
    Sage 500 ERP
    8.0
    3 Ratings
    6% above category average
    Wave Accounting
    9.5
    73 Ratings
    19% above category average
    Dashboards6.03 Ratings9.471 Ratings
    Standard reports8.03 Ratings9.770 Ratings
    Custom reports10.03 Ratings9.337 Ratings
    General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
    Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of Sage 500 ERP and Wave Accounting
    Feature
    Sage 500 ERP
    8.0
    3 Ratings
    4% above category average
    Wave Accounting
    7.4
    76 Ratings
    3% below category average
    Accounts payable10.03 Ratings9.659 Ratings
    Accounts receivable10.03 Ratings9.670 Ratings
    Global Financial Support10.02 Ratings9.02 Ratings
    Primary and Secondary Ledgers8.01 Ratings9.05 Ratings
    Journals and Reconciliations10.02 Ratings8.530 Ratings
    Configurable Accounting10.02 Ratings5.017 Ratings
    Standardized Processes10.02 Ratings7.019 Ratings
    Cash management00 Ratings9.862 Ratings
    Bank reconciliation00 Ratings8.565 Ratings
    Expense management00 Ratings9.664 Ratings
    Time tracking00 Ratings9.811 Ratings
    Fixed asset management00 Ratings9.812 Ratings
    Multi-currency support00 Ratings10.019 Ratings
    Multi-division support00 Ratings7.19 Ratings
    Regulations compliance00 Ratings5.016 Ratings
    Electronic tax filing00 Ratings5.914 Ratings
    Self-service portal00 Ratings8.040 Ratings
    Intercompany Accounting00 Ratings4.05 Ratings
    Localizations00 Ratings5.23 Ratings
    Enterprise Accounting00 Ratings4.07 Ratings
    Centralized Rules Framework00 Ratings1.03 Ratings
    Inventory Management
    Comparison of Inventory Management features of Sage 500 ERP and Wave Accounting
    Feature
    Sage 500 ERP
    8.0
    3 Ratings
    0% above category average
    Wave Accounting
    8.1
    11 Ratings
    11% above category average
    Inventory tracking6.03 Ratings5.68 Ratings
    Automatic reordering10.03 Ratings9.95 Ratings
    Location management10.03 Ratings8.12 Ratings
    Manufacturing module00 Ratings9.01 Ratings
    Order Management
    Comparison of Order Management features of Sage 500 ERP and Wave Accounting
    Feature
    Sage 500 ERP
    8.8
    2 Ratings
    10% above category average
    Wave Accounting
    7.6
    53 Ratings
    3% above category average
    Pricing8.02 Ratings9.926 Ratings
    Order entry9.02 Ratings10.018 Ratings
    Credit card processing9.02 Ratings2.345 Ratings
    Cost of goods sold10.02 Ratings10.034 Ratings
    Order Orchestration8.01 Ratings5.85 Ratings
    End-to-end order visibility00 Ratings8.24 Ratings
    Order exception Resolution00 Ratings7.02 Ratings
    Subledger and Financial Process
    Comparison of Subledger and Financial Process features of Sage 500 ERP and Wave Accounting
    Feature
    Sage 500 ERP
    5.9
    2 Ratings
    25% below category average
    Wave Accounting
    -
    Ratings
    Billing Management10.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Cash and Asset Management8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Travel & Expense Management8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Budgetary Control & Encumbrance Accounting2.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Period Close8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Project Financial Management
    Comparison of Project Financial Management features of Sage 500 ERP and Wave Accounting
    Feature
    Sage 500 ERP
    6.9
    1 Ratings
    9% below category average
    Wave Accounting
    -
    Ratings
    Budgeting and Forecasting1.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Project Costing3.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Cost Capture8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Capital Project Management9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Customer Contract Compliance9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Project Revenue Recognition9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Project Execution Management
    Comparison of Project Execution Management features of Sage 500 ERP and Wave Accounting
    Feature
    Sage 500 ERP
    4.5
    1 Ratings
    44% below category average
    Wave Accounting
    -
    Ratings
    Task Insight for Project Managers7.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Project Mobile Functionality5.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Grants Management
    Comparison of Grants Management features of Sage 500 ERP and Wave Accounting
    Feature
    Sage 500 ERP
    7.5
    1 Ratings
    1% above category average
    Wave Accounting
    -
    Ratings
    Award Lifecycle Management6.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Procurement
    Comparison of Procurement features of Sage 500 ERP and Wave Accounting
    Feature
    Sage 500 ERP
    6.0
    1 Ratings
    17% below category average
    Wave Accounting
    -
    Ratings
    Contract Authoring8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Contract Repository10.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Requisitions-to-Purchase Orders Integrated8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Supplier Management4.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Risk Management
    Comparison of Risk Management features of Sage 500 ERP and Wave Accounting
    Feature
    Sage 500 ERP
    4.3
    1 Ratings
    44% below category average
    Wave Accounting
    -
    Ratings
    Risk Repository3.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Control Management7.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Control Efficiency Assessments4.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Remediation and Certification3.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Supply Chain
    Comparison of Supply Chain features of Sage 500 ERP and Wave Accounting
    Feature
    Sage 500 ERP
    1.3
    1 Ratings
    140% below category average
    Wave Accounting
    -
    Ratings
    Forecasting1.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Inventory Planning2.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Performance Monitoring1.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Product Lifecycle Management
    Comparison of Product Lifecycle Management features of Sage 500 ERP and Wave Accounting
    Feature
    Sage 500 ERP
    5.3
    1 Ratings
    33% below category average
    Wave Accounting
    -
    Ratings
    Proposal Management7.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Product Master Data Management4.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Sage 500Wave Accounting
    Small Businesses
    Zoho One
    Score9.2 out of 10
    QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Score4.3 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Zoho One
    Score9.2 out of 10
    MYOB
    Score8.3 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued)
    Score4.8 out of 10
    Microsoft Dynamics GP
    Score5.5 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Sage 500Wave Accounting
    Likelihood to Recommend
    10.0
    (5 ratings)
    9.4
    (82 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    6.3
    (2 ratings)
    7.8
    (3 ratings)
    Usability
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    9.7
    (17 ratings)
    Availability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    6.7
    (4 ratings)
    Performance
    -
    (0 ratings)
    2.9
    (2 ratings)
    Support Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    2.1
    (12 ratings)
    Online Training
    6.0
    (1 ratings)
    4.7
    (3 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    CPA Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.0
    (8 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    3.0
    (2 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Sage 500Wave Accounting
    Likelihood to Recommend
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Wave
    Wave Accounting was used for a small practice without a lot of the accounting considerations a large company would have. For the price, you really can't beat what Wave offers out of the box. All of the basic tools for things like invoicing and expenses are all easy to use. End of year accounting is easy with exports of data.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Wave
    • Reconciliation is very difficult with multiple Wave transactions that need to be deleted or merged before it can be matched to a bank transaction.
    • Payroll worked fine for us but took several days to get it set up. We have switched to another bookkeeping system and another payroll system. Canceling with Wave took several days and they charge $6 for something even though the month was paid for in advance.
    • Credit card processing is nice and worked fine for us.
    Read full review
    Cons
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Wave
    • I know that credit card processing is a way for Wave to make money, but I really wish they offered ACH payment on Invoices.
    • I do cash-based accounting, which means I have to make little journal entries at the start and end of each year to get my books to balance because Wave wants to do everything differently. This should just be a setting to flip, whether you want cash-based or accrual-based.
    • They use Yodlee for bank connection, which doesn't play nice with 2FA. Pretty much every time I log in I have to re-enter credentials, get a code sent to me, reauthenticate, and know that I'm going to have to do it again next week. Not really on Wave, but wish they could get it together nonetheless.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Sage
    It's too pricey for our size of company.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Wave
    Easy to use for clients with no accounting background and the price is right.
    Read full review
    Usability
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Wave
    I am a professional bookkeeper and I have no problems using Wave and all of it's features. I can see that certain individuals who have no accounting knowledge might struggle with a few different features and entries, but that is why Wave has an emphasis in connecting users to Wave Pro's who will walk them through things
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    Sage
    No answers on this topic
    Wave
    WAVE is always available when we need it ! Peter
    Read full review
    Performance
    Sage
    No answers on this topic
    Wave
    Wave does tend to slow down when filtering your transactions screen especially by date. This is more of an issue when trying to trouble shoot certain transactions or clean-up a set of books.
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    Sage
    No answers on this topic
    Wave
    I never had to call Wave Support as we barely experienced any support-related problems on our side. However, I do know a few people that complained about Wave support. It would be nice as well, though if they could have more in your face tutorials for new users or how-to videos should we struggle to do something
    Read full review
    Online Training
    Sage
    The online training courses are not up to date. We experienced technical issues with two of the classes.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Wave
    easy to use and east to train on ! Our WAVE clients enjoy the ease of use
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Wave
    No answers on this topic
    Alternatives Considered
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Wave
    Wave is FREE for most functions. Payment processing costs no matter where you go (as does payroll or taxes). Wave rises above tools like QuickBooks Online because they know that for our small firm, being nimble is the name of the game. We don't need exhaustive reporting and management like QB offers and we certainly don't want to pay for it
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Scalability
    Sage
    No answers on this topic
    Wave
    Once they out grow what is ability to move up to a more robust system?
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Wave
    • Wave has been ROI positive for our company. With not having to pay for the service we can use our money for growing our business.
    • The fees on credit card transactions for invoices are reasonable especially as we don't pay a monthly subscription.
    • The invoicing feature has made our lives easier for us and our customers. The invoicing piece and AR tracking has been ROI positive as well.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots