Forum

• # 70370
• Thu 21 Apr 2011 02:22 PM

Hi All,

I want to migrate one of my clients to a computerised system, could someone please tell me the main differences between Sage 50 Accounts and Sage Intant Accounts? It seems Sage Instant is a lot cheaper...

Any advice would be very much appreciated!

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• # 70379
• Thu 21 Apr 2011 07:16 PM

Hi Lady M

Just a quick one, as Ive got Sage 50 Accounts and just bought Sage Instant for another client.

I like Sage 50 but although it can be multi-company you have to purchase the licence for every company you want to add - around the £250 at the moment on top of the initial purchase of software.

The reason I bought Sage Instant for the other client is ..... the amount of entries that the business generates isnt worth an extra £250.  I did ask the chartered accountants if they would accept different software e.g. VT+ but unfortunatly they prefer sage as they are all comfortable with it.

I'm going to come a cropper though if I get another client who insists on Sage.  I will probably put my foot down and ask them to fund the licence for multi company this time.)

The other client has tons of invoices and purchases etc so I'm sticking with his on sage 50 - he is a sole trader.

(I'll let you know the difference tommorrow)

(My accounts are so small I do my own on excel )

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• # 70380
• Thu 21 Apr 2011 07:25 PM

Hi Liz D,

Thought you might want to know you can download Quickbooks Simplestart for free from http://quickbooks.intuit.co.uk/small-business-accounting/quickbooks-simplestart-free.jsp, if your accounts are really that small then this is a perfect program for you, I use it to do my own accounts.

Thanks James and Liz for your advice, it wasn't the client insisting on Sage, despite everyone's comments about how expensive Sage is I thought by some miracle I might find a cheaper version!

Thank both Liz and James for he advice, I think I'll go with another program! Perhaps Quickbooks Pro...

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• # 70382
• Thu 21 Apr 2011 08:06 PM

Hi there

Sage 50 has a lot bigger range of reports and you can departmentalise postings.

I have a client who has 6 shops and within sage 50 I assign each posting to a different
dept number for a different shop. I can then run reports for individual shops as well as the company
as a whole.

Steve

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• # 71182
• Fri 20 May 2011 09:59 PM

You are unable to import any items into Sage Instant and pull reports directly to excel via integration.  It only has a limited stock features.

Let me know if you would like a quote on Sage -

sagesales@completebookkeeping.co.uk

thank you
Donna

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• # 71935
• Wed 08 Jun 2011 10:29 PM

Thought this might be useful - tell Sage you run a bookkeeping business as there's a different package and at a much better price for the better product.

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• # 71936
• Wed 08 Jun 2011 11:22 PM

Hi 

The cheapest way is to buy client manager  and sage 50 has a lot more facilities and is a lot better then sage instant by miles, you can buy client manager 25 to 50 licence and it does not cost the earth .  It is also a lot cheaper then paying each time for a extra company.  

If I see a client with sage instant and they are not a sole trader as in a 1 man I women I recommend them to upgrade.   I am so used to working with line 50 it would be hard to back to a software that is not as good as Line 50.  Sage website has further detail re the difference .
 
Also shop around I am a member of the Sage Accountants Club but the 25% off is not that great.  Have a look at sage partners as sometimes they have great rates.  When I first brought sage it was about 50% in the difference in cost.  If you go to sage website they should have a list of their partners or you google sage partners 




Edited at 08 Jun 2011 11:28 PM GMT

• Sarah Douglas C.FICB

  HouseTree Business Ltd 

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• # 71959
• Thu 09 Jun 2011 12:28 PM

Hi all

Sage 50 & Instant are basically the same product.  Instant is a cut down version of Sage 50.  It really depends on what your client needs.

The range is
Instant
Instant Plus
Sage 50 - Accountant
Sage 50 - Accountant Plus
sage 50 Professional

Instant plus sits between Accountant and Accountnant Plus.

Sage 50 Accountant Plus and Professional give the ability of automating depreciation and prepayments and accruals.
Sage 50 has departmental budgeting
Sage 50 Professional has Order Processing
Sage 50 can do Project Costing and Charities 

Anymore info please ask

Martin 

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• # 75213
• Thu 13 Oct 2011 10:59 AM

Hi Lady M

Thanks for the link to Quickbooks - just had a blow up at Sage and then remembered your link - looking good for quickbooks ...

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