Best Invoicing Software for Agencies in Germany (2026)

An agency's billing has a specific shape: monthly retainers that go out on autopilot, one-off project invoices, your own brand on every document, and, increasingly, structured ZUGFeRD or XRechnung files for your business clients. This is an honest look at the invoicing tools that fit that shape for an agency operating in Germany, and where each one is the better choice.

This roundup was written and verified on 2026-07-10. Pricing, features and product positioning change often. Please verify on each vendor's official site before deciding.

Best Invoicing Software for Agencies in Germany (2026)

Marketing, creative, design and development agencies do not invoice like freelancers. You run recurring retainers alongside project work, you bill in your own brand rather than a plain template, you often invoice clients in more than one country and currency, and because your clients are businesses, more of them now expect a compliant ZUGFeRD or XRechnung e-invoice rather than a PDF.

Most invoicing tools handle one or two of those well and leave the rest to you. The German-market accounting suites are strong on compliance but heavy and German-only. The polished international apps are great for branding and recurring billing but do not produce German structured e-invoices at all.

This roundup ranks the options for the specific job of running a German agency's billing. One thing up front, so the recommendations are honest: some of these tools are built for a solo operator (the agency owner who handles billing), and some are built for a whole team. We flag which is which, because it changes the answer.

The short answer

If one person handles your agency's billing, Facturwise is our pick. It runs recurring retainers automatically, puts your logo and accent colour on every invoice, turns tracked time into an invoice in one click, and generates ZUGFeRD, XRechnung and Factur-X automatically for your business clients, with a DATEV export for your Steuerberater and 22 invoice languages for international clients. It is a focused, single-operator invoicing tool, not a multi-seat agency suite, and that is exactly the point if billing is one person's job.

If your agency needs project management, time tracking and invoicing for a whole team in one place, look at MOCO, which is built for agencies specifically. If you want a full German accounting suite with bookkeeping and bank reconciliation, sevDesk or Lexware Office are more complete. If your clients accept plain PDFs and you never need German structured e-invoices, FreshBooks is a polished international option. We explain each below.

Invoicing software for German agencies, compared at a glance

FacturwiseOur pick

English interface
English, German and French interface
German e-invoicing
Automatic ZUGFeRD 2.4, XRechnung, Factur-X (EN 16931)
Invoice languages
22 invoice languages, 30+ currencies
Entry price
€13.90/mo, 5 invoices free

MOCO

English interface
German-focused, some English
German e-invoicing
ZUGFeRD and XRechnung supported
Invoice languages
Limited invoice-language options
Entry price
From €15/user/mo

sevDesk

English interface
English UI option; support and help largely German
German e-invoicing
ZUGFeRD and XRechnung supported
Invoice languages
Multilingual invoice output limited
Entry price
€8.90/mo net (+19% VAT)

Lexware Office (lexoffice)

English interface
German-focused, minimal English
German e-invoicing
ZUGFeRD and XRechnung supported
Invoice languages
German-first
Entry price
From around €7/mo net (+VAT)

FreshBooks

English interface
Yes, English-first
German e-invoicing
No native German ZUGFeRD/XRechnung
Invoice languages
Some invoice-language support
Entry price
International pricing, no German e-invoice focus

Zervant

English interface
Yes, multiple interface languages
German e-invoicing
Check current ZUGFeRD/XRechnung coverage
Invoice languages
Multiple invoice languages
Entry price
Free tier, paid plans available

The best invoicing tools for agencies in Germany, reviewed

#1

Facturwise

Our pick

Branded, compliant invoicing built for small agencies and their retainers.

Best for: Small agencies and agency owners who handle their own billing and need recurring, branded, compliant invoices.

Facturwise fits the agency-billing shape closely: recurring retainers go out automatically, project invoices sit alongside them, and every document carries your brand rather than looking like a Word file. For German business clients it generates ZUGFeRD, XRechnung or Factur-X automatically, so the compliance is handled without you assembling XML by hand, and the DATEV export hands your data to your accountant cleanly. The honest limit is that it is built for one person doing the billing, there are no team seats yet, so it suits a small agency or an owner-run shop rather than a large team that all needs access. If billing is one person's job, that focus is a feature, not a gap. You can also validate an existing e-invoice for free to see how a compliant file looks.

Strengths
  • Automated recurring billing for monthly retainers, plus one-off project invoices
  • Your logo and accent colour on every invoice, a designed document, not a template
  • Automatic ZUGFeRD 2.4, XRechnung and Factur-X for your German business clients
  • Time tracking that turns tracked hours into an invoice in one click
  • DATEV-compatible export for your Steuerberater, plus 22 languages and 30+ currencies for international clients
Trade-offs
  • Single-operator: no multi-user or team seats yet (built for the person who does the billing)
  • Invoicing-focused: no project management, bookkeeping or bank reconciliation
#2

MOCO

Agency management with projects, time and invoicing for the whole team.

Best for: Agencies that want projects, time tracking, team access and invoicing in one German tool.

MOCO is the option to look at if your agency wants more than invoicing, projects, time tracking, resource planning and billing for a whole team in one place. It is built for agencies and is well established in the German market. The trade-off is that it is a broader, multi-user platform with per-user pricing, so it is the right call when several people need access and you want project management bundled in, and overkill when a single person just needs to send branded, compliant invoices.

Strengths
  • Built specifically for agencies: projects, time tracking, planning and invoicing together
  • Multi-user, so a whole team can work in the same tool
  • Popular in the German agency scene with DATEV support
Trade-offs
  • Per-user pricing adds up as the team grows
  • More tool than you need if you only want invoicing
  • German-first, fewer multilingual invoice options for cross-border clients
#3

sevDesk

Full German cloud accounting suite.

Best for: Agencies that need complete German accounting and read German.

sevDesk is a capable German accounting product with solid ZUGFeRD and XRechnung support and recurring invoicing. If your agency wants the whole financial workflow (invoicing plus bookkeeping, receipts and VAT) in one place and you read German, it is a strong choice. The caveats for an agency are the English experience, which reviewers describe as partial in the deeper menus, and multilingual invoice output for international clients, which is a repeated gap. If invoicing and branding are your priority rather than full books, the surrounding suite adds weight you may not use.

Strengths
  • Complete accounting: bank reconciliation, receipt scanning, VAT returns
  • ZUGFeRD and XRechnung compliance is well established
  • Recurring invoices and a mature German product
Trade-offs
  • Knowledge base and support are largely German in practice
  • Full accounting suite is more than an invoicing-only agency needs
  • Bilingual invoice output is a common gap in user reviews
#4

Lexware Office (lexoffice)

Leading German invoicing and accounting tool.

Best for: German-reading agencies that want native DATEV and broad accounting.

Lexware Office (formerly lexoffice) is one of the most widely used tools in Germany, with strong DATEV integration and reliable e-invoicing. It is built for German speakers serving the German market, so for a German-reading agency that wants broad accounting and native DATEV it is excellent. For an agency with international clients and multilingual invoicing needs, or a non-German-speaking team, it works against you on language.

Strengths
  • Very popular in Germany with strong DATEV integration
  • ZUGFeRD and XRechnung compliance built in
  • Recurring invoices and a broad feature set
Trade-offs
  • Built for the German domestic market, interface is German-first
  • Not designed for multilingual invoice output or non-German speakers
#5

FreshBooks

Polished international invoicing loved by agencies.

Best for: Agencies whose clients accept plain PDFs and who file taxes separately.

FreshBooks is a polished, English-first product that many agencies love for recurring billing, time tracking and its overall experience. It is on this list to mark its limit for a German agency: it does not produce German structured e-invoices in ZUGFeRD or XRechnung. If your clients are happy with plain PDF invoices, it is a genuinely nice tool. The moment a German business client asks for XRechnung, it is the wrong tool for that invoice.

Strengths
  • Excellent English interface, popular with agencies for its UX
  • Strong recurring billing, time tracking, projects and expenses
Trade-offs
  • No native German structured e-invoicing (ZUGFeRD/XRechnung at EN 16931)
  • Not built for German compliance or the German market
#6

Zervant

Simple invoicing in multiple languages.

Best for: Very small agencies with light, simple invoicing needs.

Zervant is a clean, simple invoicing tool available in several languages, which suits a very small agency with straightforward needs. For a German agency the thing to verify is its current ZUGFeRD and XRechnung coverage, since structured German e-invoicing is not its core focus. If you invoice at low volume and PDFs are usually enough, it is a reasonable, lightweight pick.

Strengths
  • Easy to use with several interface and invoice languages
  • Free tier for light usage
Trade-offs
  • German structured e-invoicing coverage is lighter, verify before relying on it
  • Fewer agency features (recurring, projects) than the tools above

What agencies in Germany need from invoicing software

Agency billing has a distinct set of requirements. Weigh these together, because most tools only cover some:

  • Recurring retainers on autopilot. Monthly retainers should generate and send themselves, not need re-keying every month.
  • Project and retainer billing side by side. One-off project invoices alongside the recurring ones, from the same client list.
  • Your brand on every invoice. Your logo and accent colour, a designed document that reflects the agency, not a plain template.
  • ZUGFeRD or XRechnung for business clients. Your clients are businesses, and more of them now require structured e-invoices (see below).
  • Time to invoice. If you bill hours, tracked time should convert into an invoice in one step.
  • Multi-currency and multi-language. For agencies with international clients, invoicing in the client's language and currency.
  • DATEV export. So your Steuerberater can take your data without re-keying it.

The German accounting suites tend to win compliance and lose language and simplicity. The international apps win branding and recurring billing and lose German e-invoicing. The reason Facturwise leads this list for solo-billing agencies is that it is built for that overlap.

The B2B e-invoicing mandate and your agency

Because your clients are businesses, the German e-invoicing rules apply to you. Since January 2025 every German business, including agencies, must be able to receive structured e-invoices, and the obligation to issue them phases in across 2027 and 2028. Public-sector clients already require XRechnung.

The practical effect for an agency: more of your business clients will ask for a ZUGFeRD or XRechnung file instead of a PDF, and being able to generate one automatically removes a compliance risk before it becomes a problem. Software that produces these formats on every invoice, without you configuring anything, is worth choosing now rather than scrambling later. You can read more on Germany's e-invoicing rules, and our companion guide on the best invoicing software for German clients goes deeper on the formats themselves.

Solo billing versus a whole team

This is the fork that decides your shortlist, so be honest about it.

If one person handles billing at your agency (often the owner or an office manager), a focused single-operator invoicing tool is the cleaner, cheaper choice. You get recurring retainers, branding, e-invoicing and DATEV export without paying per seat or learning a full platform. Facturwise sits here.

If several people need access to create invoices, log time or manage projects in the same tool, you need a multi-user platform. That is where an agency-management tool like MOCO, or a full accounting suite with team seats, earns its keep, at the cost of per-user pricing and more complexity. Facturwise is single-operator today, so it is not the answer for a whole team that all needs to be inside the tool. If you are a solo freelancer rather than an agency, see our companion guide on the best invoicing software for freelancers and expats in Germany.

How to choose

Work through it in this order:

  • How many people touch billing? One person points you to a focused tool; a team points you to a multi-user platform.
  • Do you need project management too, or just invoicing? Bundled projects and time for the team means MOCO; invoicing-first means a focused tool.
  • Do your clients need ZUGFeRD/XRechnung? If yes (they are businesses, so increasingly yes), rule out tools without native German e-invoicing.
  • International clients? Multi-currency and multilingual invoicing narrows the field fast.
  • DATEV for your accountant? Confirm a clean export exists.

Answer the first question honestly and the rest of the list falls into place.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best invoicing software for agencies in Germany?

It depends on whether one person or a whole team handles billing. If one person does it, Facturwise is our pick: automated recurring retainers, branded invoices, automatic ZUGFeRD and XRechnung for business clients, DATEV export, and 22 invoice languages. If a team needs projects, time tracking and invoicing together, MOCO is built for agencies. For full German accounting, sevDesk or Lexware Office are more complete.

Can I automate monthly retainer invoices?

Yes. Tools like Facturwise, sevDesk, Lexware Office, MOCO and FreshBooks all support recurring billing, so a monthly retainer generates and sends itself. Facturwise pairs recurring retainers with automatic ZUGFeRD/XRechnung and your branding, which is the combination most agencies with German business clients need.

Do agencies in Germany need ZUGFeRD or XRechnung?

Increasingly, yes. Since January 2025 German businesses must be able to receive structured e-invoices, and issuing them becomes mandatory in phases through 2027 and 2028. Public-sector clients already require XRechnung. Because your agency invoices business clients, more of them will request ZUGFeRD or XRechnung, so software that generates these automatically avoids a compliance problem.

Can I put my agency's branding on the invoices?

Yes, with most of these tools. Facturwise lets you add your logo and choose your accent colour so every invoice looks like a designed document in your brand rather than a plain template, which matters when the invoice is a client-facing touchpoint for an agency.

Is Facturwise suitable for a whole agency team?

Facturwise is currently a single-operator tool, there are no multi-user or team seats yet, so it fits a small agency or an owner who handles billing themselves. If several people need to log into the same tool to create invoices or manage projects, a multi-user platform like MOCO or a full accounting suite with team seats is a better fit.

Can I turn tracked time into an invoice?

Yes. Facturwise, FreshBooks and agency tools like MOCO let you log billable hours and convert tracked time into an invoice, which is useful for agencies that bill hourly across multiple clients and projects. Facturwise does this in one click and applies your e-invoicing format automatically.

What is the best invoicing software for marketing and creative agencies in Germany?

The type of agency (marketing, creative, design or development) matters less than how you bill. For any small agency where one person handles invoicing, Facturwise covers the core needs: recurring retainers, branded invoices, automatic ZUGFeRD and XRechnung for business clients, and a DATEV export. For a larger team that wants projects and time tracking bundled in, MOCO is built for agencies specifically.

Can I invoice international agency clients in multiple currencies and languages?

Yes, if you pick a tool built for it. Facturwise invoices in 22 languages and over 30 currencies, so you can bill a client in their own language and currency from one account. Most German-market accounting suites are more limited on multilingual and multi-currency output, which is a common gap for agencies with clients abroad.

What is the best invoicing software for a small agency in Germany?

For a small agency where the owner or one person runs the billing, a focused single-operator tool is cleaner and cheaper than a full team platform. Facturwise gives you recurring retainers, branding, automatic ZUGFeRD/XRechnung and a DATEV export without per-seat pricing. Step up to a multi-user platform like MOCO only once several people need access to the same tool.

Invoice your agency's clients without the busywork

Five invoices free. Automated recurring retainers, your logo and accent colour on every invoice, automatic ZUGFeRD 2.4, XRechnung and Factur-X for business clients, DATEV export, and 22 invoice languages for international clients. Built for agencies where one person runs the billing.

Create free accountValidate an existing invoice free

Facturwise is a single-operator invoicing tool: no team seats, bookkeeping or project management. If you need multi-user access or projects, pair it with those, or use an agency platform like MOCO.