Accounting Software Throwdown: Sage Intacct vs. Acumatica
Sage Intacct and Acumatica are two powerful accounting systems widely considered in the mid-market. But which is right for you? In this edition of Accounting Software Throwdown, we take a look at Sage Intacct vs. Acumatica to see which one comes out on top!
Audience and Industry
If we focus solely on accounting, Sage Intacct wins, hands down. It is the only financial management solution (yes, you read that correctly – the only one) to be endorsed by the AICPA. The AICPA knows a thing or two about accounting. Sage Intacct uses a modern chart of accounts with full dimensionality to simplify a chart and enhance reporting. Also, given its heritage in creating robust professional services industries, those industries will likely prefer Sage Intacct.
Acumatica is not deficient on its accounting functionality, however. It has a more legacy-style segmented chart of accounts with just two dimensions, but this can be adequate for many organizations. Acumatica also has a strong inventory-focused heritage. Industries specializing in certain styles of manufacturing, some retail operations, and distribution are right to consider Acumatica.
While both products can help organizations with accounting, professional services, and inventory, each has different historical strengths that inform their perspectives.
Cloud Native vs. Cloud First
For Sage Intacct, the name “Intacct” is derived from “Internet Accounting.” Sage Intacct was born in the cloud and created to be accessed exclusively through a browser. The architecture of the solution means that everyone is always on the same version. Upgrades happen once per quarter and happen automatically without additional service or software cost. This deployment option means that Sage Intacct also manages all disaster recovery, patches, and backups as well.
Acumatica offers the ability to be deployed on servers locally or hosted on servers managed by others but recommends a “cloud first” deployment. Some will gravitate to this deployment model, as it offers a compromise between having servers and having a full cloud-based solution. This model introduces the possibility of different versions existing, since an on-premises or hosted installation may lag in updates. For Acumatica cloud subscribers, upgrades are deployed at no additional cost. On-premises or hosted deployments will require that upgrades be scheduled with your Acumatica partner, and may result in fees for that service.
Pricing
This is a striking difference between both products. Acumatica is unlike most every other solution as it charges subscribers based on the number of transactions processed without regard to the number of people using the software. This novel approach has obvious advantages and disadvantages. For seasonal organizations where the number of users spike and drop, this pricing can flatten costs. The transaction costs for Acumatica can be complicated to anticipate, however. Growing organizations may have short-term savings but have unpredictable future costs with unanticipated transaction levels. Those transaction calculations can be tricky to understand, also, since they introduce transaction limits that function alongside that pricing approach.
Sage Intacct offers a more traditional pricing model, where you pay an annual subscription fee based on modules owned and users. The more modules owned and more users subscribed, the higher the cost. A high user count with low transaction volume will likely cost more than with Acumatica, but the cost is certain.
Which software is right for you?
Both solutions have great functionality. Reach out to our team for a free consult to assist in your search. You can give us a call at 855.913.3228 or shoot us an email at info@altavistatech.com. You can even fill out our simple web form and someone will reach out to you within 1 business day! At Alta Vista Technology we take pride in being part of your solution.
