Home › Accounting › Sage Accounting vs Xero
Sage Accounting vs Xero
Priced at four client counts, the features checked against both pricing pages.
Take Sage Accounting if you want UK VAT and MTD, what accountants expect and a mature platform with a large ecosystem. Take Xero if you want what accountants expect, a mature platform with a large ecosystem and one price for everyone. Xero is cheaper on a small roster and Sage Accounting is cheaper by 25 clients, so the answer changes with your size.
What each one actually costs
The real monthly figure at four client counts with the add-ons each platform forces on you included, from the same engine the shortlist quiz uses. The cheaper of the two is marked on every row.
| Sage Accounting | Xero | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 clients | $57.63 | $27 | $30.63 |
| 25 clients | $57.63 | $59 | $1.37 |
| 50 clients | $57.63 | $59 | $1.37 |
| 100 clients | $57.63 | $59 | $1.37 |
What is actually different
- Sage Accounting lists AI features and a mobile app where Xero does not, which is their own wording rather than something we verified.
- Xero lists bank feeds, expenses and project and time tracking where Sage Accounting does not, which is their own wording rather than something we verified.
No verdict from me yet
I have not used Sage Accounting or Xero on camera, so everything on this page comes from their own pricing pages, re-read weekly, and nothing from my own experience. When I review either, it will be here.
Before you sign up to either
| Sage Accounting | Xero | |
|---|---|---|
| Free trial | 30 days | 30 days |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Contract | Monthly; upgrade or cancel at any time, no long-term contracts (per the UK page) | Monthly, auto-renews until cancelled; first month free; downgrade one month after upgrading |
| Payment fee | None on top | None on top |
Reading further
The full price ladder, every plan and the add-ons charged on top are on each platform's own page. If neither of these two is quite it, each page also has the alternatives ranked against it.
People search for this comparison as: sage accounting vs xero, xero vs sage, xero vs sage vs quickbooks.
Questions people ask about these two
Is Sage Accounting or Xero cheaper?
Xero is cheaper on a small roster and Sage Accounting is cheaper by 25 clients, so the answer changes with your size.
How much does Sage Accounting cost a month?
Sage Accounting is $57.63 a month at every size we price, from 5 to 100 clients, read off their own pricing page and re-checked every week.
How much does Xero cost a month?
Xero is $27 a month at 5 clients and $59 at 100 clients, read off their own pricing page and re-checked every week.
Does Sage Accounting or Xero have a free trial?
Sage Accounting publishes a 30-day free trial. Xero publishes a 30-day free trial.
Make a third option? If you make accounting and invoicing platforms and it is missing from this list, ask to be shortlisted. Listings are free and cannot be bought.
Neither, or not sure?
A head to head only helps once you have picked the two. The shortlist asks 7 questions about what you need the books to do and where you are based, and gives you four picks priced at your own numbers, from all 14.
Build your shortlist