Employment Hero vs Sage Accounting

Employment Hero

Employment Hero is an all-in-one HR, payroll, and benefits platform with a strong presence in Australia and New Zealand. It offers a free HR plan alongside paid payroll and benefits modules, making it accessible for businesses at any stage. Employment Hero also operates a job marketplace called Swag for employees.

Freemium pricing · Get Pricing →

Sage Accounting

Sage Accounting is a cloud-based accounting solution for small businesses that offers invoicing, expense management, cash flow tracking, and tax preparation. Part of the Sage Group, one of the oldest and most established accounting software companies in the world. Sage is particularly popular in the UK and Europe and offers strong compliance tools for VAT and local tax requirements.

Paid pricing · Get Pricing →

Pros

• ✓Free HR plan available with core employee management features
• ✓Strong compliance tools for Australian and NZ employment law
• ✓All-in-one platform covering HR, payroll, and benefits
• ✓Employee benefits marketplace with discounts and perks

Cons

• ✗Payroll module costs extra and is best suited for AU/NZ companies
• ✗Limited support and compliance coverage outside Australia and New Zealand
• ✗Some users report the platform can feel complex to navigate

Pros

• ✓Strong compliance tools for UK and European tax requirements including VAT
• ✓Established brand with decades of accounting expertise
• ✓Good value entry-level pricing
• ✓Strong payroll features for UK businesses

Cons

• ✗Less popular in the US compared to QuickBooks and Xero
• ✗Interface feels less modern than newer competitors
• ✗Customer support can be slow
• ✗Some features feel dated compared to cloud-native alternatives

Best For

Australian and NZ businesses needing full HR suite

Best For

Small businesses in the UK and Europe needing strong VAT and local tax compliance tools