Essentials
Three users plus free accountant access. 30 day free trial, no contract.
R508/mo
per month
- Everything in Simple Start
- Bill management and payment scheduling
- Multiple currencies
- Time entry against customers
- Accounting AI cleanup tools
QuickBooks Online Essentials vs Sage Accounting
Verified ratings, feature-by-feature comparison and rand pricing — everything a South African business needs to pick between these two.
QuickBooks Online Essentials
Three users, supplier bills and multiple currencies for growing teams
3,9(187)
Sage Accounting
Online accounting that thousands of South African small businesses run on every day
4,1(296)
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Ratings
Every score, at a glance
Verified user ratings across every dimension — QuickBooks Online Essentials against Sage Accounting, nothing weighted.
Dimensions won
0 – 5
QuickBooks Online Essentials vs Sage Accounting, across 5 rating dimensions
Widest rating gap
+0,3
Sage Accounting leads on ease of use
Verified reviews
483
187 for QuickBooks Online Essentials, 296 for Sage Accounting
QuickBooks Online Essentials
3,9
187 verified reviews
Sage Accounting
4,1
296 verified reviews
Ratings by dimension
- QuickBooks Online Essentials
- Sage Accounting
Overall
3,9
4,1
Ease of use
3,8
4,1
Value for money
3,9
4,0
Customer service
3,9
4,0
Functionality
3,9
4,1
Share of verified reviews
Who South African reviewers actually write about.
- QuickBooks Online Essentials (187)
- Sage Accounting (296)
Cost to get started
Cheapest paid plan, shown per month.
QuickBooks Online Essentials
R508/mo
Sage Accounting
R240/mo
Sage Accounting is the cheaper way in. Lower isn't automatically better — weigh it against the ratings above.
Head to head
Where each one wins
Row by row, with the stronger score highlighted. Straight from verified reviews.
| QuickBooks Online Essentials | Sage Accounting | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 3,9 | 4,1 |
| Reviews | 187 | 296 |
| Ease of use | 3,8 | 4,1 |
| Value for money | 3,9 | 4,0 |
| Customer service | 3,9 | 4,0 |
| Functionality | 3,9 | 4,1 |
| Starting price | R508/mo | R240/mo |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
Features
Feature by feature, checked off
Everything each product ships, side by side. No marketing gloss.
| Feature | QuickBooks Online Essentials | Sage Accounting |
|---|---|---|
| Everything in Simple Start | ||
| Bill capture and management | ||
| Payment scheduling | ||
| Multiple currencies with gain and loss tracking | ||
| Time entry | ||
| Three user seats | ||
| Free accountant access | ||
| Recurring invoices | ||
| VAT tracking at 15% | ||
| Quotes and invoicing | ||
| Automatic bank feeds and reconciliation | ||
| VAT return preparation at the standard 15% rate | ||
| Supplier bills and purchase orders | ||
| Inventory tracking | ||
| Financial and management reports | ||
| Foreign currency invoicing (additional module) | ||
| Mobile app for iOS and Android | ||
| Accountant access | ||
| Receipt capture with AutoEntry |
Pricing
Both price lists, in rand
Every plan from both vendors, priced as South African teams actually pay.
QuickBooks Online Essentials plans
Try it free
Straight from the vendor
Get current pricing
These are list prices in rand and vendors adjust them from time to time. Check with Intuit for the figure you'll actually pay.
Sage Accounting plans
Accounting Start
Quoting, invoicing and banking for one user. Price includes VAT.
R240/mo
per month
- Create invoices in seconds
- Track what you are owed
- Automatic bank feeds
- Work from anywhere on the mobile app
Accounting Standard
Full bookkeeping with VAT returns. Two users and one company included, price includes VAT.
R435/mo
per month
- Everything in Start
- VAT return calculations for SARS eFiling
- Automatic bank reconciliation
- Up to 5 users (extra users R75 per month)
- Receipt capture with AutoEntry
Straight from the vendor
Get current pricing
These are list prices in rand and vendors adjust them from time to time. Check with Sage for the figure you'll actually pay.
Verdict
Our verdict
Sage Accounting edges this comparison on verified user ratings (4,1 vs 3,9), but the right choice depends on your workflows: QuickBooks Online Essentials remains a strong pick where its strengths — Supplier bill management with due date visibility and Multiple currency invoicing and payments — match your priorities. Shortlist both, take the free trials where offered, and test against a real month of your own data.