Comparing Sage 50 and Sage 200: 10 Reasons to Move (or Not to Move)

If you’re choosing between Sage 50 and Sage 200, or thinking of moving from one to the other, here's a summary of a new knowledge base article on the Concentrix website: Comparing Sage 50 and Sage 200: 10 Reasons to Move (or Not to Move).

There are pro’s and con’s to each application. If you compare the two products, the choice between Sage 50 and Sage 200 comes down to your business processes and business requirements.

10 points you should consider if you’re choosing between the two are:

1) Number Of Users - Past, Present and Future

Sage 50 is based on a proprietary Sage database. This limits the number of users and the amount of data the software can store. Sage 200 is based on Microsoft SQL Server database which has been tested with up to 50 users.

2) Number of Transactions

The Sage 50 database has a limited number of transactions it can hold without archiving them (about 100,000 transactions). Sage 200 database doesn't have a transaction limit.

3) Transactions and Foreign Currencies

Sage 50 offers limited foreign currency functions. If you process frequent foreign currency transactions, you'll find the Sage 200 functionality far more efficient than Sage 50, and far more user-friendly.

4) Reporting, Analysis and Business Intelligence

Reporting, analysing business performance, trend analysis and anomaly spotting is, much quicker, easier and enables more depth in Sage 200 compared with Sage 50. Even if the standard reporting functionality with Sage 200 isn't powerful enough for you, the Sage 200 Business Intelligence module offers even deeper, more flexible analysis.

5) Open and Closed Accounting Periods

Sage 200 allows open and closed accounting periods. By comparison, Sage 50 only works on open periods, which can lead to users waiting to post transactions at month end.

6) Cost Centres and Departments

Sage 50 offers a single level nominal ledger structure. This keeps things simple, but in comparison with Sage 200 only enables a limited analysis of income and expenditure.

7 ) Multiple Warehousing

You can set up stock items using Sage 50, but only record one stock holding value against each stock item. Sage 200 supports multiple warehouses and can attach them against stock items.

8) Batch Numbers and Serial Numbers

Sage 50 does not allow recording of batch or serial numbers. Sage 200 enables full batch or serial number recording and allocation.

9) Sales Order Processing

Sage 200 increases efficiency, accuracy and convenience of sales order processing compared with Sage 50. Sage 200 records sales orders automatically, and enables "back to back" purchase orders.

10) Prices and Discounts

If you have a variety of pricing, say for different target markets or customers, or similarly different discounting schemes, you may find Sage 50 limiting. Compare this with Sage 200, which has a price matrix within the Sage 200 Commercials module.

For more details comparing Sage 50 and Sage 200, please see the full article here. Meanwhile if you need further guidance, software demonstrations or any other information, don't hesitate to contact Concentrix.

Comments

[Laura Scott]

Hi,

I am in the process of selecting a new finance & CRM system & am a little torn between Sage 50 + Sage ACT! Vs Sage 200.
I understand that 200 is a sequel database & 50 is proprietary- for now. However, due the the small volume of transactions in Finance(4100 tx's per annum) and the number of users in Finance(Max 7), I dont see any real benefit in 200 over 50.
I have technical support telling me it's best to keep everything on the 1 database (CRM & Finance) which is not possible with Sage 50.

Does anyone have any advice?
Thanks, - Laura

[Fiona]

Hi Laura,

Well, whether you move to Sage 200 or stay with Sage 50 depends on what you’re trying to achieve.

Your transactions shouldn’t cause a problem for either package, but you’re moving close to the comfortable limit in terms of users for Sage 50 – sometimes this causes problems (ie system slows down, records lock etc), but not always. Are you experiencing any performance problems with Sage 50?

Although ACT! is pitched as a CRM solution, it’s really a contact management system. It’s easy to use and get up and running, and great for keeping track of communications etc, but it doesn’t have the true CRM functionality – by which i mean things like workflow customisation and configuration capabilities, or general ‘power’ of Sage 200 CRM. But again it depends what you want to do with it – Sage 50 ACT may suit you just fine – what are your objectives in terms of a CRM solution?

Sage 200 uses the latest .net technology and sql database as you describe, which has advantages in performance, flexibility and makes it more ‘future proof’ in terms of development. The current database may pose a problem for Sage 50 in the future, and as far as I’m aware Sage don’t have any plans to change it.

I agree with your technical support that it's best to keep everything on the one database (CRM & Finance) – it delivers significant benefits. In fact one of the biggest advantages of Sage 200 is the front office and back office integration. It’s also one of the key reasons the product was developed. Plus of course there are other functional and vertical specific add-on modules available should you need them.

So, Sage 200 has higher levels of functionality and features than Sage 50, it’s more powerful, can handle more users and is currently more future proof. If Sage 50 performance is causing you problems, if it’s not doing what you want it to do or you wish it could do, and you need full the full features of Sage CRM as opposed to the standard ‘out of the box’ functions of ACT!, then Sage 200 is the way to go.

But if you’re getting on fine with Sage 50 and just need to improve the way you manage contacts, Sage 50 + ACT! is probably OK for now.

I hope this helps, please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any further questions,
Peter