As a Sage BusinessWorks user, your growth and success are at the heart of everything we do. We want to ensure that you have the right solution to position yourself for success at every stage of your business.

We are often asked to explain the key differences between Sage BusinessWorks vs Sage Intacct by customers that started out on BusinessWorks, and have experienced growth or the need for more advanced functionality.

DWD has been a Sage Software Certified Partner since 2001 and has many years of expertise with both Sage BusinessWorks and Sage Intacct.

Sage BusinessWorks vs Sage Intacct – Key Differences

Sage BusinessWorks vs Sage Intacct Key Differences

Why do companies using Sage BusinessWorks switch to Sage Intacct?

  • Business has grown and there is a decline in speed and performance as database grows (performance-related issues).
  • You’re doing too much of your reporting and manipulating data in Excel. You need real-time control and visibility over all business activities to minimize operating costs.
  • With no centralized visibility or management across entities, multi-entity consolidations takes hours to days to complete in Excel causing closes to easily exceed 10 business days.
  • Lack of automation has led you to rely on error-prone manual processes.
  • Manual processes lead to delays or increases in headcount as business grows.
  • Anywhere, anytime access for remote users. Accessing your system remotely isn’t possible or requires an expensive remote access server.
  • Painful software upgrades that are often as expensive as a new implementation.

See Also: Sage 50 vs Sage Intacct

Village Family Dental’s Results with Sage Intacct

BusinessWorks to Sage Intacct Migration Gains

Sage BusinessWorks vs Sage Intacct Side by Side Comparison

SAGE BUSINESSWORKS SAGE INTACCT
Overall Strengths User-friendly, solid core accounting, payroll and job costing functionality.  Email reports as well as customer/vendor documents, ability to invoice through mail or email, user-or role-based security. Born in the cloud, true multi-tenant architecture, modern dimensional chart of accounts, interactive dashboards and drilldown reporting provide instant visibility, automated, configurable workflows, deep vertical focus and automation of key processes.
Overall Weaknesses Decreased performance as soon as approximately 10 users concurrently access.  High volumes of data can slow down the system and/or lead to data corruption.  Inability to customize data entry screens, add new fields, or add customized functionality.  Limited access to 3rd party functionality.  Limited ability to customize forms and reports.  Only one costing method can be selected for inventory. Operational functionality is not a perfect fit for those with manufacturing and advanced inventory needs.
Number of Users Up to 45 Unlimited
Performance & Scalability Designed for a limited number of users and functions, simple business processes, few integrations to expand functionality. Supports larger file sizes, companies and user counts,  ability to modify software and workflow with scripting and screen customizations, many integrations available to enhance functionality.
Financial Management & Reporting No dashboard functionality.  Limited customization of standard reports.  Report-writing add-on available to customize financials.  Many reports redesigned for easier export to Word, Excel or in PDF format. Modern dimensional chart of accounts, interactive dashboards and drilldown reporting provide instant visibility.
Ability to Customize No customization ability. Highly customizable system, you can tailor workflows, data fields, transaction definitions, invoices, report formats and much more.
Best Fit Industries Financial, Distribution, Light Assembly Professional services, Nonprofits, Healthcare, Mental & Behavioral Health, Colleges & Universities, Restaurants, Franchise Business, Financial Services
Best Fit Company Size Small to Medium Small to Large
Deployment Options On-Premise, Hosted Server Cloud/Software as a Service (SaaS) model.
Ease of Implementation Fairly easy to implement. Smaller software solutions tend to be easier to implement because there is much less flexibility to tailor the system to specific needs.
Avg Implementation Timeframe 1 to 2 months The average implementation time for Sage Intacct is 3 months.  (2 months for the actual implementation + 1 month for testing).
Avg Implementation Cost $3,000 – $10,000 1-2 times the cost of the software.
Pricing Model License purchase with annual maintenance plan or subscription; concurrent user licenses. Subscription – single user with single entity starts at $8,580 per year.
Annual Maintenance Cost $1,000 – $2,250 Subscription pricing includes 4 automatic upgrades per year as well as hosting, maintenance, backups and security.

Sage BusinessWorks vs Sage Intacct Comparison FAQs

No, they are not the same software solution.  Both Sage BusinessWorks and Sage Intacct offer core accounting capabilities including general ledger, accounts receivable, and accounts payable but functionality is one of the biggest differentiators between systems.  Sage BusinessWorks is best suited for smaller, entry-level businesses.

Yes.  Sage Intacct was developed in the USA as a cloud-based financial management solution.  Sage Intacct was initially developed by Intacct Corporation, founded in 1999 and was acquired by The Sage Group PLC in 2017.  Sage Intacct currently has more than 14,000 customers.

Sage BusinessWorks bridges the gap between off-the-shelf, entry-level products and complex high-end systems. Its modular design is ideally suited for growth-oriented small and medium-sized businesses that require more muscle than basic bookkeeping software.  Learn more about Sage BusinessWorks.

Next Step: Evaluate the Pros and Cons

Since we’re certified on Sage BusinessWorks and Sage Intacct, our familiarity with both products means that we can help you compare the pros and cons of Sage Intacct vs Sage BusinessWorks for your specific operational needs and business goals in mind.  If it’s not the right move, we’ll tell you.  If it is the right move, we’ll be there to help you usher in all the benefits of cloud technology.

Take advantage of our free Software Needs Assessment to help you find the best software for your unique needs, whether it be Sage BusinessWorks or Sage Intacct. Our experts are here to answer your questions and provide objective advice so you can find the right solution.