TrustRadius: an HG Insights company

Save this comparison

Save this comparison

Add Product

Recommended Comparisons

    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Sage CRM

    Score8.9 out of 10
    Mid-Size Companies (51-1,000 employees)
    Sage CRM is an SMB-oriented CRM platform offered in both SaaS and on-premise editions. Unlike the Sage SalesLogix product, the SaaS version is a true multi-tenant offering. The platform offers excellent integration with Sage ERP and accounting products. It is also a good global solution and is available in many languages and is used by over 12,000 customers worldwide, with many customers in Europe.

    $33

    per month

    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 CRMXero
    Editions & Modules
    Sage CRM (cloud)
    $45
    Per User per Month
    Sage CRM (on premise)
    $0
    Lifetime License per Seat
    Early
    $13
    per month
    Growing
    $37
    per month
    Established
    $70
    per month
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Sage CRMXero
    Free Trial
    YesYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    YesNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional DetailsTiered pricing is available for multiple users.Prices 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 CRMXero
    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
    100%
    Would buy again
    8 Answers
    93%
    Would buy again
    160 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    86%
    Delivers good value for the price
    6 Answers
    94%
    Delivers good value for the price
    153 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    100%
    Happy with the feature set
    8 Answers
    93%
    Happy with the feature set
    160 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    100%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    8 Answers
    94%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    131 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    100%
    Implementation went as expected
    8 Answers
    99%
    Implementation went as expected
    149 Answers
    Features
    Sage CRMXero
    Sales Force Automation
    Comparison of Sales Force Automation features of Sage CRM and Xero
    Feature
    Sage CRM
    8.8
    17 Ratings
    12% above category average
    Xero
    -
    Ratings
    Customer data management / contact management9.017 Ratings00 Ratings
    Workflow management8.616 Ratings00 Ratings
    Territory management8.517 Ratings00 Ratings
    Opportunity management8.917 Ratings00 Ratings
    Integration with email client (e.g., Outlook or Gmail)9.016 Ratings00 Ratings
    Contract management8.614 Ratings00 Ratings
    Quote & order management9.016 Ratings00 Ratings
    Interaction tracking9.216 Ratings00 Ratings
    Channel / partner relationship management8.716 Ratings00 Ratings
    Customer Service & Support
    Comparison of Customer Service & Support features of Sage CRM and Xero
    Feature
    Sage CRM
    8.1
    16 Ratings
    5% above category average
    Xero
    -
    Ratings
    Case management8.016 Ratings00 Ratings
    Call center management8.215 Ratings00 Ratings
    Help desk management8.214 Ratings00 Ratings
    Marketing Automation
    Comparison of Marketing Automation features of Sage CRM and Xero
    Feature
    Sage CRM
    8.7
    16 Ratings
    12% above category average
    Xero
    -
    Ratings
    Lead management8.816 Ratings00 Ratings
    Email marketing8.715 Ratings00 Ratings
    CRM Project Management
    Comparison of CRM Project Management features of Sage CRM and Xero
    Feature
    Sage CRM
    9.0
    17 Ratings
    16% above category average
    Xero
    -
    Ratings
    Task management9.016 Ratings00 Ratings
    Billing and invoicing management9.015 Ratings00 Ratings
    Reporting9.113 Ratings00 Ratings
    CRM Reporting & Analytics
    Comparison of CRM Reporting & Analytics features of Sage CRM and Xero
    Feature
    Sage CRM
    8.6
    17 Ratings
    12% above category average
    Xero
    -
    Ratings
    Forecasting8.716 Ratings00 Ratings
    Pipeline visualization8.416 Ratings00 Ratings
    Customizable reports8.717 Ratings00 Ratings
    Customization
    Comparison of Customization features of Sage CRM and Xero
    Feature
    Sage CRM
    8.6
    17 Ratings
    12% above category average
    Xero
    8.0
    169 Ratings
    6% above category average
    Custom fields8.517 Ratings00 Ratings
    Custom objects8.516 Ratings00 Ratings
    Scripting environment9.016 Ratings00 Ratings
    API for custom integration8.314 Ratings7.979 Ratings
    Plug-ins00 Ratings8.1156 Ratings
    Security
    Comparison of Security features of Sage CRM and Xero
    Feature
    Sage CRM
    8.7
    17 Ratings
    4% above category average
    Xero
    7.1
    213 Ratings
    14% below category average
    Single sign-on capability8.717 Ratings5.572 Ratings
    Role-based user permissions8.813 Ratings8.7211 Ratings
    Social CRM
    Comparison of Social CRM features of Sage CRM and Xero
    Feature
    Sage CRM
    9.4
    13 Ratings
    22% above category average
    Xero
    -
    Ratings
    Social data9.513 Ratings00 Ratings
    Social engagement9.313 Ratings00 Ratings
    Integrations with 3rd-party Software
    Comparison of Integrations with 3rd-party Software features of Sage CRM and Xero
    Feature
    Sage CRM
    9.0
    14 Ratings
    18% above category average
    Xero
    -
    Ratings
    Marketing automation9.114 Ratings00 Ratings
    Compensation management8.912 Ratings00 Ratings
    Platform
    Comparison of Platform features of Sage CRM and Xero
    Feature
    Sage CRM
    7.8
    16 Ratings
    2% above category average
    Xero
    -
    Ratings
    Mobile access7.816 Ratings00 Ratings
    Payroll Management
    Comparison of Payroll Management features of Sage CRM and Xero
    Feature
    Sage CRM
    -
    Ratings
    Xero
    7.5
    73 Ratings
    1% below category average
    Pay calculation00 Ratings8.065 Ratings
    Benefit plan administration00 Ratings8.023 Ratings
    Direct deposit files00 Ratings7.249 Ratings
    Salary revision and increment management00 Ratings7.141 Ratings
    Reimbursement management00 Ratings7.054 Ratings
    Reporting & Analytics
    Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Sage CRM and Xero
    Feature
    Sage CRM
    -
    Ratings
    Xero
    8.3
    241 Ratings
    6% above category average
    Dashboards00 Ratings8.3237 Ratings
    Standard reports00 Ratings8.9239 Ratings
    Custom reports00 Ratings7.9212 Ratings
    General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
    Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of Sage CRM and Xero
    Feature
    Sage CRM
    -
    Ratings
    Xero
    8.3
    251 Ratings
    8% above category average
    Accounts payable00 Ratings7.9229 Ratings
    Accounts receivable00 Ratings8.1234 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 Ratings7.4129 Ratings
    Regulations compliance00 Ratings8.3131 Ratings
    Electronic tax filing00 Ratings8.6134 Ratings
    Self-service portal00 Ratings7.7153 Ratings
    Global Financial Support00 Ratings7.884 Ratings
    Primary and Secondary Ledgers00 Ratings7.881 Ratings
    Intercompany Accounting00 Ratings10.040 Ratings
    Localizations00 Ratings10.039 Ratings
    Journals and Reconciliations00 Ratings10.090 Ratings
    Enterprise Accounting00 Ratings10.033 Ratings
    Configurable Accounting00 Ratings10.059 Ratings
    Centralized Rules Framework00 Ratings6.033 Ratings
    Standardized Processes00 Ratings8.059 Ratings
    Inventory Management
    Comparison of Inventory Management features of Sage CRM and Xero
    Feature
    Sage CRM
    -
    Ratings
    Xero
    6.3
    119 Ratings
    14% below category average
    Inventory tracking00 Ratings7.1115 Ratings
    Automatic reordering00 Ratings6.224 Ratings
    Location management00 Ratings6.229 Ratings
    Manufacturing module00 Ratings6.016 Ratings
    Order Management
    Comparison of Order Management features of Sage CRM and Xero
    Feature
    Sage CRM
    -
    Ratings
    Xero
    7.3
    89 Ratings
    1% below category average
    Pricing00 Ratings10.062 Ratings
    Order entry00 Ratings10.056 Ratings
    Credit card processing00 Ratings6.358 Ratings
    Cost of goods sold00 Ratings6.366 Ratings
    Order Orchestration00 Ratings6.121 Ratings
    End-to-end order visibility00 Ratings6.124 Ratings
    Order exception Resolution00 Ratings6.117 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Sage CRMXero
    Small Businesses
    Salesflare
    Score10 out of 10
    QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Score4.2 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Kintone
    Score9.7 out of 10
    MYOB
    Score8.3 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Oracle Sales
    Score8.9 out of 10
    Microsoft Dynamics GP
    Score5.4 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Sage CRMXero
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.9
    (28 ratings)
    8.3
    (266 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    5.1
    (11 ratings)
    4.7
    (38 ratings)
    Usability
    8.9
    (11 ratings)
    8.3
    (192 ratings)
    Availability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    3.1
    (12 ratings)
    Performance
    8.2
    (1 ratings)
    8.0
    (10 ratings)
    Support Rating
    7.9
    (8 ratings)
    5.6
    (40 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    Online Training
    -
    (0 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 CRMXero
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Sage
    as it is a very flexible software that can be adapted to any business model, other functions human resource management, manufacturing and supply chain planning, all these functions are housed in a highly technological interface. I liked this system because it made automating accounts payable so much easier.the control of the basic accounting of any type of company
    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
    • When in client profile, it is very intuitive, allowing you to easily transcribe notes in the clients profile.
    • Sage allows 3rd party plugins, so if you utilize a particular phone services or would like to import something as simple as google drive, its compatible.
    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
    • Reliance on Apache Tomcat causes a lot of headaches. There are common issues trying to start up the server, resulting from Apache Tomcat misconfigurations, or Java. Some forum posts on Sage City address common issues, but digging into server logs seems to be an often occurrence.
    • Support is somewhat lacking, less user install base means error messages are sometimes hard to find quick answers for. Most of the knowledge found on the internet is in the Sage City forum.
    • Integration with Microsoft 365 causes you to have to turn off some security features. This will result in your 365 tenants running lower security standards than recommended, it may put you at risk for targeted attacks.
    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
    There are really no other words to say, it is a very easy to use application that is more straightforward and has provided better results with the bulk of features that appeal to a very broad amount of users. There may be other CRM platforms out there that are more prevalent, but I have found them to be much more clunky and less intuitive than Sage CRM.
    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
    Excellent integration with the most important social networks (LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter) to get leads. The mobile app is quite useful for speeding up the tasks at hand and not relying on the computer or being in the office to get them done.
    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
    Sage works very quickly based on the network you are using it on. It is internet based so if your network is slow, it will perform slowly. Reports seem to run reasonably fast, if there is too much information it is trying to populate that could slow it down a little. When Sage CRM is integrated with a Sage ERP product it doesn't tend to slow down either system at all
    Read full review
    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
    Support team is really slow and they need to work on this really. Sometimes it takes days to resolve a simple query and there is no way to get it expedited. Rest the product is is amazing but the team should look into the costumer support and get it working
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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
    Most training would come after a upgrade. Otherwise we would self teach new employees. Training was with a Sage Software partner SWK technologies.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Xero
    The format was great; someone was there to ask questions or help if you were stuck.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Online Training
    Sage
    No answers on this topic
    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
    The implementation and upgrades were rather quick and straight forward. Attempting to link Sage CRM with Sage 100 ERP however was a nightmare and will be avoided by us in the future due to numerous issues.
    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
    Whilst SAGE CRM was selected around 10 years ago and we became a partner, the main contenders would have been at the time Sales Logix and MS CRM 4.0. However, we had extensive experience of the mid-market CRM's and decided on SAGE CRM since it had a clean, easy to understand interface and importantly offered both workflow automation and Self Service capability, all of which across both the Case and Sales and Marketing functionality was seamless and saved time. As it was pure browser based, access was from anywhere we wanted. In my view, SAGE CRM still stacks up well against all the other mid-market CRM systems and offers good value for money, but more importantly, it is an easy to operate and customisable solution which user like. Again, we can teach administration users very quickly to support and customise themselves since the admin. function are clear as well.
    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
    • It is very affordable in pricing, compared to competitors
    • Lead management and convertion into prospects is also a very easy process
    • Lead capture from web pages should be available, and better ways to capture leads from tradeshows by uploading directly from scanned business cards
    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

    Product screenshotProduct screenshotProduct screenshotProduct screenshotProduct screenshotProduct screenshot