Head to head
Sage Accounting (formerly Sage Business Cloud Accounting) vs Wave
Both platforms are scored with the same methodology and the same category rubric. Nothing on this page is influenced by advertising.
49/100 | 56/100Higher score | |
|---|---|---|
| Category rank | #8 | #5 |
| Confidence | High confidence | High confidence |
| External Reputation | 76 | 69 |
| AI Authority | 16 | 51 |
| Web Authority | 48 | 51 |
| Expert Assessment | 50 | 44 |
| TOP10 User Score | — | — |
| Pricing | £20/month + VAT (Start) — promotional £2/month for first 6 months · free tier: No free plan; alternative to the promotional discount is 1 month free on any tier | $19 USD/month (or $190 USD/year); $25 CAD/month, $250 CAD/year — promo observed at $9.50 USD/month for first 3 months · free tier: Starter $0: unlimited estimates, invoices, bills and bookkeeping records, mobile invoicing, cash flow and customer dashboard; documents sent via link or PDF only; Wave branding retained |
| Pricing model | Subscription | Freemium subscription plus per-transaction payment fees |
| Best for | UK-based VAT-registered sole traders and small businesses with 1–5 employees that want accounting plus payroll from one vendor at a low monthly price, with Making Tax Digital and CIS handled out of the box; those with inventory or foreign-currency trading should start on Plus. | US and Canadian freelancers and micro-businesses invoicing in USD/CAD at low volume — roughly under 10 card transactions a month, or mostly via 1% ACH — who want free invoicing plus double-entry bookkeeping in one ledger and can tolerate 1–7 day settlement. |
| Avoid if | You are a US business (the product is retired and unsupported — Sage directs you to Sage 50), you need multiple users but are tempted by the single-user £20 Start tier, you have a large headcount relative to the bundled employees, or you need certainty on subscription admin and refunds. | Your cash flow cannot absorb a payment hold or risk review, you process more than about 10 card transactions a month, you operate outside the US/Canada or need Quebec payroll, or you require weekend, phone or fast-escalation support. |
| Markets | SMB, Sole traders, Micro-businesses | Freelancers, Sole traders, Micro-business, SMB |
| Founded | 1981 | — |
| Headquarters | Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom | — |
A higher TOP SCORE means more of the evidence favours that platform on this methodology — it is not a recommendation, and it does not account for your specific requirements. Advertisers are never declared the winner of a comparison.