Software Comparisons

Sage 50 vs Planyard

Looking for a Sage 50 alternative for construction job costing? This page compares Sage 50 Accounts and Planyard — where each fits, what they cover, and how UK construction teams typically use them together.

Short answer: Sage 50 handles accounting, VAT and CIS (with the CIS module). Planyard manages the project-side — budgets, POs, approvals, valuations, retentions and forecasting. There’s no direct integration between Planyard and Sage 50; many contractors either run a manual handoff or switch to Xero or QuickBooks Online for automated posting.

On this page

  • Scope and fit
  • Reviews at a glance
  • Feature-by-feature comparison
  • Approvals and job costing workflows
  • Implementation time
  • Who should choose what
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Sage integration with Planyard construction software

What they do (scope at a glance)

  • Sage 50 Accounts — Desktop accounting with Chart of Accounts, supplier invoices, VAT (MTD), optional CIS module for verification, deductions and HMRC returns, plus basic Project Costing (Professional). Good ledgers and reporting; limited approvals and forecasting. ‘
  • Construct for Sage (add-on) — Adds applications for payment, valuations and retentions tied to Sage Accounts. Often used by contractors that need CIS + valuations in Sage.
  • Planyard — End-to-end project cost control: estimating, live budgets vs actuals, purchase orders, multi-step approvals, subcontractor and client valuations, retentions, variations, and live CVR/forecasting. Designed to keep only approved, fully coded costs ready for the accounting system.

Note: There isn’t a native Planyard ↔ Sage 50 integration. Teams either post manually (CSV/entry) or migrate accounting to Xero/QBO for automated sync.

Reviews at a glance

Public ratings from Capterra UK.

Programme Rating Summary
Sage 50cloud Accounts ~3.9 / 5.0 ✔ Trusted bookkeeping and compliance; desktop setup. Reviews note learning curve and limited automation compared with cloud tools.
Planyard 4.6 / 5.0 ✔ Praised for ease of use and visibility on project costs; reduces spreadsheets and re-typing.

Quotes: “Stopped updating endless cost spreadsheets.” · “Clear audit trail from PO to approval.” (Public Capterra UK reviews)

Quick summary

  • Sage 50. Excellent for ledgers, VAT and CIS (via Sage 50 CIS module). Basic Projects; limited approvals and forecasting. Desktop first. ‘
  • Planyard. Full commercial control with budgets, POs, valuations, retentions and live forecasting. Built for QSs, PMs and finance.
  • Together. Works via a manual handoff (export/entry). If you want automated posting, consider moving to Xero or QuickBooks Online.

Side-by-side comparison

Feature Sage 50 (alone) Planyard (alone) Using both (manual handoff)
Multi-step approvals (routes, thresholds) ✖ Basic approval only ✔ Configurable multi-step approvals ✔ Approve in Planyard; post summary to Sage
3-way match (PO ↔ delivery ↔ invoice) ✖ Manual ✔ Automated, blocks mismatches ✔ Mismatches stopped in Planyard before posting
PO control (raise against budget) ✖ Not native ✔ Linked to live budgets ✔ Prevents over-commitment; then enter to Sage
Valuations & retentions ➖ Construct for Sage add-on handles applications/retentions; core Sage 50 needs workarounds. ([uk-marketplace.sage.com][2]) ✔ Built-in subcontractor & client valuations; retention tracking ✔ Approve in Planyard; invoice/retention recorded in Sage
CIS (UK) ✔ Sage 50 CIS module for verification, deductions & returns. ‘ ➖ Keeps suppliers and costs categorised; CIS is applied in accounting ✔ Approved, coded values exported; CIS processed in Sage
Live variance & forecasting (EAC/CVR) ✖ Limited project forecasting ✔ Real-time CVR & forecasting ✔ Forecast in Planyard; Sage holds the ledger
OCR / invoice capture ✔ Via Sage tools (e.g., AutoEntry/Sage Capture) ✔ OCR + PO/valuation link ✔ Capture → approve in Planyard; then post to Sage manually
Audit trail (project ↔ accounting) ✔ Ledger audit trail ✔ Full project approval history ✔ End-to-end when approvals happen in Planyard

* If you want a direct, automated sync, we recommend moving to Xero or QuickBooks Online where a native Planyard connection is available.

What (and how) to post to accounting

  • Posts (manually): Approved bills/credit notes with supplier, nominal code, VAT/currency and invoice PDF from Planyard to Sage 50 (via CSV or entry).
  • Doesn’t post: Budgets, estimates and detailed time records.
  • System of record: Accounting remains in Sage 50; Planyard controls approvals and live job costing.
  • Want automation? Consider switching your accounting to Xero or QuickBooks Online for a connected workflow.

Features in detail

How they handle approvals, job costing, valuations, retentions and forecasting.

Approvals and purchase orders

Planyard manages POs, subcontracts and supplier approvals in one place. Sage 50 holds the approved, coded totals in the ledger after manual entry.

Screenshot showing Planyard’s user-friendly construction cost control software interface, featuring commitment templates, approval options, and detailed financial information such as current valuation, committed totals, and valuation remaining.

Valuations and retentions

Planyard manages subcontractor and client valuations and tracks retentions. In Sage 50, retentions can be recorded using documented workarounds or handled via the Construct for Sage add-on.

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Screenshot of Planyard’s project overview displaying financial data, including project names, budgets, income, costs, and profitability forecasts.

Live CVR and forecasting

Planyard updates CVR and EAC automatically as invoices and variations are approved. Sage 50 reports reflect the same costs after manual posting.

Implementation timelines

System Typical duration Typical steps
Planyard (with Sage 50 manual handoff) ✔ 1–5 days
  1. Set up projects, budgets and approvals in Planyard
  2. Agree nominal code mapping and export template
  3. Pilot one live job; post approved items to Sage manually
Sage 50 alone ✔ Immediate
  1. Install/activate Sage 50 (+ optional CIS module)
  2. Set up Chart of Accounts and suppliers
  3. Optional: Projects / Construct add-on

Older Sage 50 versions below v26.2 were retired from access; keep current for security and MTD.

Who should choose what

  • Choose Planyard if you need proper job costing — budgets, POs, valuations, retentions, forecasting and approvals — without spreadsheets.
  • Choose Sage 50 if you only need accounting, VAT and CIS in a desktop environment.
  • Choose both if you’re happy with a manual handoff. If you prefer automated posting, move to Xero or QuickBooks Online for the accounting system.

Pricing and packages

Planyard has transparent per-user plans and a free trial. Sage 50cloud Accounts pricing varies by edition and users. The CIS module is a paid add-on for eligible Sage 50 versions. ([Sage][7])

USD
EUR
GBP
AUD
CAD

Estimating

$52
/ month / project manager
 

Cost estimating

Try for free

Essential

$105
/ month / project manager
$43
for supporting staff
Perfect for support roles or stakeholders—gain access to essential project features and view key financial data without full platform permissions, enabling users to stay informed and contribute without hands-on tasks.

Usually selected for: site engineers, clients, estimators or auditors.

Estimating and budget control

  • Everything in Estimating
  • Track budgets and actual spend
  • Manage purchase invoices automatically
  • Reuse active project cost data for estimating
  • Sync invoices to Xero and QuickBooks
Try for free

Professional

$158
/ month / project manager
$43
for supporting staff
Perfect for support roles or stakeholders—gain access to essential project features and view key financial data without full platform permissions, enabling users to stay informed and contribute without hands-on tasks.

Usually selected for: site engineers, clients, estimators or auditors.

Estimating, cost control and purchase orders management

  • Everything in Essential
  • Issue and manage purchase orders
  • Track committed cost on the budget
  • Forecast project profitability in real-time
  • Create cashflow forecasts
  • Manage client contracts and progress reports
Try for free

Ultimate

$210
/ month / project manager
$43
for supporting staff
Perfect for support roles or stakeholders—gain access to essential project features and view key financial data without full platform permissions, enabling users to stay informed and contribute without hands-on tasks.

Usually selected for: site engineers, clients, estimators or auditors.

Full functionality

  • Everything in Professional
  • Automate subcontractor and vendor quoting
  • Track subcontracts and progress
  • Manage subcontractor change orders
  • Collect subcontractor payment applications
Try for free

In one paragraph

Sage 50 keeps your books compliant — including CIS when you add the CIS module — while Planyard keeps projects profitable with budgets, approvals, valuations, retentions and forecasting. There’s no native connection between the two, so teams either post manually or switch to Xero/QuickBooks Online for a seamless handoff.

Sources and last updated. Sage 50 CIS module documentation and activation guides; Sage KB on Project Costing and retentions; Sage Marketplace pages for Construct (applications/retentions); public Capterra UK ratings for Sage 50cloud and Planyard. Last reviewed 8 October 2025. ‘