sevdesk alternatives: 12 tools compared (October 2026)

Shortlist: which sevdesk alternative fits which situation

Lexware Office

Fits small companies that want a monthly contract and optional payroll in the same product. The L plan with bookkeeping, profit statement and VAT returns costs €21.90 a month plus VAT, payroll for up to 50 employees €12.90 extra.

BuchhaltungsButler

Fits teams where several people book or approve. Premium at €19.90 a month includes 5 users, and AI receipt recognition, DATEV export and e-invoices are part of every plan.

Norman

Fits GmbH and UG owners who want double-entry bookkeeping at a low price. The company Max plan at €52 a month includes the VAT return, corporate and trade tax, the balance sheet and the E-Bilanz.

Accountable

Fits freelancers without a tax advisor. The Steuern plan at €29.90 a month on annual billing includes VAT returns and the annual filings, and Accountable backs its work with a €500 tax guarantee.

Where the sevdesk plan ladder pushes customers up or out

sevdesk sells four plans. The free plan covers one user and 3 invoices or e-invoices a month, with sending in ZUGFeRD and XRechnung format but no receiving. Rechnung costs €9.90 a month on annual billing and allows unlimited invoices plus a DATEV export, still without receiving e-invoices and without a VAT return. Buchhaltung at €22.90 adds AI receipt capture, the advance VAT return, the profit statement, single and double-entry bookkeeping and full e-invoice receiving. Buchhaltung Pro at €30.90 adds cost centers, a REST API and management reports.

Monthly billing costs more: €11.90, €25.90 and €34.90. A 24 month commitment costs less: €8.90, €19.90 and €27.90. The pricing page states one user per plan and €5.90 a month for each additional user. That last line changes the math for any company where the owner, an office manager and a bookkeeper all work in the system.

The tax advisor side is a strength worth keeping in view. sevdesk gives the advisor a portal with direct access to the client's data and exports that are DATEV and ADDISON compliant. Any alternative has to match this, because an advisor who has to retype data will bill the hours. Ask your advisor which format they import before you shortlist anything.

The cards below show what each step unlocks. The most common reason for an upgrade is not a feature wish but a legal duty: receiving structured e-invoices.

Sources: [1][2]

The e-invoice rules make the free plan a dead end

German VAT law now distinguishes two kinds of invoices. Under Section 14 of the VAT Act, an e-invoice is issued, sent and received in a structured electronic format that allows electronic processing and follows the European standard EN 16931, such as XRechnung or ZUGFeRD. A PDF is only an other invoice. Since January 1, 2025 every business must be able to receive e-invoices from other businesses.

Issuing follows a transition in Section 27(38). Paper and PDF invoices remain allowed for B2B sales until December 31, 2026. For companies whose prior-year revenue was no more than €800,000, the transition runs until December 31, 2027. After that, B2B invoices within Germany have to be e-invoices.

For sevdesk users this means the free and the Rechnung plans can send e-invoices but cannot receive them, according to the pricing page. A business that wants its incoming supplier invoices processed in the same tool needs at least Buchhaltung. Every alternative on this page states e-invoice support; the question is at what price level it starts. The countdown shows the time left until the first issuing deadline.

Sources: [3][4][1]

Several users: the extra seat fee adds up quickly

sevdesk's price per plan assumes a single user. With three people in the system, Buchhaltung costs €22.90 plus 2 times €5.90, or €34.70 a month on annual billing. Buchhaltung Pro rises to €42.70. That is still cheap for German bookkeeping software, but alternatives count users differently.

BuchhaltungsButler's Premium plan at €19.90 a month includes 5 users, and every plan of that vendor includes AI receipt recognition and a DATEV export. Its Light plan starts at €3.90 a month for one user without the balance sheet. Norman advertises multi-user access in its company Pro plan at €12 a month without naming a number. Lexware Office does not state the user count on its pricing page, so ask before you compare.

The calculator shows the monthly list prices for one to five users. sevdesk figures use annual billing. Where a vendor does not state the user count, the price stays flat and a note says so.

Sources: [1][5][6][7]

Four alternatives for four situations

Lexware Office is the closest match for a small business that simply wants a different vendor. Its four plans cost €7.90, €12.90, €21.90 and €32.90 a month plus VAT and are cancelable monthly. L covers bookkeeping, the profit statement and VAT returns, XL adds EU invoices, payment plans and an API. Payroll for up to 50 employees costs €12.90 a month extra, and the 30 day trial includes the XL scope with payroll.

Norman targets a different gap. For GmbH and UG companies its free plan already includes double-entry bookkeeping and unlimited e-invoices with one connected bank account. Pro at €12 adds management reports, the DATEV export and multi-user access. Max at €52 adds the VAT return, corporate and trade tax, the balance sheet and the E-Bilanz, the electronic submission of the annual accounts. New customers pay 75 percent less for three months, and annual billing includes three free months.

Accountable is built for freelancers who want the filings done. Its Buchhaltung plan at €19.90 a month on annual billing includes the annual filings for small businesses under the small business rule: income tax, profit statement, trade tax and annual VAT return. Steuern at €29.90 adds advance VAT returns and a €500 tax guarantee, Max at €59.90 adds a personal tax coach with 4 calls a year, on a 12 month contract. From Rechnungen Plus, Accountable includes unlimited access to its AI tax assistant.

BuchhaltungsButler is the option for small teams that book together, thanks to 5 users in Premium. The decision tree below routes by legal form, team size and whether a tax advisor is involved.

Sources: [7][6][8][5]

The German bookkeeping field in our directory

Of the 92 bookkeeping tools in our directory, 13 name Germany as a strong market and 12 are based there. The German tools share a pattern: public prices, a free trial or a free plan, and a DATEV export for the tax advisor.

For a buyer this means you can try each of the four alternatives yourself, without a sales call or a demo. Before the test, decide which three tasks the new tool must pass, for example receiving an e-invoice, preparing an advance VAT return and sending the export to the tax advisor.

That makes the German segment unusually easy to test. The full list of bookkeeping tools shows every profile with sources. Our review method explains how we check prices and features at the vendor before they appear here.

Sources: [9]

Switching at the turn of the year

The cleanest date for a switch is January 1. The profit statement, the annual VAT return and the balance sheet then come from one system each year, and the new tool starts with the closing balances the tax advisor has confirmed. A mid-year switch is possible, but it splits the year across two exports.

Before you cancel, export what the tax advisor and the tax office may need later: the DATEV export for all periods, the receipts with their archive, the invoice list and the customer and supplier master data. German retention rules require these records to stay available for years, so keep a readable copy outside the old tool. Check your billing term too: sevdesk sells annual and 24 month terms, so note when yours ends before you plan the cutover.

Use the trial periods to book one real month in the new tool: Lexware Office offers 30 days, Accountable a 30 day money-back guarantee.

Sources: [1][2][7][8]