German invoice law has specific requirements — §14 UStG mandates fields that most generic invoice templates don’t include. This comparison covers the tools freelancers in Germany actually use, what each one does well, and where it falls short.
What German law requires from an invoicing tool
Every invoice must include your Steuernummer or USt-IdNr., a sequential invoice number, the date the service was performed, the net amount, the VAT rate and amount separately, and the gross total. Miss any of these and your client’s accounting team can legitimately send the invoice back.
If you’re under the Kleinunternehmerregelung (§19 UStG), you don’t charge VAT — but you must include a note on every invoice stating this. A tool that doesn’t support this forces you to type that line manually every time and hope you don’t forget.
Beyond compliance, the practical questions are: Can you create a correctly formatted PDF in under two minutes? Does it support SEPA payment details? Can you export data for your Steuerberater?
The tools
Lexoffice
The market leader for freelancers and small businesses in Germany. Lexoffice covers invoicing plus full bookkeeping: bank feed import, VAT return preparation (Umsatzsteuervoranmeldung), and DATEV export for your tax advisor. If you want to manage everything — income, expenses, and year-end reporting — in one browser-based tool, Lexoffice is the obvious choice.
The trade-off is cost and complexity. You’re paying for accounting features you likely won’t need for the first year or two, and the interface reflects that scope.
Best for: Freelancers who want invoicing and bookkeeping in one place.
sevDesk
Positioned similarly to Lexoffice, with strong DATEV export and bookkeeping features. Also browser-based, and slightly more accounting-oriented — invoicing is one function among many. Kleinunternehmer invoices are supported. Pricing is comparable to Lexoffice.
Best for: Freelancers who need DATEV-compatible exports from day one.
FastBill
More invoicing-focused than Lexoffice or sevDesk, with lighter accounting features and a cleaner interface. Available as both a browser tool and a mobile app. Supports Kleinunternehmer invoices and data export for your Steuerberater.
Best for: Freelancers who want more structure than a basic tool but don’t need full bookkeeping.
Zervant
Has a free tier. Simple, clean invoice creation with PDF export. On the free plan, the §19 Kleinunternehmer note has to be added manually — it’s not automatic. No accounting features. Works fine if your invoicing is straightforward and you want to start without paying.
Best for: Freelancers just starting out who want to try something for free.
Accountable
Mobile app and web tool focused on invoicing, bookkeeping, and tax filing for self-employed people in Germany. The free plan covers up to five documents; paid plans start around €15.50/month, with a specific tier for Kleinunternehmer. Beyond invoicing, Accountable files VAT returns and income tax directly — useful if you want to handle your own tax obligations without a Steuerberater. It also supports e-invoice formats (XRechnung, ZUGFeRD, PEPPOL), which matters as Germany phases in mandatory B2B e-invoicing.
Best for: Freelancers who want invoicing and tax filing in one tool and prefer not to hire a tax advisor.
Shine
Invoicing, expense tracking, and banking in a single tool, targeted at solo freelancers and Kleinunternehmer in Germany. You can scan receipts, sync your bank transactions automatically, and see your open invoices and VAT obligations in one dashboard. Pricing starts free, with paid tiers from around €9/month.
Best for: Freelancers who want invoicing, expenses, and banking connected in one place.
Billino
Mobile app (iOS and Android) built specifically for freelancers who invoice on the go. Supports Kleinunternehmer invoices with the §19 UStG note added automatically, generates correctly formatted PDFs, and stores your sender profile so the required fields appear on every invoice without re-entering them. No bookkeeping features — it handles invoicing, nothing else.
Best for: Freelancers who want to send a compliant invoice from their phone in under two minutes.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Kleinunternehmer support | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Lexoffice | Automatic | Invoicing + bookkeeping |
| sevDesk | Automatic | Invoicing + DATEV export |
| FastBill | Automatic | Invoicing-focused |
| Zervant | Manual | Free starting point |
| Accountable | Automatic | Invoicing + tax filing |
| Shine | Automatic | Invoicing + banking |
| Billino | Automatic | Mobile-first freelancers |
How to choose
Start with what you actually need today. If you’re sending invoices and your Steuerberater handles the bookkeeping, you don’t need a full accounting tool — that’s extra cost and complexity for features you won’t use. If you want to track expenses and prepare your VAT returns yourself, Lexoffice, sevDesk, or Accountable are the right fit.
Most freelancers starting out overestimate how much software they need. A tool that generates a PDF with the right fields — and adds the §19 note automatically if you’re a Kleinunternehmer — is often enough for the first few years.
In Billino
Add your Steuernummer or USt-IdNr. to your sender profile and it appears on every invoice automatically. Enable the Kleinunternehmer option and Billino adds the §19 UStG note without any manual editing.
