Best Invoicing Software for Small Businesses, Freelancers and Contractors in Germany (2026)
For small businesses, freelancers and contractors in Germany, the question of the right invoicing tool has shifted in 2026. What matters now is not just how an invoice looks, but whether the tool carries you cleanly through the e-invoicing mandate without paying for a full accounting suite you do not need. This is an honest comparison sorted for exactly that, and it says plainly when another tool is the better pick.
This roundup was written and verified on 2026-07-19. Pricing, features and product positioning change often. Please verify on each vendor's official site before deciding.
The German invoicing-software market is crowded, and most comparisons simply rank the largest accounting suites at the top. For a small business owner, freelancer or contractor, that is not always the right question. You often do not need a complete accounting system. You need professional, legally correct invoices and the confidence that you are handling e-invoicing correctly.
Since January 2025, every German business must be able to receive structured electronic invoices, and the obligation to issue them phases in across 2027 and 2028. Choosing invoicing software today mostly means choosing a tool that carries you through that transition.
So this comparison is deliberately sorted around one question: what is the best choice for a small business or freelancer who wants to invoice simply, affordably and in line with the e-invoicing rules? We are honest about where a full accounting suite is the better choice, and who that is worth it for.
The short answer
Facturwise is our pick if you want to invoice simply and affordably while staying e-invoicing compliant, without paying for a full accounting suite. E-invoicing (ZUGFeRD 2.4, XRechnung and Factur-X at EN 16931 profile) is included on every plan, not just the higher tiers, the tool stays deliberately lean, and it outputs invoices in 22 languages if you also bill clients abroad.
If you want complete bookkeeping in one place, meaning bank reconciliation, receipt capture and VAT returns, sevDesk or Lexware Office are more complete. If you are a freelancer billing by project and time and want a genuine free tier, Papierkram is strong. If you want your German tax filing handled in the same place, Accountable is the right fit. We explain each below.
At a glance
| Tool | English interface | German e-invoicing | Invoice languages | Entry price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FacturwiseOur pick | Yes, interface in English, German and French | Automatic ZUGFeRD 2.4, XRechnung, Factur-X (EN 16931) on every plan | 22 invoice languages | €13.90/mo, 5 invoices free |
| sevDesk | English UI option, support largely German | ZUGFeRD and XRechnung supported | Multilingual invoice output limited | from €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) |
| WISO MeinBüro | German-language | ZUGFeRD and XRechnung supported | German-first | from around €9/mo net (+VAT) |
| Papierkram | German-language | ZUGFeRD and XRechnung supported | Limited | Free tier, paid plans from around €8/mo |
| Accountable | Yes, strong English interface and support | Supports German e-invoice formats | Limited invoice-language options | Free tier, paid plans for tax features |
| Zervant | Yes, multiple interface languages | Check current ZUGFeRD/XRechnung coverage | Multiple invoice languages | Free tier, paid plans available |
FacturwiseOur pick
- English interface
- Yes, interface in English, German and French
- German e-invoicing
- Automatic ZUGFeRD 2.4, XRechnung, Factur-X (EN 16931) on every plan
- Invoice languages
- 22 invoice languages
- Entry price
- €13.90/mo, 5 invoices free
sevDesk
- English interface
- English UI option, support largely German
- German e-invoicing
- ZUGFeRD and XRechnung supported
- Invoice languages
- Multilingual invoice output limited
- Entry price
- from €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)
WISO MeinBüro
- English interface
- German-language
- German e-invoicing
- ZUGFeRD and XRechnung supported
- Invoice languages
- German-first
- Entry price
- from around €9/mo net (+VAT)
Papierkram
- English interface
- German-language
- German e-invoicing
- ZUGFeRD and XRechnung supported
- Invoice languages
- Limited
- Entry price
- Free tier, paid plans from around €8/mo
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
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 tools in detail
Facturwise
Our pickLean invoicing with e-invoicing included on every plan.
Best for: Small businesses and freelancers who want simple, affordable, e-invoicing-compliant billing.
Facturwise is deliberately not an all-rounder. It is a focused invoicing tool that does one thing well: professional, compliant invoices including e-invoicing. You choose the format (ZUGFeRD, XRechnung, Factur-X or standard PDF) in one click, EN 16931 compliance is automatic, and that holds even on the cheapest plan. For many small businesses and freelancers, that is exactly the point: they do not need a full accounting suite, they need correct invoices with no hassle. If your accountant already handles the books, the DATEV export hands them your data on demand. The limit is stated honestly: bookkeeping, bank reconciliation and VAT returns are not part of it.
- E-invoicing (ZUGFeRD, XRechnung, Factur-X) on every plan, not locked behind higher tiers
- Deliberately lean: set up fast, first invoice in minutes
- Invoices in 22 languages, ideal if you also bill clients abroad
- DATEV-compatible export on all plans for your accountant
- Free start with 5 invoices, hosted in the EU
- Invoicing-focused: no bookkeeping, bank reconciliation or VAT returns
- Not a German tax-filing tool, your accountant handles the books
sevDesk
Complete German cloud accounting, the best all-rounder.
Best for: Businesses that want invoicing and full accounting in one place.
sevDesk is rightly one of the market leaders and the natural choice for many small businesses that need the whole financial workflow in one place, from quote to invoice to bank reconciliation and VAT return. For a small business owner who only wants to send invoices and stay e-invoicing compliant, that completeness brings weight and cost they may not use. If you genuinely need the accounting, sevDesk is excellent. If not, you pay for features that sit idle.
- Complete accounting: bank reconciliation, receipt capture, VAT returns
- Mature, large German user base, good support
- ZUGFeRD and XRechnung compliance well established
- The full accounting suite is more than invoicing-only users need
- Net prices plus VAT, so effectively more expensive than the headline figure
- No multilingual invoice output for international clients
Lexware Office (lexoffice)
Leading invoicing and accounting tool with strong DATEV integration.
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, especially strong at receipt booking and DATEV collaboration with your accountant. If you want a scalable solution with serious accounting features and you work comfortably in German, it is excellent. For a small business owner or freelancer whose need is limited to clean, compliant invoices, the feature set is larger than necessary. As with sevDesk, the value depends on whether you actually use the accounting.
- Very widely used in Germany with strong DATEV integration
- Excellent bank reconciliation and broad accounting features
- ZUGFeRD and XRechnung compliance built in
- Built for the German domestic market, interface is German-first
- Full suite, overkill for invoicing-only needs
- Not designed for multilingual output or international clients
WISO MeinBüro
Comprehensive office software with invoicing, accounting and document management.
Best for: Small businesses that want to run office and accounting workflows alongside invoicing.
WISO MeinBüro is a powerful all-round office product that goes well beyond invoicing: receipt booking, bank reconciliation, time tracking, document management and optional tax modules. For a growing small business that wants to bundle a lot into one program, that is attractive. For a solo contractor or small business owner who only wants to send invoices, the breadth is more of a hindrance than a help, and it takes longer to learn than a lean tool.
- Broad feature set including time tracking and document management
- Good receipt booking and bank integration
- Add-on modules for tax filing available
- Extensive and at times complex, some functions are hard to find
- Overkill for invoicing-only needs
- German-language, no multilingual output
Papierkram
Invoicing, project time tracking and a genuine free tier.
Best for: Freelancers and solo contractors who bill by project and time.
Papierkram is built specifically for freelancers and solo contractors who bill by project and by the hour. Its built-in time tracking is among the best in this comparison, and there is a functional free tier, which makes it appealing to get started. If your core is billing logged working time and you need simple, clean invoices, Papierkram is a very good choice. For heavy, automated accounting you will hit limits sooner than with the full suites.
- Very good project time tracking, ideal for service providers
- A genuine free tier for getting started
- Intuitive to use with solid core features
- Less automation in receipt and bank booking than sevDesk or Lexware
- No add-ons or extensions
- Less suitable if you later need full accounting
Accountable
Tax and invoicing app for the self-employed in Germany.
Best for: Freelancers who want invoicing and German tax filing in one tool.
Accountable is the strongest choice if, as a self-employed person, you want your invoices and your German tax return in the same place. It walks you through VAT and income tax and is especially popular with freelancers and expats, partly because it works well in English. Its focus is clearly the single taxable person and cash-basis accounting, not heavy or international invoicing. For the combination of simple billing and getting your taxes done, it is a very good fit.
- Invoicing, VAT and income tax in one tool
- Popular with the self-employed and expats, works well in English
- Clean, mobile-first experience
- Built around the single German tax return, not high-volume invoicing
- Mobile-first, less suited to high invoice volume on desktop
- Built for self-employed on cash-basis accounting, not for balance-sheet filers
Zervant
Simple invoicing for low volume, multilingual.
Best for: Simple, occasional invoicing in several languages.
Zervant is a clean, simple invoicing tool available in several languages and a good fit for occasional, low-volume billing. The thing to check 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. If your clients usually accept plain PDFs and you send only a few invoices a year, it is a reasonable, low-cost option. Once German e-invoicing becomes mandatory for you, verify the coverage specifically.
- Easy to use with several interface languages including English
- Multilingual invoice output
- Free tier for light usage
- German structured e-invoicing is lighter, verify before relying on it
- Fewer compliance-specific features than German-market tools
Why e-invoicing decides it in 2026
Germany is moving to mandatory business-to-business e-invoicing. Since January 2025 every German business must be able to receive structured e-invoices. Issuing them becomes mandatory in phases: from 2027 for larger businesses and from 2028 for all domestic B2B invoices. The transition period for paper and PDF invoices ends for small businesses at the close of 2027.
The two common compliant formats are XRechnung (pure XML, required by public-sector buyers) and ZUGFeRD (a PDF with embedded XML), both built on the EN 16931 European standard. For small businesses and freelancers this means, in practice, that a tool which generates a valid ZUGFeRD or XRechnung file automatically removes a growing compliance risk. What matters is that e-invoicing is not locked behind an expensive tier.
What small businesses and freelancers should actually weigh
Not every strong feature is relevant to you. Weigh these:
- E-invoicing included. ZUGFeRD and XRechnung at EN 16931, generated automatically and ideally included on every plan.
- Right-sized scope. Do you really need full accounting, or are professional, compliant invoices enough? An unused accounting suite is paid-for weight.
- Small-business VAT exemption. Invoices without VAT with the correct German small-business note, cleanly handled.
- DATEV export. So your accountant can take your data without re-keying it.
- Honest pricing. Watch for net prices plus VAT and for which features only appear on higher tiers.
The full suites win when you actually need the accounting. Facturwise leads this list because it is built for the more common case: compliant invoices, simple and affordable, without the ballast.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best invoicing software for small businesses in Germany?
It depends on whether you only write invoices or also want to keep the books. For simple, affordable and e-invoicing-compliant billing without a full accounting suite, Facturwise is our pick: ZUGFeRD, XRechnung and Factur-X are included on every plan, with a free start. If you also need bank reconciliation and VAT returns, sevDesk or Lexware Office are more complete.
Do small businesses even need e-invoicing?
To receive, yes: since January 2025 every German business, including small businesses, must be able to receive structured e-invoices. To issue: for small businesses the transition period for paper and PDF invoices ends at the close of 2027, and from 2028 the obligation to issue applies broadly for domestic B2B. Software that generates ZUGFeRD and XRechnung automatically gets you ready in time.
Do I have to buy expensive accounting software for e-invoicing?
No. E-invoicing is a matter of format, not accounting. A focused invoicing tool like Facturwise generates ZUGFeRD, XRechnung and Factur-X at EN 16931 profile even on the cheapest plan, without paying for a full accounting suite. Your accountant can still handle the books, supported by the DATEV export.
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 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.
Is Facturwise a replacement for sevDesk or Lexware Office?
Only if you do not need full accounting. Facturwise is a focused invoicing tool with no bank reconciliation, receipt booking or VAT returns. If you want complete bookkeeping in one program, sevDesk or Lexware Office are the better choice. If your accountant handles the books and you mainly need compliant invoices with e-invoicing and DATEV export, Facturwise covers exactly that.
Is there free invoicing software with e-invoicing?
Yes, several tools offer a free start. Facturwise allows 5 free invoices including e-invoicing, Papierkram has a functional free tier, and Zervant also offers a free level. With free tiers, always check whether e-invoicing, quotes and dunning are included, as free levels are often limited in scope.
Invoice simply, affordably and in line with the e-invoicing rules
Five invoices free. Automatic ZUGFeRD 2.4, XRechnung and Factur-X at EN 16931 profile on every plan. Lean setup, first invoice in minutes, DATEV export included and invoices in 22 languages. Built for small businesses, freelancers and contractors.
Facturwise is a focused invoicing tool. It does not replace accounting software. For bookkeeping, bank reconciliation or VAT returns you will need a separate solution.