Best Sage Alternatives for Small Business 2026
Six tools people compare with Sage, each described from its own website. Billed publishes this page and is listed first; the others are in alphabetical order and aren't ranked.
Quick Verdict
Billed publishes this page, so weigh its own entry accordingly. The tools here aren't ranked: each is described from its own website, and which one fits depends on the steps your work involves. Read each tool's details below and its own pages before you choose.
Billed publishes this page, and Billed is one of the alternatives on it. It's listed first for that reason; the others follow in alphabetical order and aren't ranked. Every statement about a product comes from that vendor's own website, checked on October 30, 2026, and the sources are listed at the end of the page.
Sage's US accounting software page says: "Whether you're a freelancer, a small business, or a medium-sized company on the rise, our accounting packages have you covered." On billing, it says: "Customize invoices, streamline payment processing and get paid faster." The products that page presents are Sage Intacct and Sage 50. For their plans and prices, see Sage's website.
What to compare
- You want to compare how other tools handle invoices, payment reminders and online payments
- You want to compare plans and prices on each vendor's own pricing page
- You track time and want to see how each tool brings it into invoices
- You run more than one business or brand and want to see how each tool handles that
- You want to check which tools offer estimates, recurring invoices and a mobile app
Sage Alternatives at a Glance
| Tool | Pricing | Free Plan | Time Tracking | Projects | Who it's for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billed | See Billed's pricing page | — | — | — | Businesses that want their invoices, estimates, expenses, tracked time and reports in a single account |
| FreshBooks | See FreshBooks' pricing page | — | — | — | Freelancers, solopreneurs and businesses with employees or contractors, the groups FreshBooks' home page addresses |
| QuickBooks | See QuickBooks' pricing page | — | — | — | Small businesses that want their invoicing automated, as QuickBooks' invoicing page puts it |
| Wave | Starter $0; Pro $190 USD/year, billed annually (checked October 30, 2026) | — | — | — | Small businesses that want accounting, invoicing and payments in one system, as Wave describes |
| Xero | See Xero's pricing page | — | — | — | Small businesses that want to send invoices from a phone and let customers pay online, as Xero's invoicing page describes |
| Zoho Invoice | $0 (Zoho Invoice's pricing page, checked October 30, 2026) | — | — | — | Small businesses that want free online invoicing, as Zoho Invoice describes itself |
A dash (—) means this table doesn't mark it; see each tool's pricing and details below.
Tool details
Billed
Billed publishes this page. Billed's invoice software page says: "Billed keeps invoicing, estimates, expenses, time tracking and reports in one account." It also says you can "Create branded invoices, send them by email, take card and PayPal payments on them, and see which invoices are paid, partly paid or past due, all from one Billed account." For recurring billing, the same page says: "For clients you bill on a schedule, set up a recurring profile once." On reminders: "Payment reminders can be customized." For more than one company: "If you run more than one business, manage them in one place and switch between them." Billed's client management page says: "Billed supports client imports so you can quickly onboard your existing client list without entering each contact manually." Billed's Zapier page says: "Billed has an app on Zapier, so a workflow can start when something changes in Billed, or create and update Billed records from another app, without code." For Billed's plans, see Billed's pricing page.
- Invoices sent by email, with card and PayPal payments
- Recurring invoices
- Customizable payment reminders
- Estimates and expense tracking
- Time tracking and reports
- More than one business in one account
- Client imports
- An app on Zapier
Who it's for: Businesses that want their invoices, estimates, expenses, tracked time and reports in a single account
Pricing: See Billed's pricing page
FreshBooks
FreshBooks calls itself "Your everyday small business software". Its home page says: "Create professional invoices in minutes. Automatically add tracked time and expenses, calculate taxes, and customize your payment options." On payments, it lists "secure online payments, and built-in reminders", and its other features include payroll, accounting, mileage tracking, reporting, proposals, team management and estimates. On October 30, 2026 its home page and pricing page carried a promotional offer, so this page doesn't quote FreshBooks' prices; see its pricing page.
- Invoices that add tracked time and expenses
- Online payments with built-in reminders
- Expense tracking
- Proposals, estimates and team management
Who it's for: Freelancers, solopreneurs and businesses with employees or contractors, the groups FreshBooks' home page addresses
Pricing: See FreshBooks' pricing page
QuickBooks
QuickBooks' invoicing page is headed "Automate invoicing for your small business". It says you can "Set up recurring invoices to auto-send every day, week, month, or year." and, for payments, "Accept cards, ACH, Apple Pay®, PayPal, and Venmo". Its estimates page says: "Automatically convert accepted estimates into invoices", and its mobile page says: "Create and send invoices from anywhere". On October 30, 2026 QuickBooks' pricing page carried a promotional offer, so this page doesn't quote QuickBooks' prices; see its pricing page.
- Recurring invoices that send on a schedule
- Card, ACH, Apple Pay, PayPal and Venmo payments
- Estimates that convert into invoices
- Invoicing from a mobile app
Who it's for: Small businesses that want their invoicing automated, as QuickBooks' invoicing page puts it
Pricing: See QuickBooks' pricing page
Wave
Wave's home page says: "Wave keeps your accounting, invoicing, payments, and more in one unified system." Its invoicing page says: "Create and send professional invoices to your customers in seconds." and lists getting paid "via credit card, bank payment, or Apple Pay". For repeat customers: "Set up recurring invoices and automatic credit card payments for your repeat customers and stop chasing payments." It also says you can invoice from "Wave's free app for iOS and Android." Wave's pricing page lists a Starter plan at $0 and a Pro plan at "$190USD/year", "Billed annually" (October 30, 2026). Monthly prices aren't quoted here.
- Invoices and estimates
- Card, bank and Apple Pay payments
- Recurring invoices
- iOS and Android app
Who it's for: Small businesses that want accounting, invoicing and payments in one system, as Wave describes
Pricing: Starter $0; Pro $190 USD/year, billed annually (checked October 30, 2026)
Xero
Xero's US home page is titled "Accounting Software for Small Businesses". Its invoicing page says: "Create and send invoices right from your phone, with your logo on each one." It also says: "Customers can pay online straight from the invoice." On reminders: "Let Xero send payment reminders to customers for you". On October 30, 2026 Xero's pricing page carried a promotional offer, so this page doesn't quote Xero's prices; see its pricing page.
- Invoices sent from a phone, with your logo
- Online payment from the invoice
- Payment reminders sent for you
Who it's for: Small businesses that want to send invoices from a phone and let customers pay online, as Xero's invoicing page describes
Pricing: See Xero's pricing page
Zoho Invoice
Zoho Invoice calls itself "Free online invoicing software for small businesses" and says: "Send tax-compliant invoices, accept online payments, and automate payment reminders with Zoho Invoice." Its home page lists quotes, recurring invoices, payment reminders, expenses, time tracking ("Track billable hours, invoice timesheets, and charge customers accurately.") and a customer portal, and says you can "Work across devices, manage multiple businesses, and collaborate with your team from wherever you are." Its pricing page shows $0 and describes "this forever-free invoicing solution" (October 30, 2026).
- Quotes that convert into invoices
- Recurring invoices
- Payment reminders
- Expenses and time tracking
- Customer portal
- More than one business
Who it's for: Small businesses that want free online invoicing, as Zoho Invoice describes itself
Pricing: $0 (Zoho Invoice's pricing page, checked October 30, 2026)
Frequently Asked Questions
Sage Comparisons
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Sources for this page (checked October 30, 2026). Sage: US accounting software. FreshBooks: homepage and pricing. QuickBooks: invoicing, estimates, mobile and pricing. Wave: homepage, invoicing and pricing. Xero: homepage, invoicing and pricing. Zoho Invoice: homepage and pricing. Billed: invoice software, client management, Zapier and pricing. Vendors change their plans and features, so check each vendor's own pages before you decide.
When this isn't for you
If Sage already covers the steps your work involves, there's no need to switch. This page compares what each tool's own pages say.