Accounting Software

Sage Accounting vs QuickBooks Online

Both are accounting software. The short answer: choose Sage Accounting if you are uK small businesses and sole traders filing VAT under Making Tax Digital; choose QuickBooks Online if you are small businesses in the US, UK, Canada and Australia.

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Sage Accounting logo Sage AccountingQuickBooks Online logo QuickBooks Online
Best forUK small businesses and sole traders filing VAT under Making Tax DigitalSmall businesses in the US, UK, Canada and Australia
Free planNo (trial may exist)No (trial may exist)
PricingSee providerSee provider
Built for IndiaGlobalGlobal
CategoriesAccounting SoftwareBilling & Invoicing Software, Accounting Software
Strengths
  • HMRC-recognised for Making Tax Digital
  • Familiar to UK accountants
  • Payroll add-on
  • Large accountant and app ecosystem
  • Strong reporting
  • Good bank integrations
Watch out for
  • Interface less modern than some rivals
  • Features vary by country edition
  • Availability and features vary by country
  • Costs rise with add-ons
Visit Sage AccountingVisit QuickBooks Online

Which should you choose?

Sage Accounting: Cloud accounting from Sage with invoicing, bank feeds, VAT returns and Making Tax Digital submissions to HMRC.

QuickBooks Online: Widely used cloud accounting software with invoicing, expenses, bank feeds and an accountant ecosystem.

The best way to decide is to run the same week of real work through both — most offer a free plan or trial — and compare how long tasks take, what your team prefers, and the total cost for your number of users including renewal pricing.

Not sure either fits? See all accounting software compared.