Sage 100 Contractor vs QuickBooks - Features & Price Comparison [2023]

Construction businesses differ from other businesses in that they must deal with liquidity issues that other businesses do not face. It can be difficult to remember all the rules, labor costs, and job pricing. Traditional accounting software doesn't always meet your needs, so you have to make notes and keep a long list of files.

A primary issue with standard accounting software is its lack of industry-specific features. They are often round pegs in a square hole, not designed to handle the complexities of construction. You have to switch between different programs or tools, which can cause mistakes and waste time.

This is where accounting software for the building industry, like Sage 100 Contractor and QuickBooks for Construction, comes in. They have features that are made specifically for the needs of construction companies. This makes managing money easier and more accurate.

So, what differentiates Sage 100 Contractor from QuickBooks anyway?

In this article, we'll look at the features of two accounting programs for the construction industry: QuickBooks and Sage 100 Contractor. This will help you decide which one would be best for your business.

QuickBooks Online

QuickBooks Online is considered the industry standard for small-business accounting software. It is a good option for contractors who are only required to perform basic bookkeeping tasks such as creating invoices for customers, processing payroll, paying bills, and managing expenses.

If your construction business needs advanced features such as tracking activities by class and location, the QuickBooks Online Plus version is a powerful solution. It has strong project management tools that allow you to manage project transactions and reports from one place, and keep track of the status of projects.

QuickBooks can fulfill all of the basic bookkeeping and accounting needs. If you have tried to use a catch-all solution before switching to something that's tailor-made to your business needs, QuickBooks is a good option. In fact, many of our customers started out using QuickBooks but switch to Sage 100 Contractor as their business grew and expanded to a specific point.

>> Learn more: How To Do Job Costing In QuickBooks Online?

Sage 100 Contractor

While QuickBooks Online is a solid choice for a wide range of businesses, Sage 100 Contractor is industry-specific construction accounting software designed to help contractors to manage their operations effectively. Sage 100 Contractor is much more complicated than QuickBooks since it is combined project management and accounting in one platform. Since the software focuses on the construction industry, small to mid-size contractors, whether they are general contractors, services,

specialty contractors or a homebuilder can benefit from its robust features.

>> More: Sage 100 Contractor Review - Pros and Cons

Sage 100 Contractor vs QuickBooks Features and Price Comparison

	Sage 100 Contractor	QuickBooks Online
​When to use	​The best QuickBooks alternative for small and mid-sized contractors to control every aspect of their business from accounting to project management.	​A good option for small construction businesses that only require basic features
Monthly pricing plan	Quote-based price. The price is not published on Sage’s website, but users report that the starting price range from $99 to $115 per month. You’ll need to contact its sales team to request a quote.	$15 for one user to $150 for 25 users. However, the price can be expensive for many contractors if you add on-time tracking and payroll.
Maximum users	Unlimited	1 to 25
Time Tracking	❌	✅
Accounts Receivable (A/R)	✅	✅
Accounts Payable (A/P)	✅	✅
Connect Bank and Credit Card Accounts	✅	✅
Advanced Financial Reporting	✅	✅
Track Income and Expenses By Project	✅	✅
Create Estimates	✅	✅
Create Change Orders	✅	❌
View Punch Lists, Correspondence & Task Lists	✅	❌
Create Multiple Purchase Order Types & Track Variances	✅	❌
Track equipment maintenance	✅	❌
Track multiple jobs on the balance sheet and profit and loss statement	✅	✅
Consolidate financial statements for multiple data files	✅	❌
Track fixed asset	✅	❌
Create loan draws & Unitary bills	✅	❌
Create multi-state payroll in one paycheck	✅	✅
Auto-generation individual proposal order, change orders and subcontractors	✅	❌
Create reports with Custom Calculations	✅	❌
Track Mileage with mobile app	❌	✅
Scan receipts with mobile app	❌	✅

In short, both Sage 100 contractor and QuickBooks can serve contractors with basic functions such as invoice creation, expense tracking, and management and project management. However, QuickBooks focuses on being a broad-based accounting system that is a good choice for a wide variety of businesses in different industries.

Meanwhile, Sage 100 Contractor focuses on the construction management industry with advanced features that meet the construction companies’ needs, including construction-specific reporting, audit management, email & on-screen notices, payment control, part buying and pricing, and support staff with construction industry know-how, and job progress reports.

Sage 100 Contractor vs QuickBooks Ease of Use

Since Sage 100 Contractor is far more complicated than QuickBooks, it has an intuitive interface with a vast number of features that can make users feel a bit overwhelmed at first. Learning how to use Sage 100 Contractor can be a headache and cause frustration from the beginning, especially if you didn’t have much experience in using accounting software.

Meanwhile, QuickBooks is much more user-friendly and you will not need much time to set up and become familiar with its dashboard.

Sage 100 Contractor vs QuickBooks

Integrated Apps

As compared to Sage 100 Contractor, QuickBooks Online offers a much more comprehensive list of available integrations. It offers more than 650 integrated business apps that range from customer management, payroll, forecasting, project management, and the list goes on.

Sage 100 Contractor, on the other hand, currently has over 25 integrations available, but most tools are specific to the construction industry, which allows you to home in on the items necessary for your business.

Sage 100 Contractor vs QuickBooks Mobile Apps

If you’re looking for a mobile app that provides several features, the QuickBooks mobile app is much more robust. You can invoice customers, receive payments, pay bills, deposit checks, and review projects. You also track mileage via GPS and scan receipts.

Unlike QuickBooks, Sage 100 Contractor lacks a mobile app that can handle most accounting functions. However, it does have an app that allows your employees to track their time.

QuickBooks or Sage 100 Contractor? Which is Right for You?

Which one you choose between QuickBooks and Sage 100 Contractor relies on the needs of your business. QuickBooks may be better for smaller construction companies because it is cheaper and easy to use.

Sage 100 Contractor, on the other hand, might be better for larger businesses that need more features and more advanced reporting tools.

>> Learn more: 5 Best Invoicing Software for Contractors and Construction Companies [2023 Updated]

CCA: Your Guide to Construction Accounting

However, even with the best tools, managing your construction company's finances can be challenging. We can support you there. At CCA, we focus on helping people in the construction business with their bookkeeping needs. We can help you find your way through the maze of accounting software for the building industry and make sure you get the most out of the one you choose.

Let us handle your finances so you can focus on creating incredible things, which is what you do best. We not only assist you in selecting the appropriate instruments but also in putting them to use. Sage 100 Contractor and QuickBooks for building businesses are both hard to use, but we know how to use them well and can help you do the same.

Practical Tips for Choosing Accounting Software

Here are some practical suggestions to aid your decision-making process:

1. Consider Your Specific Needs: Not all construction businesses have the same needs. Analyze what aspects of financial management you need the most help with and choose software that excels in those areas.

2. Look at Training and Support: A software choice can be a lot more helpful if it has good customer service and a lot of training materials.

3. Review the Cost: Never invest in a program without first calculating the potential return on investment. If a more pricey option falls short of meeting your requirements, it may not be the ideal option.

4. Ease of Use: If a piece of software is not user-friendly, it doesn't matter how many features it has. Make sure you and your staff can easily navigate the software.

It can be hard to decide between Sage 100 Contractor and QuickBooks for Construction for your building business. If you carefully think about what you need and what each piece of software can do for you, you might find a way to handle your money that is easy.

Do not forget that you are not alone. At every step of the journey, CCA is there to support and advise you.

Certified Sage Consultants

Construction Cost Accounting provides bookkeeping services for construction companies and helps contractors maximize their software investment. We are Sage 100 Contractor-certified consultants with over 15 years of accounting experience in the construction industry. We have worked with a variety of contractors to help them set up and optimize Sage 100 Contractor accounting software in their operation improvements. If you’re looking for outsourced bookkeeping services (or a Sage consultant), we’re here to help.

In addition to software consulting, Construction Cost Accounting provides end-to-end bookkeeping services, including financial transaction recording, preparation of financial statements, WIP schedules, payroll reports, lien release, and invoicing. We work with each client on an advisory level to create an implementation plan to meet their distinct business requirements.

If you are looking for a reliable bookkeeping firm, schedule an initial free consultant to see how your construction company can benefit from our outstanding services.