Search software and articles
Verified ratings, feature-by-feature comparison and rand pricing — everything a South African business needs to pick between these two.
Online accounting that thousands of South African small businesses run on every day
We may earn a commission when you buy via this link — at no extra cost to you. It never affects our ratings. How we make money
Ratings
Verified user ratings across every dimension — QuickBooks Online Accountant against Sage Accounting, nothing weighted.
Dimensions won
5 – 0
QuickBooks Online Accountant vs Sage Accounting, across 5 rating dimensions
Widest rating gap
+0,3
QuickBooks Online Accountant leads on overall
Verified reviews
468
172 for QuickBooks Online Accountant, 296 for Sage Accounting
172 verified reviews
296 verified reviews
Overall
Ease of use
Value for money
Customer service
Functionality
Who South African reviewers actually write about.
Cheapest paid plan, shown per month.
QuickBooks Online Accountant
Free plan
Sage Accounting
R240/mo
QuickBooks Online Accountant is the cheaper way in. Lower isn't automatically better — weigh it against the ratings above.
Head to head
Row by row, with the stronger score highlighted. Straight from verified reviews.
| QuickBooks Online Accountant | Sage Accounting | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4,4 | 4,1 |
| Reviews | 172 | 296 |
| Ease of use | 4,2 | 4,1 |
| Value for money | 4,3 | 4,0 |
| Customer service | 4,3 | 4,0 |
| Functionality | 4,3 | 4,1 |
| Starting price | Free plan | R240/mo |
| Free trial | No | Yes |
Features
Everything each product ships, side by side. No marketing gloss.
| Feature | QuickBooks Online Accountant | Sage Accounting |
|---|---|---|
| Client list with one login for all books | ||
| Bulk reclassify transactions | ||
| Books review workflows | ||
| Write off invoices in bulk | ||
| Practice management and deadlines | ||
| Team assignments and access control | ||
| ProAdvisor training and certification | ||
| Find an Advisor directory listing | ||
| Client subscription discounts | ||
| QuickBooks Ledger access | ||
| 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
Every plan from both vendors, priced as South African teams actually pay.
Free for accounting and bookkeeping practices. Sign up with your firm details.
Free
no card needed
Straight from the vendor
These are list prices in rand and vendors adjust them from time to time. Check with Intuit for the figure you'll actually pay.
Quoting, invoicing and banking for one user. Price includes VAT.
R240/mo
per month
Full bookkeeping with VAT returns. Two users and one company included, price includes VAT.
R435/mo
per month
Straight from the vendor
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
QuickBooks Online Accountant edges this comparison on verified user ratings (4,4 vs 4,1), but the right choice depends on your workflows: Sage Accounting remains a strong pick where its strengths — VAT returns calculated at 15% for SARS eFiling and Automatic bank feeds from major South African banks — match your priorities. Shortlist both, take the free trials where offered, and test against a real month of your own data.