Sage 50 Review 2020

Item: Sage 50
Rating: 9.8
Author: Jonathan Kerns

Has your business been doing all of its accounting via the old-fashioned way? If you have become used to doing it via spreadsheet for years, then you may have noticed more than once that it can get a tad disorganized really quickly at times, especially when a lot of people are making entries. Simply put, spreadsheet accounting, while useful, can be more trouble than it is worth. Enter Sage 50, one of the leading accounting softwares in the industry that can help make your business' accounting more streamlined and efficient.

This software can automate your accounting and save you tons of time in order to help you focus more on your business. But that's not all, it can also generate and export reports to a variety of formats, help you manage payrolls and other employee data as well as inventory and services, and it can even allow you to add more features to expand its functionality according to your business' needs. That said, migrating from a manual accounting process to a more automated one can be a bit daunting at first, so before diving right in do check out the full, in-depth review of Sage 50 below to learn more!

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Jonathan KernsFebruary 24, 2019

Pros

Easily Generate and Export Reports: - One of the most important things that any accounting software must absolutely get right is their reporting functions. If this particular aspect were poorly executed then what was once a well-oiled machine of a business could quickly turn into an absolute mess. Thankfully, Sage 50's reporting functions are quite impressive. This can, for example, generate monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reports, including balance sheets, income statements and the like. You can even easily export the reports to a number of formats and share them via email.
Easily Manage Payroll and Employee Data: - Another thing that anyone will absolutely love about Sage 50 is that it makes payroll management ten times easier. With this single software you can distribute payroll either as check or direct deposit, provide over 260 federal and state forms, deliver W-2's, calculate payroll taxes, and many more. To further help you get on top of things regarding payrolls, the software also tracks a variety of employee data such as contact information, emergency contacts, employment status, pay information, withholdings, and the like
Easily Manage Inventory and Services: - If your business involves selling wares or services, then you will definitely adore how Sage 50 makes managing inventory incredibly convenient. You can easily manage purchase orders, track shipping, receive inventory, and so much more. Tracking inventory is important to a lot of businesses, so having the right tools for the job is crucial to maintaining a smooth operation. And with this accounting software for small businesses, you definitely have a better chance of doing so than with anything else out in the market.
Some Very Useful Add-ons: - In addition to all of its excellent built-in features, you can also opt to add more features by way of some very useful first and third party add ons. The great thing about these add-ons is that there is a healthy variety of options to choose from, which allows you to expand and customize the functionality of your accounting software according to the specific needs of your business.

Cons

Price Could Get Expensive Especially with Add-ons: - While Sage 50 offers different price tiers that cater to businesses with varying needs and budgets, those with pockets that are not particularly deep nor loaded should be aware of the extra costs of add-ons. That is, if you absolutely need some of the third party add-ons offered, then be prepared to pay for each as these do not come for free with any of the subscription plans.

Incredibly Flexible

One of the best things about Sage 50 is how immensely flexible it is. Thanks to the presence of tons of add-ons, you can pretty much customize the software according to your the specific needs of your business. For starters, you can add a robust payroll management system, a credit card payment processor system, and even an app that connects to your software for real-time customer and inventory information and management on the fly. Other add-ons include a trucking dispatch software, order/invoicing front ends, a powerful POS retail management program, inventory management, and so much more!

Pricing & Features

While Sage 50 is specifically aimed at small businesses, it comes in three flavors so as to cater to different needs as well as budgets. This review will shine the spotlight on all three and give a rundown of what you can and cannot do within each subscription plan. The great thing about this is that you will get a robust set of features, regardless of which plan you ultimately choose to go with, as you will see below.

Sage 50 Pro: – This is the most basic of the three plans and it provides you with the most essential accounting features. Starting at $249 per year, for 1 user, this plan will give you the ability to:
- customize reports
- record bills, write checks and keep track of credits and returns
- analyze vendors to negotiate the best prices
- attach documents to transactions and records
- track 4 years worth of budget via the Comparative Budget Spreadsheet Creator
- perform conversions from Quickbooks
- receive email alerts, forms, reports, and other financial statements
- manage inventory, including assemblies, average/LIFO/FIFO costing methods, and back orders
- create quotes and sales orders
- invoice your customers
- add a payroll management solution
- add a credit card payment processor

Sage 50 Premium: – Starting at $299 and topping off at $1,099 per year, for 1-5 users, this plan will give you all of the benefits of the previous plan plus the following advanced accounting features that allow you to:
- perform advanced budgeting
- archive company data
- view audit trails
- change order processing
- take advantage of their Company Consolidation Wizard
- get access to the Customer Management Center
- get access to the Inventory & Services Management Center
- utilize a streamlined billing process
- view transaction histories
- get access to the Vendor Management Center
- and more!

Sage 50 Quantum: – Starting at $1,199 per year and topping off at $2,949 per year, this is the top-of-the-line version of Sage 50 that was developed to handle large data requirements, and allows you to add as much as 40 users and give each access based on their role. In addition to providing you with all of the features of the previous two plans, this also gives you:
- faster performance, thanks to SmartPosting technology
- interactive job reporting
- access to the Job Navigation Center
- access to the Job & Project Management Center
- access to My Dashboard and My Dashboard Modules
- automation for Order Process Workflow
- role-based security for various users
- industry-specific solutions for Manufacturing, Construction and Distribution
- and more!

You also have the choice to avail of a free trial for each plan, as well as take advantage of their personalized demo offer wherein they will customize the tour of the software according to your specific needs. This really helpful one-on-one demo with one of their advisors allow you to get a good feel to see exactly how the software would work for you. They also provide a money-back guarantee for first time customers, which ensures that you will get a refund, minus any rebate you may have received from the purchase, if you are absolutely sure that Sage 50 is just not suited for your business.

Customer Support

Sage 50 has an excellent suite of customer support options that covers most, if not all, of the bases. You can give them a call, send a direct email, or initiate a live chat session. Alternatively, they also have a bustling community filled with Sage customers, employees and product experts where you can ask for assistance or even share ideas. Or, if you wish to resolve your issue on your own, they have pretty comprehensive knowledgebase section that will help you do just that. Whether you find their software complex or are simply lost, Sage’s excellent customer support definitely has got you covered in order to get you back up on your feet!

What's the Verdict on Sage 50?

A Definite Buy!

Sage 50 Review 2020 – Conclusion

Sage 50 is one of the best choices out there whether you are looking to migrate from spreadsheet accounting to something more automated, or simply searching for a robust accounting software that will make your business’ accounting process more efficient and streamlined. With it you can easily generate, customize and even share detailed reports, manage payroll, employee data, inventory and services. And, thanks to incredible flexibility via tons of optional add-ons, Sage 50 is absolutely perfect for just about any kind of business. They also have a free trial and a personalized demo offer so you can give it a test drive to see if it is exactly what you are looking for before committing to anything. So, what are you waiting for? Check out Sage 50 now!