Xero is a cloud-first accounting platform with stronger reporting and automation, while Sage offers more traditional on-premise options with deeper enterprise integrations. Xero excels for small-to-medium businesses seeking modern interfaces, whereas Sage caters to organizations needing legacy system compatibility and complex multi-entity accounting.
Sage vs Xero — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Cloud accounting software optimized for international businesses and multi-entity management
Cloud-based accounting software focused on small businesses with strong UX and multi-currency support.
Deployment Model. Starting Price (Monthly). API Rate Limits. Multi-Currency Support. Pre-built Integrations. User Onboarding Time. Enterprise Multi-Entity Support
Choose Sage if your organization requires on-premise deployment options, manages multiple complex entities (50+), needs legacy system integration, or operates in regulated industries demanding traditional audit trails. Choose Xero if you prioritize ease of use, want rapid cloud-based implementation, need extensive third-party integrations, or run a fast-growing SMB with straightforward accounting requirements.
Sage: $0 (Unlimited on Enterprise) | Xero: $8-15 (Standard plan)
Sage: Unlimited (All Enterprise tiers) | Xero: 5 (Standard), Unlimited (Premium)
Sage: Dashboard view only | Xero: Full capability with offline mode
Sage: 3 options (AWS, Azure, on-premise) | Xero: N/A
5-Year Total Cost of Ownership (50 users)
Sage: 3.8/5 stars (8,500+ reviews) | Xero: N/A
Sage: 40-168 (varies by plan) | Xero: 168 (24/7)
Sage: Advanced (batch, serial, multi-warehouse) | Xero: N/A
Sage: Unlimited (enterprise) | Xero: Unlimited (all tiers)
Sage: 500 (Sage Intacct) | Xero: 60 (standard tier)
Sage: 999 (Sage Intacct) | Xero: Unlimited organizations
Sage: Sage Business Cloud (limited) | Xero: Yes (Snap Invoice)
Sage: Invoice viewing, basic read-only access | Xero: N/A
Sage: Standard feature on all tiers | Xero: N/A
Sage: No; per-user licensing model | Xero: N/A
Sage: Limited (document comments only) | Xero: Full (multi-user simultaneous editing)
Maximum Company Accounts (Single Subscription)
Certified Professional Partners (Global)
Sage: N/A | Xero: Good but secondary focus
Sage: N/A | Xero: Comprehensive accounting-focused
Sage: N/A | Xero: Standard tools included
Sage: N/A | Xero: Native multi-entity support
Sage: N/A | Xero: Available (Select tier+)
Sage: N/A | Xero: Third-party add-on (Guidepoint, Namely)
Sage: N/A | Xero: $13-62 depending on plan
Sage: N/A | Xero: 50+ customizable reports
Sage: N/A | Xero: Full accounting and expense tracking
Sage: N/A | Xero: Advanced automation saves ~8 hours
Sage: N/A | Xero: Varies by Starter plan
Sage: N/A | Xero: Full invoicing, payments, expense tracking
Sage: N/A | Xero: 1-3 limited (unlimited on higher tiers)
Sage: N/A | Xero: 4.6 stars (18,000+ reviews)
Sage: N/A | Xero: 500+ native integrations
Sage: N/A | Xero: Manual entry + basic matching
Sage vs Xero — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Sage vs Xero. Contains 109 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Sage vs Xero — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Sage vs Xero.
Which is better for multi-entity consolidation?
Sage wins for organizations managing 50+ entities. Sage Intacct supports up to 999 entities natively with robust consolidation workflows and intercompany transaction handling. Xero can manage multiple organizations but requires more manual workarounds for complex consolidation scenarios. Sage is purpose-built for large enterprise group structures.
Does Xero or Sage have better mobile functionality?
Xero offers superior mobile experience with Snap Invoice (photograph receipts), mobile-optimized dashboard, and real-time expense tracking via iOS/Android apps. Sage's mobile capabilities vary by product line—Sage 50 has limited mobile access, while Sage Intacct offers stronger mobile support but not as polished as Xero's user experience.
Which software integrates with more third-party apps?
Xero integrates with 1,000+ apps (Zapier, Stripe, Shopify, HubSpot, etc.), making it ideal for SMBs using modern SaaS tools. Sage connects to 500+ apps with stronger emphasis on legacy enterprise systems and ERPs. For small businesses using contemporary tools, Xero's ecosystem is more comprehensive.
Only Sage offers on-premise options through Sage 50 and Sage 100 products, critical for regulated industries (healthcare, finance) and organizations with strict data residency requirements. Xero is cloud-only and cannot be deployed on-premise—if this is a requirement, Sage is mandatory.
What's the total cost of ownership over 3 years?
Xero: ~$2,520-$5,040 (Early to Standard tier at $13-70/month × 36 months). Sage 50: ~$900-$2,160 (basic tier), but enterprise deployments (Intacct) with implementation costs ($20K-50K) total $35K-80K+ over 3 years. Xero has lower TCO for SMBs; Sage's enterprise products have higher upfront costs but better value at scale.
Deployment Model: Sage has Cloud-native + optional on-premise (Sage 100, Sage 50), while Xero has Cloud-only (no on-premise option).
Starting Price (Monthly): Sage has $25-$60 (Sage 50), while Xero has $13-$70 (Xero).
API Rate Limits: Sage has 500 API calls per minute (Sage Intacct), while Xero has 60 API calls per minute (standard tier).
Multi-Currency Support: Sage has 45+ currencies (Sage Intacct), while Xero has 135+ currencies supported.
Pre-built Integrations: Sage has 500+ app integrations, while Xero has 1,000+ app integrations.
User Onboarding Time: Sage has 3-4 weeks average, while Xero has 1-2 weeks average.
Consider: Enterprise Multi-Entity Support
Enterprise Multi-Entity Support: Sage has Strong (up to 999 entities in Sage Intacct), while Xero has Standard (multiple organizations supported).