QuickBooks vs Sage 50 Accounting: Pricing Comparison (2026)
QuickBooks starts at $38/mo. Sage 50 Accounting starts at $60/mo. QuickBooks is $22/mo cheaper on the entry tier than Sage 50 Accounting.
See price history: QuickBooks · Sage 50 Accounting
Small business accounting from Intuit, dominant in the US SMB market (~85% share). Distinctive for its accountant network — most US CPAs recommend it as the default, creating an ecosystem lock-in. QuickBooks Online priced $30-$200/mo across four tiers. Recent AI features add auto-categorization and cash flow forecasting. QuickBooks Desktop still exists for legacy users; new sign-ups pushed exclusively to Online. Real cost bloat comes from add-ons: Payroll, Payments, TSheets.
The SMB accounting software from Sage (UK-founded 1981, publicly traded LSE: SGE, $10B market cap), positioned as the desktop-native alternative to QuickBooks Online for US small businesses that value on-premise data control. Distinctive for its hybrid model (desktop app + cloud sync) and 40+ years of accounting-industry incumbency. Priced $60-$180/mo across Pro/Premium/Quantum tiers plus custom Enterprise. Sage also sells Sage Intacct (cloud-native mid-market, tracked separately in SPH), Sage 200 (UK/Ireland), Sage HR, Sage People, Sage Payroll, Sage X3 (enterprise ERP). Popular with 3M+ SMB customers globally.
All plans compared
| # | Plan | QuickBooks monthly | QuickBooks annual | Sage 50 Accounting monthly | Sage 50 Accounting annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pro Accounting | — | — | 60 | 60 |
| 2 | Premium Accounting | — | — | 100 | 100 |
| 3 | Quantum Accounting | — | — | 180 | 180 |
| 4 | Enterprise (custom) | — | — | custom | custom |
What each is best for
Small business accounting from Intuit, dominant in the US SMB market (~85% share). Distinctive for its accountant network — most US CPAs recommend it as the default, creating an ecosystem lock-in. QuickBooks Online priced $30-$200/mo across four tiers. Recent AI features add auto-categorization and cash flow forecasting. QuickBooks Desktop still exists for legacy users; new sign-ups pushed exclusively to Online. Real cost bloat comes from add-ons: Payroll, Payments, TSheets.
The SMB accounting software from Sage (UK-founded 1981, publicly traded LSE: SGE, $10B market cap), positioned as the desktop-native alternative to QuickBooks Online for US small businesses that value on-premise data control. Distinctive for its hybrid model (desktop app + cloud sync) and 40+ years of accounting-industry incumbency. Priced $60-$180/mo across Pro/Premium/Quantum tiers plus custom Enterprise. Sage also sells Sage Intacct (cloud-native mid-market, tracked separately in SPH), Sage 200 (UK/Ireland), Sage HR, Sage People, Sage Payroll, Sage X3 (enterprise ERP). Popular with 3M+ SMB customers globally.
At a glance
| QuickBooks | Sage 50 Accounting | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | — | — |
| Entry price | $38/mo | $60/mo |
| Enterprise available | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | Per Seat | — |
| Last verified | July 29, 2026 | August 12, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified August 12, 2026. Tracked daily.