Sage 50cloud Accounting is an enormous small enterprise accounting software that is designed for desktop use. It is probably the most complete, customizable accounting program I’ve reviewed, although it does greater than what many small companies want and prices a bit extra as effectively. What units it aside, apart from its sturdy characteristic palette, is its integration with Microsoft 365. This highly effective and modern connection helps make up for the truth that you will need to have Sage 50cloud Accounting put in on an area desktop (or an excellent laptop computer, because it’s resource-heavy) to make full use of its options, although you’ll be able to entry a few of its information remotely. Since Sage 50cloud Accounting is barely accessible for Home windows machines, it is at an obstacle in contrast with the opposite accounting options that allow customers to entry them from any machine with an web connection.

Sage 50cloud Accounting itself is extra refined in some methods than even the most effective of the low-end accounting web sites. That mentioned, its power—and the price of subscribing—might make it much less interesting to small, easy companies. It is best suited to firms who want extra superior capabilities and customizability, aren’t averse to desktop software program, and whose distant staff have their very own installations of the software program to allow them to share firm information by Sage’s Distant Information Entry. For small companies, now we have two Editors’ Selection winners for small enterprise accounting software program. One is Intuit QuickBooks On-line, which is your best option for a big cross-section of US companies. The opposite is FreshBooks, which we advocate for very small companies, reminiscent of solo entrepreneurs and freelancers.

How A lot Does Sage 50cloud Accounting Value?

The Sage 50cloud Accounting line consists of three plans. Professional Accounting, which I evaluation right here, begins at $56.08 per 30 days for one individual. Premium Accounting begins at $87.58 per 30 days for a single person, and Quantum Accounting begins at $1,460 per yr for one person. You get a slight low cost for the Professional and Premium plans for those who pay yearly as an alternative of month-to-month. Integration with Microsoft 365 Enterprise integration provides $150 per yr to every plan. All plans have a one-year contract, and all are set to routinely renew yearly. 

Every plan provides full accounts payable and receivable performance, in addition to stock administration, built-in payroll, and stories. Premium Accounting provides quite a few options, reminiscent of industry-specific performance and superior budgeting and job costing. Quantum Accounting is probably the most refined, with further capabilities reminiscent of multi-company entry and role-based safety.

The price of different accounting apps is roughly similar to Sage 50cloud Accounting’s costs, although they’re inexpensive in some circumstances. For example, QuickBooks Premier Plus is $549.99 per yr (annual buyer assist is included). AccountEdge Professional prices $499 and its non-compulsory cellphone assist is $199 per yr. Not like Sage 50cloud Accounting, AccountEdge Professional’s core value is a one-time charge. Payroll and extra customers value further.

The Sage 50cloud Accounting household does nearly the whole lot a small enterprise would want from an accounting program. When you want greater than it provides, it is best to most likely look into options that fall into the midrange accounting area, that are dearer. Sage provides a few of these extra refined apps with merchandise reminiscent of Sage 100cloud and Sage 300cloud, amongst others.

Sage Setup Assist

An accounting program as sturdy as Sage 50cloud Accounting requires sturdy setup assist. The software program begins you with the Create a New Firm wizard. This multipage device walks you thru the method of choosing a technique to create a Chart of Accounts (most firms go for a pattern Chart of Accounts that carefully matches their enterprise sort), selecting between money and accrual, and deciding between actual time and batch posting of transactions. You additionally choose an accounting interval construction and point out when your fiscal yr begins.

After you create your organization, Sage 50cloud shows its Setup Information. The steps on this device relate largely to creating data, reminiscent of clients and distributors; stock and repair gadgets; and jobs. If a number of staff want to make use of the software program, it’s a must to create usernames and passwords for them. Consumer roles are exceptionally deep and customizable. No different accounting software even comes near the pliability supplied by Sage 50cloud Accounting. You’ll be able to work with current roles; modify roles; and create new roles, indicating what areas the person can entry and what they’ll do there. Consumer permissions go right down to the display screen degree.

As soon as that is accomplished, you’ll be able to transfer on to different early setup duties, reminiscent of connecting the software program to your on-line monetary accounts and customizing your invoices, since you’ll most likely be creating invoices early on. 

Sage 50cloud Accounting’s invoices are much more customizable than any of the competitors’s. The software program comes with two default bill kinds—one for merchandise and one for companies. You’ll be able to modify them by checking and unchecking containers to point which fields ought to seem on each the info entry display screen and the printed kind. You can even point out which columns ought to seem. To customise your invoices much more, you’ll be able to add a emblem, drag-and-drop particular person components to vary the kinds’ structure, and decide new fonts and colours.

An Getting older Consumer Interface

Sage 50cloud Accounting shouldn’t be tough to be taught if in case you have some understanding of accounting as a result of it makes use of customary software program navigation conventions. That mentioned, its person interface feels uneven. The introductory screens for every accounting module look much more state-of-the-art than the pages that open when you begin working. These have not modified considerably for a few years. They’re straightforward sufficient to make use of, however they give the impression of being outdated.

The software program provides two navigation menus. There’s a typical Home windows menu working throughout the highest, for people who find themselves extra comfy utilizing that sort of device. The menu gadgets take you to screens that can be reached through the use of this system’s left-pane navigation menu, although they’re organized in another way, and the left pane would not embrace the whole lot. There’s multiple method to get to most duties and information screens, which is ok for those who perceive that and select your individual most well-liked path. It may be complicated, although, for those who suppose each single navigation hyperlink is exclusive.

Navigation and Dashboards

The primary entry within the navigation menu on the left takes you to My Dashboard, which first seems as an empty display screen as a result of the Dashboard is totally customizable. You’ll be able to choose program pages for a number of Dashboards from lists provided within the window that opens. Most opponents show a pre-built Dashboard which will or might not be customizable. This display screen usually incorporates a handful of charts and graphs that present an summary of your organization’s funds, like revenue versus bills. Sage 50cloud Accounting goes a lot deeper than that. As soon as you’ve got created a Dashboard, it shows the monetary components you’ve got chosen, every in its personal window. A few of these elements may be modified additional.

Different high entries within the left navigation menu take you to the software program’s primary modules. These embrace Buyer & Gross sales, Distributors & Purchases, Stock & Companies, Staff & Payroll, and Jobs. Under these choices are Banking, Cost Heart, Apps & Companies, and System. To simplify navigation, you’ll be able to customise the shortcuts beneath this module listing to incorporate the screens you entry most incessantly.

These modules all work equally. For instance, for those who click on Prospects & Gross sales, you see buttons on the left which can be labeled with duties. They’re organized like a circulate chart, illustrating a typical work sample. Most have small down-arrows within the decrease proper. Click on on one, and an inventory of subtasks seems. Once you click on the Buyer & Gross sales Duties arrow, the exercise choices embrace New Buyer and View and Edit Prospects. The rest of the buttons on this navigation chart level largely to associated varieties of transactions, reminiscent of Gross sales Invoices, Obtain Cash, Time and Expense Tickets, and Buyer Statements. If your organization is giant sufficient that you’ve got a devoted Accounts Receivable specialist, they may by no means have to go away the Prospects & Gross sales module.

Open the Jobs module—which has been damaged out into its personal menu merchandise since my final evaluation), and you will see an much more advanced set of chores. Amongst different issues, you’ll be able to create Jobs and Value Codes and construct Change Orders. That is an space the place Sage 50cloud Accounting is much superior to its cloud-based competitors. Most others have very sketchy Jobs assist, if any—although many have Challenge options that work with much less complexity.

Usually, while you click on a hyperlink in a module, the software program opens a brand new window. It occurs all through this system. The fixed must open and shut home windows ages Sage 50cloud Accounting significantly. When you click on to view an in depth buyer listing, for instance, a window opens containing each the listing and hyperlinks to associated duties, reminiscent of View Quotes and Create Gross sales Order. You’ll be able to simply find yourself opening a number of home windows to get to the display screen you need, after which it’s a must to shut all of them. It is time-consuming and clunky. 

Thorough Data and Commonplace Transactions

Sage 50cloud Accounting provides nice depth in its buyer, vendor, and stock merchandise report kinds. Take buyer data, for instance. The primary display screen incorporates customary contact info, plus 5 customized fields you could outline and use. Click on on the second tab within the report window, Contacts, and you’ll add details about further contacts at that firm. The Historical past tab opens a web page that shows complete gross sales and receipts by month, in addition to Common Days to Pay Invoices and different info. Click on on the Gross sales Information tab, and you’ll designate buyer preferences, reminiscent of gross sales rep, most well-liked transport technique, and value ranges. Sage 50cloud Accounting helps you to outline as much as 10 value ranges per merchandise. Lastly, the Cost & Credit score display screen incorporates fields for personalised details about bank cards, phrases, reductions, and extra.

Stock merchandise data, too, may be outlined and tracked in far larger element in Sage 50cloud Accounting than in most cloud-based accounting apps. On the primary display screen alone, you’ll be able to enter particulars like UPC/SKU, merchandise sort, location, and weight, along with the variety of models which can be at present available and dedicated on gross sales orders and buy orders. You’ll be able to observe serial numbers, view merchandise histories, construct assemblies, and outline merchandise attributes, and extra.

Cloud-based accounting options do a great job of offering detailed templates for transactions, reminiscent of quotes, invoices, payments, and buy orders. Sage 50cloud Accounting’s templates are barely extra advanced due to its expansive capabilities. An bill, for instance, may include a subject that assigns that transaction to a job and one other indicating that the order ought to be drop-shipped. You’ll be able to enter freight expenses and look at every buyer’s stability and credit score restrict on the bill display screen itself.

Simply as Sage 50cloud Accounting’s report kinds allow you to carry out associated duties straight from the data-entry display screen, transaction kinds provide help to save time by branching off into different duties with out leaving the present web page. On an bill, for instance, you’ll be able to obtain funds, herald current time and expense tickets, and customise the structure. You can even use the software program’s monitoring instruments to comply with the progress of a kind. An bill, for instance, might be marked as Present, Prepared for Approval, or Paid, amongst different statuses. It’s extremely useful, however sophisticated to arrange.

Working With Microsoft 365

The mixing between Sage 50cloud and Microsoft 365 primarily includes three purposes: Outlook, Excel, and OneDrive. You’ll be able to view Sage contacts from Outlook, view some Sage stories in Excel, and again up recordsdata utilizing OneDrive. I did should improve my Workplace subscription to Enterprise Premium for the combination to work, which value me just a few {dollars} extra per 30 days. As soon as you’ve got made this connection and your Sage information is saved within the cloud, you’ll be able to invite distant customers to entry that information by their Microsoft 365 accounts with out having Sage 50cloud put in on their PCs.

Sage 50cloud’s integration would not change the look of the software program itself. Apart from just a few further entries within the Home windows File menu, you would not comprehend it was there. Clicking the Microsoft 365 Integration entry within the File menu opens a display screen that gives entry to your Microsoft 365 integration duties. Making the preliminary connection includes merely clicking a hyperlink. As soon as your integration has been established, you click on one other icon to sync your information. This course of can take a while. Even when it is completed, it’s essential give it some extra time to your Workplace apps to be populated. The corporate says it could take as much as 24 hours. It did not take practically that lengthy in testing.

My integration course of did not go easily, nevertheless. It required some cellphone calls and emails to Sage tech assist. As soon as the connection was made, although, I used to be capable of view a Sage buyer from an e-mail in Outlook and entry their contact info, gross sales info and historical past, to not point out their cost and credit score info. You’ll be able to full duties utilizing different Microsoft 365 purposes, too.

Many Experiences, Little Cellular Help

When you’re conscientious about retaining your data and transactions present and correct, the payoff comes while you run the stories that may let you know the place you might be and the place you’ve got been, which will help you make higher enterprise selections and alter the place wanted so you’ll be able to plan for a extra worthwhile future. Sage 50cloud Accounting provides templates for a lot extra stories than any competitor among the many group I reviewed. Some are specialised for the development, manufacturing, and distribution industries, however each one of many software program’s modules is supported by stories, from receivables to payables, payroll, stock, and jobs. 

You’ll be able to apply a number of filters to zero in on precisely the info you need and modify the stories’ columns, fonts, and web page setup. I might advocate customizing the look of those stories, particularly if you are going to share them, as a result of the default templates are moderately uninspired.

Clicking on some line gadgets opens the underlying transactions. And you’ll e-mail your accomplished stories or import them to Excel. Experiences take solely a second or two to generate however might take longer if in case you have voluminous information to incorporate.

It will be laborious to think about a cellular app that encapsulated completely each considered one of Sage 50cloud Accounting’s options. And in reality, there is not one. The corporate does supply Sage Seize, which helps you to take photographs of receipts and enter information on expense kinds to accompany them. The app would not use OCR to learn receipt information and routinely place it on fields within the expense kinds, like Intuit QuickBooks On-line does. The receipt picture seems as an attachment when the expense kind is accessed within the software program.

Glorious Desktop Accounting

Sage 50cloud Accounting is probably the most complete, customizable accounting program I’ve reviewed. It could actually do greater than what many small companies want. Along with gross sales, purchases, jobs, and stock administration, Sage 50cloud has its personal payroll module and cost companies. It has two deficits, although, and so they’re main. There aren’t any cellular apps, and the desktop model has an outdated person interface. Its superior skills could be overwhelming for a lot of small companies that want extra simplicity and a friendlier, extra state-of-the-art person expertise.

When you’re in search of a whole, desktop-based small enterprise accounting answer with a robust characteristic set and distinctive customizability, particularly by way of stock administration, then Sage 50cloud Accounting is an effective possibility. It has a number of the most thorough documentation I’ve ever seen, and it offers on-line and phone-based assist, in addition to reside skilled advisors. When it is time to transfer up, you’ll be able to keep throughout the Sage household and put money into considered one of its midrange choices. The software program’s opponents lack as substantial an improve path.

For many small companies, nevertheless, Intuit QuickBooks On-line is our Editors’ Selection winner for small enterprise accounting. You do not have to take care of the complexities and additional time required to entry a few of its information on a distant laptop—it is simply all the time there. It is a state-of-the-art accounting app whose options are generic and usable sufficient to attraction to hundreds of thousands of small enterprise homeowners, but customizable sufficient to suit each effectively. For the very smallest companies, reminiscent of sole proprietors and freelancers, we advocate Editors’ Selection winner FreshBooks. It is extraordinarily effectively suited to their wants.