Sage has long been producing corporate accounting software packages of an exceedingly high quality. They’re recognised as one of the industry’s leading players, and with good reason. A Sage product is synonymous with reliability, performance and versatility – all key traits in the successful running of a company.
One of the questions we’re most frequently asked at Impress Solutions, providers of various corporate accounting software packages, is which Sage product is right for my business – Sage 50 or Sage 200? It’s a good question, and there are many factors that determine which software will best suit your needs. We wanted to cover these deciding variables in a little more detail, so that you may better understand what your business should be looking for.
Cost
Right off the bat, this will most likely be the major consideration for a company. When it comes to the financials, Sage 50 is the cheaper of the two packages because it’s the lower-level package. For standard Sage 50, you will be looking at around the £20 per month (which can go beyond £100 per month if you use Sage 50 Professional). Sage 200, being the big brother of Sage 50, brings with it a more expensive licensing fee. Putting an exact price on it is difficult because of our ability to develop and provide a completely bespoke package, with each and every Sage 200 implementation tailored to that particular business. Beyond the software itself, it will include installation, training, the potential of additional modules and integration with other existing software. As you can see, this results in it being the more expensive of the two packages.
Business Size
This is another crucial deliberation. Ultimately, it’s this factor more than any other which will determine which corporate accounting software package you decide upon. Sage 50 works fantastically well for smaller businesses. If you’re coming into the market as a new player, your business only recently established, then Sage 50 provides a solution you know will provide you with proven results and reliability – it’s a package suited to those organisations with 20 or fewer employees.
Sage 200 can have up to 50 employees using the software at any one time, with over 9 million nominal transactions as opposed to the 1.5 million transactions that Sage 50 offers. Larger businesses also tend to need a greater degree of flexibility and personalisation, something which Sage 200 offers. Sage 200 is highly configurable as per a business’ particular requirements.
Key Differences
You’ve probably gathered by now that Sage 200 is the more comprehensive of the two corporate accounting software packages when it comes to overall features and performance. What are these improved features, however? The list includes, but is not limited to:
- Business intelligence
- Multi-tier nominal structure
- CRM integration
- Flexible accounting periods
- Stock traceability
- Bespoke additional modules
This is by no means an exhaustive list of what comes with Sage 200, but it certainly gives a flavour of the kind of wide-ranging service it provides.
Similarities
There are, of course, many similarities between the two products. After all, they’re both offering a similar accounting service. For example, both Sage 50 and Sage 200 offer comprehensive backup capabilities, something which is crucial in a world where data security is as important as it is. Increased cyber threats in the form of phishing and ransomware mean regular, scheduled backups are now a necessity not a luxury. Moreover, both packages are fully compliant with Making Tax Digital. HMRC are increasingly looking to digitise their processes. It’s vital, therefore, that you choose a software package which ensures you don’t fall foul of any recent updates to rules and regulations. Finally, both have cloud capabilities and can be integrated with Microsoft 365.
They’re packages each with their own merits. Sage 50 provides a smaller scale business solution; it’s perfect for less-established companies looking to start climbing the rungs of the business ladder. Sage 200, on the other hand, offers the scope for business growth and workplace functionality, ideal for those larger companies looking to scale up in the corporate world. So, if you’d like to find out more about our various corporate accounting software packages, then get in touch! Contact Impress Solutions today on 01708 759 760.
