Sage 200 Standard is lower cost but feature restricted version of Sage 200.  This guide provides both a “big picture” comparison between Sage 200 Standard and Sage 200 Professional, and a detailed Sage 200 Standard vs Professional feature level comparison.  Please contact us to discuss the differences as they apply to your specific circumstances and requirements.

Big picture Sage 200 Professional vs Standard

Before discussing the differences between Sage 200 Standard and Professional, it’s appropriate to first emphasise how similar they are.  In particular from a user point of view they are near identical, to the extent that if you upgrade to Professional little or no user training is needed.  Similarly Sage 200 Standard’s underlying data is a subset of Sage 200 Professional’s but otherwise identical, to the extent that it’s straight-forward to move data from Sage 200 Standard to Professional and vice versa.

Sage 200 Standard:

• typically is much lower cost, indeed its annual software cost is quite close to Sage 50 Professional
• is cloud based (so can be used from anywhere with good internet access; user numbers can be increased or decreased as needed; Sage provide and manage the servers that Sage 200 Standard runs on)
• can be implemented quickly for startups and some businesses moving from Sage 50
• can be regarded as both “Sage 50 plus” and “Sage 200 Professional” minus

Sage 200 Professional:

• has significant additional features (either direct from Sage or as fully integrated addons from third parties) including: project costing; manufacturing; construction; fully feature purchase requisition and approvals
• has many individually small ways in which it’s more capable than Standard including: stock control fully integrated with nominal; support for batch and serial numbers; flexibility over number of accounting periods so easy to extend or shorten financial years
• is customisable, whether as tweaks to Sage supplied screens, or bespoke modules to provide capabilities specific to your business but fully integrated with Sage 200
• allows direct access to the underlying data for custom reports, so that it’s quick and easy to get and present any data in the way that’s most useful to you
• perhaps fits better with organisations that manage IT in quite a formal way, for example if you need to test changes before they are deployed; and generally fits better with larger organisations

Detailed comparison Sage 200 Standard vs Professional

New versions of Sage 200 are typically released twice a year.  This comparison was prepared in autumn 2023, and it’s anyway always the case that it’s best to check directly with us if there are features that are critical to your choice between Sage 200 Professional and Standard.

Please use the search to filter the list eg enter “nominal” to see only items which refer to the nominal ledger (but please note that the filter checks all columns).

Area	Feature	Sage 200cloud Standard	Sage 200cloud Professional	Importance	Comment
General	Data volumes	Transaction volumes into the low hundreds of thousands	Transaction volumes to the high hundreds of thousands, and subject to more detailed review well beyond that	3	The primary consideration here is that with Professional the user has control of the IT infrastructure that runs Sage 200, so can provision as necessary for higher data volumes.
General	Deploy on premise or cloud / hosted	No. Cloud only	Available	3
General	Ease of support	Good	Better	3	Support tasks that require a backup or direct changes to underlying data are significantly easier with Professional.
Integration and customisation	Custom reports	Available, but largely limited to reports created with the Sage provided report designer	Available	3	Custom reports for Professional can be created as Excel reports directly refreshing from the underlying data. These reports are usually quick to create, can access any Sage 200, and are Excel reports so familiar and easy to manipulate further for most users
Integration and customisation	Customisation by third parties	Via ISV add-ons only.	Available	3
Integration and customisation	Fully integrated addons that extend core functionality	Not available	Available	3	There are significant number of third party modules available for Sage 200 Professional. Some greatly extend its core functions, other are industry specific.
Integration and customisation	Integration	Available (via api)	Available (via api, third party add-ons, and sdk for fully bespoke addons)	3	The "api" which is common to Standard and Professional allows integration with most core areas; the "sdk" which is only available for Professional allows integration with all areas, and also allows much wider automation of Sage 200 actions.
Invoicing and sales orders	Choose whether stock quantities are updated on despatch or invoice	No. Set to update on order despatch	Available	3	We typically advise updating stock quantities on invoice. This is most relevant when cost of sales postings are being generated. Once sales orders have started to be processed this setting can't be changed easily.
Modules	Manufacturing	Not available	Fully integrated third party manufacturing modules available	3
Modules	Project costing	Not available	Available	3
Nominal Ledger	Consolidation	Base currency only.	All currencies, but with limitations	3	We generally suggest that consolidated reporting is done in Excel. For Professional this can be done as a directly refreshable Excel workbook; for Standard this is a largely manual process.
Stock Control	Batch / serial number tracking	Not available	Available	3
Stock Control	Nominal ledger integration	Not available	Available	3	For Professional nominal ledger integration includes cost of sales postings and goods received not invoiced accruals. This allows, for example, cost of sales posting by cost centre (and so location, sales channel etc).
Bill of Materials	Bill of Materials	Simplified BoM only	Full BoM module	2	Professional's BmM has many more features including versioning and ability to include labour and other costs, but Standard's BoM will be adequate for many users particularly those upgrading from Sage 50
Invoicing and sales orders	Choose whether invoices and credit notes have the same or different number sequences	No. Always separate number sequences	Available	2
Invoicing and sales orders	Choose whether or not to print picking lists	Not available. Picking lists are required	Available	2
Invoicing and sales orders	Choose whether to allocate stock on order entry or as a separate step	No. Stock always allocated on order entry	Available	2
Invoicing and sales orders	Control stock fulfilment method by order line	Not available	Available	2
Invoicing and sales orders	Control whether revenue nominal is determined by the customer or stock item defaults	No. Nominal account is linked to stock item and cost centre and department linked to customer	Available	2
Invoicing and sales orders	Manual entered or automatically generated order and return numbers	Auto generated order numbers only	Available	2
Invoicing and sales orders	Order acknowledgements	Not available	Available	2
Modules	CRM	Available (Sage CRM via ISV add-on).	Available (Sage CRM via ISV add-on; or as a fully integrated third party add-on)	2
Nominal Ledger	Display account balance in nominal ledger list view	Not available	Available, user setting	2
Purchase Ledger	Suggested payment - number of payment groups	Fixed number (7). One group per type.	Up to 10 amendable groups	2	Professional's amendable payment groups allows you to split suppliers pay in the same way, for allowing separate payment runs for expenses and trade suppliers.
Purchase Ledger	Suggested payment - post summary or detail	Fixed as post detail.	Available	2	Professional allows BACS payments which typically appear as a single aggregated bank statement to also show in the cash book as a single transaction, so making reconciliation easier.
Purchase Order Processing	Choose whether or not to allow amendment of analysis codes	No. User can always change analysis codes	Available	2
Purchase Order Processing	Choose whether or not to allow amendment of nominal codes.	No. User can always change nominal codes	Available	2
Purchase Order Processing	Choose whether or not to record details of cancelled order lines	Not availble. Cancelled order lines always recorded.	Available	2
Purchase Order Processing	Choose whether to breakdown balance sheet posting cost centre	No. Not possible to breakdown balance sheet postings by cost centre.	Available	2
Purchase Order Processing	Choose whether to generate purchase orders for back to back and direct delivery sales orders	Available for back to back orders only. Direct deliveries not supported	Available	2
Purchase Order Processing	Control if text and service order lines are included in accruals	No.	Available	2
Purchase Order Processing	Generate accrual for goods received not invoiced	Not available	Available	2
Sales Ledger	Account type	Fixed as open item	Setting, including open item and auto allocate	2	Auto allocate potentially useful if invoices and receipts match easily, perhaps because of use of direct debits or card receipts that clear account balance.
Sales Ledger	Consolidated billing	Not available	Available	2
Sales Order Processing	Fulfilment method of "supplier direct to customer"	Not available. Other fulfilment types are available	Available	2
Sales Order Processing	Selling units	Not available	Available	2	Allows user to choose selling units by product, with pricing adjusted accordingly.
Stock Control	Control by warehouse whether stock from the warehouse can be sold	Not available	Available	2
Stock Control	Multiplier suppliers per stock item	Not available	Available	2
Stock Control	Option to allow or not allow negative stock	Always allows negative stock	Available	2
Stock Control	Units of measure	Not available	Available	2
System settings	Archive transactions and account maintenance	Not available	Available	2
System settings	Cost centre breakdown for balance sheet postings	Not available	Available	2
System settings	Number of accounting periods	Fixed number - 12	Up to 20	2	Variable periods are useful even if your accounting periods are calendar months, as they make financial year length changes easy.
General	Accountant role	Available	Not available	1
Invoicing and sales orders	Choose whether or not to record details of cancelled order lines	Not availble. Cancelled order lines always recorded.	Available	1
Invoicing and sales orders	Choose whether order number pops up after sales order saved	No. Always shown	Available	1
Invoicing and sales orders	Choose whether posted invoices always update sales ledger immediate or go into a pending file with a separate manual step to update sales ledger.	No. Always posts direct to sales ledger.	Available	1
Invoicing and sales orders	Choose whether the exchange rate for a sales order or invoice is set when the document is entered or when it's printed.	No. Always uses system exchange rate at time of posting to sales ledger.	Available	1
Invoicing and sales orders	Choose whether to allow amendment of sales order analysis codes (at sales order and sales order line level)	No. Always allowed.	Available	1
Invoicing and sales orders	Control if cash orders (which are processed through a single sales account) are allowed.	No. Always allowed.	Available	1
Invoicing and sales orders	Control if quotations and pro formas are allowed for prospects (which are entered through a single sales account) are allowed	No. Always allowed.	Available	1
Invoicing and sales orders	Control over whether confirmation of despatch is required for service and free text order lines	No. Service and free text lines are confirmed as part of confirming despatch of goods	Available	1
Invoicing and sales orders	Control whether picking list can be amended	No. Always allowed.	Available	1
Invoicing and sales orders	Include entries Intraset based on:	Invoice date	Invoice date or despatch date	1
Invoicing and sales orders	Show items which haven't been allocated / despatched on picking lists and despatch notes	No	Yes, optionally.	1
Modules	Business Intelligence	Not available	Available	1	The Business Intelligence module is rarely used now, so this is classed as a minor difference.
Modules	Invoicing	Available	Available	1	Professional has an additional feature that allows creation of free text invoices and credits, but this is very rarely used.
Nominal Ledger	Change narrative / name of each budget year	No. Fixed at the obvious values such as "next year"	Available	1
Nominal Ledger	Choose whether to allow prior year postings.	No. Always prior year settings are always possible.	Available	1	Very minor difference. In the unlikely event of wanting to prevent prior year postings with Sage 200 Standard, this can be achieved by preventing access to the prior year posting menu via security.
Nominal Ledger	Choose whether to post journals immediately or only manually on demand	No. Always posts immediately.	Available	1
Nominal Ledger	Choose whether to see prior year only or last 5 years of budget history	No. Always set to show last 5 years	Available	1
Nominal Ledger	Option to summarise transactions (rather than post every one) when posted from other modules to nominal ledger	Not available	Available	1	Very minor difference, which was more relevant historically when storage space was more limited / costly
Purchase Ledger	Account type	Fixed as open item	Setting, including open item and auto allocate	1	Very minor difference. Only really relevant if supplier payments are managed and generated outside Sage 200.
Purchase Ledger	Change the default maximum number of transactions to show in transaction enquiry from 100.	Not available	Available	1
Purchase Ledger	Choose whether or not suggested payments update the purchase ledger and other modules	No. Always updates	Available	1	Very minor difference, as it's hard to envisage real world situations where it wasn't appropriate to update the purchase ledger and other modules
Purchase Ledger	Choose whether or not to integrate supplier payments with bank	No. Always allowed.	Available	1
Purchase Ledger	Choose whether to allow transactional analysis of purchase ledger transaction	No. Always available	Available	1
Purchase Ledger	Control of whether batch processing is permitted	No. Batch processing is always permitted	Available	1
Purchase Ledger	Control whether the default transaction enquriy view is showing all or only outstanding transactions	No. The default is always show outstanding only	Available	1
Purchase Ledger	Force all suppliers to use the same payment group	Not available	Available	1
Purchase Ledger	Option to auto generate account number	Not available	Available	1
Purchase Ledger	Trading period reporting based on account periods or independent purchase ledger trading periods	No. Account periods only..	Available	1
Purchase Order Processing	Choose if invoices can be matched to just orders, or have to be matched to orders and GRNs	No. Matching is to orders and GRNs	Available	1
Purchase Order Processing	Choose if unauthorised orders can be processed.	No. Can only process authorised orders	Available	1
Purchase Order Processing	Choose whether or not to show outstanding quantity during goods received	No. Outstanding quantity always shown	Available	1
Purchase Order Processing	Control over if and when stock prices can be updated.	No. Pices to be updated when goods are received and exchange rate is fixed when order entered.	Available	1
Purchase Order Processing	Control over whether confirmation of receipt is required for service and free text order lines	No. Confirmation is not required	Available	1
Purchase Order Processing	Disputed invoice processing	Not available	Available	1
Purchase Order Processing	Include entries Intraset based on:	Invoice date	Invoice date or receipt date	1
Purchase Order Processing	Manual entered or automatically generated order and return numbers	Auto generated order numbers only	Available	1
Purchase Order Processing	Option to print copy orders	Not available	Available	1
Sales Ledger	Change the default maximum number of transactions to show in transaction enquiry from 100.	Not available	Available	1
Sales Ledger	Choose whether to allow transactional analysis of sales ledger transaction	No. Always available	Available	1
Sales Ledger	Choose whether to define sales ledger analysis periods independently of accounting periods.	Not available	Available	1
Sales Ledger	Control of whether batch processing is permitted	No. Batch processing is always permitted	Available	1
Sales Ledger	Control whether or not to revalue foreign currency transactions	No. Always enabled	Available	1
Sales Ledger	Control whether the default transaction enquriy view is showing all or only outstanding transactions	No. The default is always show outstanding only	Available	1
Sales Ledger	Copy statements	Not available	Available	1
Sales Ledger	Document messages	Not available	Available	1
Sales Ledger	Finance charges	Not available.	Available	1
Sales Ledger	Option to auto generate account number	Not available	Available	1
Sales Order Processing	Trade counter sales order entry screen	Not available	Available	1
Stock Control	Choose whether to keep transaction history	No. Stock transaction history always kept	Available	1
Stock Control	Control whether to allow multiple warehouse	No. Always allowed.	Available	1
Stock Control	Label printing eg on goods received	Not available	Available	1
Stock Control	Search categories as an additional means of finding stock items. Search by stock code and description are standard.	Not available	Available	1
System settings	Choice of nominal ledger types	No. Posting only	Available: posting, memo and group	1
System settings	Choose whether or not to use period exchange rates	No. Period exchange rates always used	Available	1
System settings	Choose whether or not to use transaction analysis codes system wide and module by module.	No. Transaction analysis always available	Available	1
System settings	Consolidate low value Intrastat settings	Not available	Available	1
System settings	Control if and how transaction dates are validated on data entry.	No. Fixed as ‘accounting period validation’ and ‘acceptable’	Available	1
System settings	Control whether the nominal ledger is updated as soon as transactions are entered in other modules, or only manually	No. Updates immediately	Available	1
System settings	Currencies and exchange rates – Amendability status	Not available. Set to ‘Amendable – All’.	Available	1
System settings	Currencies and exchange rates – revaluation nominal code	Cannot specify against individual currencies. All posted to default nominal account.	Can specify different nominal code per currency	1
System settings	Customer and supplier accounts have 2 address formats, where the more recent and structured option is known as segmented addresses.	Segmented addresses only.	Segmented and (less) structured address formats available as option	1
System settings	Update Pending / Current Waiting Postings	Not available	Available	1