RentalBux vs. Sage
Which MTD Software Is Better for UK Landlords?
Overall Winner: RentalBux
RentalBux is the more complete MTD software for UK landlords and sole traders. It combines full Making Tax Digital compliance across UK property income, foreign property income, and self-employment income with comprehensive property management, automated bookkeeping, AI-driven expense categorisation, joint ownership profit-splitting, and a free plan for single-property landlords until March 2028. Sage is a powerful and well-established general business accounting platform with over 40 years of UK compliance experience, HMRC recognition for MTD, and a strong feature set for VAT, payroll, and CIS. However, Sage is not built specifically for landlords — it requires customisation for property use cases, lacks property management tools, does not support joint ownership profit-splitting, and its landlord-specific MTD features within Sage Sole Trader were only introduced in late March 2026. For landlords seeking a purpose-built, compliant, and affordable MTD solution, RentalBux is the clearer choice.
At-a-Glance MTD Software Comparison
Key differences between RentalBux and Sage across MTD compliance, property management, bookkeeping, pricing, and landlord-specific features.
| Feature | RentalBux | Sage |
|---|---|---|
| Software Type | Property/Landlord Platform | General Business Accounting |
| Target Users | Landlords, Sole Traders, Letting Agents | Sole Traders, SMEs, all industries |
| Income Sources Supported | Sole Trader + UK Property + Foreign Property | Sole Trader + UK Property (Sage Sole Trader/Individual); not property-specific on main paid plans |
| Free MTD Software Plan | Free until March 2028 (1 property) | Yes — Sage Individual Free (sole traders only; very limited) |
| MTD Quarterly Updates to HMRC | Yes | Yes |
| Final Declaration | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Reconciliation | Yes | Yes |
| Automated Bank Feeds | Yes | Yes |
| Invoice Creation | Yes | Yes |
| Receipt Capture (OCR) | Yes | Yes |
| Expense Auto-Categorisation | Coming soon | Yes |
| Property Portfolio Management | Yes | No |
| Tenant Management | Yes | No |
| Joint Ownership & Profit Sharing | Yes | No |
| Payroll | No | Yes |
| HMO Unit-Level Tracking | Yes | No |
| HMRC SA105 Box Pre-Mapping | Yes | No |
| Spreadsheet Import/Export | Yes | Yes |
| Platform | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes | Yes |
What Is RentalBux? What Is Sage?
What Is RentalBux?
All-in-One MTD Software for Landlords and Sole Traders
RentalBux is an all-in-one property management, accounting, and Making Tax Digital compliance platform built specifically for UK landlords, letting agents, and self-employed individuals. Designed with direct input from accountants who specialise in property and sole trader tax, RentalBux covers everything from tenancy management and rent collection to full bookkeeping with a pre-configured chart of accounts tailored to the property sector.
RentalBux is fully HMRC-recognised for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax across all three qualifying income categories: UK property income, foreign property income, and self-employment. This makes it one of the only landlord-specific MTD software platforms that can handle a landlord who also runs a sole trader business, all from a single subscription.
A major differentiator is RentalBux's pricing model: single-property landlords can use the platform completely free until March 2028, making it one of the most affordable HMRC-approved MTD software options for landlords entering the MTD regime.
What Is Sage?
High-Performance Finance Software
Sage is one of the UK's most established accounting software providers, with over 40 years of experience and a customer base spanning millions of sole traders, SMEs, and businesses across 23 countries. Its UK-focused cloud accounting platform — Sage Accounting — offers three paid tiers (Start, Standard, Plus) alongside Sage Sole Trader (free and paid variants), all HMRC-recognised for Making Tax Digital compliance. Sage has been working directly with HMRC on MTD for years and was an early participant in the MTD testing programme.
Sage Accounting is designed primarily as a business accounting tool covering invoicing, bank reconciliation, VAT returns, payroll, CIS, and multi-currency. It is widely used by accountants — over 14,000 accounting firms use Sage for Accountants — making it one of the most accountant-familiar platforms in the UK. Sage Copilot, its AI-powered assistant, automates receipt and invoice capture on Standard and Plus plans.
Strengths
- Free MTD software for single-property landlords until March 2028
- Handles sole trader + UK property + foreign property income in one platform
- Joint ownership with automatic profit-sharing split by ownership percentage
- Pre-built chart of accounts tailored for landlords and sole traders
- AI-powered expense auto-categorisation and OCR receipt capture
- Agent filing on behalf of landlords — ideal for accountants and letting agents
- Supports HMO properties with auto-created units
Strengths
- 40+ years of UK HMRC compliance experience — deeply trusted by accountants
- HMRC-recognised for MTD ITSA, MTD for VAT, CIS, and payroll
- Full VAT returns and MTD for VAT compliance on Standard and Plus plans
- Built-in payroll on all paid plans (RTI submissions to HMRC)
- Sage Copilot AI assistant for receipt and invoice capture (Standard & Plus)
- 350+ third-party integrations via the Sage marketplace
- Over 14,000 accounting firms use Sage for Accountants — excellent accountant familiarity
- Sage for Accountants portal with MTD Agent for accountant practices
- Multi-currency support on Plus plan
Limitations
- Newer to market compared to established platforms
- No yield or LTV investment analysis tools
- No MTD for VAT support yet
- Some advanced reporting features still in development
- Limited third-party app integrations
- No offline capability
- No tax liability forecasting feature currently
Limitations
- Not purpose-built for landlords — requires manual customisation for property use
- No property portfolio management, tenant management, or rent tracking
- No joint ownership or profit-splitting functionality
- Landlord-specific MTD features in Sage Sole Trader only introduced late March 2026
- Sage Individual Free limited to 5 invoices/month — not practical for most landlords
- Cash flow forecasting only on Standard and Plus plans
- Some users report bugs, slow bank feed syncing, and difficult-to-reach support
- No HMO-specific features or auto-created property units
- Higher cost for sole traders — Accounting Start at £18/month + VAT
Making Tax Digital Compliance
How RentalBux Handles MTD Compliance
RentalBux supports all three MTD qualifying income categories: sole trader income, UK property income, and foreign property income. This makes it suitable for landlords who also earn self-employment income, eliminating the need for separate software. Most accounts are pre-mapped to HMRC Self-Assessment boxes. RentalBux also supports agent filing, allowing accountants or letting agents to submit MTD returns on behalf of their landlord clients.
Sage's MTD Compliance
Sage Accounting is fully HMRC-recognised for Making Tax Digital and has over 40 years of UK compliance expertise, having worked directly with HMRC throughout the MTD development and testing process. Its main paid plans (Start, Standard, Plus) are HMRC-recognised for MTD ITSA for sole traders, and the Sage Sole Trader product (free and paid variants) added support for UK property income in late March 2026 ahead of the April 2026 deadline.
| Feature | RentalBux | Sage |
|---|---|---|
| HMRC Recognised (MTD ITSA) | Yes | Yes |
| MTD Quarterly Updates | Yes | Yes |
| Final Declaration | Yes | Yes |
| Digital Record Keeping | Yes | Yes |
| Digital Links Compliant | Yes | Yes |
| Sole Trader Income | Yes | Yes |
| UK Property Income | Yes | Yes |
| Foreign Property Income | Yes | No |
| Multiple Income Streams | Yes | Limited |
| Agent Filing on Behalf | Yes | Yes |
Winner: RentalBux for landlord-specific MTD compliance. RentalBux's purpose-built property income support, confirmed foreign property coverage, and seamless mixed-income workflow give it a clearer advantage for landlords. Sage is the stronger choice for landlords who are also VAT-registered or need payroll alongside their MTD obligations.
Property Management
RentalBux: Property Management
RentalBux provides comprehensive property portfolio management with tenant management, rent tracking, property expense allocation, and support for multiple properties. A standout feature is its joint ownership and profit-sharing capability: landlords can define ownership percentages once, and RentalBux automatically splits rental income and expenses. RentalBux also supports HMO properties, automatically creating individual units.
Sage: General Accounting Software — No Built-In Property Management
Sage Accounting does not include property-specific management features. There is no built-in property portfolio management, tenant management, rent tracking, HMO support, or joint ownership profit-splitting. Sage can be used to track rental income and property expenses through its general bookkeeping tools, and the platform markets itself to landlords and property businesses for financial management and VAT compliance. However, landlords who need a unified property and accounting platform would need to integrate a separate property management tool via Sage's marketplace — such as Decorus for Sage — which adds cost and complexity. Sage Accounting's value proposition for landlords lies firmly in its accounting depth and compliance breadth, not in property-specific functionality.
| Feature | RentalBux | Sage |
|---|---|---|
| Property Portfolio Management | Yes | No |
| Tenant Management | Yes | No |
| Rent Tracking | Yes | No |
| Property Expense Allocation | Yes | No |
| Multiple Property Support | Yes | No (Manual setup only) |
| HMO Property Support | Yes (auto-creates units) | No |
| Joint Ownership/Profit Sharing | Yes (auto-split by %) | No |
| Maintenance Tracking | No | No |
| Tenant Screening | No | No |
| Compliance Document Alerts | Yes | No |
| Arrears Tracking | No | No |
Winner: RentalBux — Sage has no built-in property management features. RentalBux's purpose-built property toolkit — including tenant management, HMO auto-unit creation, and joint ownership profit-splitting — is unmatched for landlords.
Bookkeeping, Accounting & Digital Record Keeping
RentalBux: Structured Accounting
RentalBux includes a pre-built chart of accounts specifically designed for landlords and sole traders, covering rental income, mortgage interest, insurance, property repairs, professional services, utilities, and tenant deposits. All accounts are pre-mapped to HMRC Self-Assessment boxes. The platform supports cash basis accounting, bank reconciliation, and journal entries.
Sage: Broad-Based General Business Accounting
Sage Accounting provides a comprehensive general accounting backbone suitable for a wide range of business types. It supports cash and accruals basis accounting, double-entry bookkeeping, bank reconciliation via automated feeds with major UK banks, a general chart of accounts, journal entries, and — on Standard and Plus plans — VAT returns, CIS support, cash flow forecasting, and multi-currency. Built-in payroll (RTI to HMRC) is included on all paid plans. For landlords, the chart of accounts is not pre-configured for property income — accounts and categories must be manually set up to track rental-specific income and expenses.
| Feature | RentalBux | Sage |
|---|---|---|
| Cash Basis Accounting | Yes | Yes |
| Chart of Accounts (Pre-built, Landlord-Tailored) | Yes (pre-built + custom) | |
| Journal Entries | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Reconciliation | Yes | Yes |
| Automated Bank Feeds | Yes (Major UK banks) | Yes |
| Open Banking Integration | Yes | No |
| Double-Entry Bookkeeping | Yes | Yes |
| HMRC Box Pre-Mapping | Yes | No |
| Xero Integration | No | No |
| Spreadsheet Import/Export | Yes | Yes |
| Digital Record Storage | Yes | Yes |
| Chart of Accounts | Yes (generic) |
Winner: Depends on use case. RentalBux wins for landlord-specific bookkeeping structure. Sage wins for breadth — particularly for landlords who also run a VAT-registered business, employ staff, work in construction, or need accruals accounting.
Invoicing, Expense Tracking
RentalBux: Expense Management
RentalBux includes OCR receipt capture, structured expense tracking with landlord-specific categories, auto-categorisation, invoice creation with customisable branding, and payment tracking with reminders.
Sage: Sage Copilot AI Assistant for Business Expense Management
Sage Accounting includes Sage Copilot, its AI-powered productivity assistant, on Standard and Plus plans. Sage Copilot automates the capture of receipts and invoices — extracting totals, tax amounts, and dates automatically — and provides AI-powered categorisation suggestions. Receipt capture is available via the mobile app. Invoice creation is included on all plans with highly customisable branded templates, widely praised by users as one of Sage's strongest features. Automated bank feeds import transactions and suggest categorisation. However, Sage's expense categories are business-general rather than landlord-specific, and AI features are locked behind the Standard plan (£39/month + VAT) and above.
| Feature | RentalBux | Sage |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice Creation & Sending | Yes | Yes |
| Invoice Customisation/Branding | Yes | |
| Online Payment Collection | Yes | No |
| Payment Tracking/Reminders | Yes | |
| Expense Tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Receipt Capture (OCR/Photo) | Yes | Yes |
| Expense Categorisation | Yes | Yes |
| Automated Transaction Matching | Yes | Yes |
| Mileage Tracking | No | Partial |
| AI Auto-Categorisation | Coming soon | Yes |
| Invoice Customisation / Branding | Yes | |
| Payment Tracking / Reminders | Yes |
Winner: RentalBux for landlords. AI-powered OCR receipt capture is available on all RentalBux plans including the free tier, and expense categories are pre-configured for property. Sage's AI features require an upgrade to Standard (£39/month + VAT), and categories are business-general rather than landlord-specific.
Reporting & Tax Forecasting
RentalBux: Formal Accounting Reports
RentalBux produces structured financial reports including profit & loss statements, balance sheets, journal reports, ledger reports, and trial balances. Smart categorisation helps ensure accuracy.
Sage's Reporting
Sage Accounting delivers a full suite of financial reports including profit & loss, balance sheet, trial balance, aged debtors and creditors, VAT reports, and — on Standard and Plus plans — cash flow forecasting. The Sage Copilot AI assistant provides AI-driven insights into cash flow and financial trends on Standard and Plus plans. Real-time dashboards display key business metrics including overdue invoices, upcoming bills, cash positions, and bank balances. Tax estimates are available through Sage's running view of liabilities, helping businesses plan ahead.
| Feature | RentalBux | Sage |
|---|---|---|
| Profit & Loss Report | Yes (formal) | Yes |
| Balance Sheet | Yes | Yes |
| Trial Balance | Yes | Yes |
| Dashboard/Overview | Yes | |
| Real-Time Financial Data | Yes | Yes |
| Cash Flow Reporting | No | Yes |
| Tax Estimate/Forecast | Yes | Yes |
| AI-Powered Features | Coming soon | Yes |
| Dashboard / Overview | Yes |
Winner: Sage for general business reporting depth. Sage's cash flow forecasting, running tax estimates, VAT reports, and payroll reporting give it broader financial insight capabilities. RentalBux leads on property-specific reporting structure within a landlord context.
Collaboration & Mobile Apps
RentalBux's Collaborative Features
RentalBux enables agent filing, which gives accountants and letting agents the ability to submit directly on a landlord's behalf.
Sage's Collaboration Features
Sage offers an accountant/advisor portal, multi-user access, agent filing on behalf, and practice management tools — the latter being a meaningful differentiator for accountancy firms that manage multiple clients across the Sage ecosystem. Practice management allows accountants to oversee client workflows, track deadlines, and manage compliance across their entire client base from a single interface. This makes Sage particularly well-suited to being a platform that accountants recommend to their clients, as the practice management tools serve the adviser as much as the taxpayer.
| Feature | RentalBux | Sage |
|---|---|---|
| Accountant/Advisor Portal | Yes | |
| Multi-User Access | Yes | Yes |
| Agent Filing on Behalf | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Integration | Yes | Yes |
| Platform | iOS, Android | iOS, Android |
| Web Browser Access | Yes | Yes |
| FCA Regulated | Yes | Yes |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes | Yes |
| Accountant / Advisor Portal | Yes |
Winner: Sage for accountant ecosystem breadth. Over 14,000 accounting firms use Sage for Accountants, making Sage the more accountant-familiar platform across the industry. RentalBux's built-in agent filing tool is more directly accessible for letting agents and accountants managing landlord clients without needing to navigate a separate accountant portal.
Ease of Use, Support & Security
RentalBux: Guided Workflows
RentalBux uses guided workflows, clear dashboards, and no accounting jargon. The platform offers phone support, email/chat support, and a help centre with guides and knowledge base articles.
Sage's User Interface & Learning Curve
Sage's broader feature set means a longer onboarding process and more complexity for new users – particularly around payroll, VAT, and accruals accounting. For landlords who only need the property and MTD features, much of Sage's interface will be irrelevant, which can add visual noise. Sage does offer extensive webinar and training resources to support users through this learning curve.
| Feature | RentalBux | Sage |
|---|---|---|
| Phone Support | Yes | Yes |
| Chat Support | Yes | Yes |
| Email Support | Yes | Yes |
| Help Centre/Knowledge Base | Yes | |
| FCA Regulated | Yes | No |
| Enterprise-Grade Security | Yes | Yes |
| Help Centre / Knowledge Base | Yes |
RentalBux Features
Sole Trader Income Support for MTD
RentalBux is one of the few landlord-focused MTD software platforms that supports self-employment income alongside UK and foreign property income within a single account. Landlords who also run a trade, consultancy, or freelance business can manage all quarterly submissions from one dashboard. Landlord Studio covers property income only.
Custom Chart of Accounts for Landlords
A property-tailored chart of accounts covering rental income, mortgage interest, insurance, repairs, utilities, letting agent fees, and more — all pre-mapped to HMRC Self-Assessment boxes. No setup required; the system is ready to use from day one. Landlord Studio has no equivalent.
Agent Filing on Behalf of Landlords
Letting agents and accountants can submit MTD quarterly updates and the Final Declaration on behalf of landlord clients directly from the platform. Landlord Studio allows accountant access but does not support submission on the landlord's behalf.
Branded Invoice Creation
Invoice creation with customisable branding for service charges and commercial landlords. Not available in Landlord Studio.
AI-Powered OCR Receipt Capture with Auto-Categorisation (Coming soon)
RentalBux's AI will read uploaded receipts and categorise the expense automatically against the pre-built chart of accounts. Landlord Studio's Smart Scan extracts dates and amounts but does not include AI-driven expense categorisation.
Formal Accounting Reports
Balance sheet, trial balance, ledger reports, and journal reports. Landlord Studio does not produce these natively.
Free Plan Including MTD Submissions Until March 2028
RentalBux's free single-property plan includes MTD quarterly submissions. Landlord Studio's free GO plan covers property management for up to three units but requires a paid PRO plan (from £12/month) to access MTD submission functionality.
Unique Features Only Sage Offers
MTD for VAT Compliance
Sage Accounting (Standard and Plus plans) is fully HMRC-recognised for Making Tax Digital for VAT, with direct submission to HMRC. This is essential for VAT-registered landlords and property businesses.
Built-In Payroll with RTI Submissions to HMRC
All paid Sage Accounting plans include built-in payroll processing with automatic Real Time Information (RTI) submissions to HMRC. This is a significant differentiator for landlords who also employ staff — from cleaners to property managers.
Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) Support
Sage Accounting supports CIS on Standard and Plus plans, covering monthly CIS statements to HMRC. This is valuable for landlords who carry out property development or renovation work involving subcontractors.
Cash Flow Forecasting
Real-time cash flow forecasting is available on Sage Standard and Plus plans, helping landlords and business owners plan ahead for tax bills, maintenance costs, and upcoming expenses.
Sage Copilot AI Productivity Assistant
Sage Copilot is included on Standard and Plus plans and automates data capture from receipts and invoices, categorises transactions, and provides AI-driven insights into financial trends. The first 30 documents per month are included; additional documents cost 20p each.
350+ Third-Party Integrations
Sage's marketplace includes over 350 integrations with tools for payments (GoCardless, Stripe), e-commerce, payroll add-ons, CRM, and property management (via Decorus for Sage). This makes Sage a more extensible platform for landlords with complex or growing business needs.
Multi-Currency Support
Sage Accounting Plus supports multi-currency transactions with automatic exchange rates — useful for landlords receiving income from international tenants or managing overseas property finances.
Sage for Accountants Portal with MTD Agent
Over 14,000 UK accountants use the Sage for Accountants portal, which includes the Sage MTD Agent — an AI-powered tool that automates MTD preparation tasks, segments clients, builds task lists, and sends deadline reminders. This is a significant infrastructure advantage for accountancy practices managing large landlord client bases.
Who Should Choose RentalBux?
RentalBux is a strong fit if you:
Landlords with Mixed Income Streams
If you earn from both property and self-employment, RentalBux handles sole trader income alongside UK and foreign property income in a single MTD-compliant platform.
Joint Owners and Family Portfolios
The automated profit-sharing split is a standout feature. Define ownership percentages once and RentalBux calculates each owner's share automatically.
Budget-Conscious Landlords Entering MTD
Free MTD software for single-property landlords until March 2028, with no upfront commitment.
Landlords Who Want Proper Accounting Structure
Chart of accounts, journal entries, profit & loss, balance sheet, and trial balance give RentalBux a structured accounting foundation.
Accountants and Letting Agents
Agent filing on behalf, multi-user access, and spreadsheet import make RentalBux practical for professionals managing multiple landlord portfolios.
Commercial Landlords and HMO Owners
Invoice creation with branding for service charges, plus automatic HMO unit creation and tenant management.
Who Should Choose Sage?
Sage is the better choice for:
Landlords Who Also Run a VAT-Registered Business
If your property portfolio sits alongside a VAT-registered sole trade or limited company, Sage Accounting (Standard or Plus) handles both VAT submissions and MTD ITSA income tax reporting in a single platform — eliminating the need for separate VAT software.
Landlords Who Employ Staff
Built-in payroll with automatic RTI submissions to HMRC is included on all paid Sage Accounting plans. For landlords who employ property managers, cleaners, or administrative staff, this integrated payroll capability represents significant added value.
Landlords in Construction or Property Development
CIS support on Standard and Plus plans makes Sage the natural choice for landlords who carry out renovation, development, or building work involving subcontractors — a common scenario for portfolio landlords.
Landlords with Existing Sage Subscriptions
If you already use Sage Accounting for your business and want to consolidate your property bookkeeping into the same platform, Sage Sole Trader (or an upgraded Accounting plan) allows you to bring your property income into your existing Sage workflow without switching software.
Landlords Who Need Multi-Currency
If you receive rental income in foreign currencies or manage international property finances, Sage Accounting Plus's multi-currency support — with automatic exchange rates — handles this natively.