Facturwise vs Lexoffice: E-Invoicing Without the Suite

Facturwise vs Lexoffice at a glance

Two different tools for two different needs

Lexoffice, now officially called Lexware Office, is a full German accounting suite. It covers bookkeeping, VAT return preparation via ELSTER, P&L reporting, bank reconciliation, expense management, and invoicing. It is built for German freelancers and SMEs who want to handle their complete accounting workflow in one place. It is a well-established product backed by Haufe Group, one of Germany's largest business software publishers, with a large ecosystem of integrations and a strong Steuerberater workflow.

Facturwise is a focused e-invoicing platform. It generates compliant outgoing invoices in ZUGFeRD 2.4, Factur-X 1.0.8, XRechnung 3.0, and Peppol BIS 3.0 at EN 16931 profile level. It does not replace accounting software. It does not handle bookkeeping, VAT returns, or bank reconciliation. If you need those functions, Lexoffice or another accounting suite is the right choice.

The comparison below covers the specific situations where the difference matters.

Two different interface philosophies

Lexoffice is organised around a complete accounting workflow because that is its primary product. The dashboard surfaces bookkeeping, bank reconciliation, expense management, VAT preparation, and invoicing as peers. For users who actually use all of those modules, the breadth makes sense. For users who came specifically to generate compliant invoices, the same breadth means navigating past sections that are not part of the workflow they are there for.

Facturwise is built around one thing: creating compliant outgoing invoices. The interface is modern, focused, and free of accounting-suite scaffolding. When you open the product, you are looking at an invoice creation screen. Client details autofill from saved contacts. The output format is configured once in Settings and applies to every invoice generated from that point forward. From opening the product to a compliant structured invoice file ready to send takes under two minutes, which is the point: a focused tool for users whose daily work is to bill, not to bookkeep.

What each tool is actually for

Lexoffice is accounting software that includes invoicing. Facturwise is invoicing software that includes e-invoicing compliance. That distinction matters because the two tools are built for different primary use cases and price their features accordingly.

A Lexoffice user runs their accounting in the platform: they reconcile bank transactions, prepare VAT returns, track expenses, and generate invoices all in one place. The Steuerberater accesses their data directly through the Lexoffice Steuerberater portal or via DATEV export. The accounting workflow is the core product. Invoicing including ZUGFeRD is part of that workflow.

A Facturwise user already has an accounting workflow. They use a Steuerberater, handle their books in DATEV, or manage accounting separately. What they need is a reliable way to generate compliant outgoing invoices for clients who require ZUGFeRD, Factur-X, or XRechnung. Facturwise generates those invoices and produces a monthly DATEV-compatible export for the Steuerberater handoff. It does not replace the accounting layer.

Neither approach is wrong. The question is which one matches your situation.

E-invoicing format support: what each tool covers

This is the section that matters most if e-invoicing compliance is your primary reason for evaluating both tools.

Lexoffice supports ZUGFeRD at EN 16931 profile level from Plan M (€7.90 per month net, plus 19% VAT). The official Lexware Office help centre also lists XRechnung 3.0 as available from Plan M; some third-party comparison sources state XRechnung requires Plan XL, so verify the current plan requirement on lexware.de/preise. ZUGFeRD generation requires the client contact to be set up as a company contact with a full address; once those prerequisites are met on Plan M and above, the format generates automatically. If those conditions are not met, the invoice generates as a standard PDF without the structured XML layer. Lexoffice does not show whether an invoice will be ZUGFeRD-compliant during editing, only when you click through to the preview step.

Factur-X, the French equivalent of ZUGFeRD required for invoicing French business clients under France's mandate active since September 2026, is not mentioned anywhere in Lexoffice's documentation or marketing material. There is no evidence of Factur-X support in the official Lexoffice help centre, on their marketing pages, or in any third-party review as of 2026-05-08.

Peppol BIS 3.0, required for Belgian B2B clients since January 2026 and used across the Peppol cross-border network, is not documented anywhere in Lexoffice's current feature set.

Facturwise generates all four formats on every plan including the free tier. ZUGFeRD 2.4 at EN 16931, Factur-X 1.0.8 at EN 16931, XRechnung 3.0, and Peppol BIS 3.0 are all available from the first invoice without plan upgrades. The output format is chosen during onboarding and can be changed at any time in Settings, with the choice applying to every invoice generated from that point forward. If you want to verify any existing invoice for EN 16931 compliance before committing, our free ZUGFeRD validator checks field by field without an account.

Pricing: what you actually pay for each use case

Lexoffice pricing is net of German VAT. Add 19% to the figures below to get the gross amount you pay as an individual or a business not fully VAT-recoverable.

If you need ZUGFeRD or XRechnung outgoing invoices, the minimum Lexoffice plan is Plan M at €7.90 per month net, approximately €9.40 gross. The official Lexware Office help centre lists both formats as available from this tier; verify on lexware.de/preise before deciding.

Higher Lexoffice plans (L at €21.90 net, XL at €32.90 net) add accounting features such as VAT return preparation, GoBD archiving, English invoice translation, and recurring billing. If those features sit outside your workflow, Plan M covers the e-invoicing requirement without paying for them.

Lexoffice frequently offers 50% off for the first three months for new customers. This brings Plan M to approximately €3.95 net for the first quarter. After the promotional period the full price applies.

Facturwise pricing is straightforward. The free plan generates ZUGFeRD, XRechnung, Factur-X, and Peppol BIS 3.0 invoices for five invoices with no credit card required. Advanced is €13.90 per month or €139.00 per year for unlimited invoices and clients. Professional is €24.90 per month or €249.00 per year and adds automated recurring billing, automated payment reminders, and white-label invoices without Facturwise branding. Full pricing detail is on our Facturwise pricing page.

For a user who needs only outgoing e-invoicing compliance without accounting features, Facturwise Free at €0 covers ZUGFeRD, XRechnung, Factur-X, and Peppol BIS 3.0 from the first invoice. Lexoffice Plan M at €7.90 net covers ZUGFeRD and XRechnung for the German market but does not cover Factur-X or Peppol BIS 3.0. For users invoicing French or Belgian clients alongside German clients, Facturwise's Free or Advanced plan covers all four formats from one account.

When Lexoffice is the right choice

Lexoffice is the right choice if you are a German freelancer or small business owner who wants to run your complete accounting workflow in one place. If you need bookkeeping, VAT return preparation, ELSTER submission, P&L reporting, bank reconciliation, and invoicing including ZUGFeRD all under one roof, Lexoffice does all of that. The Steuerberater portal integration is particularly strong: your Steuerberater accesses your data directly without needing a manual export.

If you are already a Lexoffice user and ZUGFeRD or XRechnung compliance is the only thing you are evaluating, Plan M at €7.90 per month net likely already covers your German B2B and B2G invoicing requirements per the official Lexware Office help centre.

If your accounting workflow is anchored in Germany and you have no immediate need to invoice French, Belgian, or Dutch clients, Lexoffice's German-only interface and German-market focus are not a limitation.

When Facturwise is the right choice

Facturwise is the right choice if you already have an accounting setup and need a focused tool to generate compliant outgoing invoices for clients in Germany, France, Belgium, or the Netherlands.

If you are a freelancer or agency invoicing German clients who request ZUGFeRD, French clients who now require Factur-X since September 2026, or Belgian clients under the Peppol mandate since January 2026, Facturwise covers all three from one account on any plan including the free tier. Lexoffice covers ZUGFeRD and XRechnung for the German market but does not document Factur-X or Peppol BIS 3.0 support. We cover the broader pattern of why this gap exists in our piece on the ERP outgoing invoice gap.

If you work in English or operate from outside Germany, Facturwise is the only realistic option. Lexoffice has no English interface. There is no German-language alternative to navigate. Facturwise runs in English, German, and French with full UI localisation in all three.

If you invoice clients in multiple countries and need invoice output in their language, Facturwise generates invoices in 22 languages from the same account. Your German client receives their invoice in German, your French client in French, your Dutch client in Dutch, with no template switching or separate account needed. Lexoffice generates German invoices with an English translation option on the XL plan only.

If you have a Steuerberater handling your accounting and you need to hand off invoice data monthly, Facturwise generates a DATEV-compatible CSV export on all plans including the free tier. Your Steuerberater receives a file that imports directly into their DATEV system.

If you are a non-German business running your own accounting tool for your domestic market and need a separate tool for EU e-invoicing compliance specifically, Facturwise handles the compliance layer without requiring you to switch accounting software or learn German accounting terminology. If you also evaluated other invoicing tools, our sevDesk comparison and Zervant comparison cover similar trade-offs against different competitors.

What Facturwise does not do

This comparison would not be honest without stating clearly what Facturwise does not cover. Facturwise does not do bookkeeping, bank reconciliation, VAT return preparation, ELSTER submission, P&L reporting, or GoBD-compliant document archiving. It does not have a Steuerberater portal. If you need any of those functions in the same tool as your invoicing, Lexoffice or another accounting suite is the right choice.

Facturwise assumes you have an accounting solution already, whether that is a Steuerberater handling your books via DATEV, a separate accounting tool for your domestic market, or your own bookkeeping process. Facturwise handles the outgoing invoice compliance layer. Everything else stays in your existing setup.

Frequently asked questions