Sage Sole Trader vs QuickBooks Sole Trader
Verified ratings, real UK pricing and the compliance detail, weighed side by side — with a written verdict at the end.
Sage Sole Trader
Accounting Software
- United Kingdom
- Phone
- Knowledge Base
- Forum
QuickBooks Sole Trader
Accounting Software
- United Kingdom
- Phone
- Live Chat
- Knowledge Base
Evenly matched on verified reviews — 4.0 against 4.1. Price and fit will decide this one, not the score.
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 | Sage Sole Trader | QuickBooks Sole Trader |
|---|---|---|
| What it costs | ||
| Starting priceLowest paid tier, excluding VAT | £7/mo | £9/mo |
| Free version | YesYes | NoNo |
| Free trial | YesYes | YesYes |
| How it rates | ||
| Overall ratingMean of verified Assaylist reviews | 4.0 | 4.1 |
| Verified reviewsVolume is evidence, not a score — this row is not a contest | 261 reviews | 273 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.
- Sage Sole Trader
- QuickBooks Sole Trader
| Dimension | Sage Sole Trader | QuickBooks Sole Trader | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | 4.0 | 4.1 | 0.1 to QuickBooks Sole Trader |
| Value for money | 3.9 | 4.0 | 0.1 to QuickBooks Sole Trader |
| Customer support | 4.0 | 4.1 | 0.1 to QuickBooks Sole Trader |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sage Sole Trader | 41% (108 reviews) | 35% (91 reviews) | 14% (37 reviews) | 6% (15 reviews) | 4% (10 reviews) |
| QuickBooks Sole Trader | 47% (129 reviews) | 33% (91 reviews) | 9% (24 reviews) | 8% (21 reviews) | 3% (8 reviews) |
Feature by feature
Everything either vendor publishes, split into what separates them and what they share.
- Both products
- 323%
- Only Sage Sole Trader
- 538%
- Only QuickBooks Sole Trader
- 538%
13 features listed across both products.
What only one of them does
Sage Sole Trader
5- Bank connection
- HMRC recognised submissions
- Income and expense tracking
- MTD for Income Tax quarterly updates
+ 1 more in the table below
QuickBooks Sole Trader
5- Accountant access
- Automatic mileage tracking
- Income and expense categorisation
- Invoicing and online payments
+ 1 more in the table below
Showing 13 of 13 features
| Detail | Sage Sole Trader | QuickBooks Sole Trader |
|---|---|---|
| Where they differ · 10 | ||
| Bank connection | YesYes | NoNo |
| HMRC recognised submissions | YesYes | NoNo |
| Income and expense tracking | YesYes | NoNo |
| MTD for Income Tax quarterly updates | YesYes | NoNo |
| Simple tax estimates | YesYes | NoNo |
| Accountant access | NoNo | YesYes |
| Automatic mileage tracking | NoNo | YesYes |
| Income and expense categorisation | NoNo | YesYes |
| Invoicing and online payments | NoNo | YesYes |
| MTD for Income Tax submissions | NoNo | YesYes |
| Where they match · 3 | ||
| Mobile app | YesYes | YesYes |
| Receipt capture | YesYes | YesYes |
| Self Assessment preparation | 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 | Sage Sole Trader | QuickBooks Sole Trader |
|---|---|---|
| Verified against vendor documentation | ||
| HMRC-recognised for MTD for ITSA | YesYes | YesYes |
| Making Tax Digital ready | YesYes | YesYes |
| Open Banking bank feeds | Not listedNot listed | YesYes |
| UK-based support | Telephone support from Sage UK | Telephone and chat support |
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.
Sage Sole Trader
QuickBooks Sole Trader
Sage Sole Trader Free
FreeLower
- HMRC recognised digital record keeping
- MTD for Income Tax ready
- For non VAT registered sole traders
Sole Trader Plus
£9/mo
- 1 user plus accountant access
- Automatic mileage tracking
- Receipt capture
Sage Sole Trader
£7/mo
- Self Assessment preparation
- Quarterly MTD updates
- Income and expense tracking
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 Sage Sole Trader if
- It costs less to get started — £7/mo against £9/mo.
- There is a free tier you can stay on, which QuickBooks Sole Trader does not offer.
- It lists 5 features QuickBooks Sole Trader does not, including bank connection.
Choose QuickBooks Sole Trader if
- It lists 5 features Sage Sole Trader does not, including accountant access.
- It covers more of the UK obligations we check — 4 of them against 3.
Both target the sole trader facing Making Tax Digital for Income Tax. Sage Sole Trader has a genuinely free tier for non VAT registered traders, while QuickBooks Sole Trader has the best automatic mileage tracking. If you drive for work, QuickBooks pays for itself; if cost is everything, Sage is free.
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