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Thungo

How Thungo compares

Thungo, Sage, Xero, QuickBooks and field-service apps each solve a different problem. See what each one covers so you can choose what your contractor business needs.

At a glance

Where each tool fits

Accounting software keeps your books. Job software runs your work. Thungo is built for the job side of a South African contractor business.

Thungo

Best for

Contractor businesses that want quoting, site work, invoicing, local payments, and new jobs in one place.

Keep in mind

Not a full accounting package. Keep your books and payroll with your accountant’s software.

Sage, Xero & QuickBooks

Best for

Bookkeeping, bank reconciliation, VAT reports, and the books your accountant works in.

Keep in mind

Built for accounting, not for running jobs: no trade estimating, site reports, or job leads.

Jobber, ServiceM8 & Tradify

Best for

Scheduling and dispatching crews across many small jobs.

Keep in mind

Built for other markets. Pricing is usually in US or Australian dollars and local payment options vary.

Side by side

Capability comparison

What each tool covers out of the box. Qualified answers show where a feature needs an add-on or depends on the country.

Quoting & estimating

  • Branded quotes and invoices

    Send professional PDF documents with your logo and banking details.

    ThungoIncluded
    SageIncluded
    XeroIncluded
    QuickBooksIncluded
    Field-service appsIncluded

  • Trade-specific estimating

    Calculators that draft quote lines from job inputs, not just a blank line-item list.

    ThungoEstimateIQ (solar; more trades coming)
    SageNot included
    XeroNot included
    QuickBooksNot included
    Field-service appsTemplates & price lists

  • Labour-aware quoting

    Roll staff daily rates into quotes so labour is priced, not guessed.

    ThungoIncluded
    SageNot included
    XeroNot included
    QuickBooksNot included
    Field-service appsPartial

  • Subcontractor quotes

    Request quotes from verified subcontractors and fold them into your own estimate.

    ThungoIncluded
    SageNot included
    XeroNot included
    QuickBooksNot included
    Field-service appsNot included

Jobs & site work

  • Site visit reports

    Log what you found on site and share a signed PDF report with the client.

    ThungoIncluded
    SageNot included
    XeroNot included
    QuickBooksNot included
    Field-service appsJob forms & checklists

  • Site visit scheduling

    Book visits with clients and let them reschedule without phone tag.

    ThungoIncluded
    SageNot included
    XeroNot included
    QuickBooksNot included
    Field-service appsIncluded

  • Projects & work items

    Turn an accepted quote into work items and track the job to completion.

    ThungoIncluded
    SageNot included
    XeroProjects (time & costs)
    QuickBooksProjects (job costing)
    Field-service appsIncluded

  • Client progress tracking

    Clients follow job progress from a link instead of calling for updates.

    ThungoIncluded
    SageNot included
    XeroNot included
    QuickBooksNot included
    Field-service appsClient portal

Invoicing & getting paid

  • Quote → job → invoice → payment in one flow

    Approved quotes become jobs and invoices without retyping line items.

    ThungoIncluded
    SageQuote → invoice
    XeroQuote → invoice
    QuickBooksEstimate → invoice
    Field-service appsIncluded

  • Rand pricing and 15% VAT on documents

    Quotes and invoices in ZAR with South African VAT applied.

    ThungoIncluded
    SageIncluded
    XeroIncluded
    QuickBooksIncluded
    Field-service appsVaries by app

Winning new work

  • Open jobs & client quote requests

    Find new clients from posted jobs and quote requests in your area.

    ThungoIncluded
    SageNot included
    XeroNot included
    QuickBooksNot included
    Field-service appsNot included

  • Verified public provider profile

    A KYC-verified profile clients can find, compare, and request quotes from.

    ThungoIncluded
    SageNot included
    XeroNot included
    QuickBooksNot included
    Field-service appsNot included

Suppliers

  • Supplier catalog in the quote builder

    Add materials from supplier catalogs straight into your quotes.

    ThungoIncluded
    SageYour own item list
    XeroYour own item list
    QuickBooksYour own item list
    Field-service appsYour own price lists

Accounting depth

  • General ledger & financial statements

    Full double-entry books, balance sheet, and income statement.

    ThungoNot included
    SageIncluded
    XeroIncluded
    QuickBooksIncluded
    Field-service appsNot included

  • Bank feeds & reconciliation

    Import bank transactions and match them to your books.

    ThungoNot included
    SageIncluded
    XeroIncluded
    QuickBooksIncluded
    Field-service appsNot included

  • Payroll

    Payslips and employee tax filings.

    ThungoNot included
    SageSeparate Sage product
    XeroVia partner apps
    QuickBooksVaries by country
    Field-service appsNot included

  • VAT reports for returns

    Reports your accountant uses to file VAT returns.

    ThungoNot included
    SageIncluded
    XeroIncluded
    QuickBooksIncluded
    Field-service appsNot included

Everyday use

  • Works on your phone

    Quote and check jobs from site, not only from the office.

    ThungoInstallable web app
    SageIncluded
    XeroIncluded
    QuickBooksIncluded
    Field-service appsIncluded

  • Free early access

    Try before you subscribe.

    Thungo14 days, all features
    SageIncluded
    XeroIncluded
    QuickBooksIncluded
    Field-service appsIncluded

Last reviewed 14 October 2026. Competitor capabilities are based on publicly available product information and may change; some depend on plan or add-ons. Sage, Xero, QuickBooks, Jobber, ServiceM8 and Tradify are trademarks of their respective owners. Thungo is not affiliated with them.

Use them together

Keep your accountant’s software, run your jobs on Thungo

Thungo is not an accounting package. Quote, visit site, invoice and get paid in Thungo, and keep your ledger, bank reconciliation, VAT and payroll with your bookkeeper in Sage, Xero or QuickBooks.

Frequently asked questions

Not entirely. Thungo runs the job side of your business: quotes, site visits, invoices, payments, suppliers, and new work. Sage, Xero and QuickBooks keep your books: ledger, bank reconciliation, VAT reports, and payroll. Many contractors use Thungo day to day and keep accounting software for their bookkeeper.

Not yet. There is no direct accounting sync today. Your quotes and invoices are available as PDFs you can share with your bookkeeper or accountant.

Yes, for financial statements and SARS submissions. Thungo keeps your quoting, invoicing and payment records in one place, so the information your accountant needs is easier to find.

Thungo is built for South African trades: rand pricing, 15% VAT, proof-of-payment tracking on invoices, a supplier catalog in the quote builder, and open jobs and client quote requests to help you win new work.

Yes. Service providers get free early access to every feature until launch, so you can run real jobs before you decide.

It is based on publicly available product information on the review date shown on this page. Products change. If something is out of date, let us know through the contact page and we will correct it.

Try it on your next job

Service providers get free early access to all features until launch.

Join early accessSee pricing

Spotted something out of date? Tell us.