QuickBooks Online vs Sage 50 Accounts
Verified ratings, real UK pricing and the compliance detail, weighed side by side — with a written verdict at the end.
QuickBooks Online
Accounting Software
- United Kingdom
- Ireland
- United States
- Canada
- Australia
- Phone
- Live Chat
- Knowledge Base
- Forum
Sage 50 Accounts
Accounting Software
- United Kingdom
- Ireland
- Phone
- Live Chat
- Knowledge Base
- Forum
Sage 50 Accounts leads on verified reviews by 0.1 of a point — 4.2 against 4.1 for QuickBooks Online.
The short version
What each one costs and how each one rates, side by side. Only the rows where leading means something are marked; vendor and availability are in the overview above.
| Detail | QuickBooks Online | Sage 50 Accounts |
|---|---|---|
| What it costs | ||
| Starting priceLowest paid tier, excluding VAT | £14.33/mo | £115/mo |
| Free version | NoNo | NoNo |
| Free trial | YesYes | YesYes |
| How it rates | ||
| Overall ratingMean of verified Assaylist reviews | 4.1 | 4.2 |
| Verified reviewsVolume is evidence, not a score — this row is not a contest | 262 reviews | 201 reviews |
Highlighted where one clearly leads. Rows without a highlight are not a contest.
How reviewers score them
Across the four dimensions we ask every reviewer about — and, below, the star split each average is built from.
- QuickBooks Online
- Sage 50 Accounts
| Dimension | QuickBooks Online | Sage 50 Accounts | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | 4.0 | 4.1 | 0.1 to Sage 50 Accounts |
| Value for money | 4.0 | 4.0 | Level |
| Customer support | 4.0 | 4.1 | 0.1 to Sage 50 Accounts |
| Functionality | 4.0 | 4.0 | Level |
What each average is made of
Two products can share an average and not share a reputation. These bars show the star split behind each score.
| Product | 5 star | 4 star | 3 star | 2 star | 1 star |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QuickBooks Online | 44% (115 reviews) | 35% (93 reviews) | 13% (34 reviews) | 6% (17 reviews) | 1% (3 reviews) |
| Sage 50 Accounts | 43% (86 reviews) | 39% (78 reviews) | 12% (25 reviews) | 4% (9 reviews) | 1% (3 reviews) |
Feature by feature
Everything either vendor publishes, split into what separates them and what they share.
- Both products
- 14%
- Only QuickBooks Online
- 1348%
- Only Sage 50 Accounts
- 1348%
27 features listed across both products.
What only one of them does
QuickBooks Online
13- Automated bank feeds
- Batch invoicing
- Budgets
- Calculate and submit CIS
+ 9 more in the table below
Sage 50 Accounts
13- Advanced stock management
- AI document capture
- Automatic bank reconciliation
- Bespoke reporting
+ 9 more in the table below
Showing 27 of 27 features
| Detail | QuickBooks Online | Sage 50 Accounts |
|---|---|---|
| Where they differ · 26 | ||
| Automated bank feeds | YesYes | NoNo |
| Batch invoicing | YesYes | NoNo |
| Budgets | YesYes | NoNo |
| Calculate and submit CIS | YesYes | NoNo |
| Class and location tracking | YesYes | NoNo |
| Custom reporting | YesYes | NoNo |
| Inventory management | YesYes | NoNo |
| MTD for Income Tax ready | YesYes | NoNo |
| Multiple currencies | YesYes | NoNo |
| Project profitability tracking | YesYes | NoNo |
| Receipt capture and mileage tracking | YesYes | NoNo |
| Role based access control | YesYes | NoNo |
| Workflow automation | YesYes | NoNo |
| Advanced stock management | NoNo | YesYes |
| AI document capture | NoNo | YesYes |
| Automatic bank reconciliation | NoNo | YesYes |
| Bespoke reporting | NoNo | YesYes |
| Departments and budgets | NoNo | YesYes |
| Fixed asset register | NoNo | YesYes |
| Foreign currency invoicing | NoNo | YesYes |
| MTD for Income Tax Self Assessment | NoNo | YesYes |
| Multi company reporting | NoNo | YesYes |
| Project costing | NoNo | YesYes |
| Sage Copilot | NoNo | YesYes |
| Sales and purchase order processing | NoNo | YesYes |
| Supplier payments | NoNo | YesYes |
| Where they match · 1 | ||
| Making Tax Digital for VAT | YesYes | YesYes |
A dash means the vendor has not published a feature list — which is not the same as the feature being unavailable.
How they handle UK obligations
Checked against the vendor's own documentation or HMRC's published list. A dash means we have not verified it — never that it is missing.
| Detail | QuickBooks Online | Sage 50 Accounts |
|---|---|---|
| Verified against vendor documentation | ||
| HMRC-recognised for MTD for VAT | YesYes | YesYes |
| HMRC-recognised for MTD for ITSA | YesYes | YesYes |
| Making Tax Digital ready | YesYes | YesYes |
| CIS support | YesYes | YesYes |
| Open Banking bank feeds | YesYes | YesYes |
| UK-based support | Telephone and chat support | Telephone support from Sage UK |
What each tier costs
Both line-ups on one ladder, so the middle tier on one side sits next to the middle tier on the other.
QuickBooks Online
Sage 50 Accounts
Simple Start
£14.33/moLower
- 1 user plus accountant
- Making Tax Digital for VAT
- Calculate and submit CIS
Sage 50 Accounts Standard
£115/mo
- 2 standard users included
- MTD for VAT and Income Tax
- Automated expense management
Essentials
£34.20/moLower
- 3 users plus accountant
- Multiple currencies
- Employee time tracking
Sage 50 Accounts Professional
£234/mo
- Everything in Standard
- Sales and purchase orders
- Fixed asset register
Plus
£50.40/mo
- 5 users plus accountant
- Inventory management
- Budgets
No comparable tier listed
Rungs are matched by position in each vendor’s own line-up, not by what the tiers include — an entry plan on one side may cover more than the other. Prices exclude VAT unless stated, and per-seat plans are quoted per seat. Always confirm on the vendor’s own site.
Which should you choose?
Two answers, because there are two right ones depending on what you need.
Choose QuickBooks Online if
- It costs less to get started — £14.33/mo against £115/mo.
- It lists 13 features Sage 50 Accounts does not, including automated bank feeds.
Choose Sage 50 Accounts if
- It lists 13 features QuickBooks Online does not, including advanced stock management.
Sage 50 Accounts brings desktop grade stock control and project costing that QuickBooks Online cannot match, but at several times the price. QuickBooks is the cheaper, more modern cloud tool with strong automation. Pay for Sage 50 only if you use its depth, otherwise QuickBooks does the job for far less.
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