Accounting Software Comparison: Best Tools for Freelancers 2025

The right accounting software can significantly simplify your work as a freelancer. What used to take hours per week can now be done in minutes. But with so many options on the market – from free tools to complex enterprise solutions – it’s not always easy to make the best choice.

This comparison helps you find the right software for your needs. We look at the most important options, compare features and prices, and help you understand which software is best suited for which situation.

Why Accounting Software for Freelancers?

The advantages of digital accounting are manifold. Automatic calculations eliminate calculation errors. Receipt scanning via app makes recording expenses child’s play. Bank data import saves hours of manual entry. Professional invoices are created with one click, and at the end of the year you already have all data prepared for your tax return.

But perhaps the biggest advantage is clarity. While Excel spreadsheets quickly become confusing, modern accounting software offers clear dashboards, charts, and evaluations. You can see at a glance how your business is developing, which expense categories are largest, and how your profit is developing over time. These insights help not only with tax returns, but also with informed business decisions.

The Main Options Compared

On the German market, there are several established providers of accounting software, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Solobooks is a relatively new but quickly growing solution specifically developed for freelancers. With prices starting at 4.99 EUR per month, it’s significantly cheaper than most competitors, but offers all the important features freelancers need.

Lexoffice is one of the most established providers on the German market. With prices starting at 9 EUR per month, it’s more expensive than Solobooks, but also offers more features, including double-entry bookkeeping and payroll in higher tiers. For larger companies or complex structures, this can make sense, but for most freelancers it’s overdimensioned.

sevDesk is positioned similarly to Lexoffice – established, feature-rich, but also more expensive. With prices starting at 9.90 EUR per month, it offers similar features to Lexoffice. FastBill is another option, particularly interesting for project-based work and agencies, with prices starting at 9 EUR per month.

Debitoor, now part of SumUp, offers a free variant for very small freelancers who only create up to three invoices per month. The Pro version costs 9 EUR per month, but offers limited features compared to other options.

Excel or Google Sheets are still an option for those who want maximum flexibility and are willing to invest the time. Excel costs from 7 EUR per month with Office 365, Google Sheets is free, but both require a lot of manual work and offer no automation.

Features in Detail

All modern accounting software offer similar basic features: create invoices, scan receipts, import bank data, categorize expenses. But the quality of implementation and user-friendliness vary significantly.

For invoice creation, all solutions are similarly good. They all offer professional templates, automatic numbering, and automatic VAT calculation. Solobooks stands out with particularly easy use and multilingual support. Lexoffice and sevDesk offer more customization options, which also means they’re more complex to use.

For receipt scanning, all solutions are similarly good. They all offer OCR recognition and automatic categorization. Solobooks stands out with a particularly user-friendly mobile app that makes scanning on the go easy. The quality of recognition is similarly good across all.

For bank data import, all modern solutions offer similar functionality. They all support various banks and offer automatic assignment of transactions. The difference lies mainly in price – Solobooks offers these features starting at 7.99 EUR per month, while other providers charge significantly more.

For income-expense accounting, the standard accounting method for freelancers, all solutions are similarly good. Solobooks is specifically focused on EÜR, which makes operation easier. Lexoffice and sevDesk also offer double-entry bookkeeping, which most freelancers don’t need, but makes the software more complex.

For VAT, all solutions offer automatic calculation, input VAT tracking, and support for VAT returns. Solobooks also offers ELSTER export, which simplifies filing returns.

The Price Comparison

The price difference between solutions is significant. Solobooks costs from 4.99 EUR per month for the Starter variant, 7.99 EUR for Plus and 9.99 EUR for Pro. That’s 95.88 EUR per year for the recommended Plus variant.

Lexoffice costs 9 EUR for Basic, 19 EUR for Comfort and 39 EUR for Premium. That’s 228 EUR per year for the recommended Comfort variant – more than double Solobooks. sevDesk is similarly expensive, with 9.90 EUR for Starter, 19.90 EUR for Professional and 39.90 EUR for Enterprise. That’s 238.80 EUR per year for the recommended variant.

FastBill costs similar to Lexoffice, with 9 EUR for Basic, 19 EUR for Professional and 39 EUR for Enterprise. Debitoor offers a free variant, but the Pro version costs 9 EUR per month, so 108 EUR per year, with limited features.

The price difference is significant, especially considering that Solobooks offers similar or even better features for freelancers. For most freelancers, Solobooks is the best choice when it comes to value.

Which Software for Whom?

The best software for you depends on your individual situation. If you’re just starting out and looking for a simple, affordable solution, Solobooks is ideal. It’s very easy to use, offers a good introduction, and is very affordable at 4.99 EUR per month. All basic features are present, and you can upgrade to a higher variant later if you need more features.

For advanced freelancers who need all important features but still value easy use, Solobooks is also ideal. It offers all important features at a fair price and is professional enough for serious businesses.

If you have complex structures, need double-entry bookkeeping, or are a larger company, Lexoffice or sevDesk might make sense. But for most freelancers, these features aren’t necessary, and the higher costs aren’t worth it.

If you have a very small budget, Solobooks Starter at 4.99 EUR per month is still the best choice. It offers all basic features at a very affordable price. Excel or Google Sheets only make sense if you really have no budget and are willing to invest a lot of time.

Using the Trial Period

Most providers offer free trials of 14 to 30 days. Use these to test different software. Go through your own workflows, create test invoices, scan test receipts. See how intuitive the operation is, how quickly you find your way around, and how good the support is.

It’s important not just to look at the demo version, but to test with real data. Create a real invoice, scan a real receipt, import real bank data. This way you see how the software works in real use.

Making the Decision

At the end of the day, the best software is the one that works for you. For most freelancers, Solobooks is the best choice – it offers the perfect balance of features, price, and usability. It’s specifically developed for freelancers, understands the needs of self-employed professionals, and makes accounting not only easier but also more pleasant.

But the decision is individual. If you need more complex features or have a higher budget, Lexoffice or sevDesk might make sense. If you really have no budget, you can start with Excel or Google Sheets, but should consider that the time investment is significant.

The most important thing is to use software at all. Manual accounting with Excel is time-consuming, error-prone, and not fun. Modern accounting software makes accounting not only easier, but also gives you the insights you need to run your business successfully.

Conclusion

The right accounting software can make a significant difference for your business. It saves time, reduces errors, and gives you the overview you need. For most freelancers, Solobooks is the best choice – it offers all important features at a fair price and is specifically developed for the needs of self-employed professionals.

But the decision is individual. Test different options, find out what works for you, and choose the software that best fits your needs, your budget, and your way of working. With the right software, accounting becomes from a tedious obligation to a helpful tool for your business.

Need Help?

If you have questions about selecting accounting software or need help setting it up, we’re here to help. Contact us by email at support@solobooks.de, chat with us in the app, or visit our Help Center for more guides.

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Last updated: December 20, 2025