Which cloud finance solution will work for your business? Sage Intacct vs Sage Evolution
By Jeff Ryan, MD for AWCape
If the headline of this article grabbed your attention, then you may have been thinking if your current financial solution is keeping you back, or you are frustrated by using disparate systems, and if it is time for an upgrade.
The reality is: In the ever-evolving landscape of business software solutions, selecting the right accounting system for your business is crucial for maximising efficiency, productivity, and growth.
I engage with many finance executives, CEOs, owners and other senior finance leaders in South Africa. Many of these individuals have grown up with Sage software with familiar names like Pastel, AccPac, Sage X3 and Sage Evolution – and are synonymous with Sage quality and ability.
However, there is a new name on everyone’s lips – Sage Intacct.
In a series of articles and video blogs, I will compare Sage Intacct to your current familiar Sage solution, so you can decide whether it is time to move… or not. (#spoileralert – time is now! 😊)
My comparison will take the same format. An overall (brief) summary of each system and then a tabular comparison of both products. The winner is the one that scores the best out of 14.
Sage Intacct vs. Sage 200 Evolution
Sage Intacct is built for a modern finance leader that offers more comprehensive functionality, a modern user interface, and better integrations with third-party applications.
Sage 200 Evolution is (was?) a good option for businesses that are looking for a more traditional financial management solution, mostly with specific manufacturing needs.
Many current resellers of Sage 200 Evolution will tell you: “Sage Intacct will never replace the inventory and manufacturing capabilities of Sage 200 Evolution”. This is not the case and here’s why: Sage Intacct Manufacturing is now available in multiple global regions and has been rolled out to a few test sites in South Africa already.
I have seen too much “protection” of revenues by resellers and not offering the best overall solution to their clients. The below table summarises my evaluation of the two products.
The winner:
If I am generous and give inventory management to Sage 200 Evolution… Sage Intacct still wins 13/14 of the categories.
More importantly, Sage Intacct has four free automatic updates a year, massively reduced consulting services costs and more secure, scalable infrastructure (that you do not need to maintain yourself).
And what I really love about Sage Intacct is the open API architecture — it enables seamless integration with a wide range of business applications, including your CRM, ERP, and industry-specific solutions. This integration capability allows South African businesses to leverage their existing software investments and create an interconnected ecosystem that eliminates data silos, reduces manual entry, less exporting from Excel and importing again into your financial system, and improves overall operational efficiency.
Here’s the comparison:
| # | Feature | Sage 200 Evolution | Sage Intacct |
| 1 | Deployment | On-premise solution that requires hosting and Remote Desktop connection to provide remote access | Pure cloud, with a true multi-tenant architecture allowing users access from anywhere |
| 2 | Updates | Upgrading versions requires a significant time investment and are infrequent (sometimes once a year) | Updates are released quarterly, are applied automatically, and require no downtime or consulting services |
| 3 | Empowerment | Dependent on a business partner for all changes to solution | User-driven configuration with in-depth help files. Massively reduced business partner consulting services |
| 4 | Reporting | Reporting is labour-intensive and often needs re-formatting in Excel. Dashboards are non-existent | Dashboards and reports deliver instant visibility and eliminate the need for Excel-based reports |
| 5 | Verticals Supported | Limited vertical focus; industry-specific activities are tracked manually | Deep vertical focus and automation of key industry processes, eliminating the need for manual tracking |
| 6 | Inventory Management | Good Inventory Management with tracking, receiving, issuing and valuation functionality | Inventory costing, tracking, serial numbers, warehousing, replenishments, automation and built in dashboards. |
| 7 | GL / Account management | Segmented general ledger (GL) accounts, resulting in a huge chart of accounts as well as financial reporting challenges | Dimensional account structure which streamlines both the chart of accounts and reporting |
| 8 | Consolidations | Multi-entity management consolidation can only be done through reports created through Sage Intelligence or other reporting tools | Multiple entities share chart of accounts, customers, and vendors – consolidations and eliminations are automatic, providing immediate visibility |
| 9 | Technology | Legacy technology is unable to harness new technologies like AI | Latest technology and innovation like GL AI, Intelligent Time and Accounts Payable (AP) Automation designed to ensure integrity of financial data and automation |
| 10 | Usability | Legacy interface and user experience | Modern, ease-of-use functionality, including dashboards, and process flows |
| 11 | Workflows | No workflow approvals | Automated, configurable workflows to eliminate manual approval processes; increasing productivity |
| 12 | Integrations | Less (custom-built) integrations with 3rd party apps | Open APIs with many integrations with third-party applications and marketplace |
| 13 | Support | 8 / 5 support | 24 / 7 support |
| 14 | Cost | Expensive unless on perpetual licence already. Ongoing server and Infrastructure cost. Also expensive consulting services for upgrades, integrations and customisations. | Cost effective annual (or quarterly) subscription that includes four free updates a year and all infrastructure costs (including backups and DR) on AWS or Azure. Minimal / zero consulting services post implementation. |
| Overall score | 1 | 13 |
Sage Intacct has established a strong reputation worldwide for delivering robust accounting solutions for over 20 years.
With a growing user base in South Africa, Sage Intacct has earned the trust of numerous businesses across industries, including finance, manufacturing, retail, and professional services. The platform’s proven track record, combined with a dedicated network of local partners and support, offers peace of mind to South African businesses seeking reliable accounting software.
We are fortunate to have worked with US businesses. What I witness is that SA businesses are a bit more reserved when choosing their cloud finance solution (especially a global solution). HOWEVER, support is local through business partners like AWCape and although the product is global, it is constantly updated with regional and vertical unique requirements. These updates can be as simple as a new local bank, or as complicated as enabling direct SARS submission for taxes (VAT201).
And if there are other systems you want to keep and integrate with… our customer Retail Capital had this to say: “With Sage Intacct’s historical track record, with all installations receiving more than 60% of input to the system through integrations, AWCape’s experience as a systems integrator was of major importance.”
For South African businesses in search of an ERP / finance solution that aligns with their unique requirements, Sage Intacct emerges as the superior choice.
So, what are you waiting for? Chat with our team at AWCape and make the move. Book a free demo and see it in action for yourself.
