Best Invoicing Software for German Clients (2026)
Billing clients in Germany has two moving parts most tools only get half right. Your German clients increasingly need structured e-invoices in ZUGFeRD or XRechnung format, and if you don't speak German you also need an interface, support and invoice output you can actually work with. This is an honest look at the tools that cover both, and where each one fits.
This roundup was written and verified on 2026-07-02. Pricing, features and product positioning change often. Please verify on each vendor's official site before deciding.
Invoicing a client in Germany is not the same as sending a PDF. Since January 2025, German businesses must be able to receive structured electronic invoices, and the obligation to issue them is phasing in across 2027 and 2028. In practice, more and more German clients now expect a compliant ZUGFeRD or XRechnung file rather than a plain PDF, and public-sector buyers already require XRechnung.
That creates a specific problem for anyone outside Germany, or any English-speaking freelancer inside it: the tools that handle German e-invoicing compliance well are mostly built for the German domestic market, in German, with German-only support. The tools that are comfortable in English are mostly international invoicing apps that don't produce German structured e-invoices at all.
This roundup is about the narrow band of tools that do both, ranked for the specific job of invoicing German clients without working in German. We flag honestly where a competitor is the better choice.
The short answer
Facturwise is our pick for invoicing German clients when you don't speak German. You can run the whole thing in English, it generates ZUGFeRD 2.4, XRechnung and Factur-X at EN 16931 profile automatically, and it outputs invoices in 22 languages, so you can send your German client a German-language e-invoice while working in English yourself. The interface is also available in German and French if you prefer.
If you are a freelancer registered and taxed in Germany who also wants tax filing handled, Accountable is a strong English-friendly alternative. If you need a full German accounting suite and read German comfortably, sevDesk or Lexware Office are more complete. If your German clients are happy with plain PDFs and you never need structured e-invoices, an international tool like FreshBooks is fine. We explain each below.
At a glance
| Tool | English interface | German e-invoicing | Invoice languages | Entry price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FacturwiseOur pick | Yes, full English interface and support (also DE, FR) | Automatic ZUGFeRD 2.4, XRechnung, Factur-X (EN 16931) | 22 invoice languages | €13.90/mo, 5 invoices free |
| Accountable | Yes, strong English interface and support | Supports German e-invoice formats | Limited invoice-language options | Free tier, paid plans for tax features |
| sevDesk | English UI option; support and help largely German | ZUGFeRD and XRechnung supported | Multilingual invoice output limited | €8.90/mo net (+19% VAT) |
| Lexware Office (lexoffice) | German-focused, minimal English | ZUGFeRD and XRechnung supported | German-first | From around €7/mo net (+VAT) |
| Zervant | Yes, multiple interface languages | Check current ZUGFeRD/XRechnung coverage | Multiple invoice languages | Free tier, paid plans available |
| FreshBooks | Yes, English-first | No native German ZUGFeRD/XRechnung | Some invoice-language support | International pricing, no German e-invoice focus |
FacturwiseOur pick
- English interface
- Yes, full English interface and support (also DE, FR)
- German e-invoicing
- Automatic ZUGFeRD 2.4, XRechnung, Factur-X (EN 16931)
- Invoice languages
- 22 invoice languages
- Entry price
- €13.90/mo, 5 invoices free
Accountable
- English interface
- Yes, strong English interface and support
- German e-invoicing
- Supports German e-invoice formats
- Invoice languages
- Limited invoice-language options
- Entry price
- Free tier, paid plans for tax features
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)
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
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
The tools in detail
Facturwise
Our pickEnglish-native e-invoicing built for cross-border European billing.
Best for: Non-German speakers who need automatic ZUGFeRD/XRechnung and multilingual invoices.
Facturwise sits right where this page is aimed: German structured e-invoicing on one side, a fully English and multilingual experience on the other. You pick the output format (ZUGFeRD, XRechnung, Factur-X or standard PDF) in one click, the EN 16931 compliance is automatic, and the invoice itself can be rendered in the language your German client reads while your own interface stays in English, or switches to German or French if you prefer. It is a focused invoicing tool rather than a full accounting suite, so if your Steuerberater already handles the books, the DATEV export hands them your data on demand.
- Complete English interface, support and documentation, with German and French interface options too
- ZUGFeRD 2.4, XRechnung and Factur-X at EN 16931 profile on every plan
- Send a German client a German-language e-invoice while working in English
- DATEV-compatible export on all plans for your Steuerberater
- Covers Germany and France from one account
- Invoicing-focused: no bookkeeping, bank reconciliation or VAT returns
- Not a German tax-filing tool, your accountant handles the books
Accountable
Mobile-first tax and invoicing app for freelancers in Germany.
Best for: English-speaking freelancers registered and taxed in Germany.
Accountable is the strongest English-friendly option if you are a freelancer registered in Germany and want your German taxes handled in the same place as your invoices. For an expat doing their own German VAT and income tax, it is a really good fit. It is less of a fit if your main need is invoicing clients across several countries in several languages, or if you invoice at volume from a desktop, because it is built around solo German tax workflows rather than cross-border output.
- Popular with expats and English-speaking freelancers in Germany
- Handles German VAT and income-tax filing alongside invoicing
- Clean mobile-first experience
- Built around freelancers registered and taxed in Germany specifically
- Mobile-first, less suited to high-volume desktop invoicing
- Fewer multilingual invoice-output options for cross-border clients
sevDesk
Full German cloud accounting suite.
Best for: Businesses that need complete German accounting and read German.
sevDesk is a capable German accounting product, and its ZUGFeRD and XRechnung support is solid. If you need the whole financial workflow in one place and you read German, it is a strong choice. The caveats for this specific audience are the English experience, which several verified reviews describe as partial once you leave the main screens, and multilingual invoice output, which reviewers repeatedly flag as missing. If invoicing is the only part you need, the surrounding accounting suite adds weight you may not use.
- Complete accounting: bank reconciliation, receipt scanning, VAT returns
- ZUGFeRD and XRechnung compliance is well established
- Mature product with a large German user base
- Knowledge base and support are largely German in practice
- Full accounting suite can be more than invoicing-only users need
- Bilingual invoice output is a common gap in user reviews
Lexware Office (lexoffice)
Leading German invoicing and accounting tool.
Best for: German-speaking businesses that want native DATEV and broad accounting.
Lexware Office (formerly lexoffice) is one of the most widely used tools in Germany and its e-invoicing compliance is not in question. It is simply built for German speakers serving the German market. If you read German comfortably and want native DATEV plus a broad accounting feature set, it is excellent. For a non-German speaker whose main problem is the language barrier, it works against you rather than for you.
- Very popular in Germany with strong DATEV integration
- ZUGFeRD and XRechnung compliance built in
- Broad feature set beyond invoicing
- Built for the German domestic market, interface is German-first
- Not designed for non-German speakers or multilingual output
Zervant
Simple invoicing for freelancers and small businesses.
Best for: Simple, low-volume invoicing in multiple UI languages.
Zervant is a clean, simple invoicing tool available in several languages, which already puts it ahead of the German-only options on the language front. The thing to verify for this specific use case is its current ZUGFeRD and XRechnung coverage, because structured German e-invoicing is not its core focus the way it is for compliance-led tools. For simple, low-volume invoicing where PDFs are usually enough, it is a reasonable pick.
- Easy to use with several interface languages including English
- Multilingual invoice output
- Free tier for light usage
- German structured e-invoicing coverage is lighter, verify before relying on it
- Fewer compliance-specific features than German-market tools
FreshBooks
Polished international invoicing in English.
Best for: English-speaking users whose German clients accept plain PDFs.
FreshBooks is a polished, English-first invoicing product and a pleasure to use in general. It is on this list to be clear about its limit: it does not produce German structured e-invoices in ZUGFeRD or XRechnung at EN 16931. If your German clients are happy with plain PDF invoices and you never need a compliant structured file, FreshBooks is fine. The moment a German client asks for XRechnung, it is the wrong tool.
- Excellent English interface and user experience
- Strong general invoicing, time tracking and expenses
- No native German structured e-invoicing (ZUGFeRD/XRechnung at EN 16931)
- Not built for German compliance or the German market
Why invoicing German clients is different
Germany is moving to mandatory business-to-business e-invoicing. Since January 2025 every German business 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. The two common compliant formats are XRechnung (a pure-XML format) and ZUGFeRD (a PDF with embedded XML), both built on the EN 16931 European standard.
For you, the practical effect is that "just send a PDF" is on its way out for German clients. A tool that generates a valid ZUGFeRD or XRechnung file automatically removes a real compliance risk. A tool that cannot is a growing liability, however nice its interface is.
What to look for if you don't speak German
Weigh four things together, because most tools are strong on some and weak on others:
- Automatic German e-invoicing. ZUGFeRD and XRechnung at EN 16931, generated for you, not something you assemble by hand.
- A product that is English all the way through. Not just an English toggle on the main screen, but English support and documentation when something goes wrong.
- Multilingual invoice output. The ability to send the invoice itself in German (what your client reads) while your interface stays in English.
- DATEV-compatible export. So your Steuerberater or accountant can take your data without re-keying it.
The German-market suites tend to win the first point and lose the second and third. The international apps win the second and lose the first. The reason Facturwise leads this list is that it is built specifically for the overlap.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best invoicing software for German clients if I don't speak German?
Facturwise is built for exactly this: a fully English interface and support, automatic ZUGFeRD 2.4, XRechnung and Factur-X e-invoices at EN 16931, and invoice output in 22 languages so your German client receives a German-language invoice while you work in English. Accountable is a strong alternative if you are a freelancer registered and taxed in Germany.
Do I need ZUGFeRD or XRechnung to invoice clients in Germany?
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. Many private German clients now prefer or request ZUGFeRD or XRechnung over plain PDFs, so software that generates these formats automatically avoids a compliance problem.
What is the difference between ZUGFeRD and XRechnung?
XRechnung is a pure-XML e-invoice format, required by German public-sector buyers. ZUGFeRD is a hybrid: a human-readable PDF with the same structured XML embedded inside it. Both are based on the EN 16931 European standard. ZUGFeRD is convenient for private clients because it looks like a normal invoice while still being machine-readable; XRechnung is the format for public authorities.
Can FreshBooks or other international tools create German e-invoices?
Generally no. International invoicing apps like FreshBooks are excellent in English but do not produce German structured e-invoices in ZUGFeRD or XRechnung at the EN 16931 profile. They are fine if your German clients accept plain PDFs, but not if a client requires a compliant structured file such as XRechnung.
Is Facturwise a replacement for full accounting software like sevDesk?
No, and we are direct about this. Facturwise is a focused invoicing tool: it does not do bookkeeping, bank reconciliation or VAT returns. If you need a complete German accounting suite, sevDesk or Lexware Office are more complete. If your accountant handles the books and you need compliant e-invoices in English with DATEV export, Facturwise covers that specific job cleanly.
Can I send an invoice in German while using the software in English?
With Facturwise, yes. The interface stays in English while the invoice document itself can be generated in any of 22 languages, including German. That means your German client reads a German invoice while you never leave an English workflow. Most German-market tools are German throughout, and most international tools cannot produce compliant German e-invoices at all.
Invoice your German clients without switching to German
Five invoices free. Automatic ZUGFeRD 2.4, XRechnung and Factur-X at EN 16931 profile. English interface and support throughout, invoices in 22 languages, and DATEV export on every plan. Built for billing clients in Germany when German isn't your language.
Facturwise handles outgoing e-invoices. It does not replace accounting software. For bookkeeping, bank reconciliation or VAT returns in Germany you will need a separate solution.