Softwr

Accounting & Finance · head to head

Avalara vs Sage 50

Avalara logo

Avalara

Accounting & Finance

Tax compliance done right

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sage 50 logo

Sage 50

Accounting & Finance

Powerful desktop accounting for small businesses

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Avalara plans start at $699 per state per year, so multi-state sellers multiply that figure rather than paying one subscription; Sage 50 sage 50 tiers as captured in 2022: Pro Accounting $595/year for 1 user, Premium Accounting $970/year for 1-5 users with multi-company support, Quantum Accounting $1,610/year for larger teams
  • They diverge on capability: Avalara covers Tax calculation, Sage 50 covers General ledger.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Avalara and Sage 50 actually diverge.

Attributes where Avalara and Sage 50 differ
AttributeAvalaraSage 50
PlatformsWeb, ApiWindows
Founded20041981

Identical on both: starting price ($29/month), pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Accounting & Finance).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Avalara

  • Tax calculation
  • Returns filing
  • Exemption management
  • Document management
  • Real-time rates
  • QuickBooks
  • NetSuite
  • Shopify

Only in Sage 50

  • General ledger
  • Invoicing
  • Inventory management
  • Job costing
  • Budgeting
  • Microsoft 365
  • Salesforce
  • Local encryption

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Avalara

  • Real-time sales tax calculation at checkoutnot Sage 50
  • Multi-state and multi-jurisdiction tax determinationnot Sage 50
  • VAT, lodging, communications and excise tax calculationnot Sage 50
  • Feeding tax results into an ERP or ecommerce platform through the APInot Sage 50

Sage 50

  • Desktop accountingnot Avalara
  • Job costingnot Avalara
  • Inventory trackingnot Avalara

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Avalara

  • Plans start at $699 per state per year, so multi-state sellers multiply that figure rather than paying one subscription
  • Billed by transaction, where one API call is one transaction, so cost tracks invoice volume
  • The free option is limited to the Streamlined Sales Tax programme, in up to 25 states and only for qualifying businesses

Sage 50

  • Sage 50 tiers as captured in 2022: Pro Accounting $595/year for 1 user, Premium Accounting $970/year for 1-5 users with multi-company support, Quantum Accounting $1,610/year for larger teams

Pricing, plan by plan

Avalara

$29/month
  • AvaTax$50/month
    • Tax calculation
    • Exemption certificates
    • Returns filing

Sage 50

$29/month
  • Pro Accounting$50/month
    • Core accounting
    • 1 user
    • Basic reports
  • Premium Accounting$85/month
    • 5 users
    • Job costing
    • Inventory

Which should you pick?

Choose Avalara if

  • You need tax calculation.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want returns filing.
Avalara review

Choose Sage 50 if

  • You need general ledger.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want invoicing.
Sage 50 review

Questions people ask

Is Avalara or Sage 50 better?
Neither clearly leads. Avalara starts at $29/month and Sage 50 at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Avalara or Sage 50?
Avalara starts at $29/month and Sage 50 at $29/month.
Does Avalara or Sage 50 run on more platforms?
Avalara runs on Web, Api. Sage 50 runs on Windows.
What is Avalara best used for?
Avalara is most often used for real-time sales tax calculation at checkout, multi-state and multi-jurisdiction tax determination, vat, lodging, communications and excise tax calculation, feeding tax results into an erp or ecommerce platform through the api. Of those, real-time sales tax calculation at checkout and multi-state and multi-jurisdiction tax determination are not what Sage 50 is typically brought in for.
What can Avalara do that Sage 50 cannot?
Avalara covers Tax calculation, Returns filing, Exemption management, Document management. Sage 50 covers General ledger, Invoicing, Inventory management, Job costing.
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