Financial Edge (legacy) vs. Sage Accounting

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Financial Edge (legacy)
Score 6.8 out of 10
N/A
A legacy software offering, Blackbaud now instead offers and supports their cloud-based accounting solution, Blackbaud Financial Edge NXT as a modern alternative.N/A
Sage Accounting
Score 9.1 out of 10
N/A
Sage Accounting is online accounting software made to simplify life for small business owners, entrepreneurs, and freelancers by providing the functions needed to take care of daily business to-dos. Users can create and send professional quotes and invoices, track income and expenses and know where the business' financials stand. Every Sage Business Cloud Accounting subscription includes unlimited access to support as well as automatic backups and product updates.N/A
Pricing
Financial Edge (legacy)Sage Accounting
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Financial Edge (legacy)Sage Accounting
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsVersions and pricing listed are for CA products. Versions available and pricing may vary by country. * 2 months free to start, or free for 1 month to try, then $19/$43/$62 +tax/mo (tier depending). Offer valid for new customers only on monthly subscriptions of Sage Business Cloud Accounting. After the promotional period, the monthly subscription rate will renew at the then current rate. May not be combined with any other offers or discounts. To ensure continuous service the subscription plan is an automatically renewing plan. Subsequent months will automatically be billed to the same credit card each month on the anniversary date of purchase. Plans can be terminated at any time prior to the renewal data and not charged for renewal.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Financial Edge (legacy)Sage Accounting
Considered Both Products
Financial Edge (legacy)
Chose Financial Edge (legacy)
It doesn't even compare. Sage is far better than Financial Edge. No contest.
Chose Financial Edge (legacy)
I like Financial Edge for non-profit accounting the best as it provides a great foundation for fund accounting. It integrates the best with a donor database and the reporting options are truly amazing.
Chose Financial Edge (legacy)
Financial Edge is more economical than GuideStar, and more focused on the financial successes than simply the management of funds and general data.
Chose Financial Edge (legacy)
Most FE installations I have participated in were from QuickBooks Pro. QuickBooks, if set up well, is a great alternative for the smaller association or nonprofit, but it has challenges handling some of the unique aspects of nonprofit accounting. Recent editions of QuickBooks …
Chose Financial Edge (legacy)
I have used EMPS system, which also works the same as Financial Edge. Financial is easier for A/P entry and A/R entry. However, it isn't very user-friendly when trying to look up batches or check-runs previously made. EMPS system works better when looking for check-runs.
Chose Financial Edge (legacy)
There is no comparison. Fundware was such a dated application and I couldn't believe we were using it as long as we were. Financial Edge allows us to post entries to multiple dates in a single entry and edit the post date as we go. When we used Fundware, we had to edit the …
Sage Accounting
Chose Sage Accounting
used Xero and myob after Sage Accounting. Sage Accounting was used because we had Sage Payroll and it integrated with Sage Accounting . if you are using Sage Payroll and Accounting than importing journal is very easy and quick job
Chose Sage Accounting
Sage Accounting allows for better customization and setup
Chose Sage Accounting
All Sage products work together, and the systems are set up in similar ways, making training/learning easier. Sage is used by many companies locally and internationally, making managing accounts for both providers and clients/customers easier. It is a complete package for macro …
Chose Sage Accounting
I've no comparison. It's all new. But I have quite a bit of computer experience over the years with various careers.
Chose Sage Accounting
Xero we had multiple issues with where that bank transactions would be lost or doubled up, the system would assume that employees only work monday to friday on the same hours each day. Quickbooks is more user friendly for those in self employment whereas Sage is more user …
Chose Sage Accounting
It's a very good system which is reliable and provides all the basics, I believe it is less flexible in making corrections to mistakes. There is no fixed asset module in the lower levels and therefore depreciation has to be worked out in a separate system which really is a …
Chose Sage Accounting
Sage Accounting is easy to use, the website is easy to navigate and looks cleaner. The bank feed is much simpler, and the matching systems seem better.
Chose Sage Accounting
Xero is probably more user friendly, but from an accounting perspective Sage Accounting is up there.
Chose Sage Accounting
I think Sage Accounting is much better than their competitors; Clients have found the 24/7 support invaluable for when our office is closed, including the Help videos on the Sage website and YouTube
Chose Sage Accounting
I used a commercial version of QuickBooks in the past and it suited my needs then. I have not used QuickBooks as intensively as I use Sage. I just preferred Sage at the time because, after evaluating demo versions of both solutions, it simply suited my and the entity's needs …
Chose Sage Accounting
Sage is much easier to use and does not have confusing language for income and expenses i.e. Bills on both Quickbooks and Xero. Using journals is also much easier as these other two programs making it hard to find.
Chose Sage Accounting
Sage Accounting VAT processing is easy and reports are easy to read and close off od VAT periods are simple and straight forward where I found some other software it is not as simple. When you add bank transactions manually and they have VAT, some other software would be out …
Chose Sage Accounting
Sage Accounting produces better-quality reports and is more user-friendly.
Chose Sage Accounting
Probably the biggest reason I selected Sage Accounting is the number of years I have been using it. My training was all manual, and with Sage Accounting I can see and understand how it works. I did use Pegasus successfully for a number of years with a different employer, but …
Chose Sage Accounting
I recommend using the AutoEntry with Sage. Very easy to use. Sage Payroll is also excellent.
Chose Sage Accounting
Sage Line 50 and TasBooks2 were not available in the listings. These now seem very cumbersome compared to Sage Accounting in the Cloud.
Chose Sage Accounting
Used both Sage Accounting 50 and Sage 200, both equally as effective. Find Xero, childish, they have tabs who you owe money to. I think it's really designed for those with little or no accounting knowledge.
Chose Sage Accounting
Sage was just easier for me to use and more familiar for my staff, who had some experience with enterprise versions of Sage in the past. It became a no-brainer when I made the final decision about which package to go with.
Chose Sage Accounting
Sage Accounting is a simpler, more streamlined version of the more complex Sage 50cloud Accounting. For a small, simpler company Sage Accounting is a much more cost-effective option. There are a few features that Sage 50cloud Accounting has that Sage Accounting does not have …
Chose Sage Accounting
Having first used Sage Payroll and found the software amazingly quick and easy to use, having great telephone support, I decided to try the other Sage products and have not been disappointed.
Features
Financial Edge (legacy)Sage Accounting
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Financial Edge (legacy)
1.0
Ratings
154% below category average
Sage Accounting
9.3
Ratings
19% above category average
Pay calculation1.00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Benefit plan administration1.00 Ratings9.30 Ratings
Direct deposit files1.00 Ratings8.80 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management1.00 Ratings9.40 Ratings
Reimbursement management1.00 Ratings9.10 Ratings
Customization
Comparison of Customization features of Product A and Product B
Financial Edge (legacy)
1.0
Ratings
154% below category average
Sage Accounting
8.6
Ratings
12% above category average
API for custom integration1.00 Ratings9.10 Ratings
Plug-ins1.00 Ratings8.00 Ratings
Security
Comparison of Security features of Product A and Product B
Financial Edge (legacy)
1.0
Ratings
157% below category average
Sage Accounting
9.7
Ratings
15% above category average
Single sign-on capability1.00 Ratings9.90 Ratings
Role-based user permissions1.00 Ratings9.50 Ratings
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
Financial Edge (legacy)
1.0
Ratings
155% below category average
Sage Accounting
9.3
Ratings
16% above category average
Dashboards1.00 Ratings8.30 Ratings
Standard reports1.00 Ratings9.80 Ratings
Custom reports1.00 Ratings9.70 Ratings
General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of Product A and Product B
Financial Edge (legacy)
1.0
Ratings
154% below category average
Sage Accounting
9.1
Ratings
16% above category average
Accounts payable1.00 Ratings9.80 Ratings
Accounts receivable1.00 Ratings9.90 Ratings
Cash management1.00 Ratings9.80 Ratings
Bank reconciliation1.00 Ratings9.50 Ratings
Expense management1.00 Ratings9.90 Ratings
Time tracking1.00 Ratings6.60 Ratings
Fixed asset management1.00 Ratings8.40 Ratings
Multi-currency support1.00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Multi-division support1.00 Ratings9.90 Ratings
Regulations compliance1.00 Ratings9.50 Ratings
Electronic tax filing1.00 Ratings9.70 Ratings
Self-service portal1.00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Global Financial Support1.00 Ratings9.30 Ratings
Primary and Secondary Ledgers1.00 Ratings9.50 Ratings
Intercompany Accounting1.00 Ratings8.10 Ratings
Localizations1.00 Ratings8.30 Ratings
Journals and Reconciliations1.00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Enterprise Accounting1.00 Ratings6.90 Ratings
Configurable Accounting1.00 Ratings9.30 Ratings
Centralized Rules Framework1.00 Ratings8.90 Ratings
Standardized Processes1.00 Ratings9.50 Ratings
Inventory Management
Comparison of Inventory Management features of Product A and Product B
Financial Edge (legacy)
1.0
Ratings
152% below category average
Sage Accounting
6.9
Ratings
6% below category average
Inventory tracking1.00 Ratings6.70 Ratings
Automatic reordering1.00 Ratings8.30 Ratings
Location management1.00 Ratings5.70 Ratings
Manufacturing module1.00 Ratings7.00 Ratings
Order Management
Comparison of Order Management features of Product A and Product B
Financial Edge (legacy)
1.0
Ratings
154% below category average
Sage Accounting
8.2
Ratings
6% above category average
Pricing1.00 Ratings9.90 Ratings
Order entry1.00 Ratings7.60 Ratings
Credit card processing1.00 Ratings8.10 Ratings
Cost of goods sold1.00 Ratings7.60 Ratings
Order Orchestration1.00 Ratings7.60 Ratings
End-to-end order visibility1.00 Ratings7.60 Ratings
Order exception Resolution1.00 Ratings8.90 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Financial Edge (legacy)Sage Accounting
Small Businesses
QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
Score 8.9 out of 10
QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
Score 8.9 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Zoho Books
Zoho Books
Score 9.0 out of 10
Zoho Books
Zoho Books
Score 9.0 out of 10
Enterprises
Oracle Fusion Cloud Enterprise Performance Management
Oracle Fusion Cloud Enterprise Performance Management
Score 10.0 out of 10
Oracle Fusion Cloud Enterprise Performance Management
Oracle Fusion Cloud Enterprise Performance Management
Score 10.0 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Financial Edge (legacy)Sage Accounting
Likelihood to Recommend
1.0
(0 ratings)
9.9
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
-
(0 ratings)
8.6
(0 ratings)
Usability
2.0
(0 ratings)
9.9
(0 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
8.7
(0 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
9.2
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
1.0
(0 ratings)
9.9
(0 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(0 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
9.5
(0 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
9.2
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
9.3
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
8.8
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
9.3
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
9.3
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Financial Edge (legacy)Sage Accounting
Likelihood to Recommend
  • Financial Edge is well suited for traditional day to day accounting, accounts payable, and related needs.
  • Financial Edge dashboard does not provide a snapshot view of data that I have found are available through other platforms (like QBO).
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Pastel also helps users to save time when it comes to bank and supplier reconciliations. Capturing into pastel is also easy. The merit of pastel is that it is very efficient and simplifies most of the financial accounting and human resource management tasks. I have discovered that some long batches (more than 2000), if posted during peak hours, tend to fail during posting and resume later, but at this point, doubling, trebling, or even quadrupling transactions.
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Pros
  • Grant Management - nothing is more harrowing than grant reporting, and FE does it best. It allows for layered budgets and limitless division of expenses among grants, overhead, or other projects/programs.
  • Reporting - Most financial software tries to adapt for-profit accounting into a non-profit mode without addressing the unique needs of a nonprofit for reporting and auditing.
  • Multiple projects and/or cost centers within a budget and system - nothing is more challenging than trying to manage expenses over several cost centers and FE is a champ at allowing that complexity.
Read full review
  • Bank integration - being able to extract banking transaction into Sage Accounting.
  • Allocation rules - transactions are auto-allocated once allocation rules have been set up. This is a great time-saver.
  • Flexibility - the ability to view transactions, click on them to the allocation point and rectifying if required saves having to create journals, and therefore time. General ledgers therefore stay cleaner and more user-friendly.
Read full review
Cons
  • Customer service blames the customer, and never offers solutions other than "wait it out." I've always been told it's my computer, even though everyone else at my work has the same issues.
  • Website is constantly "under maintenance" and it somehow never gets better.
  • The Database View is outdated and glitchy. Honestly get rid of it.
  • The Crystal Report is the only way to handle monthly recurring statements, and Financial Edge does not offer support for it anymore. Good luck figuring that out on your own.
Read full review
  • I find it difficult to record journals in cloud accounting. Maybe I just don’t have the knowledge.
  • It’s important to export all unrecorded sync bank transactions to Excel to send to clients to explain the payment receipts before being posted. This function is not available on the cloud and makes life harder, having to call out the transactions to clients over the phone.
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Likelihood to Renew
No answers on this topic
I could not live without Sage Accounting, it has become an integral part of my everyday. The more I have used Sage Accounting the more I have fallen in love with it. I am excited to be part of this ever-evolving accounting system that has grown from strength to strength, making life easier is something Sage does so well.
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Usability
It's user friendly, when it wants to be.
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Sage Accounting is built for the business owner/user and not the accountant, it therefore guides the user and thus detailed accounting knowledge and experience is not a necessarily a prerequisite . It offers a monthly price and therefore no significant up front spend and it tailorable to your business with useful dashboards that again you can tailor to instantly see what's important to you.
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Reliability and Availability
No answers on this topic
Sage has been always available when I want it. If there is any maintenance work to be done by the Sage team, you are told well in advance. Maintenance is generally carried out late at night or before the day begins for most of us. It continues to be the most reliable software I use.
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Performance
No answers on this topic
Performance is top notch, if it is not, it is probably your wi-fi connection. It has happened that pages load slowly because of an error on Sage side but almost never. Overall reports load fine, the site is fast, navigation is fine. I have a client that has so many invoices, it is slow or gets stuck when you try to load a report for a whole year but it is just too many invoices, it makes sense. Just take 2 report for 6 months and combine them, its not an issue for me. I am happy with Sage Accounting's performance.
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Support Rating
I would give this a zero if I could. Here's the deal. Once you request a chat with a representative, they immediately respond. So responsiveness: 10/10. However, they have a tendency to (always) tell you that whatever problem you're experiencing is your problem, not theirs. They offer no solutions and never take responsibility for their website malfunctioning
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The support is world class - never ever during 30 plus years in business I have received such helpful, knowledgeable and genuine support as I have from Sage. At Sage people matter and i can chat to someone safe in the knowledge that they will actually listen and assist. This also backed up by huge online portfolio of help and resources
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In-Person Training
No answers on this topic
Staff are always friendly, and patient, always work at a speed that suits you. You are never rushed, and In only a short time they seem to be able to help you make great strides. It has been a pleasure not a chore, learning how SAGE Accounting works and benefits me and the company.
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Online Training
No answers on this topic
I find the online training was very informative and they answered all my questions. I am also certified in Sage One and provided online training in the program which I have set up several people on and they love how it keeps them organized.
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Implementation Rating
No answers on this topic
The clients' business owner worked with Sage on implementation before I began working for them. After consultation with them it is clear the process was quickly performed and without complication. The key takeaway was that Sage is seen as a partner to the business. That said, it was always necessary to engage with an accountant such as myself to extract the best out of the software.
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Alternatives Considered
Financial Edge is more economical than GuideStar, and more focused on the financial successes than simply the management of funds and general data.
Read full review
The first integration we had created for our product was with QuickBooks Online. There was a fair amount of work put in to create this solution, and a huge amount of testing to make sure it works properly. Once Sage Accounting had an API available for integration, we included this as well, as a fair number of our customers use Sage products. While there were challenges coming from the difference between product APIs, Sage Accounting was overall easier to implement, and more straightforward with actions and expected outcomes.
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Scalability
No answers on this topic
You can use Sage in your company for various aspects/positions such as bookkeepers, invoicing clerks, accountant, purchasing etc. Everyone can have their own user login and permissions can be set that specific people can do specific jobs without being able to access other peoples progress or accounts of the company.
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Return on Investment
  • We have been able to more effectively track utilization of budgets
  • Scholarship management has more than tripled over a five year period
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  • Being cloud-based, meaning I can work from anywhere, has had a massive ROI, as I am no longer tied to the office.
  • CoPilot has meant we can spend more hours creating work for our business than chasing for payments.
  • Statement Runs mean we do not have to spend half a day carrying out the tasks individually.
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ScreenShots

Sage Accounting Screenshots

Screenshot of the All-in-One DashboardScreenshot of the Accounting DashboardScreenshot of an Invoicing Quote EstimateScreenshot of the Purchases TrackerScreenshot of Stock InventoryScreenshot of a VAT Returns List