# Sage Accounting — Sage's cloud small-business ledger with built-in payroll and the Sage Copilot assistant; US edition retired.

> Source: Tick Mark Books — https://tickmarkbooks.com/sage-accounting (structured, researched, re-verified)

Sage Accounting is Sage's cloud ledger for sole traders and small businesses, covering invoicing, bank reconciliation, VAT and payroll with the Sage Copilot assistant. Sage retired the US edition at the end of 2024; it remains sold in the UK and Canada.

**Best for:** VAT-registered sole traders and small firms up to 49 employees wanting payroll built in

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Website | https://www.sage.com/en-us/sage-business-cloud/accounting/ |
| Category | Accounting software, Cheapest accounting software, Freelancers and the self-employed, Small businesses |
| Open source | No |
| Price | £20 a month (about $27) |
| Price checked | 27 October 2026 |

Screenshot of Sage Accounting: https://tickmarkbooks.com/img/1920/screenshots/sage-accounting.webp, captured 28 October 2026

**What we checked**

- Pages last read: 27 October 2026
- Price on its site: From £20 a month (about $27) (From its pricing page)

## Sage Accounting in our research

**Also named in**

- [Freelancer accounting software with bank feeds](https://tickmarkbooks.com/collections/freelancer-accounting-software-with-bank-feeds) · Collection

## What it costs

A month of books at 100 transactions: about $58 a month at 100 transactions, on Standard

## Sage Accounting price and plans

Prices excluding tax, as Sage Accounting publishes them.

| Plan | Price | What's included |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Start | £20 a month (about $27) | Keeps no full set of books; Flat fee |
| Standard | £43 a month (about $58) | Flat fee; adds Reads receipts and bills; adds Pays your bills; adds Accrual books and reports |
| Plus | £59 a month (about $79) | Flat fee; adds Inventory; adds Other currencies |

Read on https://www.sage.com/en-gb/sage-business-cloud/sage-accounting/, 27 October 2026.

## What Sage Accounting costs at your volume

| Transactions | Cost | Plan |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 100 | £43 a month (about $58) | Standard |
| 500 | £43 a month (about $58) | Standard |

## What we checked on Sage Accounting

### What it costs to keep your books

**Cost at 100 transactions a month** · Yes — £43 a month (about $58) on Standard for 100 transactions. Standard is 90% off for 6 months for new customers (£4.30 a month (about $5.76)). The figure is the regular £43 (about $58), paid after it.

> 90% off for 6 months, then £43 (about $58) per month.
> — https://www.sage.com/en-gb/sage-business-cloud/sage-accounting/ · Plan cards, Standard column price block, checked 27 October 2026

**Cost at 500 transactions a month** · Yes — £43 a month (about $58) on Standard for 500 transactions. Standard is 90% off for 6 months for new customers (£4.30 a month (about $5.76)). The figure is the regular £43 (about $58), paid after it.

> 90% off for 6 months, then £43 (about $58) per month.
> — https://www.sage.com/en-gb/sage-business-cloud/sage-accounting/ · Plan cards, Standard column price block, checked 27 October 2026

**Cost for a solo freelancer** · Yes — A freelancer on the UK Start plan pays GBP 20 a month plus VAT for invoicing and bank reconciliation, but receipt capture starts on Standard at GBP 43, so a solo user who wants receipts pays the higher rate.

> 90% off for 6 months, then £20 (about $27) per month.
> — https://www.sage.com/en-gb/sage-business-cloud/sage-accounting/ · Plan cards, Start column price block, checked 27 October 2026

**Promotion and regular price** · Yes — promotion: the headline price is a new-customer discount of 90% off for six months in the UK (GBP 2 then GBP 20) and 75% off for six months in Canada, after which the regular rate resumes.

> *Get 90% off for 6 months, then £20 (about $27)/£43 (about $58)/£59 (about $79) + VAT/mo (tier depending). Terms and conditions apply.
> — https://www.sage.com/en-gb/sage-business-cloud/sage-accounting/ · Pricing footnote beneath the three plan cards, checked 27 October 2026

**Ledger included** · Yes — Sage Accounting is itself the general ledger, so there is no QuickBooks or Xero subscription to buy alongside it; the plan price buys the books themselves.

> Sage Accounting is a cloud software solution you can access online anywhere, anytime. It is perfect for managing your business accounting needs and staying on top of your taxes
> — https://www.sage.com/en-ca/sage-business-cloud/accounting/ · FAQ, 'What is Sage Accounting and do I need it for my small business?', checked 27 October 2026

**What the price is based on** · Yes — Pricing is a flat monthly fee per business per plan, not per transaction or per account; the only per-head element is payroll, charged per employee each month on top.

> £2 (about $2.68) per month / excl. 20% VAT*
> — https://www.sage.com/en-gb/sage-business-cloud/sage-accounting/ · Plan cards, Start column price line, checked 27 October 2026

**Users included** · Yes — The UK plan table sets user accounts at one on Start, three on Standard and unlimited on Plus, so extra users come from upgrading the plan rather than from a per-seat price.

> Number of user accounts 1 3 Unlimited
> — https://www.sage.com/en-gb/sage-business-cloud/sage-accounting/ · Plan comparison table, Users section, 'Number of user accounts' row, checked 27 October 2026

**Past your plan’s limits** · Partly — Only one allowance carries a published overage: receipt and invoice captures cost GBP 0.20 each past the 30 or 100 included, and the pages state no policy for any other ceiling.

> 30 included + £0.20 (about $0.27) per additional approved capture
> — https://www.sage.com/en-gb/sage-business-cloud/sage-accounting/ · Plan comparison table, 'Snap and scan receipts and invoices' row, Standard column, checked 27 October 2026

**Setup or onboarding fee** · No — Both the UK and Canadian plan pages state there are no hidden fees alongside the monthly subscription, and neither names a one-time setup or onboarding charge.

> Upgrade or cancel at any time. No long-term contracts, commitments or hidden fees.
> — https://www.sage.com/en-gb/sage-business-cloud/sage-accounting/ · Line above the three plan cards, checked 27 October 2026

### What the AI does with your books

**What the AI does** · Yes — Sage Copilot sits inside the product and drafts invoice chase emails in the user's tone, categorizes and reconciles payments, checks the books before a VAT return and surfaces cash insights.

> The Sage Copilot VAT assistant makes submitting VAT returns stress-free. It alerts you when deadlines are approaching, checks your books for mistakes and calculates how much VAT you owe.
> — https://www.sage.com/en-gb/sage-copilot/ · 'What Sage Copilot can do for you', 'Submit VAT returns easily' panel, checked 27 October 2026

**What the AI costs** · Yes — included: Sage states the Copilot productivity assistant comes with every Sage Accounting plan at no separate charge, with no credit pack or AI add-on priced anywhere on the plan page.

> Only Sage includes an AI productivity assistant in every plan.
> — https://www.sage.com/en-gb/sage-business-cloud/sage-accounting/ · Heading immediately above the three plan cards, checked 27 October 2026

**Categorizes transactions** · Yes — Sage says Copilot automatically categorizes and reconciles payments inside Sage Accounting; the pages do not say whether it learns from a user's corrections over time.

> Save time by automatically categorising and reconciling payments so you slash hours of admin.
> — https://www.sage.com/en-gb/sage-business-cloud/sage-accounting/ · 'Get paid 7 days faster' bullet list, Sage Copilot section, checked 27 October 2026

**Reconciles your accounts** · Yes — Bank and card accounts connect directly, transactions import automatically and reconciliation is a core feature of the cheapest plan rather than an upgrade.

> Simplify bank reconciliation Create and send unlimited sales invoices Track what you're owed
> — https://www.sage.com/en-ca/sage-business-cloud/accounting/ · Plan cards, Accounting Start feature list, checked 27 October 2026

**Reads receipts and bills** · Partly — Receipt and invoice snapping is excluded from the entry Start plan and metered above it, with 30 captures on Standard and 100 on Plus before GBP 0.20 each.

> Snap and scan receipts and invoices Not included 30 included + £0.20 (about $0.27) per additional approved capture 100 included + £0.20 (about $0.27) per additional approved capture
> — https://www.sage.com/en-gb/sage-business-cloud/sage-accounting/ · Plan comparison table, 'Automate and save time' section, checked 27 October 2026

**Pays your bills** · Partly — Supplier and purchase invoice management starts on the Standard plan, not the entry plan, and Sage's pages describe no approval routing or outbound payment run for those bills.

> Manage purchase invoices and suppliers
> — https://www.sage.com/en-gb/sage-business-cloud/sage-accounting/ · 'Sage Accounting with Ai' feature bullets, accounting software overview, checked 27 October 2026

**Sends invoices** · Yes — Unlimited sales invoices are in every plan, Copilot drafts the chase emails for late payers, and incoming payments are matched and reconciled automatically.

> Set up automatic payment reminders when customers need a nudge. Sage Copilot drafts the emails, you hit send, you're in control.
> — https://www.sage.com/en-gb/sage-business-cloud/sage-accounting/ · 'Get paid 7 days faster' bullet list, checked 27 October 2026

**Accrual books and reports** · Partly — Sage names accrual accounting as a reason to take the middle Standard plan rather than the entry plan, and its pages list advanced and custom reports without naming a monthly P&L, balance sheet and cash flow set.

> For small businesses working with suppliers, CIS or with accrual accounting.
> — https://www.sage.com/en-gb/sage-business-cloud/sage-accounting/ · Plan cards, Standard column description, checked 27 October 2026

### Who checks the AI’s work

**Your accountant can sign in** · Yes — Sage says the software lets a business collaborate with others and grant its accountant access, and the plan table carries a 'Work with your accountant' row; the pages do not say whether that access consumes one of the plan's user accounts.

> The software is flexible, allowing you to collaborate with others or grant access to your accountant.
> — https://www.sage.com/en-gb/sage-business-cloud/sage-accounting/ · FAQ, 'Is Sage Accounting right for my small business?', checked 27 October 2026

### Where your books live and what it connects to

**Bank and card feeds** · Yes — Bank and credit card accounts connect directly to the product and transactions import automatically for reconciliation; Canada's comparison table calls the bank feeds free.

> Securely connect to banks and credit cards, instantly import transactions, and reconcile in seconds.
> — https://www.sage.com/en-gb/accounting-software/ · 'Cloud accounting software to suit any size of business', Bank reconciliation tile, checked 27 October 2026

**Stripe** · Yes — Sage names Stripe, PayPal and Shopify plus WooCommerce as connections for Sage Accounting, with the rest of the library in the Sage Marketplace

> Payments & banking: Connect Stripe, PayPal, and your bank for automatic reconciliation. E-commerce: Sync Shopify or WooCommerce to track online sales automatically.
> — https://www.sage.com/en-ca/sage-business-cloud/accounting/ · 'Connects seamlessly to your business apps' section, checked 27 October 2026

**Shopify** · Yes — Sage names Stripe, PayPal and Shopify plus WooCommerce as connections for Sage Accounting, with the rest of the library in the Sage Marketplace

> Payments & banking: Connect Stripe, PayPal, and your bank for automatic reconciliation. E-commerce: Sync Shopify or WooCommerce to track online sales automatically.
> — https://www.sage.com/en-ca/sage-business-cloud/accounting/ · 'Connects seamlessly to your business apps' section, checked 27 October 2026

**PayPal** · Yes — Sage names Stripe, PayPal and Shopify plus WooCommerce as connections for Sage Accounting, with the rest of the library in the Sage Marketplace

> Payments & banking: Connect Stripe, PayPal, and your bank for automatic reconciliation. E-commerce: Sync Shopify or WooCommerce to track online sales automatically.
> — https://www.sage.com/en-ca/sage-business-cloud/accounting/ · 'Connects seamlessly to your business apps' section, checked 27 October 2026

**Square** · No — Square and Gusto are not named on the pages read.

> Payments & banking: Connect Stripe, PayPal, and your bank for automatic reconciliation. E-commerce: Sync Shopify or WooCommerce to track online sales automatically.
> — https://www.sage.com/en-ca/sage-business-cloud/accounting/ · 'Connects seamlessly to your business apps' section, checked 27 October 2026

**Gusto payroll** · No — Square and Gusto are not named on the pages read.

> Payments & banking: Connect Stripe, PayPal, and your bank for automatic reconciliation. E-commerce: Sync Shopify or WooCommerce to track online sales automatically.
> — https://www.sage.com/en-ca/sage-business-cloud/accounting/ · 'Connects seamlessly to your business apps' section, checked 27 October 2026

**Payroll** · Yes — built in: the UK plans bundle Sage Payroll with HR features at no extra subscription, charging GBP 1.85 per employee a month beyond the employees each plan includes; in Canada payroll is sold as an optional add-on instead.

> Payroll 1 Employee + £1.85 (about $2.48) per employee / month 1 Employee + £1.85 (about $2.48) per employee / month 5 Employees + £1.85 (about $2.48) per employee / month
> — https://www.sage.com/en-gb/sage-business-cloud/sage-accounting/ · Plan comparison table, 'Pay and manage people' section, Payroll row, checked 27 October 2026

**Moves your history in** · Yes — Sage brings two years of transactional data, the chart of accounts and customer and supplier lists over from the previous accounting system through MoveMyBooks, and says it pays for that migration.

> Move from your current accounting software to Sage Accounting with 2 years of transactional data, all of your chart of accounts, your customers and suppliers list, and more. Sage picks up the bill.
> — https://www.sage.com/en-gb/sage-business-cloud/sage-accounting/ · FAQ, 'How do I import my data and switch to Sage?', checked 27 October 2026

**Platforms** · Yes — web, windows, mac, ios and android are all covered: it runs in the browser with nothing to install on PCs, Macs, iPhones, iPads and Android devices, plus dedicated iOS and Android apps with a reduced feature set.

> Sage Accounting works on any device, including: PCs and laptops (Windows and Mac). Smartphones (iPhone and Android). Tablets (iPad and Android). It also has an app for iOS and Android.
> — https://www.sage.com/en-gb/sage-business-cloud/sage-accounting/ · FAQ, 'What devices can I use to access Sage Accounting?', checked 27 October 2026

### Taxes

**Files your tax return** · Partly — It calculates and submits VAT returns to HMRC from inside the product, but for the income tax return it only gathers and organizes the data so the user completes the Self Assessment themselves.

> Simplify the process of gathering data for your Self Assessment tax return so you can complete it yourself.
> — https://www.sage.com/en-gb/sage-business-cloud/sage-accounting/ · FAQ, 'How does Sage Accounting make it easier to do tax returns?', checked 27 October 2026

**Calculates sales tax** · Yes — The Canadian edition automates GST/HST/PST/QST and calculates what is owed to the CRA, and the UK edition calculates VAT, both from the entry plan upward.

> Automate GST/HST/PST/QST, connect your bank feeds, and send unlimited invoices.
> — https://www.sage.com/en-ca/sage-business-cloud/accounting/ · Hero section, 'Easy accounting software for small businesses', checked 27 October 2026

**Files sales tax** · Partly — In the UK the Copilot VAT assistant submits the return directly to HMRC, but the Canadian pages only calculate GST/HST for the user to submit to the CRA, and neither pays the tax.

> Once everything's ready, you can submit your return directly to HMRC from Sage.
> — https://www.sage.com/en-gb/sage-copilot/ · 'Submit VAT returns easily' panel, checked 27 October 2026

### What it keeps track of

**Inventory** · Partly — Stock and inventory management is the reason Sage gives for taking the top Plus plan, so it is absent from Start and Standard.

> For small businesses managing inventory or working in multiple currencies. Now including payroll and Sage Copilot.
> — https://www.sage.com/en-gb/sage-business-cloud/sage-accounting/ · Plan cards, Plus column description, checked 27 October 2026

**Other currencies** · Partly — Multi-currency banking, exchange rate updates and gain/loss reporting sit on the Plus plan only, which is the most expensive of the three tiers.

> Multi-currency banking Exchange rate gains and loss report Automatically update exchange rates
> — https://www.sage.com/en-ca/sage-business-cloud/accounting/ · Plan cards, Accounting Plus feature list, checked 27 October 2026

### Your data and its security

**Your data trains AI** · Yes — Sage's own AI and data ethics principles say customer product data is analyzed together with other customers' data to develop and train AI models, and that anonymized product data carries no opt-out.

> When using your anonymized product data to build products, features or experiences, or as part of our Using Data for Good work, we do not offer a choice on whether your anonymized data is used.
> — https://www.sage.com/en-us/trust-security/ai-ethics/ · Principle 2, 'Customer choice', checked 27 October 2026

### Who it is built for

**For accounting firms** · Yes — Sage runs a separate Sage for Accountants product for practices managing client books, with Copilot monitoring client data; its client capacity, firm pricing and branding terms were not readable in this session.

> Sage Copilot enhances accountants' collaboration with clients by monitoring data, identifying issues, errors, and opportunities, and recommending actions, helping you make smarter, faster decisions.
> — https://www.sage.com/en-gb/sage-copilot/ · 'Sage Copilot in action' carousel, Sage for Accountants panel, checked 27 October 2026

**Australia** · No — no Australian edition appeared among Sage Australia's products.

> As of December 31, 2024, Sage Business Cloud Accounting (SBCA) (US) has been retired. Support and access to all editions ends on January 31, 2025. This retirement applies only to SBCA (US)
> — https://www.sage.com/en-us/sage-business-cloud/sage-accounting/ · Retirement notice at the top of the US Sage Business Cloud Accounting page, checked 27 October 2026

### Trying it, starting and getting help

**Free trial or free plan** · Partly — There is a 30-day free trial of the Accounting Standard plan, taken instead of the introductory discount, but no standing free plan for this product in either market.

> Skip the offer and get 30 days free access to Accounting Standard and try out the features. Upgrade or cancel at any time. No long-term contracts, commitments, or hidden fees.
> — https://www.sage.com/en-gb/sage-business-cloud/sage-accounting/ · 'Take a 30-day free trial' panel at the foot of the page, checked 27 October 2026

**Sign up without a sales call** · Yes — Plans are bought online from the plan cards and the product is cloud hosted with nothing to install, so no sales call is needed to start or to cancel.

> Sage Accounting is hosted online, so there's no need to download any software onto your phone or computer.
> — https://www.sage.com/en-gb/sage-business-cloud/sage-accounting/ · FAQ, 'Do I need to download Sage Accounting?', checked 27 October 2026

**Contract and cancelling** · Yes — Billing is month to month with no long-term contract, and Canada's terms say the plan auto-renews monthly and can be terminated any time before the renewal date without being charged.

> To ensure continuous service your subscription plan is an automatically renewing plan. Subsequent months will automatically be billed to the same credit card each month on your anniversary date of purchase. You may terminate the plan at any time
> — https://www.sage.com/en-ca/sage-business-cloud/accounting/ · Pricing footnote beneath the plan cards, checked 27 October 2026

**Support** · Yes — Canada offers chat support in English and French from 9am to 8pm ET on weekdays excluding holidays, plus help docs and community; the UK plan table also lists telephone support, so there is no around-the-clock channel.

> Customer support is offered via online chat in both English and French from 9am-8pm ET, Monday-Friday. This excludes holidays.
> — https://www.sage.com/en-ca/sage-business-cloud/accounting/ · Footnotes beneath the plan cards, checked 27 October 2026

## Sage Accounting alternatives

- [FreeAgent](https://tickmarkbooks.com/freeagent) · From £10 a month (about $13): UK cloud accounting with HMRC filing, bank feeds and AI receipt capture, priced per business type.
- [Zoho Books](https://tickmarkbooks.com/zoho-books) · Free plan, then $20 a month: Cloud accounting ledger with Zia AI, bank feeds, sales tax and 1099 e-filing, from $20 a month.
- [Puzzle](https://tickmarkbooks.com/puzzle) · No list price: AI-native accounting software with optional bookkeeper services for startups and small businesses.
- [Pilot](https://tickmarkbooks.com/pilot) · No list price: A bookkeeping and tax service for startups that pairs software-driven dashboards with human financial advisors.
- [Booke AI](https://tickmarkbooks.com/booke-ai) · No list price: An AI bookkeeper that works inside QuickBooks Online and Xero to categorize transactions and match documents.
- [SimpleAI](https://tickmarkbooks.com/simpleai) · From $79 a month: AI agents that extract, classify and reconcile accounting documents, then publish them into Xero or QuickBooks.
- [FreshBooks](https://tickmarkbooks.com/freshbooks) · From $23 a month: Double-entry small-business ledger built around invoicing, with a read-only Claude connector for questions.
- [Xero](https://tickmarkbooks.com/xero) · From $27 a month: Small-business ledger with a JAX assistant that answers questions in plain language; unlimited users on every plan.
- [QuickBooks Online](https://tickmarkbooks.com/quickbooks-online) · Free plan, then $38 a month: Intuit's cloud ledger, now with Intuit Intelligence agents that categorize, reconcile and flag errors.

6 of the 9 publish a price.

[All 9 alternatives](https://tickmarkbooks.com/sage-accounting/alternatives/)

## Sources and changes

Last changed 27 October 2026

**Sources on sage.com** (6)

- https://www.sage.com/en-gb/sage-business-cloud/sage-accounting/, read 27 October 2026
- https://www.sage.com/en-ca/sage-business-cloud/accounting/, read 27 October 2026
- https://www.sage.com/en-gb/sage-copilot/, read 27 October 2026
- https://www.sage.com/en-gb/accounting-software/, read 27 October 2026
- https://www.sage.com/en-us/sage-business-cloud/sage-accounting/, read 27 October 2026
- https://www.sage.com/en-us/trust-security/ai-ethics/, read 27 October 2026

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