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    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

    Xero

    Score8.4 out of 10
    N/AXero is an online accounting software product for small businesses and personal finance. Its features beyond general ledger and double-bookkeeping include quotable invoicing, bank reconciliation, purchase order and expense management, and tax management. Third party apps can extend its features further.

    $13

    per month

    Pricing
    Sage 500Xero
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    Early
    $13
    per month
    Growing
    $37
    per month
    Established
    $70
    per month
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Sage 500Xero
    Free Trial
    NoYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional DetailsPrices in table are in USD and just apply to the US - other markets & prices are listed below: Canada - Starter $18 CAD/month, Standard $45 CAD/month, Premium 5 $58 CAD/month UK - Starter £14/month, Standard £28/month, Premium £36/month AU - Starter $29 AUD/month, Standard $59 AUD/month, Premium 5 $76 AUD/month NZ - Starter $31 NZD/month, Standard $66 NZD/month, Premium $84 NZD/month
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Sage 500Xero
    Considered Both Products
    Sage
    No answer on this topic
    Xero
    Chose Xero
    Xero was chosen due to its simplicity and cost. The decision was as simple as that. There are no hidden costs.
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    No answers on this topic
    93%
    Would buy again
    160 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    No answers on this topic
    94%
    Delivers good value for the price
    153 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    No answers on this topic
    93%
    Happy with the feature set
    160 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    No answers on this topic
    94%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    131 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    No answers on this topic
    99%
    Implementation went as expected
    149 Answers
    Features
    Sage 500Xero
    Payroll Management
    Comparison of Payroll Management features of Sage 500 ERP and Xero
    Feature
    Sage 500 ERP
    7.0
    2 Ratings
    7% below category average
    Xero
    7.5
    73 Ratings
    1% below category average
    Pay calculation9.01 Ratings8.065 Ratings
    Benefit plan administration6.01 Ratings8.023 Ratings
    Direct deposit files7.02 Ratings7.249 Ratings
    Salary revision and increment management00 Ratings7.141 Ratings
    Reimbursement management00 Ratings7.054 Ratings
    Customization
    Comparison of Customization features of Sage 500 ERP and Xero
    Feature
    Sage 500 ERP
    8.5
    3 Ratings
    12% above category average
    Xero
    8.0
    169 Ratings
    6% above category average
    API for custom integration9.03 Ratings7.979 Ratings
    Plug-ins8.03 Ratings8.1156 Ratings
    Security
    Comparison of Security features of Sage 500 ERP and Xero
    Feature
    Sage 500 ERP
    8.5
    3 Ratings
    1% above category average
    Xero
    7.1
    213 Ratings
    14% below category average
    Single sign-on capability7.03 Ratings5.572 Ratings
    Role-based user permissions10.03 Ratings8.7211 Ratings
    Reporting & Analytics
    Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Sage 500 ERP and Xero
    Feature
    Sage 500 ERP
    8.0
    3 Ratings
    6% above category average
    Xero
    8.3
    241 Ratings
    6% above category average
    Dashboards6.03 Ratings8.3237 Ratings
    Standard reports8.03 Ratings8.9239 Ratings
    Custom reports10.03 Ratings7.9212 Ratings
    General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
    Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of Sage 500 ERP and Xero
    Feature
    Sage 500 ERP
    8.0
    3 Ratings
    4% above category average
    Xero
    8.3
    251 Ratings
    8% above category average
    Accounts payable10.03 Ratings8.0229 Ratings
    Accounts receivable10.03 Ratings8.1234 Ratings
    Global Financial Support10.02 Ratings7.884 Ratings
    Primary and Secondary Ledgers8.01 Ratings7.881 Ratings
    Journals and Reconciliations10.02 Ratings10.090 Ratings
    Configurable Accounting10.02 Ratings10.059 Ratings
    Standardized Processes10.02 Ratings8.059 Ratings
    Cash management00 Ratings7.7217 Ratings
    Bank reconciliation00 Ratings8.6244 Ratings
    Expense management00 Ratings7.8224 Ratings
    Time tracking00 Ratings6.387 Ratings
    Fixed asset management00 Ratings7.7152 Ratings
    Multi-currency support00 Ratings7.9149 Ratings
    Multi-division support00 Ratings7.5129 Ratings
    Regulations compliance00 Ratings8.3131 Ratings
    Electronic tax filing00 Ratings8.6134 Ratings
    Self-service portal00 Ratings7.7153 Ratings
    Intercompany Accounting00 Ratings10.040 Ratings
    Localizations00 Ratings10.039 Ratings
    Enterprise Accounting00 Ratings10.033 Ratings
    Centralized Rules Framework00 Ratings6.033 Ratings
    Inventory Management
    Comparison of Inventory Management features of Sage 500 ERP and Xero
    Feature
    Sage 500 ERP
    8.0
    3 Ratings
    0% above category average
    Xero
    6.3
    119 Ratings
    14% below category average
    Inventory tracking6.03 Ratings7.2115 Ratings
    Automatic reordering10.03 Ratings6.224 Ratings
    Location management10.03 Ratings6.229 Ratings
    Manufacturing module00 Ratings6.016 Ratings
    Order Management
    Comparison of Order Management features of Sage 500 ERP and Xero
    Feature
    Sage 500 ERP
    8.8
    2 Ratings
    10% above category average
    Xero
    7.3
    89 Ratings
    1% below category average
    Pricing8.02 Ratings10.062 Ratings
    Order entry9.02 Ratings10.056 Ratings
    Credit card processing9.02 Ratings6.358 Ratings
    Cost of goods sold10.02 Ratings6.366 Ratings
    Order Orchestration8.01 Ratings6.121 Ratings
    End-to-end order visibility00 Ratings6.124 Ratings
    Order exception Resolution00 Ratings6.117 Ratings
    Subledger and Financial Process
    Comparison of Subledger and Financial Process features of Sage 500 ERP and Xero
    Feature
    Sage 500 ERP
    5.9
    2 Ratings
    25% below category average
    Xero
    -
    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 Xero
    Feature
    Sage 500 ERP
    6.9
    1 Ratings
    9% below category average
    Xero
    -
    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 Xero
    Feature
    Sage 500 ERP
    4.5
    1 Ratings
    44% below category average
    Xero
    -
    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 Xero
    Feature
    Sage 500 ERP
    7.5
    1 Ratings
    1% above category average
    Xero
    -
    Ratings
    Award Lifecycle Management6.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Procurement
    Comparison of Procurement features of Sage 500 ERP and Xero
    Feature
    Sage 500 ERP
    6.0
    1 Ratings
    17% below category average
    Xero
    -
    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 Xero
    Feature
    Sage 500 ERP
    4.3
    1 Ratings
    44% below category average
    Xero
    -
    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 Xero
    Feature
    Sage 500 ERP
    1.3
    1 Ratings
    140% below category average
    Xero
    -
    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 Xero
    Feature
    Sage 500 ERP
    5.3
    1 Ratings
    33% below category average
    Xero
    -
    Ratings
    Proposal Management7.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Product Master Data Management4.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Sage 500Xero
    Small Businesses
    Intuit Enterprise Suite
    Score9 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
    Score5.3 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Sage 500Xero
    Likelihood to Recommend
    10.0
    (5 ratings)
    8.3
    (266 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    6.3
    (2 ratings)
    4.7
    (38 ratings)
    Usability
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    8.3
    (192 ratings)
    Availability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    3.1
    (12 ratings)
    Performance
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.0
    (10 ratings)
    Support Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    5.6
    (40 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    Online Training
    6.0
    (1 ratings)
    10.0
    (6 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    7.6
    (13 ratings)
    Configurability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.1
    (3 ratings)
    CPA Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.1
    (10 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.4
    (150 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.0
    (8 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    6.5
    (4 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    6.5
    (4 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Sage 500Xero
    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
    Xero
    The only time I wouldn't be suggesting it is to consultants or solopreneurs. I think it's too overwhelming unless you are experienced or have a background related to finance. So it's not that the product isn't powerful, it's that it can be too powerful. For all other size businesses it really is what you need to use to make life simple to track everything in your business. It definitely saves me time by having it all in one place and not multiple spreadsheets etc
    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
    Xero
    • The bank feed integration makes reconciling transactions easy
    • Once you load a template for your invoices, every client gets a professional looking invoice
    • Bill paying and tracking of payments is also easy; you load your bill into Xero, pay it through the bank, and when the transaction is completed it comes through on bank feeds. If you need to query when a bill was paid, it is all there in Xero
    Incentivized
    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
    Xero
    • Having different email addresses for different parts of a customer's business (eg invoices and statements to different places)
    • Easily seeing the text of emails that have been sent through Xero
    • More easily archiving old pay items. Our HR software updates rates when awards are updated which means a lot of old pay rates are in the system and they have multiple clicks to archive each one. Clicking the ones to archive in bulk and then just click archive for all would be much more efficient.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Sage
    It's too pricey for our size of company.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Xero
    In addition to the matters covered in this review, my reason for renewing this product is that Xero's functionality and the constant updates that the company provides, makes the software even more business friendly. The software therefore builds a brand loyalty among customers.
    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
    Xero
    As a standalone software, it allows users to fulfill most of the basic functions (e.g. transaction input and report generation) simply and conveniently. It also allows for multiple APIs to help augment various tasks that accounting-adjacent (e.g. claims processing). The cloud based model and portability to mobile devices allows tasks to be carried out in a more convenient way.
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    Sage
    No answers on this topic
    Xero
    We have been actively using and 100% Xero based for our ecommerce accounting practice for over 4 years. There has on been one real outage for more than 5 minutes. Xero was open and transparent about the outage, what they were doing to resolve the issue, and provided 15 minute updates. Showing how they care about their customers and partners. Plus, showing that their customers care too, were understanding, and went surfing or in our case took a nap. Couldn't run our business without Xero as a partner.
    Read full review
    Performance
    Sage
    No answers on this topic
    Xero
    On a good day, things worked but after upgrades, things began to slow and or not work at all at times. I coined the moving circle while I waited as the "Xero Wheel of Death". Sometimes it never stopped and force quitting was necessary.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    Sage
    No answers on this topic
    Xero
    Always respond and keep issues open until you are satisfied with the result. Generally good responses, in the past, I had some support responses that were really basic and really annoying. They type where "have your tried restarting your computer" style of answers. Well, of course, I went through all the basics before contacting them. Duh, but I suppose not everyone does. Otherwise, it would be a 10. The last year has shown a marked improvement in the support responses however.
    Read full review
    In-Person Training
    Sage
    No answers on this topic
    Xero
    The format was great; someone was there to ask questions or help if you were stuck.
    Incentivized
    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
    Xero
    All of Xero's training is online and available for anyone (business owner or accountants) to learn and become experts in their system. There is a range of content from product training to real world webinars from their partners. Xero is beautiful accounting software and their training is the same.
    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
    Xero
    If it can be done, time the implementation near a new fiscal year so you can start clean. Otherwise, you have to go back and do historical data from the beginning of the fiscal year, which can be brain draining.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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
    Xero
    Each of the products I listed had their own list of drawbacks, but the one thing they all had in common, which was right on top of that list of drawbacks, was ease of use. I struggled to get myself accustomed to each system and struggled, but when it came to getting a client to even try and use it was when the true struggle started. Just found it easier to make use of Xero from the very beginning.
    Read full review
    Scalability
    Sage
    No answers on this topic
    Xero
    I have yet to fully stress test the product given the size of the company where I am using it. I am sure as we scale to more customers, more vendors and more reporting requirements, I will have a better understanding of what it is capable of in terms of bandwidth and processing
    Incentivized
    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
    Xero
    • Xero is a basic accounting system that performs basic accounting tasks easily and accurately. For that, it provides a positive impact on our day to day accounting operations.
    • Because of Xero's basic structure, I feel it lacks some of the sophistication that some users want and need. The ability to create unique custom reports would enhance the impact Xero would have on meeting business objectives by providing current and useful accounting information.
    • In my opinion, Xero's lack of focus on their customers - their users - is a real issue with me. In my opinion, those of us that are in the trenches that work with the system on a daily basis have to deal with the shortcomings of the system with the knowledge that Xero support refuses to address the operational issues that make their user's lives difficult. I feel if Xero would focus on truly making their software better from a users point of view, it has the potential to be a great system.
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    Xero Screenshots

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