Choosing accounting software in South Africa usually comes down to Sage or Xero and, for manufacturers, whatever handles a bill of materials (BOM) and job costing. This is a plain comparison of what each one costs and includes, with the source for every figure, so you can check it yourself.
Prices were checked on 28 September 2026 from each company's own South African website. Sage and Xero show their prices including VAT; Vali shows its price excluding VAT, so the table shows both for Vali. Xero has announced a price increase from 1 November 2026.
The short answer
- Just invoices and the bank for one or two people: Sage Business Cloud Accounting or Xero will cost you less than Vali.
- Several people working in the system every day: Vali and Xero charge nothing extra per user; Sage charges per user.
- You make things: Vali includes bill of materials, job cards and job costing with the accounting. Sage Business Cloud Accounting and Xero do not have manufacturing; Xero points you to separate apps, and Sage's manufacturing sits in its desktop and larger products as extra modules.
Side by side
| Vali Business | Sage Business Cloud Accounting | Xero | Sage 50cloud Pastel | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price a month | R4 598.85incl. VAT (R3 999 excl.) | From R240incl. VAT, paid yearly | From R450incl. VAT | From R1 375VAT not stated |
| Unlimited usersno charge per person | ||||
| Free trial | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days | |
| Included in the Vali Business price | ||||
| Inventory and stock control | Add-on | |||
| Bill of materials (BOM) | Other app | Add-on | ||
| Job cards for the workshop | Other app | Other app | ||
| Job costing | Add-on | Add-on | Add-on | |
| Email client and team chat | ||||
| Calendar and video meetings | ||||
| Email marketing campaigns | Other app | |||
| Projects with time and cost tracking | Add-on | Add-on | Add-on | |
| Policy and procedure wiki | ||||
| South African payroll and HR | Coming soon | Separate product | Other app | Separate product |
included · Add-on paid extra from the same company · Other app needs another company's software · not found on the company's South African website.
When each one makes sense
Sage Business Cloud Accounting is the cheapest way for a small South African business to invoice and reconcile the bank, and most bookkeepers know it. It becomes more expensive as you add people, companies and the inventory module, and it has no manufacturing.
Xero has no per-user fees and a large marketplace of add-on apps. For stock-heavy or manufacturing businesses you would add another subscription, such as Cin7, and South African payroll also comes from a separate app. Its prices rise on 1 November 2026.
Sage 50cloud Pastel is the long-standing desktop choice, with inventory included and a Bill of Materials module, for a fixed number of users and companies per tier.
Vali Business costs more than the entry-level plans, but it is one price per company with no limit on users, and the accounting, inventory and stock control, bill of materials (BOM), job cards, job costing, email, projects and the policy wiki are in the same system. New modules are added at no extra cost. South African payroll and HR are coming soon and will be included in the same price. It suits a business where the stores clerk, the workshop, sales and the bookkeeper all need to work in it. If you only need invoicing for yourself, one of the options above will cost you less.
Sources
- Sage Business Cloud Accounting: shop.sage.co.za/product/sage-one and Sage payroll
- Sage 50cloud Pastel: shop.sage.co.za/product/sage-50cloud-pastel
- Xero: xero.com/za/pricing-plans, manufacturing and payroll, and the Xero App Store for apps from other companies
- Vali: pricing
We will update this comparison when prices change or when new Vali features go out. Spotted something out of date? Tell us at help@vali.co.za.