Koinly vs Sage Accounting
Side-by-side comparison — pricing, features, ratings, use cases. Find which Tax Software fits you best.
🔍 Independently researched ·
📊 Data-driven
59/100
Free tier
Crypto traders and investors in supported countries who need reliable, automated capital gains and income tax reports an
★ Best
💰 Pricing
🆓 Free tier available
Free plan includes up to 10,000 transactions with unlimited tax reports, but only for hobby users with limited support.
Starting at $99 (tiered_fee)
Fee notes:
- Paid plans are annual only, but charged in a single payment for the year.
- Discounted packages available for professional use (e.g., accountants).
- Additional fee for multi-user or CPA-specific features.
- Some countries have tax-specific add-ons (e.g., UK property income) at extra cost.
⚠ Watch for:
- No hidden fees, but pricing is per tax year, not subscription monthly; you must pay full annual fee even if you sign up midway.
- If you exceed transaction limits, you must upgrade to a higher tier or pay for additional transaction packs (cost varies).
- International payment fees may apply depending on your bank or card.
🔧 Features
✓ Crypto Focus✓ 400 Exchanges✓ 20 Countries✓ Capital Gains✓ Tax Reports✓ Free Tier
📋 Assessment
💪 Strengths
- Auto-import from 400+ exchanges and wallets: Koinly's ability to automatically pull transaction data from a vast array of sources is its standout feature. This includes major exchanges like Coinbase, Binance, and Kraken, as well as hardware wallets like Ledger and software wallets like MetaMask. For users with a long trading history across multiple platforms, this saves dozens of hours of manual CSV export and formatting, making the initial setup significantly faster and less error-prone.
- Country-specific tax reports: Koinly generates tax reports tailored to the tax authorities of over 20 countries, including the US (IRS Form 8949/Schedule D), UK (SA108), Germany, and Australia (ATO). This is a major advantage for international users who need accurate, locally compliant reports. The software automatically applies correct cost basis methods (FIFO, LIFO, etc.) based on the country's regulations, reducing the risk of underreporting or penalties.
- Accurate handling of complex transaction types: Koinly correctly categorizes and calculates tax for various crypto events beyond simple trades, such as airdrops, hard forks, staking rewards, and mining income. This is crucial in a landscape where such activities are common and often overlooked by manual calculation. The platform also handles loans and margin trading, classifying them appropriately as income or capital gains, which is a nuanced area many competitors oversimplify.
- Tax-loss harvesting support: Koinly includes a tax-loss harvesting feature that identifies losing trades to offset capital gains, potentially reducing your tax liability. This is a valuable planning tool that sets it apart from some basic calculators, allowing users to minimize taxes legally. It also provides a clear overview of unrealized and realized gains, making it easier to strategize during the year.
- Free plan for tracking: While the free plan doesn't allow you to download tax reports, it does let you sync your transactions and view your portfolio's estimated gains and losses. This is useful for getting a high-level view of your tax situation without paying, and it can help you decide if the platform is right for you before committing to a paid plan.
⚠ Watch out for
- Cost escalates with transaction count: Koinly's pricing is based on the number of transactions, with the paid plans starting at $49/year for up to 1,000 transactions. For active traders with thousands of trades, the cost can quickly rise to $99/year (up to 10,000 transactions) or $199/year (up to 25,000 transactions). High-volume traders may find this pricing model expensive compared to some competitors that offer flat-rate subscriptions, though the automation often justifies the cost in saved time.
- Free plan lacks downloadable reports: The free plan only provides a summary of your portfolio performance; you cannot download the actual tax report forms needed for filing. This means you must upgrade to a paid plan to get your tax documents, which can be a disappointment for users who just want to estimate their taxes or have a small number of transactions.
- Manual adjustments for complex DeFi: While Koinly supports many DeFi protocols, some complex smart contract interactions—such as yield farming, liquidity provision, or multi-step swaps—may not be automatically recognized and could lead to incorrect calculations. Users may need to manually edit or categorize these transactions, which requires a learning curve and can be time-consuming. In some edge cases, the auto-import might even classify a transaction incorrectly, leading to a need for careful review.
- Limited customer support on lower tiers: Koinly's customer support is primarily via email and live chat, but live chat is only available on higher-tier plans. Free users and those on the Hobby plan may have to wait longer for email responses, and some users report slow resolution times for complex queries. The knowledge base is extensive, but if you're stuck, the premium support might feel like an additional cost to consider.
🎯 Best for
Crypto traders and investors in supported countries who need reliable, automated capital gains and income tax reports and want to import data from many exchanges without manual entry.
🚫 Who should skip
Users who only trade on centralized exchanges with simple buy/sell activity and want a completely free tax report, or those needing tax-loss harvesting optimization and investment advice.
📚 Learning curve
Minimal — import data, review flagged transactions, and generate reports; the interface is straightforward, though understanding tax rules and fixing every invalid transaction may take time.
🧑⚖️ Verdict
Koinly is a robust, user-friendly crypto tax calculator that excels at automation and international tax compliance. It's ideal for traders with multiple exchanges who want to save time and are willing to pay for ready-to-file reports. However, if you're a high-volume DeFi user or on a tight budget,
44/100
$15 starting
UK-based SMEs with 5 to 100 employees that want a reliable accounting plus payroll platform compliant with HMRC and Maki
💰 Pricing
Starting at $15 (subscription)
Fee notes:
- Underlying UK prices (ex VAT): Start £12/month, Standard £24/month, Plus £36/month when billed annually.
- Monthly rolling billing prices are higher: Start £15, Standard £30, Plus £45 (ex VAT).
- USD conversion approximated at 1 GBP = 1.28 USD; actual charged amount may vary with your card rate.
- No per-filing fees for HMRC MTD submissions (VAT, Income Tax, Corporation Tax) on Standard or Plus.
- Sage Payroll add-on costs from £7 per month (ex VAT) for 1–5 employees; includes RTI and pension filing.
⚠ Watch for:
- Advertised prices exclude UK VAT (20%) — add the tax for total real cost.
- Cheapest prices require annual prepayment; cancel early may mean losing the full annual premium.
- Payroll is a separate paid add-on and is not included in any Sage Accounting tier.
- Bank feeds can fail or slow down depending on your bank's connectivity; no direct fee from Sage but may require manual entry fees/time.
🔧 Features
✓ Ftse 100✓ Global Reach✓ Payroll✓ Mtd Ready✓ Sme Focus
📋 Assessment
💪 Strengths
- Strong UK compliance: Sage Accounting is fully MTD-ready for VAT, and handles PAYE, RTI, and auto-enrolment without requiring additional modules or integrations. This is a huge time-saver for UK businesses, as it automates submissions to HMRC and reduces the risk of penalties. You can file VAT returns directly from the software, and payroll runs are submitted via RTI.
- Integrated payroll: Unlike Xero (which requires a separate payroll add-on) and QuickBooks (which offers it but at an extra cost), Sage bundles payroll for SMEs into its main solution. This means you can manage employee pay, P60s, P45s, and pension contributions in one place, saving both money and the hassle of syncing two systems.
- Global footprint: Available in 23 countries with local tax versions, Sage Accounting is a solid choice for businesses that operate across borders. You can manage multiple currencies and even run separate entities in different countries, which is unusual among SME-focused rivals. This is particularly useful for businesses with foreign suppliers or customers.
- Comprehensive invoicing and cash flow tools: You can create professional invoices, set up recurring billing, and automate payment reminders. Cash flow forecasting gives you a forward-looking view, and bank feeds automatically categorize transactions, which helps keep your books up to date without manual data entry.
- Scalable plans: Starting at $12/mo for the basic plan, Sage Accounting offers a range of tiers that add more features, such as project accounting, multi-currency, and additional users. This allows small businesses to start low and upgrade as they grow, without having to jump to a completely new system.
⚠ Watch out for
- Pricing transparency is poor: The advertised $12/mo price is only for the entry-level plan, and it quickly rises when you add payroll, extra users, or advanced features. Many users report that the final cost is significantly higher than expected, often exceeding Xero or QuickBooks for comparable setups. You have to go through a sales process to get a quote, which is a barrier for small businesses.
- User interface can feel dated: While the cloud version of Sage Accounting is an improvement over Sage 50, it still lacks the polish of modern competitors. The dashboard is cluttered, and navigation can be counterintuitive. New users may need more time to find their way around, and it's not as intuitive as Xero's clean, user-friendly design.
- Feature set varies widely between plans: Some essential features, like project accounting and multi-currency functionality, are only available in higher-priced tiers. This means that the 'basic' plan might not be sufficient for many growing businesses, forcing them to pay more or miss out on capabilities they need.
- Advanced features require add-ons: Beyond the tiered plans, some advanced functionalities (like inventory management or billing for projects) are sold as add-ons, which adds to the cost and complexity. This can be frustrating if you discover later that you need a feature that isn't included in your current plan.
- Customer support can be hit-or-miss: Sage offers support via phone, email, and chat, but response times can be slow, and the quality of help varies. Many users have reported long holds on the phone and generic replies from emails. The knowledge base is decent, but it may not cover all edge cases, especially for less common scenarios.
🎯 Best for
UK-based SMEs with 5 to 100 employees that want a reliable accounting plus payroll platform compliant with HMRC and Making Tax Digital.
🚫 Who should skip
Freelancers, micro-businesses with very simple finances, or teams that prefer a more modern, cheaper, and easier-to-navigate accounting tool.
📚 Learning curve
Moderate — basic invoicing and VAT are straightforward, but payroll and multi-entity functions require training or knowledge of accounting fundamentals.
🧑⚖️ Verdict
Sage Accounting is a dependable choice for UK SMEs that need robust compliance and integrated payroll, and for businesses with international operations. It's not the cheapest or the most intuitive, and you should budget for potential add-ons. If you're a freelancer or very small business that just n
📊 Use Case Suitability
Higher score = better fit. Scores from editorial review.
Use CaseKoinlySage Accounting
US Tax Filing (IRS)95—
Koinly supports US tax laws, generates IRS-compatible reports, and integrates wi
UK Tax Reporting (HMRC)92—
Koinly provides HMRC-compatible capital gains and income tax reports, including
High-Volume Exchange Auto-Import90—
With 400+ exchange integrations and API auto-import, Koinly reduces manual data
DeFi and Staking Income Reporting88—
Koinly handles staking rewards, airdrops, and DeFi income as taxable events, mak
Non-Resident Crypto Tax Reporting85—
Koinly supports tax laws for over 20 countries, making it useful for expats or f
UK VAT Compliance and MTD Filing—95
Sage is natively MTD-compatible and automates VAT returns, making it a dependabl
Payroll Management for SME Teams—90
Sage's built-in payroll features handle RTI submissions, PAYE, auto-enrolment pe
Invoicing and Cash Flow Tracking—85
Sage offers solid invoice creation, payment reminders, and cash flow reports, th
🧭 Which One Should You Pick?
Choose Koinly if...
- You are: Crypto traders and investors in supported countries who need reliable, automated capital gains and income tax reports an
- 👍 Auto-imports transactions from 400+ exchanges and wallets, saving hours of manual CSV work.
- 👍 Supports tax reporting for 20+ countries with country-specific forms and calculations.
- 👍 Accurately handles capital gains, income tax, and various transaction types including forks, airdrop
- 💰 From $99/mo
- ⚠ Trade-off: The free plan does not include downloadable tax reports, so you must pay to actu
Choose Sage Accounting if...
- You are: UK-based SMEs with 5 to 100 employees that want a reliable accounting plus payroll platform compliant with HMRC and Maki
- 👍 Strong UK compliance: fully MTD-ready and handles VAT, PAYE, RTI, and auto-enrolment without additio
- 👍 Integrated payroll: unlike many accounting rivals, Sage bundles payroll for SMEs into its main solut
- 👍 Global footprint: available in 23 countries with local tax versions, which is useful for businesses
- 💰 From $15.36/mo
- ⚠ Trade-off: Pricing is unclear initially and often higher than competitors like Xero or Quic
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Koinly cost?
Koinly offers a free plan with limited features and paid plans starting around $49 for tax reports, with pricing depending on the number of transactions and plan tier. The exact price varies by country and transaction volume, so you'll need to check the website for current quotes.
What are the limitations of Koinly's free plan?
The free plan lets you track transactions and see preliminary totals but does not include exportable tax reports. You need a paid plan to access full capital gains and income tax reports.
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