Sage Accounting vs. Zoho Books

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
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
Zoho Books
Score 8.0 out of 10
N/A
Zoho Books is an accounting solution that is designed to help small businesses manage their finances. This solution includes dashboards and a wide variety of reports. Business users can automate tasks and set up custom workflows. The vendor offers a 14 day free trial.
$0
For businesses with turnover <50K USD per annum
Pricing
Sage AccountingZoho Books
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Free
$0
For businesses with turnover <50K USD per annum
Standard
$15
Per Organization/Month, Billed Annually
Professional
$40
Per Organization/Month, Billed Annually
Premium
$60
Per Organization/Month, Billed Annually
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Sage AccountingZoho Books
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
YesYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup fee$15 Per Organization/Month, Billed Annually
Additional DetailsVersions and pricing listed are for US products. Versions available and pricing may vary by country.Zoho Books is available for both monthly and yearly plans. Users who sign up for the annual plan get a discount.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Sage AccountingZoho Books
Considered Both Products
Sage Accounting
Chose Sage Accounting
Its far more flexible, much better value for money, UK based with accessible and intelligent support. Unlike the other software providers Sage is low on gimmicks and high on usable content. It does what it needs to do exceptionally well and it is constantly evolving.
Zoho Books

No answer on this topic

Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
Sage AccountingZoho Books
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Sage Accounting
9.1
14 Ratings
20% above category average
Zoho Books
-
Ratings
Pay calculation9.212 Ratings00 Ratings
Benefit plan administration9.18 Ratings00 Ratings
Direct deposit files9.19 Ratings00 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management9.18 Ratings00 Ratings
Reimbursement management9.19 Ratings00 Ratings
Customization
Comparison of Customization features of Product A and Product B
Sage Accounting
8.3
17 Ratings
16% above category average
Zoho Books
6.0
14 Ratings
16% below category average
API for custom integration9.814 Ratings6.014 Ratings
Plug-ins6.813 Ratings00 Ratings
Security
Comparison of Security features of Product A and Product B
Sage Accounting
8.9
34 Ratings
12% above category average
Zoho Books
9.3
23 Ratings
17% above category average
Single sign-on capability8.624 Ratings10.018 Ratings
Role-based user permissions9.131 Ratings8.622 Ratings
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
Sage Accounting
6.5
36 Ratings
15% below category average
Zoho Books
7.8
22 Ratings
3% above category average
Dashboards1.933 Ratings7.222 Ratings
Standard reports8.836 Ratings7.221 Ratings
Custom reports8.727 Ratings9.01 Ratings
General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of Product A and Product B
Sage Accounting
7.8
39 Ratings
5% above category average
Zoho Books
8.3
23 Ratings
11% above category average
Accounts payable9.335 Ratings8.221 Ratings
Accounts receivable9.237 Ratings9.122 Ratings
Cash management9.131 Ratings8.021 Ratings
Bank reconciliation9.036 Ratings5.820 Ratings
Expense management9.829 Ratings7.421 Ratings
Time tracking6.89 Ratings6.013 Ratings
Fixed asset management2.523 Ratings00 Ratings
Multi-currency support7.214 Ratings10.012 Ratings
Multi-division support3.513 Ratings00 Ratings
Regulations compliance8.422 Ratings10.011 Ratings
Electronic tax filing8.819 Ratings00 Ratings
Self-service portal8.622 Ratings10.015 Ratings
Global Financial Support8.27 Ratings00 Ratings
Primary and Secondary Ledgers8.110 Ratings00 Ratings
Intercompany Accounting6.98 Ratings00 Ratings
Localizations7.87 Ratings00 Ratings
Journals and Reconciliations8.225 Ratings00 Ratings
Enterprise Accounting8.39 Ratings00 Ratings
Configurable Accounting8.013 Ratings00 Ratings
Centralized Rules Framework7.66 Ratings00 Ratings
Standardized Processes8.113 Ratings00 Ratings
Inventory Management
Comparison of Inventory Management features of Product A and Product B
Sage Accounting
8.1
14 Ratings
14% above category average
Zoho Books
6.5
12 Ratings
8% below category average
Inventory tracking6.214 Ratings6.012 Ratings
Automatic reordering9.15 Ratings7.07 Ratings
Location management8.26 Ratings00 Ratings
Manufacturing module9.04 Ratings00 Ratings
Order Management
Comparison of Order Management features of Product A and Product B
Sage Accounting
6.7
22 Ratings
10% below category average
Zoho Books
8.3
20 Ratings
11% above category average
Pricing8.713 Ratings7.017 Ratings
Order entry7.710 Ratings9.016 Ratings
Credit card processing7.814 Ratings9.017 Ratings
Cost of goods sold6.817 Ratings8.016 Ratings
Order Orchestration4.14 Ratings00 Ratings
End-to-end order visibility7.05 Ratings00 Ratings
Order exception Resolution5.04 Ratings00 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Sage AccountingZoho Books
Small Businesses
Dext Prepare (with Receipt Bank)
Dext Prepare (with Receipt Bank)
Score 9.1 out of 10
Dext Prepare (with Receipt Bank)
Dext Prepare (with Receipt Bank)
Score 9.1 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Accounting Seed
Accounting Seed
Score 8.3 out of 10
Accounting Seed
Accounting Seed
Score 8.3 out of 10
Enterprises
Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP
Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP
Score 8.2 out of 10
Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP
Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP
Score 8.2 out of 10
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User Ratings
Sage AccountingZoho Books
Likelihood to Recommend
9.5
(45 ratings)
6.7
(24 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.4
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Usability
9.2
(16 ratings)
6.7
(6 ratings)
Availability
8.4
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
10.0
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
9.2
(16 ratings)
5.2
(5 ratings)
In-Person Training
10.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Online Training
10.0
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
9.4
(3 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Configurability
9.2
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
10.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
10.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
7.2
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Professional Services
10.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
9.6
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
9.6
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Sage AccountingZoho Books
Likelihood to Recommend
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.
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Zoho
If using other cloud applications and you wish to create Zoho Books transactions via APIs, Zoho Books is great. The overall UI and flow of the application are great. If you need a detailed job cost accounting solution and robust reporting there is some room for improvement here.
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Pros
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
Zoho
  • Zoho Books invoicing and receipting features are second to none. We find it easy to quickly invoice clients and add items to their bills and also for our own receipting internally.
  • The accounting features are great for our accounting team to be able to see where we are financially and how the business is doing.
  • The ability to add contacts and run a mini CRM channel with clients within Zoho is invaluable. Since we use this in conjunction with our other CRM channels, it helps to have a centralized place to follow up and see through a sales funnel.
  • Zoho Books allows us to take payments from clients around the globe a feature we didn't have when we used another accounting system.
  • The pricing for Zoho Books is fairly reasonable for an SME organization which is a great for us as it pays itself back many times over every month.
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Cons
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.
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Zoho
  • Zoho Books is only available in Texas and California. There is no integration allowed for paying employee expenses. The absolute worst aspect is the fact that if you make even the slightest error in data input there is no backing up. You cannot undo an error.
  • The system does not allow change once implemented, so you must get every one of your beginning balances perfect. The practice of Journal Entries is cumbersome. When reconciling, Zoho Books has adopted a number of required steps that significantly overcomplicate reconciliation using practices that are not consistent with general accounting principles in the US.
  • On the customer side, you must look in two places to see the beginning balance and the current receivables that might exist for current invoicing.
  • The way the system works, you must avoid having much trust with the balances depicted. So far, it appears that Zoho Books uses what we called in school "that new math."
  • It would be terrifying to rely on this bookkeeping system to support an IRS Audit. The system violates too many fundamental accounting principles.
  • The software is used by so few people that there is concern that we might never find a skilled bookkeeper.
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Likelihood to Renew
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.
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Zoho
No answers on this topic
Usability
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.
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Zoho
Customization is the biggest struggle for us and most of the time we need to involve a tech person. The chat support is a great feature and very helpful. It would be great to be able to customize and create invoices and correspondence (templates) such are reminders in multiple languages within one organization. The currency (USD) would be the same. We have clients in different countries that don't speak English but pay in USD.
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Reliability and Availability
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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Zoho
No answers on this topic
Performance
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.
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Zoho
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
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
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Zoho
The support team feels very disjointed. We have filtered through a number of "lead" contacts and are frequently spammed by other Zoho members. Once getting an appropriate support contact on the phone - the team is very helpful, it just takes a lot of hoop jumping to get there. We actually unsubscribed from their support package as we were not getting the value we were looking for.
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In-Person Training
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.
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Zoho
No answers on this topic
Online Training
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.
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Zoho
No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
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.
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Zoho
No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
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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Zoho
We had a lot of problems with Exact Online, support-wise and price-wise. So Zoho Books wins on every point there. While Exact offers way more options, it tends to be really slow... and complex. Again Zoho Books wins. If you want an easy-to-use tool and not pay a lot of money, or if you are a small administration office with a few clients, this tool will be perfect for you.
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Contract Terms and Pricing Model
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.
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Zoho
No answers on this topic
Scalability
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.
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Zoho
No answers on this topic
Professional Services
Sage
Sage has always been extremely professional, and they continue to be professional in their dealings with me.
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Zoho
No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
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.
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Zoho
  • Integration: Zoho Books offers out of the box integrations to extend the functionality and connect with the applications you love like MailChimp, Microsoft Outlook, PandaDoc, and Quickbooks, etc.
  • Flexibility makes Zoho Books great!
  • Since I can use forecast reports, I can create customizable sales forecast data from the dashboard to accurately measure revenue forecasts and establish sales quotas.
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ScreenShots

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

Zoho Books Screenshots

Screenshot of Screenshot of Screenshot of Screenshot of Screenshot of Screenshot of