Chaser vs Sage
Sage is great for your accountant. Chaser is great for getting paid.
Sage Accounting is the dominant tool for UK small businesses — 6M+ users, trusted by accountants across Britain. But when it comes to chasing the invoices that have been overdue for 2 weeks, Sage's reminders are manual. You still have to write the email.
| Feature | Sage | Chaser ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice follow-up automation | Manual reminders — you write each one | 4-stage automated sequence |
| Escalation stages | None — same tone every time | Day 3 / 7 / 14 / 30 (escalating tone) |
| Auto-send follow-up emails | No — requires manual action | Yes — fully automated |
| Payment link in reminder emails | Invoice view link only | Direct Stripe payment link |
| Price | £15–84/mo (Sage Accounting) | Free–$15/mo |
| Setup time | Days (accounting migration, bank feeds) | Under 5 minutes |
| Overdue risk scoring | No | Yes — per-invoice risk badge |
| AR aging report | Yes (full accounting report) | Yes (focused on freelancers) |
| Client unsubscribe / GDPR | No automated opt-out | Yes — automatic GDPR opt-out |
| Best for | UK small businesses with accountants | Freelancers who need to get paid faster |
Why Sage users still struggle with late payments
Sage Accounting is comprehensive. Bank reconciliation, VAT returns, cash flow forecasting, payroll — it does all of it. It's why accountants recommend it to UK small businesses and sole traders.
But invoice chasing isn't an accounting function. It's a relationship function — and it requires the right tone at the right time. Sage lets you send a payment reminder, but only if you remember to log in, find the invoice, and click send. It doesn't escalate. It doesn't remember what you sent last week. It doesn't stop when the client pays.
Chaser sits alongside Sage. You keep using Sage for your books. Chaser handles the escalating follow-up automatically — from friendly reminder on day 3 to final notice on day 30.
What Chaser does while you get on with work
All emails arrive from your name, with your reply-to address. Chaser stops the moment the invoice is marked paid.
For UK freelancers
Under the UK Late Payment of Commercial Debts Act 1998, you can charge 8% above Bank of England base rate on overdue B2B invoices — plus £40–100 in fixed compensation per invoice. Chaser's final notice email references these rights, giving your client a clear signal that you know what you're entitled to.
Chaser invoices in GBP (or any currency). The free tier handles 3 invoices at once. Pro is £12/mo (approx $15) — less than a typical client owes you in 1 day of delay.
Free tier: 3 invoices. Pro: $15/mo — no contracts.