QuickBooks Desktop for Mac vs. Sage 500 ERP

It is extremely well suited for smaller companies who are trying to manage things on their own without outsourcing too much. The program is easy to learn and doesn't require too much training time before it can be implemented. The online/cloud feature makes it even more accessible to our employees, so it's great. It would be hard for a large company to use it since it is geared towards smaller companies and the interface may become overwhelming with too many inputs/bills to manage.

Incentivized

Sage is wonderful for payroll and employee management. Although it has the capabilities to be a one-stop-shop program, it seriously lacks the interface necessary for wide use. I've had to consult Sage professionals on numerous occasions to explain and walk me through the program as there are so many redundancies. This program has wonderful potential, but they need to update the software and user interface before I can recommend it to any colleague.

Incentivized

• Reconciling my bank accounts is made easy by automated bank connections and rules for re-occurring transactions. I can also transfer between connected bank accounts making sure to not double up on transfers or payments.
• I love that I can access Quickbooks Desktop via a web browser, iOS, and the desktop app. I live in a mobile world so having the ability to crossover is vital.
• Payroll. One simple feature that allows me to track employee and employer taxes, make payments, and automate the entire process. All I have to do is hit approved and the rest is done for me. I love it!

Incentivized

• Payables and receivables handled beautifully
• Projects has the reporting capabilities we need
• Cash management is easy to do

Incentivized

• QB for Mac is not nearly as feature rich as the Windows Version
• QB for Mac has recently FORCED users to password protect all databases. They SHOULD allow a preference to disable rather than imposing their workflow on the end user. The PW is in my environment [and this step is] unnecessary and a cumbersome waste of time.
• Mac version can occasionally be a bit buggy

Incentivized

• The application is very functional, but the interface is a little "stale" compared to more modern applications.
• The underlying client software is written in an old version of Microsoft Visual Basic. I suppose SOME DAY, Microsoft will be discontinuing, although Microsoft has its own ERP software written in that same code.

Incentivized

I haven't spent that much time with the newer versions of QuickBooks for Mac, but I think I'm seeing it make the much-needed improvements. For example, something as simple as undoing the previous reconciliation was a terrible chore, and I'm glad that feature has been included in the newer versions of QuickBooks for Mac

Incentivized

We will renew our investment in Sage 500, mostly because the competition is very expensive and are bloated with options that are not needed.

Incentivized

The Mac version is OK overall. I find the Windows versions to be much more robust but Mac is quite good for Mac users. Though I think die hard Mac users should consider QuickBooks Online instead as there is a new QB for Mac app that makes using QBO much better!

Incentivized

I have been using Intacct for almost 10 years in 2 different companies and I just simply love it. I tried SAP (GUI) and Netsuite and they dont come close to what Ive seen.

Incentivized

I've been using the QuickBooks online version for a little over 6 months now (upgraded from Mac desktop) and I haven't had any access issues. There have been times when it was down for service/upgrade however there is always plenty of notification time given by the Quick Books Online Support team. These upgrade maintenance time frames are always over night hours and on the weekends so everything can be worked around very easily.

Fortunately, I haven't had to reach out much for support.

Incentivized

The online training courses are not up to date. We experienced technical issues with two of the classes.

Incentivized

Keep your database and application in different servers.
Install Microsoft Office on your application server so you can use some of the data analysis tools in Sage.

Incentivized

I tried switching to QBO (QuickBooks Online) a couple of times. And in both cases it was disastrous. The software is buggy and the workflow is not at all like what I was used to in Desktop and so I felt like there was a brand new learning curve. You would think that they would make their online option as close to their Desktop option so that migrating customers would have an easy time. The worst part is that if you have inventory that you need to track, when you migrate from Desktop for Mac, it does NOT bring in your inventory accurately in any way. This was a dealbreaker for me. Be very careful about migrating if you track inventory. So for all the shortcomings of Desktop, I still prefer it over QBO.

Incentivized

500 seems much smoother at handling some of the basic accounting tasks, for example both issuing and later reconciling checks in Dynamics AX seems a little tedious.

Incentivized

• My private consulting practice slowed down when I chose to only support QuickBooks for Mac clients because there are far fewer QuickBooks for Mac clients than their are clients using other QuickBooks. I chose instead to focus on online accounting options, apps that integrate with online accounting options, and sustainability accounting as a tool for business success.

Incentivized

• Efficiency - enhanced automation
• Cost reduction - simple workspace is enough

Incentivized