Sage alternatives
Top Accounting & Invoicing like Sage
The most popular alternative to Sage is QuickBooks. Other great alternatives to Sage are Xero, Zoho Books, FreshBooks, and Pennylane.
Most alternatives to Sage are in the Accounting & Invoicing category, compared here by price, platform and features.
All Sage alternatives
QuickBooks is Intuit's accounting software for small businesses and self-employed people, offered mainly as the cloud-based QuickBooks Online, with desktop editions for Windows. It handles invoicing, bank feeds, expense and receipt tracking, sales tax, reports and payroll, and connects to many third-party apps and accountants. Intuit Assist adds AI help, and plans are paid after a free trial.
12 QuickBooks alternativesPros
- Widely known by accountants, which eases collaboration
- Large ecosystem of connected third-party apps
- Covers invoicing, bank feeds, sales tax and payroll
Cons
- Subscription costs add up, especially with payroll on top
- Features vary a lot between countries and editions
- Takes longer to learn than simpler invoicing apps
Cost / LicenseFree trialProprietaryCategoriesXero is a cloud accounting platform from New Zealand used by small businesses together with their accountants and bookkeepers. It reconciles bank feeds, sends invoices and quotes, tracks bills and expenses, handles multiple currencies and offers payroll in several countries, with a large marketplace of connected apps. It is a paid subscription with a free trial.
9 Xero alternativesPros
- Fast bank reconciliation driven by live bank feeds
- Large marketplace of connected apps
- Built for working closely with accountants and bookkeepers
Cons
- No free plan after the trial
- The entry plan caps how many invoices and bills you can create
- Payroll is only available in some countries
Cost / LicenseFree trialProprietaryCategoriesZoho Books is cloud accounting software from Zoho for small and growing businesses. It covers invoicing and quotes, bank feeds and reconciliation, expenses, projects and time billing, multi-currency transactions and local tax reports in supported countries, and connects natively with Zoho CRM, Inventory and other Zoho apps. A free plan is available for very small businesses.
11 Zoho Books alternativesPros
- Native links with Zoho CRM, Inventory and other Zoho apps
- Free plan available for very small businesses
- Handles projects, time billing and multi-currency transactions
Cons
- Best value comes when you already use the Zoho ecosystem
- Local tax features only cover supported countries
- The many settings can feel overwhelming at first
Cost / LicenseFreemiumProprietaryCategoriesFreshBooks is cloud accounting software from Toronto designed for freelancers, consultants and small service businesses. It is centred on invoicing, with time tracking, project billing, expense capture, online payments and bank reconciliation, plus double-entry reports for an accountant. Plans are paid by subscription after a free trial.
11 FreshBooks alternativesPros
- Polished invoicing designed around service businesses
- Time tracking and project billing built in
- Easy to use for freelancers without accounting training
Cons
- No free plan once the trial ends
- Lower plans limit the number of billable clients
- Less suited to inventory-heavy or larger businesses
Cost / LicenseFree trialProprietaryCategoriesPennylane is a French platform that brings invoicing, supplier bills, bank connections, expense receipts and bookkeeping together in a single tool shared between a business and its accountant. It targets small and mid-sized companies and accounting firms, with cash-flow dashboards and support for France's e-invoicing reform. A free plan covers invoicing for micro-entrepreneurs; other plans are paid.
8 Pennylane alternativesPros
- One workspace shared between a business and its accountant
- Brings together invoicing, supplier bills, receipts and bank feeds
- Ready for France's e-invoicing reform
Cons
- Built for the French market and its accounting rules
- The free plan only covers invoicing for micro-entrepreneurs
- Full value depends on your accountant also using Pennylane
Cost / LicenseFreemiumProprietaryCategoriesWave is accounting software for small businesses and freelancers in North America, owned by H&R Block. The free Starter plan covers unlimited invoices, estimates, expense tracking and double-entry bookkeeping, while the Pro plan adds automatic bank imports, receipt scanning and multiple users. Card payments and payroll are offered as paid services.
9 Wave alternativesPros
- Free plan with unlimited invoices and double-entry bookkeeping
- Simple interface for owners without accounting training
- Estimates, invoices and expenses managed in one place
Cons
- Mainly serves businesses in North America
- Automatic bank imports and receipt scanning need the Pro plan
- No real inventory management
Cost / LicenseFreemiumProprietaryCategoriesAkaunting is web-based accounting software for small businesses and freelancers that can be installed on your own server or used in the cloud. The core handles invoices, bills, expenses, customers, vendors, multiple currencies and reports, while paid apps from its marketplace add features such as payroll, inventory and bank feeds. Its source code is published under the Business Source License.
8 Akaunting alternativesPros
- Can be self-hosted on your own server or used in the cloud
- Core covers invoices, bills, expenses and multiple currencies
- Marketplace apps add payroll, inventory and bank feeds
Cons
- Many useful features are paid add-ons from the marketplace
- Business Source License code is not open source in the strict sense
- Self-hosting requires technical skills to install and maintain
Cost / LicenseFreemiumSource availableCategoriesPlatformsTiime is a French management app for freelancers and small businesses that combines quotes and invoices, receipt capture, bank account syncing and pre-accounting, often shared with an accounting firm. The free plan covers unlimited invoicing and receipt management, and paid plans add a business bank account with a card, multiple users and more features. It supports France's e-invoicing requirements.
7 Tiime alternativesPros
- Free plan includes unlimited invoicing and receipt management
- Bank sync and receipt capture prepare the books for your accountant
- Ready for France's e-invoicing requirements
Cons
- Aimed at French businesses, with little use abroad
- Business bank account and multiple users require paid plans
Cost / LicenseFreemiumProprietaryCategories
Sage vs its alternatives at a glance
Pricing, platforms and the key features of Sage, compared with its most popular alternatives.
| App | Pricing | Platforms | Bank sync | Expense tracking | Invoicing | Multi-currency | Payroll |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Sage | Free trial | Web, Windows, iPhone, Android | |||||
 QuickBooks | Free trial | Web, Windows, iPhone, Android | |||||
 Xero | Free trial | Web, iPhone, Android | |||||
 Zoho Books | Freemium | Web, iPhone, Android | |||||
 FreshBooks | Free trial | Web, iPhone, Android | |||||
 Pennylane | Freemium | Web, iPhone, Android |
Sage alternatives: frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to Sage?
The most popular alternative to Sage is QuickBooks: Intuit's accounting software for small businesses. Other great alternatives are Xero, Zoho Books, FreshBooks, and Pennylane.
Is there a free alternative to Sage?
Yes, 5 alternatives are free or have a free plan, including Zoho Books, Pennylane, Wave, and Akaunting.
Is there an open source alternative to Sage?
No open source alternative to Sage is listed yet.
Is Sage free?
Sage is a paid app that offers a free trial.
Compare Sage with its alternatives
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