Payroll & Benefits · head to head
Sage Intacct vs Oyster
Sage Intacct
Payroll & Benefits
Best-in-class cloud financial management software
- From
- $29/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Oyster has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Sage Intacct listed on UK G-Cloud at £10,775 per instance per year for Sage Intacct Financial Management & Reporting, via reseller X3 Consulting Ltd; Oyster employer of Record is $699 per employee per month, with the discount tied to annual billing
- They diverge on capability: Sage Intacct covers General ledger, Oyster covers Global Employment.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Sage Intacct and Oyster actually diverge.
| Attribute | Sage Intacct | Oyster |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $29/month | Free |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, Api | Web, Ios, Android |
| Founded | 1981 | 2020 |
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Payroll & Benefits).
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 Sage Intacct
- General ledger
- Accounts payable
- Accounts receivable
- Cash management
- Multi-entity consolidation
- Salesforce
- ADP
- Expensify
Only in Oyster
- Global Employment
- Payroll
- Benefits
- Compliance
- Contractor Management
- Time Off
- Expenses
- BambooHR
Both cover
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Sage Intacct
- Financial reportingnot Oyster
- Multi-entity managementnot Oyster
Oyster
- Hiring employees abroad without setting up a local legal entitynot Sage Intacct
- Onboarding and paying international contractorsnot Sage Intacct
- Getting country specific employment compliance advice for distributed teamsnot Sage Intacct
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Sage Intacct
- Listed on UK G-Cloud at £10,775 per instance per year for Sage Intacct Financial Management & Reporting, via reseller X3 Consulting Ltd
Oyster
- Employer of Record is $699 per employee per month, with the discount tied to annual billing
- A refundable deposit is required before an EOR engagement starts
- Contractor management is free for 30 days then $29 per contractor per month
- HR advisory through People Partner Services is billed at $300 per hour on top of the subscription
- A currency conversion fee applies when you pay Oyster in a currency other than the contract currency
- Payments are accepted only by direct debit or wire in USD, EUR, GBP or CAD
Pricing, plan by plan
Sage Intacct
$29/month- Core$400/month
- Core financials
- Reporting
- Cash management
Oyster
Free- Contractor$29/month
- Contractor Payments
- Compliant Contracts
- Invoicing
- Employee$599/month
- Global Employment
- Payroll
- Benefits
Which should you pick?
Choose Sage Intacct if
- You need general ledger.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want accounts payable.
Choose Oyster if
- You need global employment.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want payroll.
Questions people ask
- Is Sage Intacct or Oyster better?
- Neither clearly leads. Sage Intacct starts at $29/month and Oyster at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Sage Intacct or Oyster?
- Oyster has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for Sage Intacct and Free for Oyster.
- Does Sage Intacct or Oyster run on more platforms?
- Sage Intacct runs on Web, Api. Oyster runs on Web, Ios, Android.
- Can I use Oyster for free?
- Yes. Oyster has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Sage Intacct starts at $29/month.
- What is Sage Intacct best used for?
- Sage Intacct is most often used for financial reporting, multi-entity management. Of those, financial reporting and multi-entity management are not what Oyster is typically brought in for.
- What can Sage Intacct do that Oyster cannot?
- Sage Intacct covers General ledger, Accounts payable, Accounts receivable, Cash management. Oyster covers Global Employment, Payroll, Benefits, Compliance. Both handle Web support.