Small and medium-sized businesses using Sage BusinessWorks often ask us to explain the key differences between Sage BusinessWorks vs Sage 100.  Often times customers start out on BusinessWorks, then experience growth or need more advanced functionality in order to maintain efficiencies.

DWD has been a Sage Software Certified Partner since 2001 and has many years of expertise with both Sage BusinessWorks and Sage 100.

Sage BusinessWorks vs Sage 100 – Key Differences

Why do companies using Sage BusinessWorks switch to Sage 100?

  • Business has grown and there is a decline in speed and performance as database grows (performance-related issues)
  • Need real-time control and visibility over all business activities to minimize operating costs
  • Need Extended functionality (integrated barcoding, shipping, EDI, e-commerce, advanced inventory and warehouse management, etc.)
  • Provide anywhere, anytime access for remote users
  • Looking for better manufacturing solution – Automate and streamline manual processes, Track labor costs, Better way to plan and track material, Connect multiple systems and databases, Product Costing, Material Planning, Job Tracking, Work Order
  • Looking for better Distribution solution – Better visibility and tracking of inventory, lower overhead costs, increase sales with customer and item-specific pricing, e-commerce integration, better track, manage and reduce shipping costs, ability to add online orders
  • Integrated CRM solution automates sales, marketing & customer service activities

Sage BusinessWorks vs Sage 100 Side by Side Comparison

Sage BUSINESSWORKS SAGE 100
Overall Strength User-friendly, solid core accounting, payroll and job costing functionality.  Email reports as well as customer/vendor documents, ability to invoice through mail or email, user-or role-based security Integrations, customizable, strong manufacturing & distribution features, maintains performance up to dozens of users, integration between CRM, e-commerce and financials.  Data file sizes less restricted.
Overall Weaknesses Decreased performance as soon as approximately 10 users concurrently access.  High volumes of data can slow down the system and/or lead to data corruption.  Inability to customize data entry screens, add new fields, or add customized functionality.  Limited access to 3rd party functionality.  Limited ability to customize forms and reports.  Only one costing method can be selected for inventory. Must use correcting transactions to fix errors, batch processing may lead to improper date postings.
Number of Users Up to 45 100s
Performance & Scalability Designed for a limited number of users and functions, simple business processes, few integrations to expand functionality. Supports larger file sizes, companies and user counts, supports SQL database, ability to modify software and workflow with scripting and screen customizations, many integrations available to enhance functionality.
Financial Management & Reporting No dashboard functionality.  Limited customization of standard reports.  Report-writing add-on available to customize financials.  Many reports redesigned for easier export to Word, Excel or in PDF format. Business Insights Dashboard, Reporter, and Explorer, integrates with Microsoft Power BI, create custom reports with Sage Intelligence Reporting and Crystal Reports
Ability to Customize No customization ability Extensive codeless customization, change and add screens, unlimited UDFs, ability to fully customize with programming if desired.
Best Fit Industries Financial, Distribution, Light Assembly Financials, Extensive Manufacturing, Multi-site Distribution
Best Fit Company Size Small to Medium Small to Large
Deployment Options On-Premise, Hosted Server On-Premise, Hosted Server, Private Cloud
Ease of Implementation Fairly easy to implement Smaller software solutions tend to be easier to implement because there is much less flexibility to tailor the system to specific needs.
Avg Implementation Timeframe 1 to 2 months Core Accounting:  General Ledger, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable (2-4 weeks)
Payroll:  (2-4 weeks)
Distribution:  Inventory, Sales Order, Purchase Order (2-4 weeks)
Manufacturing:  Bills of Material, Work Order Processing (4-8 weeks)
Avg Implementation Cost $3,000 – $10,000 $5,000 – $30,000
Pricing Model License purchase with annual maintenance plan or subscription; concurrent user licenses Subscription; concurrent user licenses
Annual Maintenance Cost $1,000 – $2,250 $600 – $30,000

Sage BusinessWorks vs Sage 100 Comparison FAQs

No, Sage BusinessWorks is not a cloud-native solution.  With that said, it can be hosted in the cloud.  There are a number of Sage partners that offer hosting options for Sage BusinessWorks including Summit Hosting.  Learn more about hosting Sage BusinessWorks.

Sage 100cloud is perfectly designed for small and mid-sized manufacturers including light manufacturing, make-to-stock and make-to-order manufacturers.  The warehouse automation features of Sage 100 also make it a great fit for distributors.  It’s manufacturing and distribution capabilities are unrivaled among mid-market software products.

While the product name has the word “cloud” in it, Sage 100 is not a cloud-native solution and is not hosted in the cloud.  With that said, there are a number of partners that offer hosting options for companies using Sage 100.

Sage BusinessWorks bridges the gap between off-the-shelf, entry-level products and complex high-end systems. It gives you a clear picture of your entire operation.  Its modular design is ideally suited for growth-oriented small and medium-sized businesses.  With robust, easy-to-use features, Sage BusinessWorks helps you simplify and streamline key business functions, maximizing efficiencies.

Yes, Sage 100 is still available.  The latest release of Sage 100, version 2023 is planned to release late spring/early summer 2023.  With more than 20,000+ companies relying on Sage 100 to manage their business, Sage Software continues to focus on adding new features and functionality to this product.  Sage 100 will continue to be an active, growing solution well into the future.

Sage BusinessWorks starts out around $4,000 for a single user accounting system including the System Manager, Cash Management, General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable and Payroll modules.   Annual Sage BusinessCare plans range from $1,000 – $2,250.

Yes, Sage BusinessWorks is an entry level Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system designed for small businesses.  The inventory and job cost modules offer light manufacturing capabilities, serial number tracking, project estimation and cost tracking as well as multi-warehouse support.

Taking the Next Step

Since we’re certified on Sage BusinessWorks and Sage 100, our familiarity with both products means that we can help you compare and contrast Sage BusinessWorks vs Sage 100 with your specific operational needs and business goals in mind.  If it’s not the right move, we’ll tell you.  If it is the right move, we’ll be there to help you usher in all the benefits of a more advanced ERP solution.

Take advantage of our free Software Needs Assessment to help you find the best software for your unique needs, whether it be Sage 100 or Sage BusinessWorks. Our experts are here to answer your questions and provide objective advice so you can find the right solution.