A complete article with a deep dive into the brand-new 3 months free promotion, Sage Copilot AI, built-in payroll, and Making Tax Digital readiness.

Introduction

Let's cut straight to it: Sage has just launched one of the most generous promotions in UK accounting software history. Every paid Sage Accounting plan now comes with 3 full months completely free — not a discount, not 90% off, but genuinely £0 for three months. Whether you're a sole trader trying to stay on the right side of HMRC or a growing small business juggling invoices, payroll, and VAT returns, this is a seriously compelling reason to give Sage a proper look.

Sage Accounting is a cloud-based accounting platform built specifically for UK sole traders and small businesses. It handles everything from invoicing and bank reconciliation to payroll, VAT submissions, and now — thanks to Sage Copilot — AI-powered financial insights that genuinely save you time. It's TrustRadius awarded, fully Making Tax Digital compliant, and trusted by hundreds of thousands of businesses across the UK.

In this review, you'll find a thorough breakdown of all five Sage Accounting plans, every feature compared side by side, an honest look at what's brilliant and what could be better, and a clear guide to help you pick the right plan. If you've been sitting on the fence about switching your accounting software, the 3 months free offer might just be the nudge you need.

Quick verdict: Sage Accounting is a polished, feature-rich platform that punches well above its price — especially now. The free tier is genuinely useful for simple sole traders, the mid-range plans offer outstanding value with built-in payroll and AI, and the 3 months free offer means you can try any paid plan without spending a penny. It's the best time we've seen to start with Sage.

The 3 Months Free Offer Explained

Sage has replaced its previous "90% off" introductory deal with something even better: 3 months at absolutely no cost. That means 100% off — not a reduced rate, not a token discount, but a proper, full-access free period on whichever paid plan you choose.

How It Works

Months 1–3: You pay £0/month. Full access to every feature in your chosen plan.
Month 4 onwards: Regular pricing kicks in — £7, £18, £39, or £59/month depending on your plan (all prices excl. VAT).
No lock-in: There are no long-term contracts. You can upgrade, downgrade, or cancel at any time.

Who Qualifies?

The offer is available to new Sage customers only — you can't have an active Sage subscription already. It can't be combined with other promotions or discounts, and Sage reserves the right to withdraw it at any time (there's no announced end date, so don't sit on it too long).

Prefer to test the water first? Sage also offers a standalone 30-day free trial of Accounting Standard — no payment details required. This is separate from the 3-month offer, so you'll need to choose one or the other.

How Does It Compare to the Old 90% Off Deal?

The previous offer gave you 90% off for a limited period — so on the £39/month Standard plan, you'd still pay £3.90/month during the promo. With 3 months free, you pay literally nothing. Here's what that looks like in hard numbers:

Plan	Old Deal (90% Off × 3 Mo)	New Deal (3 Mo Free)	You Save
Sole Trader	£2.10	£0	£2.10 more
Accounting Start	£5.40	£0	£5.40 more
Accounting Standard	£11.70	£0	£11.70 more
Accounting Plus	£17.70	£0	£17.70 more

It's a straightforward upgrade. The new deal is better in every scenario, and it gives you a proper runway to set up your books, connect your bank accounts, and see whether Sage fits your workflow — all before you spend a penny.

"The best way to evaluate accounting software is to use it with your real data, in your real workflow, for long enough to hit a VAT deadline. Three months gives you exactly that."

All Sage Accounting Plans and Pricing

Sage Accounting offers five distinct plans, ranging from a genuinely free tier for the simplest sole trader needs right through to a feature-packed plan with multi-currency, inventory management, and unlimited users. Every paid plan is currently available with 3 months free.

Table 1: Quick Pricing Overview

Plan	Promo Price	Then	Users	Best For	You Save
Sole Trader Free	£0/mo	£0/mo (always free)	1	Non-VAT sole traders, basic needs	—
Sole Trader	£0/mo × 3	£7/mo	1	Non-VAT sole traders needing more	£21
Accounting Start	£0/mo × 3	£18/mo	1	VAT-registered sole traders & small biz	£54
Accounting Standard Most Popular	£0/mo × 3	£39/mo	3	Growing businesses, suppliers, CIS	£117
Accounting Plus	£0/mo × 3	£59/mo	Unlimited	Multi-currency, stock, larger teams	£177

All prices exclude 20% VAT. No long-term contracts on any plan.

Table 2: Detailed Feature Comparison

This is the big one. Every feature, every plan, laid out so you can see exactly what you get at each level.

Feature	Sole Trader Free	Sole Trader	Start	Standard	Plus
Pricing
Monthly price (after promo)	£0	£7	£18	£39	£59
3 months free promo	N/A (always free)	✓	✓	✓	✓
Users included	1	1	1	3	Unlimited
Core Accounting
Manage income & expenses	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Bank accounts connected	1	Multiple	Multiple	Multiple	Multiple
Bank reconciliation	✗	✗	✓	✓	✓
Auto-categorised transactions	25	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited
Sales invoices	5/month	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited
Quotes & estimates	✗	✗	✓	✓	✓
Supplier & invoice management	✗	✗	✗	✓	✓
Budgets	✗	✗	✗	✓	✓
Custom reports	✗	✗	✗	✓	✓
Cashflow forecasting	✗	✗	✓	✓	✓
VAT & Tax
Making Tax Digital (MTD) ready	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Income tax SA103S summary	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
VAT calculation & submission	✗	✗	✓	✓	✓
CIS management & submission	✗	✗	✗	✓	✓
Receipts & Documents
Manual receipt entry	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Snap & scan receipts	✗	✓	✓	✓	✓
Document storage	✗	10 GB	10 GB	10 GB	10 GB
Document captures	✗	✗	✗	30 included	100 included
Additional captures cost	—	—	—	£0.20/each	£0.20/each
Multi-Currency & Inventory
Multi-currency banking	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓
Exchange rate management	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓
Stock & inventory management	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓
Sage Copilot AI
Sage Copilot included	✗	✗	1 seat (1 max)	1 seat (3 max)	1 seat (unlimited)
Smart business insights	✗	✗	✓	✓	✓
Automatic invoice chasing	✗	✗	✓	✓	✓
Assisted VAT submissions	✗	✗	✓	✓	✓
AI-powered mistake detection	✗	✗	✓	✓	✓
Spot payroll anomalies	✗	✗	✓	✓	✓
Built-In Payroll
Payroll included	✗	✗	1 employee	1 employee	5 employees
Additional employee cost	—	—	£1.50/mo each	£1.50/mo each	£1.50/mo each
Self-serve payslips	✗	✗	✓	✓	✓
Core HR & Leave Management	✗	✗	✓	✓	✓
Timesheets	✗	✗	✓	✓	✓
More Benefits
Free mobile app	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Carbon footprint tracking	✗	✗	✓	✓	✓
Flexible payment options	✗	✗	✓	✓	✓
Exclusive member benefits	✗	✗	✓	✓	✓
Webchat support	✗	✓	✓	✓	✓
Telephone support	✗	✗	✓	✓	✓
Shift scheduling (HR add-on)	✗	✗	✗	✗	£2/employee/mo
Performance management (HR add-on)	✗	✗	✗	✗	£2/employee/mo

Table 3: What You'll Actually Pay — Year 1 Month-by-Month

This is the table that really matters. Here's exactly what you'll pay each month during your first year on each plan, factoring in the 3 months free promotion.

Month	Sole Trader	Start	Standard	Plus
Month 1	£0	£0	£0	£0
Month 2	£0	£0	£0	£0
Month 3	£0	£0	£0	£0
Month 4	£7	£18	£39	£59
Month 5	£7	£18	£39	£59
Month 6	£7	£18	£39	£59
Month 7	£7	£18	£39	£59
Month 8	£7	£18	£39	£59
Month 9	£7	£18	£39	£59
Month 10	£7	£18	£39	£59
Month 11	£7	£18	£39	£59
Month 12	£7	£18	£39	£59
Year 1 Total	£63	£162	£351	£531
vs. Full Price (£84 / £216 / £468 / £708)	Save £21	Save £54	Save £117	Save £177

Worth noting: The Sole Trader Free plan isn't shown here because it's always £0 — no promo needed. If you're a non-VAT registered sole trader with very basic needs (5 invoices a month, one bank account), it's a perfectly viable option at no cost whatsoever.

Sage Copilot AI: Your Built-In Productivity Assistant

Sage Copilot is where things get genuinely exciting. It's an AI assistant built right into Sage Accounting — not a bolt-on, not an upsell, but a core part of the Accounting Start, Standard, and Plus plans. Think of it as having a sharp-eyed financial assistant who never sleeps, never takes a holiday, and actually enjoys spotting discrepancies in your books.

What Sage Copilot Actually Does

Smart business insights: Copilot analyses your financial data and surfaces trends, anomalies, and opportunities you might miss. It's like having a second pair of eyes on your numbers — except these eyes never get tired.
Automatic invoice chasing: Late payments are the bane of small business life. Copilot automatically follows up on overdue invoices, sending polite reminders so you don't have to. Sage claims this gets you paid 7 days faster on average.
Assisted VAT submissions: Instead of staring at your VAT return wondering if you've missed something, Copilot walks you through the process and flags anything that looks off before you hit submit.
AI-powered mistake detection: Mismatched entries, duplicates, unusual transactions — Copilot catches errors before they snowball into bigger problems.
Payroll anomaly detection: If someone's pay looks different from usual — maybe a digit's been fat-fingered or an overtime entry is missing — Copilot flags it for review.

"Sage claims Copilot saves users 5 hours per week and gets them paid 7 days faster. Even if you halve those numbers, that's still a significant chunk of time and cash flow improvement."

Copilot comes with one seat included on the Start, Standard, and Plus plans. On Standard, up to 3 users can have Copilot access; on Plus, there's no limit. It's worth noting that the Sole Trader plans (both free and paid) don't include Copilot at all, so if AI features are important to you, you'll want to start at Accounting Start.

Getting Paid Faster

Cash flow is oxygen for small businesses, and Sage has built several features specifically designed to get money into your account faster.

Automatic invoice chasing is the headline feature here. Once you've raised an invoice, Sage can automatically send payment reminders at intervals you choose. No more awkward "just checking in" emails — Sage handles it professionally and consistently. According to Sage's own data, businesses using automatic chasing get paid an average of 7 days sooner.

Flexible payment options on the Start, Standard, and Plus plans let your customers pay via the method that suits them, reducing friction and excuses. The fewer barriers between your invoice and their payment, the better.

Unlimited sales invoices on every paid plan mean you're never rationing your billing. Send as many invoices as your business generates — whether that's 5 a month or 500.

Cash flow tip: Combine automatic invoice chasing with flexible payment options and you've got a system that nudges customers to pay promptly through their preferred method. It's the small business equivalent of a collections department — minus the overhead.

Built-In Payroll

One of the best things about Sage Accounting's Start, Standard, and Plus plans is that payroll is built right in. You don't need a separate subscription, a third-party add-on, or a clunky integration. It's all there, inside the same platform where you manage your accounts.

What's Included

Accounting Start & Standard: 1 employee included, then £1.50/month per additional employee
Accounting Plus: 5 employees included, then £1.50/month per additional employee

All plans with payroll include self-serve payslips (your staff can access their own), HMRC compliance and notices, pension auto enrolment, a streamlined 4-step pay run, and an enhanced pay run option for more complex scenarios. You also get Core HR and Leave Management, plus timesheets — so you're not just running payroll, you're managing your people.

Need More? Standalone Payroll Add-Ons

If your payroll needs are more complex — or if you're on a Sole Trader plan but still need to pay staff — Sage offers three standalone payroll add-ons:

Payroll Add-On	Monthly Price	Employees Included	Additional Employee
Payroll Essentials	£10/mo	5	£2/mo each
Payroll Standard	£20/mo	5	£4/mo each
Payroll Premium	£30/mo	5	£6/mo each

For most small businesses, the built-in payroll on Start, Standard, or Plus will be more than enough. The standalone add-ons are really aimed at businesses with larger teams or more specialised payroll requirements.

Making Tax Digital Ready

Making Tax Digital isn't coming — it's here. And it's expanding. Every single Sage Accounting plan, including the free Sole Trader tier, is fully MTD compliant. That means you can submit your VAT returns digitally straight from Sage, no hassle, no bridging software, no last-minute panic.

MTD for Income Tax: The Big Change

Here's where it gets really important. HMRC is rolling out Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self Assessment (MTD for ITSA) in stages:

April 2026: Mandatory for sole traders and landlords with income over £50,000
April 2027: Extended to those with income over £30,000
April 2028: Extended to those with income over £20,000

This is happening now. As of April 2026, an estimated 864,000 sole traders are affected by the first wave of MTD for Income Tax. If your self-employment or property income exceeds £50,000, you need MTD-compatible software today — not next quarter, not next year.

Sage Accounting is fully prepared for this. The platform supports digital record-keeping and quarterly reporting to HMRC, which are core requirements of MTD for ITSA. If you're a sole trader who's been managing things in spreadsheets, now is the time to make the switch — and the 3 months free offer makes the transition effectively risk-free.

"I use Sage for every aspect of running the business — from inputting my invoices, I use it for payroll, linked to the app, so I can spot check how much is in my bank."
— Pete Hamilton, Fresh Blood Ltd

Which Plan Is Right for You?

With five plans to choose from, it's worth spending a moment to figure out which one actually fits your situation. Here's a quick decision guide based on real scenarios.

Sole Trader Free — You Just Need the Basics

You're a freelancer or sole trader, you're not VAT registered, and your accounting needs are simple. You send a handful of invoices each month, you want to track income and expenses, and you need something that's MTD ready for when HMRC comes knocking. This plan does exactly that — and it won't cost you a thing, ever.

Sole Trader (Paid) — You're Growing but Still Solo

You're still not VAT registered, but you're sending more than 5 invoices a month and you want unlimited bank connections, receipt scanning, and proper document storage. At £7/month (free for 3 months), it's excellent value for the step up in capability.

Accounting Start — You've Hit the VAT Threshold

You've crossed the VAT registration threshold, or you're a small business with an employee or two. You need VAT submissions, cashflow forecasting, and you'd love an AI assistant to catch mistakes and chase invoices. Accounting Start gives you all of that plus built-in payroll for £18/month after the free period.

Accounting Standard — The Sweet Spot for Growing Businesses

This is Sage's most popular plan for good reason. You're working with suppliers, you might be in construction (CIS), and you need custom reports, budgets, and proper supplier management. With 3 users, 30 document captures, and full Copilot AI, it's the plan that covers the vast majority of small business needs. At £39/month after the promo, it's where most businesses should land.

Accounting Plus — You've Got Complexity

You deal in multiple currencies, you carry stock, or you have a larger team that all needs access. Unlimited users, 100 document captures, inventory management, and exchange rate handling make this the right choice for businesses with more moving parts. At £59/month, it's still remarkably affordable for what you get.

Still not sure? Start with Accounting Standard. It's the most popular plan for a reason — it hits the sweet spot of features, users, and price. And with 3 months free, you've got plenty of time to figure out if you need to go higher or could get by with less.

Pros and Cons

No software is perfect. Here's an honest look at where Sage Accounting shines and where it could do better.

What's Great

Genuinely free tier: The Sole Trader Free plan isn't a stripped-down trial — it's a real, permanent free plan for simple sole trader needs
Built-in payroll: Having payroll integrated directly into your accounting software (from the Start plan up) saves time, money, and integration headaches
Sage Copilot AI: The AI features are practical and genuinely useful — not gimmicky. Automatic invoice chasing alone could transform your cash flow
MTD ready across all plans: Even the free plan is fully Making Tax Digital compliant
3 months free: A proper free period to evaluate the software with real data — better than any discount
No contracts: Cancel anytime, upgrade or downgrade as your needs change
Carbon footprint tracking: A thoughtful touch for businesses that want to monitor their environmental impact
Excellent mobile app: Available on all plans, including the free tier

What Could Be Better

No Copilot on Sole Trader plans: The AI features are only available from Accounting Start upward. If you're on the Sole Trader plans, you miss out entirely
Document captures cost extra: On Standard and Plus, you get a set number of document captures, but additional ones cost £0.20 each — it can add up
Limited users on lower plans: Start only supports 1 user and Standard supports 3. If you have a larger team, you're pushed toward the pricier Plus plan
No bank reconciliation on Sole Trader plans: You'll need to step up to at least Accounting Start for proper bank reconciliation
VAT features locked to Start and above: If you're VAT registered, the two Sole Trader plans won't work for you
Standalone payroll add-ons are pricey: If you need advanced payroll without buying a full Accounting plan, the standalone options can feel expensive

How Sage Compares

Sage doesn't exist in a vacuum. Here's how it stacks up against the other big players in UK cloud accounting.

Sage vs. Xero

Xero is Sage's closest competitor and is particularly popular with accountants. Xero's Starter plan begins at £17/month (excl. VAT), which is comparable to Sage's Accounting Start at £18/month — but Sage now includes payroll and AI at that price point, which Xero doesn't. Xero's interface is arguably more polished for collaboration with external accountants, but Sage's built-in payroll gives it a clear edge for businesses that want an all-in-one solution.

Sage vs. QuickBooks

QuickBooks is strong in the US market and has a solid UK offering. Its Simple Start plan sits at a similar price point to Sage's Accounting Start. QuickBooks has excellent reporting and a good mobile app, but it doesn't match Sage's integrated payroll or AI features at the same tier. Sage's 3 months free offer also beats QuickBooks' typical introductory discounts.

Sage vs. FreeAgent

FreeAgent is a favourite among freelancers and sole traders, partly because it's free with certain business bank accounts (notably NatWest and RBS). If you bank with those institutions, FreeAgent is hard to beat on price. However, FreeAgent lacks Sage's payroll depth, AI features, and multi-currency capabilities. For businesses that will outgrow solo freelancing, Sage offers a much clearer growth path.

The bottom line on competitors: Sage's combination of built-in payroll, AI-powered Copilot, a genuinely free tier, and the 3 months free offer on paid plans makes it the most complete package available in the UK market right now. Individual competitors may win on specific features, but Sage wins on breadth.

Verdict

Sage Accounting in 2026 is a mature, confident platform that's clearly been listening to what small businesses actually need. The five-tier plan structure means you're never paying for features you don't use, and the progression from the free Sole Trader plan right through to the feature-packed Accounting Plus feels natural and well thought out.

The standout features are the ones that save you real time and real money: Sage Copilot's AI-powered invoice chasing and mistake detection, built-in payroll that eliminates the need for a separate subscription, and full Making Tax Digital compliance across every plan — including the free one.

And then there's the 3 months free offer. It's not a gimmick. It's a genuine three-month window to set up your books, connect your bank, run a couple of pay runs, submit a VAT return, and see whether Sage fits your business — all without spending a penny. For the Standard plan alone, that's £117 saved before you've even decided to commit.

Is Sage perfect? No. The lack of Copilot on the Sole Trader plans is a missed opportunity, document captures costing extra feels a bit nickel-and-dime, and the user limits on the lower plans might push some businesses toward a more expensive tier sooner than they'd like.

But on balance, Sage Accounting offers the best combination of features, flexibility, and value in the UK small business accounting market. The free tier is genuinely usable, the mid-range plans are outstanding value, and the 3 months free offer removes any financial risk from giving it a try.

If you're a sole trader bracing for MTD for Income Tax, a small business that's outgrown spreadsheets, or an established company looking for a platform that grows with you — Sage Accounting deserves to be at the top of your shortlist.

Final thought: The 3 months free offer has no announced end date, but Sage can withdraw it at any time. If you've been thinking about switching, there's no better moment than right now.

Pricing information is based on publicly available data from sage.com as of April 2026. All prices exclude 20% VAT unless stated otherwise. Sage Accounting is a trademark of The Sage Group plc.