What is sevDesk?
sevDesk is cloud accounting software for freelancers, self-employed and small businesses. sevDesk GmbH was founded in 2013 in Offenburg and today belongs to the established providers in the German market. The software runs completely in the browser; no local installation is needed.
The most noticeable difference from competitors like Lexware Office or Papierkram: sevDesk offers a permanently free plan. This allows you to create up to three invoices per month and receive e-invoices. For accounting functions like income statements or document capture, you need a paid plan.
Plans and Prices in Detail
sevDesk has four plans. All paid plans can be cancelled monthly. Those who choose annual payment save about 10-15% compared to monthly billing.
| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Focus | EUeR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | EUR 0 | - | 3 invoices/month, receive e-invoices | - |
| Invoice | EUR 11.90 | EUR 9.90 | Unlimited invoices, quotes, dunning | - |
| Accounting | EUR 25.90 | EUR 22.90 | EUeR, P&L, documents, banking, VAT | Yes |
| Accounting Pro | EUR 34.90 | EUR 30.90 | + Cost centers, BWA, REST API | Yes |
All prices net plus VAT. Monthly cancellation. Source: sevdesk.de/preise, accessed 21.03.2026.
Which Plan for Which Purpose?
The Free plan is good for trying out and for small business owners who only write a few invoices per month. More than three invoices per month is not possible.
The Invoice plan (EUR 9.90-11.90) removes this limit. You can create unlimited invoices, quotes, delivery notes and dunning notices. However, accounting functions like income statements or document capture are not included.
Real accounting starts with the Accounting plan (EUR 22.90-25.90). Included are income statement, profit & loss, asset management, VAT pre-registration via ELSTER and AI document capture. For most freelancers and small businesses, this is the most sensible plan.
Accounting Pro (EUR 30.90-34.90) adds cost centers, business analysis (BWA) and a REST API for custom integrations. This is especially worthwhile for online merchants and companies that want to connect sevDesk to their own systems.
Features Overview
Document Capture via AI
Automatic document recognition is one of sevDesk\'s core features. You photograph or upload a document, and the software recognizes vendor, amount, date and tax rate. In our test, this worked well on printed standard documents. For handwritten receipts or poor image quality, we had to make corrections.
Documents are automatically assigned to matching bank transactions and GoBD-compliant archived. The AI learns from your corrections and becomes more accurate over time.
Invoices and Quotes
From the Invoice plan, you can create quotes, order confirmations, delivery notes, invoices and dunning notices. E-invoices in XRechnung and ZUGFeRD format are supported. Recurring invoices and custom templates are also available.
Accounting and Tax Reporting
The Accounting plan makes sevDesk a complete accounting solution. Included are the income statement (EUeR), profit & loss statement (GuV), electronic cash book, asset management with depreciation calculation and direct VAT pre-registration via ELSTER.
sevDesk supports both simple and double-entry bookkeeping. This is an advantage over some competitors who only offer income statements.
Banking Integration
sevDesk connects with over 4,000 banks in Germany. Incoming payments are automatically matched with open invoices. The software suggests booking categories and learns from your assignments.
Mobile App
The app for iOS and Android offers document scanner, invoice creation and financial overview. According to experte.de, the iOS version has more features than the Android variant. Both versions are sufficient for the core task, photographing documents on the go.
REST API and Integrations
sevDesk offers a REST API in the Accounting Pro plan for custom integrations. Additionally, there are native connections to Shopify, WooCommerce, Amazon and eBay. Through the sevDesk marketplace, further integrations are available. This makes sevDesk especially interesting for online merchants with multiple sales channels.
Collaboration with Tax Advisor
sevDesk offers its own Tax Advisor Portal, through which your accounting firm can directly access your documents and transactions. Several methods are available for data exchange:
- DATEV-compliant exports: Pre-configured export formats for common accounting systems
- ADDISON exports: For accounting firms using Wolters Kluwer
- ELSTER: Direct transmission of VAT pre-registration to tax office
sevDesk offers new accounting firms a 45-minute onboarding. More on tax advisor software can be found under Accounting Software Costs, where we also break down the total cost of software plus tax advisor fees.
E-Invoicing Requirement and sevDesk
Since January 1, 2025, all companies in Germany must be able to receive e-invoices. Sending becomes mandatory in phases:
| Merkmal | Period | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| From 2025 | Receiving for all companies | |
| 2025-2026 | Sending: Transition phase (paper/PDF still allowed) | |
| From 2027 | Sending with revenue over EUR 800,000 | |
| From 2028 | Sending for all companies |
Source: BMF FAQ on E-Invoicing Requirement
sevDesk supports receiving and processing e-invoices (XRechnung, ZUGFeRD) already in the Free plan. Sending e-invoices is possible from the Invoice plan.
What sevDesk Cannot Do: Payroll
sevDesk does not offer payroll processing. Neither as a feature nor as an add-on module. This is a deliberate difference from Lexware Office, which offers payroll as an add-on from EUR 12.90/month. If you need payroll, you must use an external solution with sevDesk.
Advantages and Disadvantages
| Merkmal | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Permanently free Free plan | EUeR only from EUR 22.90/month (more expensive than Papierkram) |
| Automation | AI document recognition, automatic banking | AI unreliable with poor image quality |
| Integrations | Shopify, Amazon, eBay native, REST API (Pro) | API only from Accounting Pro (EUR 34.90) |
| Tax Advisor | Own portal, DATEV + ADDISON export | No payroll available |
| Bookkeeping | Simple + double-entry bookkeeping | More complex interface than Lexware Office |
| Flexibility | Monthly cancellation, no annual contract needed | Only usable online, no offline function |
Who is sevDesk For?
Für wen ist sevDesk geeignet?
Geeignet für
- Freelancers and self-employed who want to start with a free plan
- Online merchants with Shopify, Amazon or eBay (native integrations)
- Companies with many documents that want to use AI recognition
- Tech-savvy users who value automation and API access
- Tax accounting firms looking for a client portal
Weniger geeignet für
- Companies that need payroll in the same software
- Large enterprises with complex ERP requirements
- Users who prefer desktop software with one-time license
- Users who want to create income statements as cheaply as possible (Papierkram from EUR 9.90/month)
sevDesk vs. Alternatives
How does sevDesk compare to the main competitors?
| Merkmal | Feature | sevDesk | Lexware Office | BuchhaltungsButler | Papierkram |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry price (EUeR) | EUR 22.90/month | EUR 21.90/month (L) | EUR 29.95/month | EUR 9.90/month (S) | |
| Free plan | |||||
| Invoices from | EUR 0 (Free, 3/month) | EUR 12.90/month (M) | EUR 24.95/month | EUR 9.90/month | |
| AI document recognition | |||||
| Double-entry bookkeeping | |||||
| DATEV export | |||||
| REST API | From Pro | From XL | |||
| Payroll | Add-on | ||||
| E-commerce native |
A detailed direct comparison is available under Lexware Office vs. sevDesk. If you want to create income statements as cheaply as possible, take a look at Papierkram (from EUR 9.90/month).
BuchhaltungsButler is more aimed at users with accounting knowledge and offers AI-powered automations for document assignment. An overview of all providers and prices is available on ourAccounting Software comparison page.
User Reviews
On Trustpilot, sevDesk scores 3.9 out of 5 stars with 3,453 reviews (as of March 2026). 71% of users give 5 stars. Frequently praised are the ease of use and customer support. Criticism mainly concerns document recognition, which doesn\'t work reliably for some users, and automatic contract extensions.
At experte.de, sevDesk receives a grade of 1.3 (very good). sevDesk scores especially well on interfaces and extensions (grade 1.0) and support (grade 1.3). Setup and use receive a 1.7, reflecting the higher complexity level compared to simpler solutions like Lexware Office.
Data Security
sevDesk stores all data in German data centers. Transmission is SSL-encrypted. As a cloud solution, sevDesk handles backups and updates. For small and medium businesses, this is usually sufficient.
Those who want to additionally insure against the risk of cyber attacks on their IT should consider a cyber insurance for SMEs. Especially for freelancers with customer data, a professional liability insurance can also be useful, which covers financial losses from erroneous advice.
Conclusion
Our Assessment
sevDesk is a solid cloud accounting with an unusual advantage: the free starter plan. Those who only write a few invoices per month can use sevDesk permanently without cost.
For self-bookers, the Accounting plan (EUR 22.90-25.90/month) is the most sensible entry. It includes income statement, profit & loss, asset management and VAT pre-registration. Those who need an API or want to use cost centers must choose Accounting Pro (EUR 30.90-34.90/month).
Two limitations you should know about: There is no payroll, and the income statement entry price is higher than with Papierkram (from EUR 9.90/month) or Lexware Office (from EUR 21.90/month). However, sevDesk offers more automation and the more extensive e-commerce integrations. For startups and online merchants who want to start with a Free plan and scale later, sevDesk is a good choice.
sevDesk comes in four variants: Free (EUR 0, 3 invoices/month), Invoice (EUR 9.90-11.90), Accounting (EUR 22.90-25.90) and Accounting Pro (EUR 30.90-34.90). The exact price depends on whether you pay monthly or annually.
Yes. The Free plan is not time-limited. You can create up to 3 invoices per month and receive e-invoices. However, for income statements, document capture or banking, you need a paid plan.
The income statement (Einnahmenueberschussrechnung / EUeR) is included from the Accounting plan (EUR 22.90-25.90/month). The same plan also includes the profit & loss statement, VAT pre-registration, asset management and an electronic cash book.
Yes. sevDesk offers pre-configured DATEV-compliant exports and a tax advisor portal through which your accounting firm can directly access your data. Additionally, ADDISON exports and ELSTER transmission are supported.
Yes. sevDesk supports e-invoices in XRechnung and ZUGFeRD format. Receiving is already possible in the Free plan. Sending is available from the Invoice plan.
No. sevDesk does not offer payroll processing, not even as an add-on module. If you need payroll, you must use Lexware Office (add-on from EUR 12.90/month) or an external payroll solution like DATEV Lohn und Gehalt.
The AI-powered document recognition automatically identifies vendor, amount, date and tax rate. In our test, it worked reliably on standard documents. For handwritten or poorly readable documents, we had to make manual corrections.
Yes. sevDesk offers integrations for Shopify, WooCommerce, Amazon and eBay. Transactions are automatically imported. For additional platforms, the sevDesk marketplace and REST API (from Accounting Pro) provide further connections.