Lexware Office (lexoffice) vs. sevDesk vs. BuchhaltungsButler – The Big Comparison

Last updated on September 5, 2026

Modern accounting software takes a huge amount of work off your plate: writing invoices, capturing receipts, filing VAT returns, preparing documents for your tax advisor – much of it now runs almost automatically. Especially if you run an online store (or are about to launch one), you want to spend your time on the business, not on paperwork.
The choice is big, though. So we compare three of the most popular solutions in Germany in detail: Lexware Office (formerly lexoffice), sevDesk and BuchhaltungsButler.

What matters in accounting software?

Cloud accounting needs neither installation nor big investments – even solo founders benefit from day one. When comparing, pay attention to:

• Feature set: invoicing, receipt capture, EÜR/VAT returns, tax-advisor access (DATEV)
• E-invoicing mandate: since Jan 1, 2025 German businesses must be able to receive e-invoices; mandatory sending is phased in until 2028 – your software should handle both
• E-commerce integrations: Shopify, Amazon, PayPal & co. if you run a store
• Ease of use without a long learning curve, ideally with a mobile app
• Transparent costs and fair cancellation terms
• German-language support and GoBD compliance

Lexware Office (formerly lexoffice)

Behind Lexware Office stands Freiburg-based software maker Lexware – one of the most established names in German business software. Good to know: lexoffice was renamed “Lexware Office” in autumn 2024 – same product, new name. More than 400,000 businesses use it.

Features

Lexware Office covers far more than bookkeeping: quotes, (e-)invoices and dunning, automatic receipt capture via photo, EÜR and VAT returns, plus dedicated tax-advisor access with DATEV integration. The built-in customer and supplier management even replaces a separate CRM for many freelancers.
Important for online sellers: there are integrations for all common shop systems such as Shopify, WooCommerce and Shopware. You’ll find more details in our full Lexware Office review (German).

Usability

The interface is modern and tidy; the dashboard shows account balances, open invoices, income and expenses at a glance. With the app you simply photograph receipts – they are recognised and archived automatically. On a tablet you can even create and sign quotes.

Pricing

Lexware Office offers four packages, all cancellable monthly (prices net/month):

There is usually a 50% discount for the first 3 months. The payroll add-on (legally compliant payroll for up to 50 employees) starts at €12.90/month. You can test everything free for 30 days.

sevDesk

sevDesk (founded 2013 in Offenburg as SEVENIT GmbH, renamed in 2019, part of the French software group Cegid since February 2025) is one of the more modern providers and has made a name for itself with a particularly pleasant interface.

Features

The focus is on invoicing, bookkeeping and receipt management – including cash book, dunning and tax-advisor access (DATEV); cost centres, the BWA report and the REST API are reserved for the Pro plan. In terms of breadth sevDesk sits slightly behind the other two, but everything it does is very well integrated. For shops: Shopify and WooCommerce run through partner apps, Amazon, eBay and Etsy only through Billbee, and there is no fee splitting for marketplace payouts.

Usability

Visually, sevDesk is the slickest candidate in this comparison: a clean dashboard, logical navigation, plus full-featured iOS and Android apps – you can handle quotes, invoices and contacts on the go.

Pricing

Since September 2025 there are no more term discounts; list prices apply to every contract length (net/month):

New customers get introductory discounts (in September 2026 up to 70% for twelve months on a 24-month term) plus add-ons such as time tracking (€4.90) or inventory (€19.90/month). Beware: contracts renew automatically for the booked term, so a 24-month plan renews for another two years. Worked examples, user feedback and the limits for online sellers are in our full sevDesk review.

BuchhaltungsButler

BuchhaltungsButler (Berlin, since 2015, now part of the Visma group) is the automation specialist in this comparison – and our favourite for online sellers. Full single review: all details, integrations and experiences in our BuchhaltungsButler review 2026.

Features

Automated bookkeeping with AI-powered receipt recognition and automatic matching, invoices, quotes & credit notes, role management and deep DATEV integration. The highlight for our audience: dedicated e-commerce plans with native integrations for Amazon, eBay, Shopify, Stripe and PayPal – including correct fee splitting, which otherwise costs hours of manual work with marketplace statements.

Usability

The layout is clear and completely built for efficiency: upload receipts, the AI pre-books them, you just confirm. There is no full mobile app, you work in the browser; for receipts there is now a scan app for iOS and Android, included in every plan.

Pricing

The plans (net/month, billed annually | monthly):

All plans come with a 14-day free trial plus a 30-day money-back guarantee; for its eleventh anniversary there is also a 71% discount on the first month in September 2026. Important for your maths: in the base plans Light, Smart and Premium every shop or marketplace integration (Amazon, eBay, Shopify, Stripe, Billbee) costs an extra €19.90/month, only the e-commerce plans include them. Extra users cost €4.90, Premium includes five. Annual contracts can be cancelled at the end of each term. BuchhaltungsButler is clearly pricier than the other two – but the automation and e-commerce integrations save you real working hours every month.

💡 All prices last verified directly with all three vendors on September 5, 2026 (net, plus VAT). Check the vendors’ websites for current prices and promotions.

What changed in 2025/2026

All three vendors adjusted prices or features over the last year. These are the points that can make your decision look different today than in 2025:

• sevDesk has belonged to Cegid since February 2025 and dropped its term discounts on 1 September 2025: Invoicing €12.90, Accounting €25.90, Accounting Pro €34.90 for every contract length. Anyone who had booked 24 months pays 25 to 45 percent more at renewal. New is the permanently free plan with three e-invoices a month. Unchanged: contracts renew automatically for the booked term, with a 14-day notice period. Details in our sevDesk review.
• Lexware Office has kept its prices stable for more than a year (S €7.90 to XL €32.90, still cancellable monthly, currently 50% off for three months). On the feature side 2026 brought up to 20 email addresses for receipt intake, automated posting of receipts, text formatting in documents and a reworked planning tool. The payroll module still starts at €12.90/month.
• BuchhaltungsButler has not changed its plan prices since July 2026 but celebrates its eleventh anniversary with 71% off the first month. New are the scan app for iOS and Android in every plan, a module for the official German EÜR tax form (€5.90/month) and a controlling dashboard that is free during beta. Unchanged: no full mobile app, integrations in the base plans only at extra cost.

On ratings the three sit close together. On Trustpilot, Lexware Office scores 4.2 out of 5 from 1,364 reviews, BuchhaltungsButler 4.1 from 195 and sevDesk 4.0 from 3,753 (as of 5 September 2026). What stands out at sevDesk is the 16 percent share of one-star reviews, most of them about the automatic contract renewal rather than the software itself.

Comparison table: Lexware Office vs. sevDesk vs. BuchhaltungsButler

Who should pick what?

• Just starting out as a freelancer or small business? Then Lexware Office is the safest bet: cheap entry, all essentials on board, cancellable monthly and the largest ecosystem on the German market.
• Running an online store or selling on Amazon? Then BuchhaltungsButler pays for itself quickly: the e-commerce plans pull your sales, fees and payouts automatically from Shopify, Amazon, Stripe & co. – exactly where sellers otherwise drown in reconciliation chaos.
• Want maximum plan flexibility and a beautiful interface? Take a look at sevDesk – but mind the automatic renewal for the full contract term.

Conclusion – how to choose the right accounting software

All three programs are GoBD-compliant, e-invoicing-ready and safe recommendations – the differences lie in their profile: Lexware Office is the all-rounder with the best entry price, sevDesk the design favourite with a free plan, BuchhaltungsButler the automation machine for e-commerce.
Since you’re reading ecom-tools.de, chances are you run (or plan) a store – so our plain recommendation: test BuchhaltungsButler with your real Amazon/Shopify data first, and if you’re not selling online (yet), start with Lexware Office.

You’ll find more vetted finance tools in our accounting category – for example the invoice collector GetMyInvoices.

Frequently asked questions