FreeAgent vs Sage Accounting
FreeAgent
freeagent.comSage Accounting
sage.comSide by side
| Figure | FreeAgent | Sage Accounting |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | £4.17/mo | £2/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 23 | 4 |
| Spec score · Gym Accounting Software | 9.2 (#1) | 8.8 (#9) |
| Spec score · SaaS Accounting Software | 9.2 (#1) | 8.8 (#5) |
| Spec score · Bookkeeping Software | 9.3 (#5) | 9.5 (#1) |
| Spec score · Salon Accounting Software | 9.2 (#2) | 8.9 (#11) |
| API | The public API is HTTPS REST-style, uses OAuth 2.0, accepts JSON and XML, and supports GET, POST, PUT and DELETE methods. | Sage publishes a free RESTful Accounting API for Accounting and Start with CRUD operations over business data. |
| API limits | API limits are 120 user requests per minute, 3,600 per hour and 15 token refreshes per minute. | API version 3.1 documentation states a limit of 1,296,000 requests per application per day and 150 concurrent requests. |
| Documentation and support | FreeAgent provides a 24/7 Knowledge Base plus UK-based support accountants through live chat, email and phone. | Sage provides developer tutorials, a knowledge base, community hub, learning resources, live support and support tickets. |
| Founded | 2007 | 1981 |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Headquarters | Edinburgh, Scotland, UK | Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom |
| Integrations | Supported connections include Open Banking feeds, HMRC, Stripe, PayPal, GoCardless, Basecamp and many listed integration partners. | The Sage marketplace lists Zapier connectivity to more than 4,000 apps, including Google services, Shopify, HubSpot, Slack and WooCommerce. |
| Payroll | The desktop product includes RTI-compliant payroll functionality. | Payroll is built into the Accounting plans with employee allowances and per-employee monthly charges. |
| Rating on Apple App Store | 4.8 out of 5 from 14K ratings. | 4.5 out of 5 from 1,600 ratings |
| Rating on Capterra | 4.5 out of 5 from 179 reviews. | 4.1 out of 5 from 652 reviews |
| Rating on G2 | 4.3 out of 5 from 43 reviews. | 4.2 out of 5 from 76 reviews |
| Rating on Google Play | 4.3 out of 5 from about 1.73K reviews. | 2.1 out of 5 from 335 reviews |
| Rating on Trustpilot | 4.5 out of 5 from 3,035 reviews. | 4.0 out of 5 from 20,187 reviews |
| Rating on TrustRadius | 6.1 out of 10 from 58 reviews and ratings. | 31 verified reviews were counted for the professional-services category in the previous 18 months; no aggregate score was displayed. |
Plans
FreeAgent
- Sole trader£10 a month
- Partnership or LLP£19 a month
- Limited company£33 a month
- FreeFree
- Bank-account-funded accountFree
- Eligible bank-account planFree
- Landlord — billed monthly£5 a month
- Smart Capture Unlimited add-on£5 a month
- Sole trader — billed monthly£9.50 a month
- Landlord monthly£10 a month
Sage Accounting
- Sole Trader FreeFree
- Start£2 a month
- Standard£4.30 a month
- Plus£5.90 a month
In their own words
FreeAgent
FreeAgent is accounting software for business administration, invoicing, expenses, tax reporting and business reports. It builds real-time accounts from bank statements, invoices and expenses, with Profit and Loss, Balance Sheet and Trial Balance reports. Users can create recurring invoices, automate late-payment reminders, turn estimates into invoices and accept payments through Stripe and PayPal. FreeAgent can generate MTD-compatible VAT returns and file them directly to HMRC; payroll calculates PAYE and National Insurance and can submit Real Time Information payroll to HMRC. Its iOS and Android apps cover expense recording, time tracking, invoice management and bank transaction reconciliation. It supports bank feeds from most UK banks via Open Banking and connections to HMRC for MTD VAT. The software is designed for small businesses, accountants and bookkeepers. A free plan is listed, alongside paid plans such as Sole trader at £10 a month and Limited company at £33 a month. Smart Capture includes up to 10 receipts and bills per month as standard; a paid Unlimited add-on removes that cap.
Sage Accounting
Sage Accounting has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.