Simple Start
Build your financial foundation. One user plus your accountant.
R322/mo
per month
- Income and expenses
- Invoices and quotes
- VAT tracking at 15%
- AI transaction categorisation
QuickBooks Online vs Sage Accounting
Verified ratings, feature-by-feature comparison and rand pricing — everything a South African business needs to pick between these two.
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 against Sage Accounting, nothing weighted.
Dimensions won
0 – 3
QuickBooks Online vs Sage Accounting, across 5 rating dimensions
Widest rating gap
+0,1
Sage Accounting leads on customer service
Verified reviews
501
205 for QuickBooks Online, 296 for Sage Accounting
QuickBooks Online
4,1
205 verified reviews
Sage Accounting
4,1
296 verified reviews
Ratings by dimension
- QuickBooks Online
- Sage Accounting
Overall
4,1
4,1
Ease of use
4,0
4,1
Value for money
4,0
4,0
Customer service
3,9
4,0
Functionality
4,0
4,1
Share of verified reviews
Who South African reviewers actually write about.
- QuickBooks Online (205)
- Sage Accounting (296)
Cost to get started
Cheapest paid plan, shown per month.
QuickBooks Online
R322/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 | Sage Accounting | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4,1 | 4,1 |
| Reviews | 205 | 296 |
| Ease of use | 4,0 | 4,1 |
| Value for money | 4,0 | 4,0 |
| Customer service | 3,9 | 4,0 |
| Functionality | 4,0 | 4,1 |
| Starting price | R322/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 | Sage Accounting |
|---|---|---|
| Invoicing and quotes | ||
| Bank feeds with automatic categorisation | ||
| VAT tracking at 15% | ||
| Receipt and mileage capture | ||
| Project profitability | ||
| Inventory management | ||
| Budgets and forecasting | ||
| Custom report builder | ||
| Multiple currencies | ||
| Accountant access on every plan | ||
| 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 plans
Try it free
Essentials
Three users, bills and multiple currencies.
R508/mo
per month
- Everything in Simple Start
- Bill management
- Multiple currencies
- Time entry
Plus
The customer favourite. Five users with stock and projects.
R708/mo
per month
- Everything in Essentials
- Inventory tracking
- Project profitability
- Class and location tracking
Advanced
Twenty five users with automation and custom reporting.
R1 144/mo
per month
- Everything in Plus
- Custom report builder
- Workflow automation
- Role based access
- Backup and restore
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 brings the strongest South African localisation in the category; QuickBooks brings the deepest reporting. If your priority is a VAT201 that captures straight onto eFiling and support in your time zone, choose Sage. If you need project-level profitability and a powerful custom report writer, QuickBooks rewards the setup effort.