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.
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. Planyard has a basic integration with Sage 50: approved invoices are forwarded by email to your accounts inbox or exported as CSV. Sage Accounting, Sage’s cloud product, has the most thorough integration.
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
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: the Sage 50 integration is basic. Approved invoices are forwarded by email or exported as CSV for entry. For a full API sync, Sage Accounting is the Sage product Planyard connects to natively.
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 email forward or CSV export of approved invoices. If you want automated posting, Sage Accounting has the full integration.
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | Sage 50 (alone) | Planyard (alone) | Using both (email/CSV 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, Sage Accounting has a native Planyard connection.
What (and how) to post to accounting
- Posts (by email forward or CSV export): Approved bills/credit notes with supplier, nominal code, VAT/currency and invoice PDF from Planyard to Sage 50 (email forward or CSV export).
- 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? Sage Accounting has a native Planyard connection.
Features in detail
How they handle approvals, job costing, valuations, retentions and forecasting.
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.
Upload your project budget and track financial progress in real-time
No credit card required. No sales or IT support needed.
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 email/CSV handoff) | 1–5 days |
|
| Sage 50 alone | Immediate |
|
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 email forwarding or CSV export of approved invoices suits you. If you prefer automated posting, Sage Accounting has the full integration.
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])
Estimating
$52
/ month / project manager
Cost Estimating
Essential
$105
/ month / project manager
$43
Usually selected for: site engineers, clients, estimators, or auditors.
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 spending
- Manage purchase invoices automatically
- Reuse active project cost data for estimating
- Sync invoices to Xero and QuickBooks
Professional
$158
/ month / project manager
$43
Usually selected for: site engineers, clients, estimators, or auditors.
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 costs on the budget
- Forecast project profitability in real-time
- Create cash flow forecasts
- Manage client contracts and progress reports
Ultimate
$210
/ month / project manager
$43
Usually selected for: site engineers, clients, estimators, or auditors.
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
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. The connection is basic: approved invoices are forwarded by email or exported as CSV. Sage Accounting has the full sync.
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. ‘
Related Comparisons
Procore vs Planyard
Procore runs field/project workflows; Planyard is the lightweight financial control—budgets, POs, pay apps, change orders, and profitability forecasts.
4PS Construct vs Planyard
4PS is ERP; Planyard adds lightweight commercial control—budgets, CVR, POs—next to your existing ledger.
Frequently asked questions
We've got your questions covered. If you can't find the answer below, then feel free to contact us via the chat.
Yes, with a basic integration. Teams approve costs in Planyard and the approved invoices are forwarded by email to your accounts inbox or exported as CSV. If you want automated posting, Sage Accounting has the full integration.
No. Planyard handles project budgets and cost control; Sage 50 remains your accounting and tax system.
Yes — in accounting. Sage 50’s CIS module handles verification, deductions and HMRC returns. Planyard ensures costs are coded and approved before you post them to Sage. ‘
Planyard manages subcontractor/client valuations and retentions. In Sage 50 you can record retentions using documented steps or use the Construct for Sage add-on for full applications/retentions workflows.
Usually 1–5 days for a pilot with Planyard (email/CSV handoff to Sage 50). Sage 50 itself is immediate once installed and configured.
Yes. Planyard replaces job cost, valuation and PO spreadsheets with live budgets, approvals and forecasting — then you post summaries into Sage 50.
Upload your project budget and track financial progress in real-time
No credit card required. No sales or IT support needed.
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