Sage Review

What Is Sage?

Sage is accounting software for businesses of all sizes. It’s a platform with numerous features to help you handle various processes, such as invoicing, bookkeeping, stocktaking, etc. 

The Sage account software is cloud-based, meaning you can access it from any internet-connected device. Likewise, you can download the native app on a PC (Windows or macOS) or smartphone (iOS or Android).

Sage Features

Here’s what you can do with the Sage accounting app:

Invoicing

Sage provides professional invoicing with ready-made templates. You can select any one of them and modify it to create your unique invoice. There are many things you may do in terms of editing. You can insert custom headings, associated company logos, contact details, addresses, etc.

After creating an invoice, you can email it to the intended customer right from the platform. Moreover, you can take card payments directly from the invoices you send. This feature is possible through Sage’s partnership with Stripe, a leading payment gateway. 

Additionally, you don’t have to start from scratch every time. If you’ve sent quotes to a customer, the Sage app lets you convert them directly into invoices. Likewise, you can save a customer’s details without having to input them repeatedly in separate invoices.

Expense Tracking

Sage handles expense tracking by simplifying and automating the process.

You can link the software directly to your bank account, and whenever you pay a bill, it’ll automatically be reflected in the expense reports.

One remarkable feature Sage provides is snapping and capturing receipts. You can take photos of receipts with your phone’s camera, and the software automatically reads and imports the data.

Likewise, you can upload documents containing financial metrics, and Sage will extract and add them to your expense reports.

Another noteworthy feature of the Sage app is the ability to manage your inventory and expenses in a single place. With this feature, you can stay ahead of your supply expenses by keeping the most important products in stock. 

Inventory Management

No matter if you offer physical or digital goods, inventory management is a crucial process, and Sage can be of great use. 

It lets you create digital records of every product in your inventory. You can add these records manually or import them from a spreadsheet. Every product requires a unique ID, description, price, and an item class that determines how the software tracks it. 

From the setup screen, you can specify a unique stock-keeping unit (SKU) number and a category for every product. This information lets you filter your inventory reports when required. 

Lastly, you can select specific costing methods. There are four options: FIFO, LIFO, Average, or Specific Unit. These details help the Sage software calculate the cost of items sold. At this point, you should have a valid entry in your inventory.

The next thing you can do is create a purchase order for each entry. This document is an official order request listing the terms, number of items, and price points. Sage lets you create a single purchase order or multiple ones simultaneously. 

When a vendor has fulfilled your purchase order, you can indicate it on your Sage account. The app pools these numerous pieces of information to give you summarized reports concerning your inventory. You can monitor key metrics such as sales volume, cost of goods, and profitability from the Sage dashboard.

The Sage accounting app also has an Inventory Advisor. It’s a cloud-based tool that gives recommendations for optimal inventory management. It automatically connects to the inventory data and analyzes it to help you determine the necessary actions to keep a reliable stock book.

Cash Flow Management

The Sage tool automates the complete cycle of cash management. You can generate cash flow reports and get a real-time overview of your cash position, so you’ll know when to adjust your spending.

Accounts Payable

Sage lets you automate your accounts’ payables and easily send money to vendors.

You can add as many suppliers and their payment details as you have on your Sage dashboard. Whenever it’s time to pay, just accept their invoice and send the money using their preferred payment methods. 

You can also set the app to remind you to pay suppliers ahead of time.

Accounts Receivable 

Yet again, Sage automates your accounts’ receivables.

With it, you can always keep track of the money customers owe you and when they’re due for payment. Whenever a client pays, your accounts receivable report is automatically updated, leaving only the outstanding invoices. This feature is helpful for businesses that have many customers and find it difficult to monitor all of them. 

Bank Integration

We’ve already provided clues about linking your Sage account with your bank account, but let’s dive deeper into it. 

With the Sage bank integration feature, you can link your bank accounts and manage your business’ transactions and cash flow. You can add different accounts for savings, loans, or accounts receivables. Select subscribers can integrate bank accounts denominated in foreign currencies. You can connect an account through an authorization form sent to your bank or through Plaid, a third-party app.

Linking a bank account with Sage automatically creates what’s known as a bank feed. This is a secure connection that enables transactions to reflect on your Sage account.

If your bank doesn’t support Sage, don’t fret, as there’s a workaround. You can request a bank statement and then upload it to Sage. You must upload it in one of these file formats; CSV, XLS, OFX, or QIF.

The Sage accounts software can automatically extract information from a bank statement and export it to your accounting dashboard.

Journal Entries

On Sage, a journal is used to record non-regular transactions, such as depreciation, dividend payments, and interest accruals. They’re used to move value between ledger accounts that don’t affect customers, suppliers, or bank accounts.

Creating journal entries on Sage is a seamless process. All journals follow the principles of double-entry bookkeeping, meaning a corresponding credit balance for every debit balance. Each journal can have several debit or credit values, as long as the overall totals match.

If you’ve already created an entry file elsewhere, you can import it into Sage. Just make sure it’s available in the comma-separated value (CSV) format. 

Reporting

Your Sage account contains extensive data about your business. The software can analyze it and provide reports and insights. It presents them in visually appealing ways that entice you to digest them. For example, you can use graphs, charts, and slicers to monitor what’s going on in your business.

You can generate reports on audit trails, sales, trial balances, and more. 

Sage Marketplace

One thing you’ll likely enjoy about Sage is its app marketplace. There’s a storefront of applications built by external developers that integrate with Sage. You can use them to get functionality that’s not available on the base platform. Some of these add-ons are free, while others require payment.

There are many categories to choose from. There are applications to help you comply with tax requirements across global markets. You can get HR management tools that facilitate employee onboarding. If you want to budget and forecast sales, you’ll find apps for that as well. 

And the list goes on.

Sage Mobile App

You can download Sage as a smartphone application and use it everywhere you go. The app is available on both iOS and Android. 

However, it doesn’t have the full functionality of the Sage platform, which is only accessible through the web-based interface or desktop app.

Security

Security is a vital concern in every business operation and even more in accounting. Your Sage account contains confidential information that you don’t want unauthorized persons to spy on. The platform understands this and implements a broad range of security protocols to protect customers’ information. 

All data on your Sage account is encrypted by default. It’s kept in a big database and stored on disk drives, but you’re the only one who can access it. Let’s say someone stole the disk drives. The info they hold will be useless since they don’t have the encryption key. And it’s not like they could just break-in in the first place. Sage rents storage space from Amazon Web Services (AWS), which has a reputation for top-notch security both online and offline. 

How It Works

You can access Sage through the web-based interface or download it as a mobile or desktop app. Either way, you’ll need a paid plan to unlock the accounting software’s features. The platform offers subscriptions covering businesses of all sizes - from small enterprises to users who run multiple companies.

One drawback we noticed is the complex user interface. The Sage accounts software has numerous features, and they’re scattered across the user dashboard. The layout can be confusing for new users, especially for those without prior experience with business software. 

The Sage platform supports collaboration, as in, multiple users on a single subscription. You can delegate specific accounting tasks to each of them and improve workflow.

Customer Support

If you encounter an issue with the Sage platform, customer support is always available via phone, live chat, or email. Additionally, there are comprehensive tutorials and how-tos about the platform on the official website. 

User-written Sage reviews often praise the company for offering reliable service. Response times tend to be short, and its representatives provide complete and accurate information.

Pricing

The advanced Sage 50cloud product offers three subscription packages – Pro Accounting, Premium Accounting, and Quantum Accounting.

Here’s what you get with each:

Sage also features two basic plans, best suited for small enterprises:

There’s a 30-day free trial period for all the above subscriptions. And if you’re not satisfied with the software, you can request a refund up to 30 days following your purchase.

Sage vs QuickBooks

While researching for this Sage review, we noticed a lot of people bringing up QuickBooks as a suitable alternative. QuickBooks was developed by Intuit, an American technology giant specializing in business software. It’s one of the most widely-used accounting software, mainly in Northern America. 

Both platforms offer similar features, e.g., invoicing, forecasting, cash flow management, inventory management, etc. But, there are some differences you should know about. 

The first noticeable one is that QuickBooks is way easier to use. It has a reputation for user-friendliness, according to many online reviews. Truly, the interface isn’t as confusing to beginners as its competitors and takes less time to get used to.

Another area where QuickBooks is the clear winner is its app. The Sage mobile app lacks some features that you can otherwise access on the web-based interface. On the other hand, the QuickBooks application offers all its functionalities. It’s also easier to use than Sage’s. 

However, QuickBooks limits the number of users who can access a single account, while Sage supports unlimited users and can even handle multiple companies. 

And while both platforms cater to businesses of all sizes, Quick Books tends to be the more expensive solution.

Sage Review – Verdict

After extensive research and product testing, we can confidently say that Sage is a reliable and comprehensive accounting solution. Its starter packages are affordable, which is a primary concern for small enterprises on a budget. 

The platform’s main disadvantage is its complicated user interface. But, getting used to it won’t be an issue with a bit of practice.