Sage Accounting vs. BrightBooks

Sage Accounting is a comprehensive, cloud-based accounting software solution tailored to meet the needs of small and growing businesses by combining AI-powered automation with robust financial management features. As an HMRC-recognized Making Tax Digital compliant platform, it simplifies tax submissions, including VAT returns and self-assessment filings, while supporting seamless bank connections for efficient cash flow tracking. The intelligent Sage Copilot assistant enhances productivity by automating tasks like invoice reminders, VAT return filing, and email communications, while providing real-time insights into profitability, outstanding payments, and supplier activity. Users can effortlessly capture receipts and invoices through AI-driven extraction, ensuring accurate financial records and reducing the risk of duplicate payments or errors. Sage Accounting offers tiered plans—from the entry-level Start plan for VAT-registered sole traders, to Standard and Plus plans that include advanced reporting, CIS management, multi-currency invoicing, and inventory controls. Each plan includes a free 3-month trial and the flexibility to upgrade or cancel without long-term contracts. Additional payroll functionality is available as an add-on, supporting businesses with employees of various sizes. Sage further supports customers with award-winning live support, educational masterclasses, certification programs, and an active community forum. The software is designed to be accessible on multiple devices, ensuring business owners can manage their finances anytime, anywhere. Overall, Sage Accounting empowers businesses to save time, improve accuracy, and make informed financial decisions, fostering growth and compliance in an increasingly complex regulatory environment.

BrightBooks is part of the Bright suite of professional-grade software solutions created for accountants, bookkeepers, and small business owners seeking modern, cloud-first financial management. Combining accounting, invoicing, CRM, and compliance tools, it delivers everything a growing business needs to stay financially organized and tax-compliant. Users can create branded invoices, schedule recurring payments, and reconcile bank statements automatically through integrated banking features. The built-in CRM system helps track calls, quotations, and customer interactions, making it easy to manage sales pipelines and improve client engagement. Businesses can also manage inventory efficiently using BrightBooks’ stock management tools, while real-time dashboards offer full visibility into cash flow, expenses, and profitability. Designed with Making Tax Digital (MTD) in mind, it simplifies VAT returns and supports direct submissions to HMRC with complete accuracy. As part of the Bright ecosystem, it connects effortlessly with BrightAccountsProduction, BrightTax, and MyWorkpapers, creating a unified digital workspace for accounting professionals. Hosted on Microsoft Azure, BrightBooks benefits from enterprise-level security, threat intelligence, and 24/7 data protection. Pricing plans are flexible—Starter, Standard, and Enterprise—ensuring scalability as your business grows. With BrightBooks, financial management becomes faster, smarter, and more collaborative, giving users the tools to focus on business growth instead of paperwork.