Comparison
Finovo vs Sage
Sage is one of the most established names in accounting software — present in the UK, France and Germany. But it operates as three separate products. Here’s what that means in practice.
| Feature | Finovo | Sage |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | £15/mo · €18/mo | £12/mo (UK) · €25/mo (FR) — separate subscriptions per country |
| Single subscription for UK + FR + DE | Yes — one plan covers all three markets | No — separate products (Sage UK, Sage France, Sage Germany) |
| UK VAT (HMRC MTD) | Included — direct MTD submission | Yes — Sage Accounting UK has MTD |
| French TVA (DGFiP / CA3) | Included — direct DGFiP API submission | Yes — Sage France includes TVA filing |
| German VAT (ELSTER) | Included — ERIC API direct submission | Yes — Sage Germany includes ELSTER |
| Cross-border in one platform | UK + FR + DE in one workspace | Requires 3 separate Sage subscriptions |
| UK Payroll (PAYE/RTI) | From Professional plan | Paid add-on (Sage Payroll, from £7/mo) |
| French Payroll (DSN/URSSAF) | Included from Professional plan | Sage Paie — separate product, separate cost |
| German Payroll (DATEV) | Included from Professional plan | Sage HR — separate product |
| Open banking | 2,400+ UK & EU banks — daily auto-sync | Bank feeds available — coverage varies by country |
| SEPA batch payments | Yes — pain.001 XML export | Available in Sage France / Germany |
| Modern UI / ease of use | React-based — fast, clean, mobile-friendly | Functional but carries legacy UI debt |
| Multi-currency invoicing | 50+ currencies — live ECB/BoE rates | Yes — multi-currency on higher tiers |
| Fixed assets & depreciation | Yes — automated schedules | Yes — comprehensive fixed asset register |
| Accountant access | Included on all plans | Sage Accountant Portal — included |
| English / French / German UI | EN / FR / DE — one product | Each country product in its own language |
| Free trial | 30 days — no card required | 30 days |
Our honest take
Sage is a proven platform with deep roots in UK, French and German accounting. Each country product handles local compliance well — MTD in the UK, DGFiP in France, ELSTER in Germany. If you only operate in one country and value brand recognition, Sage is a safe choice.
The problem is fragmentation. Sage operates as three separate products — Sage Accounting (UK), Sage France, and Sage Germany. A business operating across two or three markets needs multiple subscriptions, separate logins, separate data and separate onboarding. There is no unified cross-border view.
Finovo was built from day one for exactly this scenario: one workspace, one subscription, one interface — covering UK, France and Germany simultaneously. Payroll for all three countries is included from Professional tier, with no add-ons required.
Try Finovo free for 30 days
No card required. Import from Sage via CSV export — migration typically takes under a day.