Sage line 50 VS quickbooks accountant 2005

System
System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
edited June 18 in AAT member discussion
Can anybody offer me any advice regarding Sage Line 50 vs Quickbooks. I have a multicompany version of Quickbooks accountant 2005 which I do not have any particular problems with. However, most of my clients seem to prefer reporting with Sage and I am considering investing in a multicompany version. This would take a considerable amount of my working capital and I am hesitating as I am unsure how the two compare. I have seen some poor reports about sage on these discussion forums. Grateful for any advice. Jen.

Comments

  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Sage line 50 VS quickbooks accountant 2005

    Hi Jen

    Sage as a programme is in my opinion 1st class, and wipes the floor with quickbooks, however Sage as an organisation is another matter. There are also expensive compared with QB.

    I have just purchased the Sage V2007 (V13?) multi-company which gives me 25 companies and 1 year tech support for £375 + VAT. I think that its technical name is client manager. It seems that other people have been charged more than me - maybe I got some sort of a discount as I was already using Sage.

    The only thing to bear in mind with V2007 is that anyone else using it (clients/accountants etc) will also need to be on V2007, as it can't go backwards.

    It might be worth your while buying an old version from say ebay or somewhere and playing around with it, to see how you get on, before taking the plunge and shelling out loadsa money.

    Claudia
  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Sage line 50 VS quickbooks accountant 2005

    Hi Claudia, thanks for your input. Will definately consider it when it comes to making the big decision. Jen
  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Sage line 50 VS quickbooks accountant 2005

    I think (dont quote me) that they do easy payment terms - ie over 10 months. This actually makes it more bearable - I know of a couple of people who charge say £30 ish to set someone up on Sage - this would help with the cost.

    Claudia
  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Sage line 50 VS quickbooks accountant 2005

    Hi Jen
    Sage do easy payment terms over 10 months - the company I work for have just done it.

    I also prefer Sage over QB, although I gather the support is not too hot - hanging on the end of the phone is no fun when you are wanting help quickly.(Even if they do tell you how long you will have to wait)

    I also recommend you get hold of the work books - they are not too expensive and I taught myself the basics from them.

    Jan

  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Sage line 50 VS quickbooks accountant 2005

    hi, thanks for your reply. I am unsure which version I will need, I want a multicompany version for about 25 - 50 companies. What is the new client manager package?
  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Sage line 50 VS quickbooks accountant 2005

    Hi Jen

    The Client Manager package has additional facilities to the normal multi company version, it allows you to work on your clients books at the same time as them.

    I have got the 25 company licence which cost me £495 plus carriage and Vat, you would be better trying to speak to the same person as Claudia as she managed to get a much better deal than me. I am also a member of the Sage Accountants club and should therefore get the preferential rate, but it seems Sage make up the rules as they go along, I'm having an argument with them about it at the moment!

    Unless you need more than 25 companies now you would probably be better off starting with that and checking with Sage to see if you wanted to upgrade to more than 25 whether you would only have to pay the difference in cost.

    Sue
  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Sage line 50 VS quickbooks accountant 2005

    Thanks Sue,

    Claudia - who did you speak to, can you post their name and number on the forum?

    Jen
  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Sage line 50 VS quickbooks accountant 2005

    Cant find their number easily but email address is:

    paul.brown@sage.com

    Hope this helps.

    Claudia
  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Sage line 50 VS quickbooks accountant 2005

    Hi Jen

    I would be interested to hear if Sage sell you the 25 company Client Manager at £375 plus VAT. I have asked them about it and they told me that was an upgrade price and if thats the case I won't feel like I've been conned because I was given the upgrade for free.

    Sue
  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Sage line 50 VS quickbooks accountant 2005

    It may well have been an upgrade price as I have used Sage for years now.

    Claudia
  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Sage line 50 VS quickbooks accountant 2005

    I guess that must have been the answer.

    They also said they have recently lifted the restriction that only members of the Accountants or Bookkeepers club could purchase the Client Manager and it was available to anyone who could prove they were an Accountant or Bookkeeper, so hopefully next year I will be able to stop paying my subscription to the Accountants Club!

    Sue
  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Sage line 50 VS quickbooks accountant 2005

    I've recently bought a 2nd user licence for my client manager, which gives you 50 companies. I paid £500 for the client manager single license then a further £145 for the second user. Paul Brown sold me that, but I'm sorry to say I've sacked him in favour of someone who doesn't speak jargon at the speed of light :evil:
    That's great news to hear you can but it without the Acct club membership, which is a complete waste of money for me.

    Back to the original Jen's original question, I agree with Claudia - I prefer Sage but their telephone support is pretty hopeless. Sage email support is fairly reliable if you don't mind waiting 24 hours.

    Claudia, that bit about your clients having the same version as you - does that apply if you are using the accountant's link? I thought you could link with versions a couple of years old, but I've never tried it out.

    Sheelagh
  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Sage line 50 VS quickbooks accountant 2005

    Hi Sheelagh

    Thought I'd reply to your question to Claudia, because I put it to the test last week and I was able to import my clients data from Accountant plus version 12 to my Client Manager version 13, not that I'm saying all versions will work, but I didnt have any problems with version 12.

    Sue
  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Sage line 50 VS quickbooks accountant 2005

    I think that the conflict might arise with windows 98 - which i have a client still using :roll:

    As microsoft are no longer supporting it neither will sage :roll: and they might not be able to restore it back onto their programme - so have kept my old version and installed new one into a different file, and fingers crossed all should be ok - if you hear screams in 10 days time, you will all know that it hasn't worked.....

    Claudia

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